alt.hn

7/1/2026 at 1:22:19 PM

The Vespa at 80

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/vespa-italy-postwar-design-9.7252641

by cf100clunk

7/4/2026 at 12:40:58 PM

I like Vespas, they're very stylish, but damn they are noisy, and not a nice rumble either but more like a very loud chainsaw. They give off a terrible amount of smoke compared more modern scooters too. I do often wonder why so few other new small motorcycles or scooters have similarly beautiful designs though.

However, for me, having lived in a country with a motorbike culture for the last decade, the coolest thing on two wheels is electric scooters. So much torque, range nearly equal to same sized gas scooters, and no pollution of the noise or smoke variety. It makes such a difference when everyone is zipping around on these quiet, non-stinking scooters. That's cool. Now it just needs someone to make an electric scooter design as iconic as a Vespa.

by esperent

7/4/2026 at 1:43:29 PM

It sounds like you're describing a 2-stroke engine, which older Vespas did use. But modern ones use a 4-stroke engine and should have the same emissions profile as any other motorcycle.

by weberer

7/4/2026 at 2:57:29 PM

I live next to a road and combustion-engine mopeds vary from "holy fuck this is loud" to "I can't wait to move out". I used to live close to an airport and that was much better. The specific noise that mopeds make drills into your head. Funnily, I'm never bothered by nails on chalkboard or cutlery on plate, but mopeds, holy fuck, if hell exists, it's full of mopeds.

by anal_reactor

7/4/2026 at 7:38:36 PM

I own a Piaggio 300cc Scooter, not called a Vespa because it is one of the big wheel variants (similar to Honda SH line) but it has the same engine as the Vespa 300GTS.

It is not at all noisy unless I rev it high, which I try to avoid doing most of the time. It is not loud like for instance a Yamaha T-Max, not helped by it attracting mostly complete retards.

Obviously there are always dumb people mounting akrapovic or other noisy aftermarket exhausts on any bike brand but it is also the same with cars.

by prmoustache

7/4/2026 at 5:55:05 PM

Vespas aren’t mopeds.

by mulmen

7/4/2026 at 6:33:42 PM

For better or worse, probably worse, the definitions of both "moped" and "scooter" vary from person to person or jurisdiction to jurisdiction. "Moped" is often used to describe a light motorcycle.

by bootlooped

7/4/2026 at 7:08:00 PM

Language changes. I guarantee if you ask 100 people to draw a moped, maybe 2 will put pedals on it.

by dmd

7/4/2026 at 7:33:20 PM

Scooter do not have pedals, mopeds do, hence the name.

The Piaggio Vespa is a scooter. The Piaggio Ciao is a moped.

by prmoustache

7/4/2026 at 6:47:56 PM

No. Mopeds have pedals. That’s the “ped” part of motor pedal.

by mulmen

7/4/2026 at 2:39:47 PM

Yes, but still terrible, pollution wise.

Electric Vespa anyone?

by realo

7/4/2026 at 3:10:37 PM

They did make one for a while but it's terrible. €5000 with similar specs to a €1000 bike from other companies.

by esperent

7/4/2026 at 4:15:56 PM

They still make some models in an electric variant.

by FinnKuhn

7/4/2026 at 3:18:39 PM

I haven't been following the latest developments but about 10 years ago they launched "Vespa elettrica". It was very expensive and low powered at launch. Not sure if they've iterated on it since.

I suspect that other brands of electric motorbike may be better

by asveikau

7/4/2026 at 2:57:40 PM

Switched from Vespa (combustion) to Unu (electric) and Black Tea (electric) .. and the one feature I yearn for, from the Vespa era, is its noise factor.

Electric is damn quiet, damn smooth, and damn fast. (And damn comfy.)

And that can be a problem. Especially in a city like, say, Vienna, where people just do not check before they cross some of these little cosy streets.

I became a much more alert and guarding rider when I switched from Vespa.

Maybe that's a good thing, I dunno, but I am gonna put a whistle on my helmet some day soon, I swear ..

by MomsAVoxell

7/4/2026 at 3:09:34 PM

> people just do not check before they cross some of these little cosy streets.

Yes, you're supposed to be the one checking that you don't hit pedestrians. Cities are for humans first, machines second. Drive slower. If you want to drive fast, take a road trip.

by esperent

7/4/2026 at 8:11:39 PM

I assumed they were talking about cars and other motorists. I drive a scooter (Genuine Buddy) and have crashed before due to drivers not checking properly when at a two way stop

by tuvix

7/4/2026 at 4:10:23 PM

What a goofy comment.

