Vespa - The Style Statement

vespa - If the word premium has had some relevance in the Indian scooter industry, it would be due to the luxury scooter manufacturer, Piaggio. Thanks to the Italian automaker that got its premium scooter brand, Vespa to India in 2011, the Indian bike enthusiast gets a flavour of this extravagance.
The Vespa S was unveiled at the 2014 Auto Show. Launched in March 2014, this is the third scooter from the Italian company, after the LX 125 and VX 125, and the most expensive scooter in India.

Priced at a premium price of Rs 75,424, Vespa S is premium when it comes to its overall looks and styling as well. The Vespa S stands out with its masculine looks that are accentuated by the rectangular headlight, mirrors and front apron. The rectangular mirrors are covered with chrome. The chrome touches do not end here. The front of the scooter gets a vertical chrome strip with the Piaggio badge. There is chrome on the horn cover as well as the front apron.

The three-spoke alloy wheels have a gloss black paint that adds to the overall sporty appeal of the Vespa S. The left side panel gets the 'S125' badging and the right gets the 'Vespa S'.

The instrument cluster sports a black theme and features an analogue speedometer and odometer on the left and fuel indicator on the right. The fonts are red. There is a digital clock on the console that shows the trip time, turn lights and headlight indicators.The handlebar is higher and wider which makes it easy to manoeuvre in the city traffic. The Vespa S gets a cubby hole just below the ignition key. There is an under seat storage as well as a bag hook that extends from the front of the seat base. The seat is well padded and contoured, but is short in length. There is neither a footrest nor a grab rail for the pillion rider. The grab rails can be bought for an additional amount from the optional accessories list.

The Vespa S gets a 125 cc three valve engine that produces 9.92 bhp at 7,500 rpm and offers maximum torque of 10.6 Nm at 6,000 rpm. This engine is mated to a continuous variable transmission. Piaggio claims an ARAI fuel efficiency of 60 kmpl. The fuel tank capacity is 8.5 litre
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The Vespa S, with its steel monocoque body and 105 kg, is one of the lightest scooters in India. The scooter gets a 200 mm ventilated disc at the front and 140 mm drum at the rear.
The competition comes from the likes of the Vespa LX and VX models, the Honda Active, the Suzuki Access and the Mahindra Rodeo RZ which are all cheaper.