IS THE NEW 2023 VESPA GTS 300 MADE FOR LONG TRIPS? WATCH BEFORE BUYING! 

I couldn't disagree more. I recently rode to Interlaken from northern UK with ease. In fact I'd say with it's luggage carrying capacity and the ability to change riding positions as the minor aches start, it's almost the perfect touring machine. I covered 640kms in one day, and allowing 10 minutes to stretch the legs at fuel stops, I arrived at my destination in reasonably good shape and ready for the next day's riding.

I live in Manchester in the UK and I have to deal with city traffic but within 15 minutes I can be in the countryside. My GTS handles both situations superbly. I can go for hours and days in the countryside no problem, I love it.

Great bike (vehicle above all) capabilities to ride on highways is a bonus but the whole point and intention of Piaggio is to produce capable urban cruiser which is fast enough frugal enough comfortable enough and practical enough let alone beautiful (more than) enough :) So instead driving car across cities in miles long lines u can drive vespa, you don’t have to pay expensive city parking lots and at the same time to walk for miles to sit at your favorite cafe. Cheap maintenance, cheap license fees… not to mention the ride in style with extremely high feel good factor :) Enjoy it cheers:)

After about 12 different large capacity motorbikes I yesterday traded for a 300gts, and today I rode it further in one hit than any of my motorcycles. So yeah I think it works for doing some distance just don’t expect to go all that fast 😅

Hello, I'm from Germany, I've been riding different motorcycles for over ten years, I've always wanted to get a Vespa GTS. What can I tell you? About three weeks ago I watched videos again of people driving Vespas, then I found your video. I have now ordered a Vespa GTS in orange 300 ccm. You convinced me to buy a Vespa. Thanks for that. I'm totally hot and excited when I can pick up mine.

Greetings from Los Angeles, I love my 2023 GTS, I do hate the fact that it has a small gas tank and it has kept me from taking longer trips, having said that and after seeing and reading many who have taken long trips on their vespas, I’m planing a trip from LA to San Francisco via the Pacific coast highway, finding gas stations shouldn’t be a problem, the California coastline is beautiful so the adventure awaits me. I still wish it had a larger tank. 😅

I agree with you. I have three bikes, all chosen for specific uses. A larger BMW adventure for… adventure and visiting cafes 😅. An older 300GTS because of, well, it’s a Vespa and I love riding it but not too far and not too fast. The Vespa should be enjoyed as a fine wine. I recently bought an ADV350 as my commuter. The Vespa and I don’t enjoy highway driving during rush hour.

I've ridden my GTS 300 from the UK to Azerbaijan with a slight detour (1000 miles the wrong way) to Cyprus. An ideal lightweight tourer.

like for the scenery! So from the video it's not really clear why you are tired after the ride...

I am a biker but really like Vespa I wanna get myself one

I must say your reservations about open road riding seem odd since I have a much smaller Piaggio 125 which likes to go 95kph on open road. But haven't ridden a 300 Vespa in fairness. Thanks.

People tour amazing distances on all sorts of motorcycles/scooters from 50cc upwards. It's about managing expectations , the latter comes with experience. It is an absolute cliche to relegate, as is the fashion, small motorcycles/scooters to "the city".

So far, every video title that starts with "watch this before..." has been tantamount to useless.

Here in the Philippines, our vespa group made a lot of long rides, the longest ride was almost 1600 kms. We just made a habit of stopping for gas every 100kms to rest both scooters and ourselves. In my opinion, vespa is one of the most reliable scooters out in the market. "Travel the destination, but enjoy the journey!" Ride safe always!

No problem whatswhoever.. Its just fun.. As I see your Video, you carry way too much luggage.. Everything you need fits in the helmet-compartment, unless you hate hotels.. 400km per day is no issue at all.. I did trips around Europe for more then 10 years, and I never had any issues.. If you are tired after 200km its your problem, because you are a lazy couchpotatoe..Bringing a Vespa in a Van is really being a jerk.. If I would need a Van to bring my Vespa to a nice place for a holiday, I would stop driving motorbikes..