Pedestrians are *also* subject to right-of-way rules, just like everyone else on the road. Many examples of people running between parked/stopped cars and getting smoked when they hit an open lane with a vehicle they did not expect to be there.

Not the driver's fault.

by jcims

7/4/2026 at 4:38:51 PM

This is true. But unfortunately it is correct advice being given to the person who isn’t causing the problem.

It would be interesting to see what an intentionally and well designed city could look like. I’d probably have a walkable city center, no cars, and maybe scooters could be allowed but required to have some automatic wireless-controlled limiter that keeps them below 10mph or something.

by bee_rider

7/4/2026 at 5:44:30 PM

It takes a certain kind of arrogance to assume that another person's direct experience must be wrong, and your take, based on a 14 word description of the scenario, must be right.

Two people who actually live the same experience may have different opinions on "right" and "wrong", and the law may differ from those opinions.

But man, assuming bad faith on the part of others is a hell of a way to go through life.

by rconti

7/4/2026 at 3:54:08 PM

You can check around all you want but it is not going to help if someone blindly decides to just step in front of you without looking anywhere. Pedestrians sometimes move totally randomly. This is a similar problem when riding a bicycle on a shared path. Sometimes they walk like they were alone on the path

by skeletal88

7/4/2026 at 5:17:01 PM

i drove for a few years both a moped that makes noise (the electric angel weeping sound) and one completely silent. Not making noise made many people cross the road without watching and putting me and them both in serious danger, and i'm kinda glad i'm not driving the silent one anymore

by amarcheschi

7/4/2026 at 6:04:51 PM

TBQH from my experience people in Vienna are quite oblivious to single-track vehicles. No idea why but even cycling here is often scary.

by odiroot

7/4/2026 at 7:52:12 PM

I found the tram tracks more alarming than the pedestrians, but I was on those hire bikes which top out at about 25kmh and are like riding a brick.

by lostlogin

7/4/2026 at 4:16:41 PM

The motorcycle version of that is "if cars can't here me from a mile away, then I'm not safe enough" or "broken exhausts save lives" or such, and that makes me hate those particular motorcyclists, too.

by kstrauser

7/4/2026 at 3:35:17 PM

Or honk. Does your Vespa have a honk? In Vietnam, we honk our bikes to alert others especially around a curve. Foreign visitors complain about all the honking, and they are indeed annoying sometimes, but there is a reason why people do it.

by tuan

7/4/2026 at 5:33:20 PM

I also live in Vietnam and that's utter bs, sorry. People in Vietnam are generally chill and lovely, until they get onto the road where they become selfish, entitled, noisy assholes. They honk to avoid having to look, wait, or slow down. Trying to be a pedestrian in Vietnam is extremely stressful, nobody will ever give you right of way even on a sidewalk, instead they'll just drive directly at you while honking until you get out of the way.

by esperent

7/4/2026 at 1:34:00 PM

Are you thinking of older Vespas? There's a few modern ones near me and they've never struck me as overly noisy.

by GenerWork

7/4/2026 at 1:54:43 PM

A guy across the street from me has a new one. It's loud as hell, but this guy is the type to remove his muffler to make whatever car he has this week sound "cooler". I'm not ready to blame the scooter yet.

by flkiwi

7/4/2026 at 3:12:01 PM

I'm talking about the Vespas I actually experience on a daily basis. I don't know if they're new or old, but I can assure you that they are loud and smoky.

by esperent

7/4/2026 at 2:19:33 PM

Yeah I have no idea what they are talking about

I have a 150 4-stroke that is fuel injected and it’s way quieter than any motorcycle and has very little exhaust smell

by ex-aws-dude

7/4/2026 at 5:31:01 PM

The older ones or modified ones.

My parents have a newer 50cc and even at full speed it doesn’t make more noise than any car.

