Vespa on my mind

What say you on the issue below?
A timeless design is one that transcends the demands of the marketing department, social trends, and age.

It doesn’t need a radical redesign to keep up with the ages, but a little modernisation to keep up with the competition.

A timeless design has carved its own niche and doesn’t succumb to the temptation of larger revenue.

Take the Porsche 911 for example; it’s largely unchanged since its introduction in 1963.

Old and new, you can tell the Vespas of different eras apart .

Perhaps, a little sleeker and much more aerodynamic, but unmistakably a 911.

The same can be said about the Volkswagen Beetle – a design that is fundamentally unchanged since 1938. Both examples have survived unchanged.

The design of a Vespa scooter is similar, almost unchanged since the original design of 1946.

What started off as just a regular transport scooter that also happened to serve as military transport for the French in WW2 (some models even featured anti-tank weaponry) is today a stylish lifestyle icon that is just as able at complementing your Armani suit as it is at complementing your Billabong shorts and singlet.

I was introduced to the Vespa LX 150 at the Vespa Piaggio showroom in Kota Damansara.

The first impression was, “wow, nice, but perhaps a different colour would better suit its design.” It honestly is a handsome scooter, well-built too.

Perhaps not as well as Vespa’s of old as there seems to be quite a bit of plastic parts compared to a classic Vespa, but having plastic bits is not necessarily a bad thing.

In the unfortunate event of an accident, a plastic part is easier and cheaper to replace than metal.

The LX 150 was first introduced in 2006 as a celebratory model.

Built by Piaggio in conjunction with Vespa’s 60th anniversary, the alphabets LX are Roman numerical for 60, while 150 represents the engine’s displacement.

The LX 150 is an entry-level model and is powered by an air-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine that provides 12hp at 7,750rpm and 11.5Nm of torque at 6,000rpm.

It’s certainly not a crotch rocket but ideal for everyday urban commutes.

I even know of a person that rode this very bike here all the way to Kulim, and back without so much as an aching back.

Vespas are by and large the transport of choice for many around the world. With over 17 million units sold since its inception, it just stands as a testament to durability and prowess.

Riding the LX 150 around the streets of KL doesn’t get any easier than this.
There’s no tell-tale sign of the 110kg weight as it feels nimble, fast off the line and very responsive.

When it came to slowing down however, I found myself using both front and rear brakes, as the rear drum brake feels ancient and unwilling to provide any stopping power whatsoever.

This proved to be quite scary especially during an emergency.

Beyond the specifications sheet, the LX 150 has a unique character and charm to it.

The girls definitely love its retro looks as a number of traffic light conversations would attest, and it turned grown men into boys as well.

To see how a Vespa has evolved over the years, a few phone calls were placed and we got a pretty good sample to compare it to, a 1960 Vespa Rally 200, owned by Amy of the Malaysian Vespa Club.

A winner of various contests, the 51-year-old scooter went through a troubled life and was turning into a rust bucket when 30-year-old Amy came along to restore it to its current condition.

The entire process took about a year as his quest for parts took him as far away as Indonesia. Today, it serves as his weekend ride. Despite numerous offers, Amy, an enforcement officer with KL City Hall, refuses to sell or to put a price on it.

The classic Vespa is shorter and lower, is made of metal and thus heavier but feels much sturdier. It’s also much louder thanks to the aftermarket Malossi exhaust that Amy specifically imported from Britain.

The lack of side view mirrors lend a sleeker look, in fact the LX 150 is completely overshadowed by the presence of the classic Rally 200. Its old world charm simply can’t be ignored.

However, the four major differences, besides the obvious evolution of the design, are in the practicality of using the scooter.

Firstly, the Rally 200 is a four-speed manual with a clutch. Working the gears requires you to twist the whole left side handle bar.

The LX 150 is a typical modern scooter and doesn’t have any gears to worry about.

The rear brake pedal on the Rally 200, like other classic Vespas, is located along the foot rest. The LX 150 loses this in preference to typical brake levers on the left and right of the handle bars.

Pick up the seat of the Rally 200 and you get nothing but a fuel cap, the LX 150 has that and enough space for two half shell helmets.

The most convenient classic feature on the Rally 200 is the existence of a spare tyre.

None of that for the LX 150, but you could buy an aftermarket rear rack to store a spare tyre.

The Rally 200 may get the limelight, but when it comes to riding the duo, the LX 150 has the classic trumped.

But that’s to be expected.

Where the Rally 200 is a bone shaker, the LX 150 just whizzes along comfortably with its spring and hydraulic absorbers keeping bumps and creases at bay.

That is the by-product of 51 years of technological evolution. But the passion for the brand remains unchanged as Amy would testify.

At RM10,841.50, the LX 150 is not cheap, but good taste and style doesn’t come cheap either.

Naza Premira, the sole distributor of Vespa and Piaggio in Malaysia will also throw in a Vespa helmet and windbreaker to complete the retro look.

Just go for a different colour other than black.