Vespa Granturismo 125

So, you've passed your A2 test and you fancy a bigger bike. What do you buy? This was the situation that I found myself in recently. After the CBT I had got to rather like my 125cc ET4 for its style, comfort, luggage carrying and ease of traffic threading. What I wanted was a bike that would retain as many of those features as possible, but have a bit more speed for the main roads. There are a number of maxi-scooters that I had a good long think about, such as the Suzuki Burgman, Piaggio X9 and so on. These all have the required urge, but for my taste they all a bit too big for wriggling ... more

The Granturismo is the newest and biggest Vespa to hit the market. Building on the success of the ET4, the GT boasts a 4 stroke, 4 valve liquid cooled engine which can deliver 21 bhp. The GT feels a bigger bike than the ET4 and it is certainly heavier. As it has a top speed of around 70mph, the extra weight adds a lot more stability at higher speeds on dual carriageways, but it is not as easy to weave through the stationary traffic in the centre of town. Having said that, it is considerably more manoeuvrable (and some 20kg lighter) than the Piaggio B125, its nearest equivalent. The GT gives a ... more