I had an old p200e 2-stroke Vespa and it was indeed smoky and loud. And also way more fun and useful.

by dghlsakjg

7/4/2026 at 2:08:28 PM

Vespas have been around for so long because it is such a great design. They now make an electric Vespa.

https://storeusa.vespa.com/elettrica/vespa-elettrica-45-mph....

by joshuaheard

7/4/2026 at 2:28:58 PM

That og elettrica has been all but cancelled in most markets. It was grossly underpowered and overpriced, which is a shame. IIRC they relaunched it as the primavera elettrica, without all the green/yellow bits, but it's still the same bike.

by boomskats

7/4/2026 at 2:23:20 PM

I have a couple of Vespas - a '98 T5 and a 2011 PX Unità d'Italia - and honestly my favourite safety feature is the noise they _can_ make. Modern Vespas don’t sound like the old ones from the factory anymore, but the retro scene is strong, so a lot of tuning kits bring back that classic buzz.

In town, filtering, weaving through traffic, getting to the front at lights etc., being able to make a sound which is so ubiquitously embedded in culture that it's instantly recognisable, and so easily localised, really makes a difference. It might be audible, but it's still quieter than many bigger bikes that people ride around town on, and less obnoxious. I guess I'm not the only one who feels that way, as I get a ton of smiles and so many people make an effort to move out of my way - much more so than other bikes I see on the road.

I've been super excited for electric motorbikes for years. I nearly bought a Zero FXS/FXE during covid, and then for the last year or two i've been looking hard at a BMW CE04. But they’d change how I ride, and I’d be more hesitant using them around town simply because being almost inaudible makes me nervous in UK traffic. In saying that, I'd be a lot more comfortable riding around places with a decent cycling culture like Cambridge, where people are used to looking around for smaller quieter vehicles, so I guess this too will change over time. E-bikes are great, but there the problem isn't the ride, it's the theft/security/insurance aspects.

So yeah, I guess until a few of these things change, my buzzy Vespa, with its awesome clutch and gears and crappy little drum brake on the front, will continue to be my go-to.

by boomskats

7/4/2026 at 3:48:24 PM

Solving the safety problem by making it loud does not seem like a great solution.

Fast forward and everyone is driving nearly silent electric vehicles. I wouldn’t want loud Vespas then. Cutting city noise pollution is one of the benefits of electric vehicles.

by bananamogul

7/4/2026 at 8:18:47 PM

It's not a great solution but it's the best one I've got, and it's still more ecological than driving the (electric) car for the same one-person trip. And audible != loud.

Anyway, don't most places legally require nearly silent electric vehicles to emit some kind of artificial noise?

by boomskats

7/4/2026 at 6:01:04 PM

Should license movement noises from Hanna-Barbera. Jetsons or Flintstones are good, but there's probably other options.

by toast0

7/4/2026 at 1:18:47 PM

My brother and I restored my dad’s ‘64 Vespa 150S and the thing is extremely loud!

It is very smelly as well as it’s a two stroke engine, but I don’t mind that at all. Quite the opposite

by nsbk

7/4/2026 at 7:55:40 PM

A friend races Vespas. They are apparently well suited to tuning (perhaps being poorly tuned from factory?), and power is much increased. The noise seems to go up vastly more.

He has to re weld the frame from time to time due to the cracks that form.

by lostlogin

7/4/2026 at 1:52:35 PM

Agree, as long as you don't use it around other people it's probably fine.

by lavela

7/4/2026 at 2:35:18 PM

I have to agree that the amount of pollution these things put out is really a dealbreaker in modern times, in my opinion. They really smell up a street when they go by, it’s so noticeable after having mainly electric cars and bicycles going by.

by jb1991

7/4/2026 at 7:57:46 PM

You’re likely thinking of the old 2 strokes - the newer ones are much of a muchness with other 4 stroke motos.

by lostlogin

7/4/2026 at 5:26:55 PM

admittedly i have not used a vespa myself, only seen. but an e bike is a pretty good mode of motor transport.

by bobthepanda

7/4/2026 at 4:03:43 PM

This is a really weird take that does not resemble any modern Vespa. Are you sure you looked at a modern Vespa and not some old 2 stroke thing?

Also, the range is pretty good. About 160 miles on a full tank, which no electric motorcycle or scooter I've tried can match. Drive it carefully and you can extend that range to probably 180 miles. You'll be lucky to get 80-100 miles out of an electrical motorcycle.

As for torque, sure the smaller Vespas could use more torque, but the 300cc has more than you will ever need in a city. And to be frank, it doesn't do too badly on longer trips either. It is certainly more comfortable than my Ducati.

Update: As for "modern". Note that my 300cc Vespa is about 10 years old now. So it isn't all that new either.

by bborud

7/4/2026 at 3:46:59 PM

The lack of noise and smoke is a big one.

