In 1979, I was playing semi-pro volleyball for a team in Los Angeles and, one Sunday after training, I read a piece in the LA Times saying that Levi 501s were the coolest jeans on the planet.
Being young and on a mission to be cool, I immediately bought a pair, wore them in the bath so they shrank to fit – and have worn Levi’s since.
And just as jeans need to be Levi’s, scooters need to be Vespas, the only exception being two-stroke Lambrettas owned by original Mods.
Of course, there are cheap plastic Chinese scooters for whizzing around town, and at the other end of the scale superscoots such as the Suzuki Burgman which can tackle motorways with impunity.
But for Italian style and elegance, it’s got to be Vespa, I thought as I walked up to the charming and cheeky-looking GTS 300.
The Touring version has got some lovely style details, such as a screen and spring-hinged folding chrome front and rear luggage racks which can also be used for pressing your trousers or keeping your ham-and-cheese panini, which is the Italian for ham-and-cheese panini.
In fact, now that I think of it, you could wire one of the racks up to the battery and have your panini toasted. Sorted.
Climb aboard stylishly, check your hair in the excellent mirrors, settle your buns onto a plush seat as firm and sensuously curved as the young Sophia Loren, admire the small but informative dash, then press the go button, and the air immediately fills with a warm, contented purr, like a kitten who’s just finished a bowl of full-cream milk.
So far, so Italian. Twist the throttle, and thanks to 12% more power and 18% more torque at low revs than the previous incarnation, progress is splendidly brisk and seamless all the way up to motorway speeds, at which point the smallish screen does a reasonable job of keeping the wind at bay.
Handling, with the scooter weighing 165kg fully fuelled and most of that weight down low, is delightfully light and precise at normal speeds, although on a fast A-road on a gusty day, mildly twitchy thanks to 12in wheels which are becoming increasingly rare on scooters these days.
Heavens, even the bargain basement NIU MQi GT EVO I’d ridden recently has 14in ones, and the BMW CE 04 has 15in ones. Note to Vespa – have a think. Even slightly bigger wheels make for a smoother and more stylish ride.
The previous version had Enhanced Sliding Suspension which was supposed to give a smoother ride, but since no one noticed, Vespa’s dumped it, and the suspension is perfectly plush, laughing off bumps and ignoring potholes with gay abandon. If needed, you can adjust the rear preload for heftier riders or a pillion.
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With fuel consumption up to 87mpg, the seven-litre tank will give you a range of 134 miles and a week’s commuting for a tenner a week even at today’s prices, and there’s just about enough room under the seat for a full-face helmet – although obviously the Italian Ministry of Style would much prefer you to use a classic open-face one and shades, in which case you can get two in.
With 220mm discs front and rear, braking is as smooth and seamless as acceleration, with rear ABS as a comfort blanket in slick conditions. There’s also traction control, which on a 23.5bhp scooter is just Vespa having a laugh.
All in all, it’s no surprise that this little beauty has such a huge following. For years it’s been the second-best selling machine over 125cc in Germany, for example.
As well as more power and torque, Vespa’s tweaked the engine to double the service intervals and make it smoother and quieter, and there is something blissful about soaring along effortlessly without a care in the world, the warm air filled with a happy purr, imagining that you’re soaring stylishly through the sun-dapped hills and dales of Tuscany on your way to a date with the young Sophia Loren.
* Bike supplied by McCrum’s Motorcycles, mccrums.co.uk
Vespa Primavera 'Pic Nic'
Launched this month is the 'Pic Nic' version of Vespa's popular Primavera.
This features a wood and rattan basket with removable cooler-bag.
There's also a water-resistant blanket made from a jacquard fabric with a pattern which mimics the basket weaving.
The basket and blanket, which feature the Vespa Pic Nic logo, can be carried on the chrome rear and front luggage racks.
The scooter comes in two colourways, with a dedicated two-tone seat, with piping and a belt featuring the Italian flag.
It also has chrome features on the bodywork, rubber inserts on the footrests which reflect the seat colour and grey wheel rims with diamond edges.
The Pic Nic is available in the 125cc engine version at £4,500.
