Vespa ET4 > Reviews > Power and safety in a sylish package

Author's product rating:   

Comfort	Good
Handling	Excellent
Looks	Excellent
Features	Excellent
Fuel consumption	Excellent

Advantages:	Excellent handling, beautiful styling
Disadvantages:	Somewhat costly

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When I was looking to buy my first scooter I read through all the internet opinions I could find on scooters; the pros and cons of each model, the history behind the scooter and all that jazz. Two years on and 3 models later I have know owned a Vespa ET4 for around three months now and in my opinion this is by far the best scooter out there.

(Note at the time of writing this the GT200 has just been released, I have test driven this and have been very impressed by this bike too, though I believe the cost to be a little prohibitive and beyond what a person looking for a scooter can afford - at least for now)

My first scooter was a Suzuki 50 cc, which I traded in for an ET2 about a year later. The difference was remarkable; more comfortable riding position, more storage space, and it just felt so much more solid on the road. Not to mention it was a real head turner. The only thing the ET2 lacked was power.

On upgrading to the ET4 (the 150 cc) I have never been more impressed - my whole riding experience was been revamped. The whole thrill of two wheels came back with a punch, and I still will find any excuse to duck out of work for a spin on a nice day.

The ET4 is very quick off the mark at the lights (and believe me the look of surprise on the face of the odd driver who tries to keep up face never fails to amuse me!) Suspension is solid and very appropriate to the higher speeds this bike can achieve. I have topped out at 75mph with a back-wind on the motorway.

A pillion can be taken in comfort with a little loss in performance. My girlfriend loves the way people just look on longingly as we cruise by, reminiscent of some romantic Italian couple :)

For those of you seriously looking to get an ET4, one suggestion; don't upgrade or modify the engine at all. I tried this, but ended up sinking a whole lot of money into getting only a little more speed, but sacrificing reliability - only to go eventually back to the original setup. Piaggio have really put their research hours into this model, and it just not worth messing with.