I used to ride Honda CBR500R as my primary commute vehicle for a few years in Seattle. And while the rumble of the engine was not at the chainsaw-levels of annoying, it still sucked, it still emitted smoke, and I still had to wear ear protection. Which I would need to wear even on an electric motorcycle as well, to be fair, given that I took highway (and the wind noise at speeds above 60mph absolutely hurts hearing; after catching myself speaking way too loud after a ride a couple of times, I just invested into ear protection).

But even at low speeds, the engine noise was imo annoying for pedestrians. And, mind you, I ran it with a stock exhaust. I absolutely despise people who install extra-loud (illegal) aftermarket exhausts on purpose, because they know that nobody is gonna enforce it.

Electric is kinda solving all those problems. Just yesterday, I was walking outside in NYC, and an Amazon delivery van (manufactured by Rivian) was passing by. It was such a relief, because I initially saw a big van approaching and braced for noise and smoke. Beautifully enough, none of those concerns actually materialized, and it was just a fast/quiet/smokeless van.

I am not some radical pro-EV-at-all-costs person, but I would be lying if I said that EVs of all kinds don't bring tons of immediate benefits to me, even as an outside observer who doesn't currently. No noise + no smoke + lots of torque already makes the outside way nicer for passerbys. And it is way more fun for an operator of those too (I happily drove an EV car before for multiple years, until I moved to NYC and stopped driving).

by filoleg

7/4/2026 at 8:03:39 PM

> I happily drove an EV car before for multiple years, until I moved to NYC and stopped driving

Having followed a similar path, the lifestyle upgrade of moving to an EV, then abandoning car dependant commuting use is great.

In the pouring rain and howling wind I do occasionally wonder what I’m doing, but sitting in a traffic jam is awful.

> And, mind you, I ran it with a stock exhaust. I absolutely despise people who install extra-loud (illegal) aftermarket exhausts on purpose, because they know that nobody is gonna enforce it.

Add to this: car stereos and the craze for adding (stolen) school PA speakers for playing obnoxiously loud music.

by lostlogin

7/4/2026 at 1:48:47 PM

Ive seen someone make electric retrofit kits for vespas which sounds great to me

by dv_dt

7/4/2026 at 6:02:50 PM

They're noisy, underpowered and way too expensive (also in maintenance). No wonder most of developing world rides Hondas.

by odiroot

7/4/2026 at 4:21:15 PM

Reading through the comments I somehow doubt that many have owned or ridden a Vespa that was built in the last 10 years or so.

I've had a 300cc Vespa GTS for a decade now (alongside a few motorcycles) and the thing that is the most striking about it is how relaxing it is to drive. Despite being somewhat heavy, they are very manoeuvrable due to the low center of gravity. The suspension is very good and despite the roads here being awful it just glides over any bumps and smooths them out. The 300cc engine is fairly quiet and provides more torque than you need. When the lights turn green you'll be over the intersection before the motorcyclists have had time to release the clutch and get going.

It does well on the open road too. It isn't a race machine, but it'll do 120km/h (75 mph) which is good enough. And you won't feel stiff and bent when you arrive if you decide to take it on a 6 hour ride.

I didn't get it for the looks/style. Yes, I did think it was a bit of a gimmick. And then I tried it. I thought I was doing 60/kmh when I was doing 80km/h. And it just glided over bumps.

(And yes, I have a motorcycle as well, but I'm European so it means I don't ride a motorcycle to get into road rage incidents. We actually try to get along here)

by bborud

7/4/2026 at 5:47:21 PM

I'm surprised the small diameter wheels allow for such a good ride.

by rconti

7/4/2026 at 6:01:08 PM

You're thinking about the stability? That's all down to very low center of gravity.

by bborud

7/4/2026 at 6:05:22 PM

The 300GTS is amazing. It can do anything.

Split traffic on the way to the farmers market while getting waves from random people? Easy.

80mph up a hill on the way to the park? Also yes.

Ride through the park to set up a picnic? Not only yes but it literally has a built in cooler.

Just a total zero compromise vehicle.