I think you would enjoy it on long trips more with the smaller windshield. With that large one you have, surely it was fighting you with every bit of wind in the mountains. You definitely need one half that size. They only need to be large enough to divert the wind over your helmet. The one you have is a bit like running across a field with a large door in your hands!

I am so excited to comment on this. I actually drove my new vespa 2023 (with passenger) from Rotterdam trough the eifel and black forest through bern and thunsersee brienzersee grimselpas nuefenenpas, lugano, como over the majolapas past st moritz and fluelapas to davos and all the way back to the netherlands via Lindau at bodensee. I own two ducati's next to this scooter. And they will probably be sold. I drive it a lot around the city as well. very easy to handle. do you use a top case? it is great for the passenger. Not for looks, but i think it is even pretty with it on! I have the small windscreen but thinking of changing it for the big screen. Is it oke with wind gusts?

People travel around the world with regular bicycle,of course you can travel long distance with Vespa.

I rode mine across the USA in a scooter cannonball and over Baja in Mexico as well as all over creation. I’ve already put some miles on my 300 GTS HPE and I have to tell you, this is an INCREDIBLE bike for long road trips. The gas mileage and speed alone makes this bike ideal. The carrying capacity and versatility makes this bike a dream long ride bike.

I use the GTs300 for long journeys in UK 👍. Ive ridden PX200 long distance but the 300 is 100times better with speed and comfort ...The pX is my town scooter

I have put over 35,000 mostly highway "miles" (I'm in the U.S.) on my 2006 GT200. The older GTS 250 and 300 seem to be decent scoots, I'm just not interested in anything with EFI. The newer GTS300 HPE however, seems to be nowhere near as reliable as the non HPE GTS300. I've been hearing about all kinds of issues, including belts breaking at under 6,000 miles. I put 10,000 miles on the belts on my GT200, mostly at full throttle, and they still looked like new when I replaced them. Plus you have double the maintenance, including valves, on the HPE models.

Great video...am heading to the Furka Pass, the Lucerne Lakes District and the Interlaken area next month (I am certain it will be chilly). We did a trip to Siena, Italy last summer (2700 Kms from Stuttgart round trip) with me picking up my buddy in Allgäu along the way. We did from Bergamo to Cinque Terre, through Pisa, then Lucca and over to Siena for the Palio (oldest horse race in Italia). A M A Z I N G! But agreed -- HARD. You are indeed more tired than a van (we do not have windshield/-screens on our 2012 and 2014 Supers). And we had weight (camping gear) on the bikes. Totally worth it; however: ITALIA IN AUGUST (ouch) -- almost NOT recommended -- LOL. As we say in the States: Keep'on Truckin'!! (or motorin'!)

For me, a car is about the destination but a maxi scoot is about the journey. Even my Piaggio Beverly 400 is tiring by the end of a ride, so it’s the best for enjoying the ride itself and not really caring about the end of the ride. If my goal is to enjoy the destination, something more comfortable is a better idea, so I’m fresh to enjoy the place I’m going to. To me that’s just sort of inherent in a motorcycle/scoot vs a car…

Traveling long distances at higher speeds with the windscreen installed probably was exhausting. Depending on the direction of the wind you could be fighting to keep control of the scooter the entire trip. This is why the owners manual states that you remove the windscreen when you plan on traveling at higher speeds.

Take the scooter into the van - that's exactly what I did this spring. The weather was really unstable, and such "hybrid" setup allowed to enjoy the destination region on two wheels while not having to ride hundreds of kilometers in the rain.

It seems you compare comfort of riding a scooter to a car. That's a strange perspective. I've ridden a lot of two wheelers, and I find my scooter not too bad at all. It's a different type of tiredness then say my Triumph Tiger, but both are excellent touring machines. (I ride a TMAX scooter). I ended up on your video because I think the Vespa is the mother of all scooters and I am considering getting one of those too :) .. and riding longer trips for the sheer experience is one of the most important things to do on two wheels for me. Your comments thus failed to scare me away.

