Vespa v Lammy

[P D: SC Chester]

Now then, does anyone also run a Vespa? And do they have any advantages over the Lammy, as regards performance or extras as standard?

I do like an indicator and have fitted them to my GP, it may spoil the lines a bit, but they are useful on roundabouts or when some pr1ck is up ya Harris , driving his Corsa like a back n front.

No abuse please, just a friendly enquiry about 2 strokes from the dark side

[missing lynx]

I sometimes ride my sons vespa and I find my lammys better in every way the handling is far better the engine is more tuneable I feel at one with a Lambretta were as I feel less confident riding the Vespa

[Phil D]

+ 1 on that I had a go on a mates T5 and Rally 200 no disrespect but I feel connected to my Lambretta.
I felt I was just "hanging on" to the Wasp.

[Fast n Furious]

It's that single sided front wheel arrangement......It has a character all of its own. You only need the smallest of wear in those pivot points to make it wayward.
Even todays GTS's can demonstrate this after maybe only 5000 miles. If you take your hands off the bars at sub 30mph, the steering will oscillate like mad. I have a pal who does this as his party piece,
and this is his 2nd GTS to do the same.
Scary stuff.
We did try and investigate the cause but after about 10 minutes I got bored and went home.
Enough said.

[MickYork]

If you fully stripped a Vespa and a Lambretta I reckon the Lambretta would have nearly triple the parts (nuts and bolts included). The Lambretta engine certainly contains more moving parts and bits than the Vespa.

With this in mind I would suggest Lambrettas are more difficult to put together and work on (and that's the fun of Lambrettas )

The Lambretta's are, in general, easier to tune, or at least there are more options.

I agree the Lambretta's handle better than Vespas. I suspect Lambrettas have a longer wheelbase and it feels as though you sit higher on a Vespa ?

I did thousands of miles on Vespas, first a Rally 200 then a PX, in the late 70's and 80's and cant recall one breakdown ? The Rally handled better than the PX and was a tad quicker.........wish I still had it !!

[CHRIS in MARGATE]

I've always believed Lambrettas are for scooter enthusiasts whereas Vespas are more "plug and play"; pays your money and off you go and never a care.

[Donnie]

Certainly Ive had both and certainly the T5 vespas Ive had were great scooters, certainly the stock engines have more punch than a lambretta equivalent.

But Ive always ended up back with Lambrettas, just like them too much, feel more planted on the road and I actually feel like they are easier to work on .

And certainly yes, the vespas are more "plug and play" easily demonstrated by the comedy mod contingent that "mod up" their new PX's and LMLs

[LuiLui]

Lambrettas definately handle better and have more character, I've had my current GP for about 15 years and can't ever see myself being without it. Vespa's kind of drift in and out the garage, more of a tool and no love involved. That said I do use a PX200 for my work commute in summer, it's 20 miles each way on dual carriage way and motorway, no real bends involved and it sits at 65, gives about 80 mpg and so far has never let me down.
I'm looking for a cheap series 3 at the moment for the wife, she has a PX150 at the moment and loves it, I really need her to see the light With wifey some of it is the indicator thing so I may look ar Servettas.

Cheers
Mark

[dickie]

During my first scooter phase 20 odd years ago (yes, I'm a bornagain) everyone said, "Lambrettas handle but vespas are faster and more reliable". All the comments above pretty much amount to the same thing; except the parts about Lambrettas being more interesting to work, which I personally agree with.

[Scooterslag]

owned and ridden both over the years and with the exception of a Vespa small frame , lambretta's win the handling debate hands down. Currently looking for a cheap P-range for my commuter machine, not like I can't trust my lammy reliability-wise , its been pretty good other the years, its just If the Vespa gets nicked,crashed or fall's apart- I'm not going to shed any tears while with my SX I'd be heartbroken. True lambretta's have more working parts and Vespa's are generally pretty bullet proof, but they are a git to work on. I recently helped a mate change his shock on his PX, I forgot what a twat of a job it was, tank out, put the bike on its side, right hassle! I just find working on them a chore while I (despite the odd problem) still enjoy working and tinkering on my lambretta. Paul

[Fast n Furious]

40 years ago I blew up my beloved GP150 and quickly needed something reliable to get me from York to Scarborough every day.
So, I borrowed £500 from my dad and bought an M reg rally 200 from Russells of York. Yeah..... the one with 'Rotary Valve Induction' (LOL).
It was just what I needed for a year or so and then it developed this annoying trend every 1000miles where the crank driveside oil seal would fall out (literally) of its housing, leaving a big trail of smoke behind me.
It got to the point where every last Sunday in the month I stripped it down and fitted a new seal. I could time it that accurately!
On the day I sold it, I fitted yet another seal but also noticed a misaligned crank, which I finally attributed to being the cause. Only then did I recall some months earlier, actually nipping up the engine slightly at 70MPH. The pin fit on these cranks are even weaker than Lammy ones.
A sharp tap with a mallet sorted it, but I'd already agreed to sell. I assume it ended up as a fix? I never got any complaints.
I seem to remember that gear cruxiforms were also a weak point as well as wear in the front suspension linkages.

[Scooterslag]

In my experiences of P-ranges it was normally front wheel bearings, the fork link wearing and working loose, drive side seals and clutch baskets knackering but the biggest killer was normally rust

[MickYork]

That's how my Rally died.......collapsed in half with rust. My biggest gripe with engines was the cruciform/3rd gear, basically impossible to fix with just a new cruciform. I once had a knocking noise and the con rod hole on the small end had elongated. Not seen or heard it happening since.

Another big difference between the 2 is braking.....never an issue with the Vespa.......back brakes on a Lambretta leave a lot to be desired.

It used to be a tricky decision when travelling with Lambrettas......go behind and risk getting hit by parts flying off or go in front and risk getting rear ended

[citydaz]

I bought a '78 P200e Vespa last year, primarily to ensure that when / if my Lammy is ever off the road that i have something to ride.
I nearly fell off it when I rode it for the first time!
I couldn't believe how high I was sat and the wobble caused by the offset engine.
I agree with everything said above, especially the better handling and endless tinkering possibilities with the lambretta, but when asked to choose between the two its like being asked to choose between the wife and a mistress!

[Phil D]

Ill never forget The first proper scooter I rode was my mate's P200e- Atomic bomb custom paint job from "Lens " Shipley .Unbelievable
I felt bad getting back on me 50 special.

[Storkfoot]

Given this is a Lambretta forum, I am a bit reluctant to go on and on about my love for my Rally 200. But, suffice to say, I'd be hard pressed to think of a Lambretta I would swap for it.

True, they have ridiculously few working parts but can be notoriously difficult to work on because of access difficulties. But the riding experience, if you want to travel long distances on A roads without being stressed, is to be recommended.

To balance it up, I did sell a T5 Mark 1 fairly recently to buy a series 3, so I am not a total embarrassment to the LCGB !