And you can buy one for what five grand? All other motorcycles (which I have many of) are stupid.

by mulmen

7/4/2026 at 7:41:27 PM

You're making it sound like the motorcycle equivalent of the original Fiat Panda 4x4 (well, except that you didn't mention anything about repairability, but you get the vibe I'm going for)

by vanderZwan

7/4/2026 at 12:43:17 PM

The horror that was aluminium engine. You could open and close a screw only twice and goodbye threads.

by timonoko

7/4/2026 at 1:43:32 PM

The trade-off being (I'm guessing) that those threads would be pretty easy to re-tap by hand?

by derefr

7/4/2026 at 1:48:37 PM

Piaggio also designed a car (well, more than one including bad prototypes), which unfortunately wasn't sold in italy due to a gentleman's agreement with fiat (fiat being much bigger basically went if you start selling cars, we'll build motorcycles). The English Wikipedia doesn't include this snippet of history, the Italian page does though https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACMA_Vespa_400

by amarcheschi

7/4/2026 at 2:02:07 PM

Piaggio also designed the Ape (bee) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_Ape a 3 wheel tiny pickup. It was hugely popular, but of course not as much as the Vespa because of the smaller market. I still see some of them especially in country areas.

by pmontra

7/4/2026 at 1:21:13 PM

Timeless iconic Italian design.

I'm surprised that the article didn't mention the role Vespa (and Lambretta) played in the British Mod scene.

You can see it's influence in the RAF roundel stickers on bikes in the article.

For anyone interested Quadrophenia is still a fun introduction:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrophenia_(film)

by Lio

7/4/2026 at 6:23:14 PM

I've had a 2016 150cc LXVie in silver with maroon leather since new; have put about 6,000 city miles on it. It's a wonderful machine. I bought it when my wife died after we had taken the motorcycle certification together in anticipation of getting one someday soon. I'm in the process of selling it now, though, as it's time. But it's such an iconic brand and I constantly get thumbs up and even notes left on it.

by incanus77

7/4/2026 at 4:01:10 PM

I hated our Vespa when I was a kid in the seventies but their calendars were cool. You know that instinct you get when you're slowing down or coming to a stop, where you just want to stick your feet out for balance? Well, every time I did that, I felt like those sharp metal edges on the Vespa were just waiting to scrape my leg or catch my ankle. It wasn't a bike to me; it was a hazard on two wheels. So when the opportunity came to "borrow" it while my father was napping, I gladly handed the honor over to my brother. Off we went, buzzing through the dark to see the aftermath of an airstrike on an oil refinery at the edge of the city. It was pitch black out there, and before we knew it, we'd tipped right into a ditch on the side of the road. Panic was not because we were hurt, but because we were convinced our father would somehow know we'd taken his Vespa. Luckily, a few strangers happened to pass by and helped us haul the thing back up. You'd think we'd have learned our lesson, but soon after, I pulled a similar stunt, this time with our white Volkswagen.

by Sam6late

7/4/2026 at 8:19:01 PM

Air strikes? Where was this?

by lostlogin

7/4/2026 at 1:57:13 PM

I will now go off topic a bit. I guess that Americans might not know about it, but Pavarotti enjoyed driving his scooter. There are photos of him in his villa driving his scooter that nowadays might make you think they're Ai generated but they're real and very Italian

https://www.inmoto.it/news/curiosita/2025/08/14-8327674/pava...

by amarcheschi

7/4/2026 at 4:02:09 PM

> "The first ads for the Vespa featured a woman," said Sarra. "You could call it a kind of feminist design." Well, a big feature of the Vespa design is that, unlike other motorcycles, women (or Scottish men) can ride them with skirts. Surely that helped with their initial popularity.

by lazyant

7/4/2026 at 2:53:45 PM

Vespas are fashionable and cute but the coolest thing on 2 wheels award goes to Simsons of all colors and stripes (2-stroke or electric, pick your poison). In Germany, the grandfathered 2-strokes are also the only way you can legally ride somethibg faster than 45 km/h on a moped license.

by bushwart

7/4/2026 at 3:58:49 PM

There's a culture for modding Vespas in Indonesia that I think HN folks would find interesing - check out "Vespa extreme"/"Vespa gembel" - sort of like if mad-max was in the jungle culture of chopping and rebuilding old Vespas into all sorts of wild road machines. Pretty interesting kind of hippie/punk subculture.

by elevaet

7/4/2026 at 12:39:10 PM

Iconic design, but way too noisy and dirty. Article doesn't mention "electric" once.

by xnx

7/4/2026 at 1:27:53 PM

Are you talking about a 1950’s Vespa or a 2026 Vespa?