There are people who traveled all of Europe, Africa, and the Americas on these. Tens of thousands of miles on rough terrain and weather and they held up fine. Vespa's are more reliable than any car. Remember, they are made for fun, practicality, and ease of use. So ride how you feel, not until you hit a certain mile.

Over the last 12 years I have toured many times on a Vespa 300 GTS. I have had no problem and carry enough lugage for as long as I want to go away, also two up. I had big bikes in the 1990’s and yes you can travel at 150 mph if you want to lose your licence but the GTS is more economical, more comfotable and gives me all the riding pleasure I need. It also looks good and not like it was put together by a blind man using a box of spare parts.

Im planning to get the gts300 2023 next month! Im traveling around 115km per hour for 25 minutes to work and 25 minutes back! What’s your opinion for trips like that?

Good discussion here on the comments, both pro and con on the issue. I'm new to the scooter life so I have no idea as to the capability to go real long. Here in the States, there's an annual CanonBall tour from the west coast to the east..basically a cross country event. From what I understand it's all about the ride. And plenty people go cross country on the Vespa itself just to get to the starting point of the event. Anyway, I'm looking to get my skill level up there so I can ride to the office some day. It would only be 75 miles and a couple of hours tops. BTW, great backdrop and scenery.

The 2023 model's seat feels hard. How is it riding for 300km? Does your butt start to hurt?

I hurt somewhere after awhile on all the bikes I’ve ever owned , I have a 2019 GTS 300 that I bought about six weeks ago , only 168 miles since registered , the stock suspension and that almost sat bolt upright position killed my back so I upgraded the suspension immediately and it has radically changed the bike in every aspect .

I have a GTS 300 2023 and run with a Ridemore group from local Harley Davidson dealership in Knoxville, TN. Our rides are about 180-240 miles long with a lunch break. The Vespa keeps up well with no problem except that my fuel range is shorter. I have a Russell Day Long heated seat with a backrest and tall windshield. The Vespa is incredibly comfortable. Our speeds range from 30-70 mph. I use a Garmin GPS hardwired. As a point of interest, my speedometer is 6-7 mph optimistic. I have 3400 miles on my scooter as I write this. Wonderful machine!

Riding the GTS is about the journey not a chase to a destination.. if you feel the need to get somewhere faster you are not touring.. I love my GTS .. I use it for long rides broken up to enjoy the journey it gets me places no van can.. The journey is the reward .. I cannot say it tires me out .. rushing to holiday destination I my car tires me

Hi, beautiful roads and places!! Could you share more details? I don't know this places of Switzerland but i would try to go with my old but gold, Beverly 300 (m.y. 2014) Thanks!

I agree. I have a Liberty 150 by Piaggio. I haul it on a hitch rack. I like riding IN interesting places but I don't like riding TO places. Sore for days after long rides.

Back in 2012 I did London to Frejus in one go. Absolutely mental. Then from the south of France to Peschiera del Garda and trough Alpes and Germany back to London. Great memories, but challenging so to say.

Distance all depends on your body and age . I am now 63 and am comfortable going 30 miles on my Vespa . At age 25 I could have went all day , no problem . If you want a touring bike get a touring bike . Vespas are a good all around bike like a Swiss Army Knife .

Buy an Ohlins suspension (front and rear), this will significantly add comfort on long rides.

You are orange, I am white :) good luck

What about oil consumption mate ?

Half the fun is the journey. If you are going for the destination, take a plane. I just completed a Swiss tour yesterday through the same area. The Vespa 300 soaks up the back roads where the speed limit is 80kph. I have crossed nearly all the Swiss passes on my Vespa 300 GTS (2019). Great fun. Set the Navi to ‘avoid motorways’ and have a blast.

