Sunday 15 September 2013

My First Ride On  LX150

  Vespa, a brand with over 60 years of experience in manufacturing scooter. Vespa simply means bee in Italian. Never ridden a Vespa before, it remains a mystery to me. Starting year 2006, Vespa has done some major updated on many of its scooter model, one of the Modern Vespa model is thus the LX150, LX is the Roman numeral for  60,  marking the sixtieth anniversary of the first Vespa scooter in 1946. Sharing the same frame with LX50, the LX150 feature a 150cc engine which is more than enough for day to day usage.


  As a first timer on the LX150, the feeling of getting on Vespa is a little weird, to be honest, I do not like it very much at first sight, except the striking colors. Most people will not like it before putting more time of getting along with the Vespa culture.


  With a 150cc engine onboard, this little thing can be pretty fast for its size, especially with a single rider. I was able to overtook a handsome amount of vehicle on Karak Highway while en-route to Chamang Waterfall, Bentong. It did not slow down too much while climbing uphill, the CVT just keep the engine output in a nice and smooth manner. With a wet weight of not more than 100KG, this light weight machine really ‘dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee’. Unless you are attempting a sport bike cornering, it is still pretty stable at a speed of slightly more than 100KM/H. Riding in traffic is a complete joy for a scooter and the Vespa is so agile to navigate in heavy city traffic, what I have to do is to control the brakes and throttle, no funky gear changing stuff needed.  Fuel consumption of this little machine is pretty good and I am able to get a 30KM/Litre average fuel consumption throughout my ride.
 






 It is so much joy on the Vespa compare with other scooter. You just look different and there are always someone looking at you with amazement either on the road or traffic light. There are so much to share on the Vespa due to the long ago culture that develops with time. Vespa is a breed of its own, it is different form the others, the antique look but polished with a modern design, no matter where you bring it, to a gathering, to a ride, or even to an auto even, the Vespa itself is already a show, a fashion.  One can always looks good on a Vespa, and he or she might be a public attraction all the time.
  
  The experience with the LX150 is excellent and at the end of the day, I do have a rush in my head to get one for myself. With a price tag below RM9000, the LX150 consider to be a very good buy for those old or new scooter enthusiasts.  Keep in mind that it was very expensive for a Vespa in the old days; it always cost a fortune to own one. As a conclusion, buying a Vespa is not as simply as buying a scooter, but the culture and most importantly, lifestyle.