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5 Reasons why a Vespa is a perfect first motorcycle

If you want to ride, consider a Vespa as your first. You might not regret it, or let it go.

Earl Lee Earl Lee on Jan 13, 2022
5 Reasons Why Vespa is Perfect for Beginners

If you’re looking for your first motorcycle, consider a Vespa. These city slickers are as approachable as they are stylish, and they’re some of the best scooters in the world today. Even if you’re just looking at a Vespa, you see all the heritage and the meticulous attention to detail, so just wait until you get to ride it. 

Truth be told, there is nothing like a Vespa. There are some brands out there that try and emulate the look and feel of one, but nothing really beats the original. A Vespa is also a sensible choice for a beginner, and here are five reasons why it makes for a great first motorcycle. 

Related:
5 things you should know before buying a new Vespa

Twist and go

Vespa Throttle and switchgear

Some guys may tell you to start out on a motorcycle with a manual transmission, and that is a very useful skill to have especially if you wish to trade up to a bigger bike in the future. However, if you have no intention of getting a bigger bike, or if you simply want to learn the ins and outs of riding without having to fumble around with the clutch, then a twist-and-go scooter is for you. 

You won’t have to worry about stalling or balancing the clutch in an uphill section. A scooter teaches you what is perhaps one of the most important skills to learn on a motorcycle, and that is throttle control. There is no clutch, so you will have to rely on your throttle hand’s input and solely on it in order to do some low-speed maneuvers and to keep your bike going through a turn. Most new Vespas, even the most affordable ones like the S 125 i-get, are all automatic so you don’t have to worry about learning how to operate a clutch in order to get going and to ride. 

Convenience and storage

Vespa 300 GTS Side

Whether it is a Vespa or not, scooters are some of the most practical bikes available in the market. A myriad of options is available with generous amounts of storage space, which can even be enough for a helmet, your bike’s documents, and even a set of tools depending on the model. 

However, Vespa takes this a step further by keeping the vast amounts of storage while fielding bespoke accessories for its models that extend the look and functionality of your motorcycle. There are also third-party options available from brands that can match the aesthetic of what you’re going for, and you will find that the market is rife with options for this as well. 

Fuel efficiency

Think about it, if you’re just starting out, you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a motorcycle just yet. Looking at the bills is one of the surefire ways to get you off the saddle since motorcycles aren’t cheap to run contrary to popular belief, at least for most people. Vespas are on the higher-end of the spectrum in terms of price, but they cost nowhere near as much to gas up as other bikes. 

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Are Vespas worth it?

Expect fuel efficiency ranges between 25 km/L all the way to 40 km/L depending on the model and depending on how you ride. It’s unsurprising for Vespa owners to take long rides out and spend less than a thousand Philippine Pesos in fuel expenses, which is not a bad deal considering that you get a ride and a fun time as well—more smiles and miles per gallon is always great. 

Style

Vespa Motorcyclist

Truth be told, if you’re of the mind that style is important to you and you’re willing to pay for it, Vespa’s got your back covered. As a beginner, you don’t need to have the flashiest bike on the block, but a Vespa certainly helps. It’s definitely designed like a style accessory that you can ride so it’s pretty much perfect to turn heads. 

On top of that, you don’t need to armor up like Iron Man every time you ride—though it is recommended. Most Vespa owners are clad in everyday clothing for most trips in the city. Being on a Vespa with a retro helmet raises your style factor by ten times, and more if you’re fully in tune with the scoot. Denim, leather, and high-quality fabrics are among the favorite materials that Vespa owners dress themselves in. Dressing for your motorcycle ride can be as extreme as donning a set of leathers, or as casual as a denim jacket with gloves and a pair of well-fitting pants with closed-toed shoes. 

Keep your money

Wait, so how are you going to keep your money if you’re spending it to get a bike? That’s simple, resale value. Whether you buy your Vespa brand new or secondhand, you can keep most of the money that you’ve put in. This is because there are a lot of people that desire a Vespa as their end-game scooter. So if you do decide that the Vespa life isn’t for you, you can always sell it and then upgrade to a different motorcycle. 

Plus, you can sell it close to the price that you bought it. So you retain a lot of the money that you put into buying it. 

What are the Vespas to get?

Now onto the recommendations from the Vespa stable. There are generally three Vespas that we feel will give you the most bang for your buck. As a beginner, you don't want gobs of power at once, so with safety and approachability in mind, we're recommending Vespa scooters with displacements with 150ccs or lower. 

Vespa S 125 i-get

You can opt for the S 125 i-get, which is an entry-level 125cc scooter that costs P145,000. in comparison to the other models in the lineup, this model is basically a steal for the price you pay. You get all the style of a Vespa, but with a still capable engine. 

Vespa Primavera

Now, if you feel that you want more from your Vespa, then you can opt for the Primavera, which is considered to be one of, if not, the most popular scooter in the lineup. Depending on the variant, you can expect this scooter to set you back around P200,000 or slightly less. 

Vespa Sprint 150

Then if you really want to double-down on your choice, then get the Vespa Sprint. The series is one of the faster ones out there, and it's thoroughly modern but it still retains the classic lines that Vespa is known for. The bike, however, will be expensive, topping out at around P253,000 for the top-spec trim level, so prepare a bit of change for the Sprint if you want it. 

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