I had a VW T4 van and a 150cc Honda scooter 20 years ago. I parked the scooter in the van and rode 1200km to Italy, took the scooter out and visited Rome, Florence, Sienna etc etc. Also rode all over the French Riviera. I used the van to sleep in, it was parked on a camping. I can see where you’re coming from so in your case I think a van would be great. I however found it too cumbersome and ‘upgraded’ to travelling by maxiscooter and staying in hotels. I currently have a Beverly 350.

I would have done a voice over if this were my video rather than subtitles but hey, your video. I've had my 2019 300 hpe supertech for a few years, and you can absolutely ride as far as you like. It would be more comfortable if it had a cruise system at speed, but if there is traffic I just match their pace. On a long trip the only gripe I have as a 6'1" rider, is the seat hump that denotes the area for the pillion, a flat unsculpted seat would have been better, so as a rider you can move back and forth to vary leg angle more for comfort. I find on a long run I move back to switch up my position and hit the edge of the pillion section which causes a little discomfort if I stay there, so then have to keep moving about to find the best area - I should really find a flat seat replacement! Also, the big screen is great, but not if you're tall, it keeps the wind off your chest and throws it in you face, causing increased buffeting and extra noise. If you can get an extender for the top of the screen that is enough to get that air over your head (or you fit behind it) it then becomes amazingly comfortable and a lot quieter at speed. I hate the look of them so it isn't installed, but if I plan a tour, it's going on! This is a very capable machine and good quality, the geometry and wheel size give a beautifully judged blend of agility and stability, the standard Michelin tyres are superb and I would only get the same again. It is fun! As for the extra price of the supertech, it's good to have all the stats on the connected app (very detailed stats!) of all your rides are stored and I love the navigation element too, it means my phone can be safely out the way and it's a tidy interface. If you don't want to pay the new price for the flagship, buy a well cared for used one and save. 👌🏻 My lifetime MPG average is 71.4. That's UK riding, mostly faster roads as I live in a rural location. The only way I'm changing from this vespa is when an electric one comes along that will do the same miles per charge and that can charge at full single phase power (7.4kwh in the UK). It would make it even smoother and worth the upgrade, but not until then. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

While unfortunate the riding experience wasn't what you had hoped it still looks like an amazing trip and adventure. Ride safe and great video.

I love long rides on my GTS 🥰 It's quite addictive. Every World or Euro Days we drive there by Vespa from half way the Netherlands. To Belfast, Zanka, Mantova, San Tropez, Interlaken and this april to Pontedera We really love it! Maybe it's not made for long distance traveling but we dont have any problems with that 😁🥰

In my mind the root of the problems and complaining is bad trip planning, pure and simple. No one gets a medal for going too far in one day then being daft enough to repeat it the next day. Life’s not a race to the end, but you will get to the end quicker when you ride tired and fatigued.

I have a BMW C400x and I do city commute as well as weekends touring with a passenger I have a top box. My girlfriend owned this model and in town it was fine but the crappie country roads in Australia caused some issues potholes and everything.

I have had several pre 2023 models - how much better / stable is the new front end of the keyless models?

If you're only riding 50-60 km/h then yes, it'll take you all day to travel 200km 🙂

Riding motorcycles from 1970 90cc to 1400cc got a gts300 hpe during lock down its the perfect machine for longer trips and is great as I have back problems

PS: the idea of trailering to a place is a good one, but make sure it’s convenient. Eg it’s not a pain to load and unload the scoot, makes the vehicle hard to handle, drink gas etc. If it’s a hassle you’ll find yourself not wanting to do it. Some of the trailers make it easy so just shop around and get the most convenient one….

The wind destroyed your audio on this. Invest in a wind guard for all your mics. Cheers

It does seem to handle the steep terrain well. I am worried a 50cc while lighter, may not be enough. There are no mtns in Quebec but it is very hilly and I will have to use rural roads between towns.

Ich bin 45 Jahre grosse Touren mit grossen Motorrädern gefahren und kann sagen die Vespa 300 jetzt ist wunderbar für grosse lange Touren

great video, did you get the van?

Beautiful!

Take the shiled off for long trips