A modern 300cc four stroke Vespa will use 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km and Euro 5 means noise is quiet.

As far as things go, modern scooters are great, practical, economical vehicles.

by tiew9Vii

7/4/2026 at 2:06:13 PM

Euro5 also means >90% less exhaust fumes compared to Euro1 which was introduced 1999 iirc. The difference between a 1950 and 2026 Vespa must be huge.

by TheChaplain

7/4/2026 at 3:16:16 PM

Great to know. It seems like most of the ones in notice in the are an older vintage and/or poorly maintained.

by xnx

7/4/2026 at 2:48:16 PM

Even the new ones are awfully loud.

But, yeah, they don't smell like the old ones thankfully

by wiether

7/4/2026 at 2:50:48 PM

> A modern 300cc four stroke Vespa will use 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km

Uh, I know motorcycle engines aren't particularly fuel-efficient (it's not a priority), but there seems to be, er, room for improvement.

by guenthert

7/4/2026 at 2:56:58 PM

you can get some 125cc motorcycle/scooter and run on half that

by PunchyHamster

7/4/2026 at 3:48:25 PM

[dead]

by cindyllm

7/4/2026 at 12:49:57 PM

The electric range of Vespas are using the same iconic design.

by nxpnsv

7/4/2026 at 12:46:00 PM

Taylor Swift just used how many tons to get married?

by shrubble

7/4/2026 at 12:47:02 PM

And that's relevant how? If you live in a city where everyone owns a petrol scooter it's absurd. Can't wait for all of these to be electric, it's just common sense.

by gambiting

7/4/2026 at 2:20:04 PM

my 2022 vespa gets over 65mpg and I don’t need to move 2,000 lbs of metal to get around. I assure you it is better for the world than driving an car.

by nickthegreek

7/4/2026 at 2:31:31 PM

...have I suggested otherwise?

by gambiting

7/4/2026 at 1:07:37 PM

When electric will be equally practical (recharge time, mileage) and accessible (we do not have electronic money).

And the noise pollition I hear coming from the electric to me is a million times worse than ICEs.

by mdp2021

7/4/2026 at 1:24:37 PM

What noise pollution do you hear from electric? You mean the noise cars make when they are backing up or what?

by esrauch

7/4/2026 at 2:13:37 PM

Whether stinky bait, or just bad sarcasm, you’ll need to up your game, this is weak.

by mikestew

7/4/2026 at 1:25:05 PM

> the noise pollition I hear coming from the electric to me is a million times worse than ICEs.

What are you talking about? The electric ones are significantly quieter.

by wffurr

7/4/2026 at 3:38:59 PM

Electronic money? Electric vehicles are cheaper to operate long term.

by aetch

7/4/2026 at 1:42:46 PM

>>And the noise pollition I hear coming from the electric to me is a million times worse than ICEs.

Is this some kind of trolling?

>>accessible (we do not have electronic money).

And is this some kind of joke? An electric scooter can be plugged into a solar panel and recharged within a day. For free. Even if every oil refinery on earth explodes you will be able to charge your electric scooter by the wonderful power of the sun.

Unless you mean the cost to purchase - have you seen the cost of a new Vespa? You can have two electric scooters for the price of a new Vespa.

And electric scooters have long ago matched needs of city users in terms of range. Recharge time isn't as fast as petrol, sure, but people tend not to drive scooters for 500 miles in a day. You drive it to work, drive it back, plug it in. Or charge during the day using solar.

Or you know, for really crazy sci-fi ideas just look at china, where electric scooters with swappable batteries are extremely common. Even if you work as a food delivery driver you can have a fresh fully charged battery in less time than it would take you to fill up with petrol.

by gambiting

7/4/2026 at 12:40:25 PM

Maybe because not everyone cares, while the planet gets destroyed with wars, private jets and AI centers?

by pjmlp

7/4/2026 at 12:44:37 PM

Noise pollution is a different issue than "saving the planet".

by otabdeveloper4

7/4/2026 at 12:51:25 PM

That is only an issue when driving 50cc and applies to all of them, regardless of which kind of motorbike.

Or those that love "tuning" taking the noise filters out of the escapes.

by pjmlp

7/4/2026 at 1:10:07 PM

Yes, all of them are terrible and should have ceased to exist 10 years ago? Now is just the next best time. It won’t save the industry addicted to them of course, China has long gotten rid of them.

by stefan_

7/4/2026 at 1:14:05 PM

Well, everything is doable when following the same kind of government based "education".

