The prose and icons of scooters

PHOTO BY ANDREW MEESON FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The stylish Vespa S, left, trades on the glamorous image of its predecessors, while the Kymco People S 125 offers a less flashy method of getting around town.

Andrew Meeson

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

At first glance, the Vespa S and Kymco People S 125 seem ideal scooters for a side-by-side comparison.

Both are new-for-2008 models that have smaller displacement engines (150 cc for the Vespa, 125 for the People S), automatic transmissions, convenient storage spaces, top out at about 90 km/h and get a fuel consumption rating of around 3.5 L/ 100 km.

But on closer inspection, comparing the Vespa S to the Kymco People S is like comparing champagne to beer – the end result might be the same, but they're two very different ways of getting there.

On the more affluent end of the scale is the Vespa, which at $5,295 boasts a lineage back to the 1960s and '70s; hipsters like Steve McQueen and Audrey Hepburn could be seen astride one of its predecessors. The 2008 Vespa S is the first new Vespa model in four years and boasts a square headlamp assembly that the company claims harks back to the style of those dear dead days.

The $3,599 People S 125 is brand new to Canada this year, though the Taiwan-based motorcycle firm has been around in other parts of the world since 1963 and claims to be the world's fifth largest motorcycle maker. It's only been selling bikes in Canada since 2005, which may explain why you can only get one in the GTA either at a store in Pickering or a store in Mississauga.

Where the Vespa S is all stripped-down steel and Italian panache, the Kymco seems much more prosaic and plastic. It's not just the material that the fairing and the instrument panel are made of, but the body itself seems functional and workman-like.

The overall fit and finish, though, seemed quite good on the tester.

Both have convenient storage spaces under the seat; the Kymco also boasts a glovebox in the rear of the front fairing big enough for, er, two gloves. The storage area under the seat of the Vespa is large enough to stow a full-face helmet, while the space under the People S seat is large enough for a couple of bags of groceries. It does, however, have a jack to recharge the cellphone you can't use while riding.

Both have hooks for grocery bag on the back the fairing. In both cases, you'd be advised not to try to carry anything too heavy, as even a 4 L bag of milk makes its presence felt when you're cornering on a 113 kg bike.

The instrumentation on the Vespa is basic in the extreme – needle speedo and fuel gauge, digital clock and some lights for low fuel and engine troubles.

The Kymco has much the same, but also has some standard features that come in handy for a commuter. For one thing, it has a stubby windscreen (a $216 option on the Vespa) and though it's no thing of beauty, it does offer some shelter from the storm during a sodden commute.

Likewise, the People S 125 has an audible turn signal to remind the forgetful rider, a boon when changing lanes frequently in rush hour.

The Vespa's steel monocoque construction gives it a more rigid frame and therefore better handling, according to parent company Piaggio.

Buzzing through the streets of Toronto – yes, the pitch of the engine does make the Vespa sound like a wasp, as its Italian name suggests – the S certainly feels nimble, whether it's following the Lake Shore curves at speed or darting in and out of stop-and-go traffic in the core.

The obvious downside to that rigid construction is the, shall we say, firm ride. The GTA isn't known for its billiard-table-smooth roadways, and the Vespa's small wheels (11-inch front, 10-inch rear) seem to be able to find every one of the zillion potholes and frost heaves around.

That said, the four-position pre-load adjustment on the rear suspension may help those with a less forgiving backside.

Besides, if you want a cushy ride, you shouldn't be looking at a scooter with a wheelbase of about 130 cm.

The People S 125, in contrast, has a much gruffer tone to its engine, which becomes especially noticeable while decelerating. That trait isn't helped by the perceptible vibrations while idling or creeping along.

The larger 16-inch wheels on the People S 125 mean the bike can handle the heaves and potholes with greater ease than the Vespa; the suspension still tends to bottom out on some of the more extreme speed bumps in some neighbourhoods.

Both engines are perfectly adequate for accelerating through in-town streets – even on Lake Shore Blvd.; I never had a problem staying ahead of the flow of traffic.

Ease off the throttle on the Vespa and you slow much more smoothly than on the Kymco. The brakes in both cases (disc in front, drum in back) do a good job of stopping quickly.

The Kymco offers a two-year limited warranty, while the Vespa has one year.

But here's where these two pint-sized performers really differ: the Vespa S will cost you $1,694 more – almost 50 per cent more than its Taiwan counterpart.

That might not sound like much, but if it costs you only $5 a week in gas, it works out to roughly 340 weeks' worth of commuting, or close to 10 years, given our riding season. Or it's a few years' worth of insurance premiums.

True, there's something about the cleaner lines of the Vespa, aided by the square headlight that the People S with its heavier-looking (some might say more substantial) design just can't match.

Plus the Vespa, like, say, a Harley, comes with a whole host of accessories and clothing.

You can walk the walk of a super-cool scooterist with a keen sense of European flair.

But whether you think an extra $1,700 to own a stylish icon like the Vespa is no big thing depends on whether you think sipping Dom Perignon is the way to go.

For many, though, a Molson Export will do nicely, thank you.

Andrew Meeson is Wheels' Urban Commuter. He can be reached atameeson@thestar.ca

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