What’s Not To Love About Modern Vespas?
Vespa has never strayed far from the silhouette that made the brand a cultural icon. The brand's latest GTS 300 and the all-new GTS 310 carry that lineage forward with a familiar blend of Italian style, peppered with practicality.
At a glance, both scooters echo the classic lines that defined post-war Italian mobility; the smooth bodywork and upright stance are instantly recognizable to almost everyone. But beneath that nostalgic shape sits a pair of thoroughly modern machines, as Ryan and Troy recently found out on a romp through Los Angeles.
The GTS 300 and 310 use fuel-injected engines that deliver clean, predictable power, making them suited to everything from tight city streets to longer suburban commutes. ABS comes standard, and Vespa has even embraced the digital era with Bluetooth connectivity that pairs easily with a phone for navigation and ride data. Even traction control has found its way onto the spec sheet, something few riders would have expected on a traditional steel-bodied scooter.
What Vespa has created here isn’t just a tribute to its past but an evolution of what a premium scooter should be. The style remains timeless, but the riding experience reflects modern expectations—for riders who want classic charm without giving up contemporary tech, the GTS 300 and 310 deliver that balance.
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Vespas are the best looking scooters available, but the price always leaves me comparing them to similarly priced motorcycles. I test rode a 200 Vespa many years ago and enjoyed it, although I almost pitched myself over the bars grabbing for the clutch that was really a brake....
I rode a Vespa 310cc at Americade. Unfortunately I rode it after trying a Triumph 400 Speed and Scrambler. I also have a pair of Chinese scooters at home in addition to two Japanese motorcycles.
I wasn't impressed with the Vespa. The seating position was bolt upright, acceleration wasn't impressive, handling wasn't anything to write homa about and the engine sound was industrial. Not worth the nearly ten grand OTD price for me at 310cc.