The Vespa sales area is one of the most inviting showrooms I have ever been to: as soon as I entered, upon request, a friendly sales person promptly guided me to the marketing manager. From a brief conversation with the marketing team, I learned that the members of the team are themselves Vespa fanatics and most are emotionally connected to the model as they have witnessed the scooter’s splendour since the time their grandparents were riding it. The team told me that they decided to bring the two models to Nepal so that people like them, who are fans of the scooters, could live the Vespa lifestyle. They said they have been pleasantly surprised with the response they have been getting from customers.

Such responses should come as no surprise. As soon as you get onto the saddle, the Vespa exudes a premium feel: the engine, the ride quality, the scooter’s fit and finish—everything is top notch. The metal body looks and feels classy while the chrome parts complement the vehicle’s vintage look. There is a lot of chrome work on it: mirrors, body covers, handle bar grips, tail lights, the heat shield and the Vespa logo all exude style.

The Vespa was never about performance or mileage. It has always been about the riding experience, the look and the feel. But it is no slouch in the performance areas, mind you, as it produces a respectable 10.06 ps at 7,500 rpm, which is more than generated by most of its competitors. It returns a surprisingly good fuel economy of 45 kmpl, which the company claims to be the best in its class. That economy matched with its 8 litre fuel tank means you’ll making far fewer petrol-station visits than you would be with other scooters.

The Vespa does everything pretty well. I was skeptical about the single-sided front shock, but after riding the scooter, I must say that I am mighty impressed. The shock absorbs bumps with ease. The handling is spot on—it’s really light and nimble. The scooter delivers a maximum torque of 10.6 Nm at 6,500 rpm, which, on paper, does not seem as powerful as other scooters with similar engines, but you can feel the power nevertheless. To  me it felt very agile—responsive to every flick of the wrist. It comes equipped with a 200 mm ventilated disc in the front and 140mm drum brakes in the rear, which makes stopping effortless. The only gripe I have about the scooter is that the passenger foot pegs are placed in an awkward position, which makes it a little uncomfortable for the pillion rider.

The one thing that the scooter did exceptionally well was draw the attention of onlookers. The Vespa, no questions asked, is an attention magnet—everywhere you take it, it will turn heads. In fact, I was bombarded with questions whenever I parked or got stuck in traffic. People were eager to know how the scooter performed, how much it was priced at and how fuel-efficient it was. The questions never seemed to end.

Both the S and VX models share the same 125cc engine and differ only in the details. For example, the S has a rectangular headlight, which is accompanied by rectangular rare-view mirrors, while the VX has a round-shaped headlight with rounded mirrors. The VX comes standard with a chrome pillion grab-rail, which is an available option on the S. Other differences are the bag holders, the glove compartment and the rim colour.

The Vespa VX comes in at Rs 2,49,946, while the Limited Edition VX comes in at Rs 2,54,946; only 46 of the latter will be available in Nepal. The Vespa S 125 model—currently the flagship model for the country—comes in at Rs 2,63,946.

Ride safe! Happy Riding!

VEHICLE SUMMARY    S 125 / VX 125

-     Type: Scooter

-     Shades: Orange, Matt Black, Red, White/ Red, White, Sky Blue, Yellow, Midnight Blue

-     Frame: Monocoque steel high rigidity structure

ENGINE, POWER & TORQUE

-     Displacement: 125 cc

-     Maximum Power: 10.06 PS @ 7,500 rpm

-     Maximum Torque: 10.6 Nm @ 6,000 rpm

-     Cooling: Air Cooling

-     Ignition: Automatic

-     Number of Cylinders: 1

TRANSMISSION

-     Gearbox: Continuous Variable Transmission

-     Clutch: Automatic dry centrifugal

PERFORMANCE & MILEAGE

-     0-60 kmph: 8.6 secs

-     Top Speed: 100 kmph

-     Mileage (City, approx.): 45 kmpl*

-     Mileage (Highway, approx.): 60 kmpl*

-     Mileage (Combined, approx.): 52 kmpl*

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT & CAPACITIES

-     Overall Length    1770 mm

-     Overall Width    690 mm

-     Overall Height    1140 mm

-     Ground Clearance    155 mm

-     Wheelbase    1280 mm

-     Kerb/Wet Weight    105 kg/ 114 kg

-     Fuel Tank Capacity    8 litres