Also lets ignore drilling the planet for rare minerals in the process, that China owns.

by pjmlp

7/4/2026 at 2:13:24 PM

I have a Vespa PX 125 from 1984. It's a very robust motorbike, very less maintenance and really funny to drive with the gearshifter. The only problem is about brakes: there are basically useless and you should be really careful on using them, especially if you are driving on wet road. Bad brakes and small wheels is a terrible combination.

Probably the main regret to WFH is not using my Vespa anymore as I did when I was going everyday in the office.

by lormayna

7/4/2026 at 1:24:16 PM

The coolest thing if you're not behind them inhaling their exhaust fumes.

by amelius

7/4/2026 at 1:34:25 PM

…and here I am a dumb American tourist who knew nothing about Vespa’s and was just upset because I couldn’t get my uber and missed my train.

Now I want one!

by akmiller

7/4/2026 at 6:00:43 PM

I love Vespas. I have a bunch of old Hondas that are amazing for different reasons but they’re all motorcycles so people will randomly try to kill me to prove a point. But on a Vespa you can do anything and people will just smile and wave. Literally everyone loves them. I went on a day ride with some friends and while they were refilling their motorcycles I just rode circles around them in the gas station because I could. Then I passed everyone on the highway because I could do that too. They’re hilarious.

by mulmen

7/4/2026 at 3:27:51 PM

Meh. I guess people like the style. The Honda Cub had far more impact worldwide and is a superior machine in every aspect.

by goethes_kind

7/4/2026 at 1:20:30 PM

Ah ah my youth! I had a Vespa with a 200cc engine, three speeds, from the 80s: this thing would do a wheelie in 1st gear. And very hard to control wheelie for the weight is uneven on a Vespa. My brother had a rare Vespa 125 cc from 1961 or something: when he left the country he sold it to a friend who still owns it.

Another friend of mine --the reason we all had Vespa back then-- could disassemble and reassemble them with his eyes closed, including the engine.

We'd go to flea markets and garage sales around the country looking for Vespa, Lambrettas and even french Solex for sale. Best find was not a Vespa though but a real Honda Monkey Z50.

One day I forgot to put oil in a Vespa and the engine just froze: cylinder expanded in the piston and rear-wheel locked in place. Somehow I didn't crash. I put oil (you typically had oil with you, in a tiny trunk), waited for the thing to cool down: it just started back up (!).

These were the days, thanks for posting that on HN.

P.S: it's really sad we cannot have nice things posted without having the majority of comments being from environmental-jihadists : (

by TacticalCoder

7/4/2026 at 2:04:16 PM

I had a 50cc and also could do wheelies. I loved my Vespa, it was always ready for whatever I wanted to do. Sometimes 45kmh, in a warm day even 55.

by herbst

7/4/2026 at 1:45:32 PM

> without having the majority of comments being from environmental-jihadists

Not to break your wishful thinking filled bubble, but those are very clearly not "will somebody please think about the environment" type comments. Plenty of people simply fucking despise the ever living shit out of this class of vehicle, just in general.

You really don't need to give two hot shits about the environment to find scooters obnoxiously loud smoke factories, to have a problem with that, and to be absolutely fucking over them as a result. Delivery drivers made sure of that in the past years. I'm sure it's much more convenient for you to just file it under your favorite political grift, but I assure you with confidence, the hate on these is entirely self-interested and genuine.

by perching_aix

7/4/2026 at 2:30:19 PM

It's the coolest thing on 2 wheels only in CBC's imaginary world.

by stackedinserter

7/4/2026 at 12:42:21 PM

Thanks I hate it, extremely noisy and dirty. I really wish the brand dies with fossil fuels.

by kalessin

7/4/2026 at 12:45:42 PM

Thankfully all this stuff has been or is being killed by ebikes and escooters which are vastly better technology.

by fooblaster

7/4/2026 at 1:15:13 PM

I hate to say it but good riddance! OK to keep as a classic icon for everything on the road but definitely not something that I would want to continue being popular.

by kenty

7/4/2026 at 1:26:43 PM

Keep the body shell, modernize the internals. I think they have already done so...

by wffurr

7/4/2026 at 2:20:50 PM

modern vespas are none of those things.

by nickthegreek