VIDEO | 360º look around the new Vespa GTS HPE
It’s hard to win with a brand that is so important to its customer base as Vespa. If the company made big changes we’d moan that it was ‘too radical’, don’t change things at all and they’re being lazy, change things marginally and it’s not enough. That’s exactly how the new Vespa GTS HPE SuperTech has gone down with Vespa fans around the world after its debut in Milan this week.
I think many of us were expecting a brand new GTS at EICMA. We were certainly expecting something a bit more drastic than what, at least on the surface of it appears to be little more than a few styling enhancements and a new engine. Speaking of which, if you were expecting a huge gain in performance and capacity you’ll probably be setting fire to your Vespa scarf and matching bobble hat tonight. The new HPE – High-Performance Engine is yet to be road tested but the 1bhp power increase is hardly likely to transform the GTS into the ever more powerful scooter you’ve been hoping for but an increase is worth having, no matter how marginal and it will increase sales, a good thing for Vespa dealers who have been waiting for the ‘next big thing’ to come along.
The most powerful Vespa of all time
At first glance the power gains are marginal but after extensive work the new liquid-cooled, four-valve HPE 300 engine makes 23.8bhp making it the most powerful Vespa to roll off the production line. The R&D team spent time reducing internal friction, optimising thermal efficiency and reducing fuel use (29.4 km/l to 31 km/l using the WMTC cycle). The engine has a new cylinder head, new larger valves and a new piston. The fuel injection system (using the latest-generation Magneti Marelli MIUG4 ECU) has a new high-pressure multi-jet injector, which helps to improve combustion. Whilst a new larger intake improves low down torque and is said to give a smoother ride. All this work means maximum power comes in at 23.8 HP at 8250 rpm, which translates to a 12% increase, while maximum torque, equating to 19.1 ft lb at 5250 rpm, has been boosted by 18%.
Styling and tech
Styling is another contentious point. You can spot the new SuperTech in it’s Dolomite Grey paintwork (there are also two new colours, Relax Green and Energy Blue for the standard GTS Super). From a distance the GTS is, well it’s a GTS. There’s no mistaking it, it still is and still looks like a GTS. Get a little closer though and you’ll start to spot subtle changes and minor enhancements. Things like the vented rear bottom panel on the engine side (a nice touch), the new honeycomb shaped radiator vent covers in the sides of the glovebox. Then there’s the new HPE engine which can’t really be mistaken for the old QUASAR engine. It’s new, visually different and hopefully has a bit more punch (not that the old engine was particularly slow of course). The horncast grill has also changed, as have the headlight and tail light. They’re LED and modern looking. The other major difference visually is the full-colour TFT dash, a much more user-friendly and modern set of instruments. They take the Vespa MIA infotainment System to the next level, it links to the dedicated Vespa app, includes navigation, trip and ride statistics as well as a whole load more information and phone compatibility. The system can be toggled through using the little left handlebar-mounted joystick. From a comfort point of view the GTS now comes with a new seat (said to be more comfortable)
- 23bhp HPE – High Performance 300 Engine (also i-Get 125)
- 12% increase in power, 18% increase in torque
- Full colour TFT display with navigation system
- LED lighting
- Handlebars/horncast/mudguard/mirrors etc. redesigned
- Rear panels redesigned
- 300 HPE engine cover redesigned, also exhaust cover
- New seat
New products always in development…
Mmmm…says HPE on the air filter scoop thingy on the yella one fella????
Maybe it’s an optional extra to have the all singing and dancing computer screen display so you can watch Youtube best motorcycle crash videos as you go. Think I’ll stick with a good old fashioned setup that just tells me how fast I am going and how much jungle juice I have left at a glance. The return of the trad style horncast looks nice though. Think I’d mod it to have a circular clam shell shape at the bottom.
Nice yellow….look nicer with the contrasting orange rust along the seams after a few months on the road. Piaggio QC…the gift that keeps on giving.
HPE is for the engine, not the TFT speedo? (Unless somebody has edited the article since you read it and now makes your comment look ‘odd’? Or I’m misreading what’s been wrote, which wouldn’t be the first time for me!)
Was wondering if they have done anything about that seam as well. I’ve posted about it on a couple of main dealers social media but they always seemed to get deleted. And it’s not as if I was wording it like some 11 yr old keyboard warrior from YouTube! I just wanted to know if Piaggio were aware of it and doing something to sort it. Extend the back of the mudguard for starters, instead of cutting it off at the worst possible place?
On one of the photos up there, it looks like there isn’t a joint but it could just be the light. (Most probable…)
Natural evolution of the Vespa – my choice over Lambretta “look-a-likes” and Vespa Clones from outside of Italy