vanity of new Vespa owners

[Stig / Major Tom]

Old Vespas? - a whole different take - the more original and undisturbed patina ("rust") the better!

But owners of new Vespas are so amusingly vain - and they have no self-awareness of this.
They fuss over the side reflectors as though Vespa has glued a cheeseburger on their Vespas!
DIY's on how to remove them are popular - and then - how to deal with the holes left behind? OMG!!
Fortunately - a major Vespa dealer in California is aware the distress these holes cause owners - and have developed color-coded plugs to fill these obscene holes!
Removing the side reflectors surely reduces their "presence" on the streets to drivers at night?
(some Vespa owners say they never ride at night)
And - with the same "vanity trumps safety" approach to scooter riding - smoked brake/tail, turn, DRL and headlights are a popular and cool modification.
And that Calif. dealer also sells color-coded hole plugs for those who find mirrors to be "un-cool".

Vespa owners swoon over a 4" stripe added to this year's models - yet hang those after-thought looking generic exhausts on their pricey rides.
"loud" obviously means faster - but I think it is really the exclusivity due to the expense of these after-market cans that attracts the owners of new Vespas.

If a Vespa is tipped over while parked - owners require therapy - and their scoot it is often totaled by the ins. co. !
Or they get stolen.
Fun.
I like the scooters - but the vanity of the owners is a bit much.
Stig

[mrmike]

   Sorta the way some Harley owners look at a scooter!

[Neil955i]

Not seen any evidence of those Vespa trends over here in the UK Stig, but then I probably see more Royal Alloy Lambretta lookylike scoots than Vespas in my neck of the woods.  A lot of Honda, Yamaha & Sym scooters, but not so many Vespas.

[klaviator]

This happens with some owners of all brands of scooters and motorcycles.  Most of the Vespa owners I know aren't like this.  The only mods on my Vespa are to make it more functional.  I added a Tail Box, floor rack and phone mount.  I have a friend who likes to add stickers to his Vespa.  He has  GT200 with well over 100,000 miles on it.

[klaviator]

This happens with some owners of all brands of scooters and motorcycles.  Most of the Vespa owners I know aren't like this.  The only mods on my Vespa are to make it more functional.  I added a Tail Box, floor rack and phone mount.  I have a friend who likes to add stickers to his Vespa.  He has  GT200 with well over 100,000 miles on it. 

I bought my Vespa new last February and have put over 8,000 miles on it.  Overall it is the best scooter I have owned.

[Ruffus]

PIAGGIO made some classic scoots once, but this times are bygone.
Bad access to their vital parts, corrosion on frame and body, and high costs of spareparts speak against Vespas.