From 8 cylinders to 1
For the last 13 months I’ve been driving my 346 ci V8 Pontiac Trans Am and in contrast I’ve been riding the 1Â cylinder Vespa GTS 300 Super to and from work for the last week. West Los Angeles traffic is very hectic at times. Case in point: I live 7.2 miles from work and on a good day it takes me at minimum 22 minutes and approximately 1/2 gallon of gas each direction (but it’s fun doing it).
In contrast, while on the Vespa I probably only shave 3-5 minutes off my commute to work but am able to save at least 10-15 minutes on my way home due to the fact that I can “cut” in between traffic. Doing all of this while only consuming a fraction of the gas of my Pontiac yet fun in its own right. Cutting traffic is a very scary thing to do while on a scooter but those saved minutes, for whatever reason, mean a lot. Even with all of the storage of the GTS 300, I still find the need to pack a very large backpack each day.
The GTS has plenty of power and one could very easily find themselves traveling quite fast (by scooter standards) without even noticing. At one point I found myself traveling 60 MPH without even noticing. I do have to admit that I didn’t feel very comfortable going this speed on such a small machine however. The Vespa GTS 300 isn’t your average scooter and is a very reliable and fun means of transportation. For my taste, it’s something I would have around for those trips that are further than a bicycle ride, yet not far enough for a car. In my opinion it’s perfect for city riding as long as one is constantly aware of their surroundings, especially in a city as busy as Los Angeles. The only thing I request is a more comfortable seat.
