Editing Vespa GTS300IE

{{Motorcycle
|name             = [[Vespa]] GTS300
|photo=vespa-gts300ie-13-01.jpg
|aka              = GTS300 Super Sport SE, GTS 300 Super Sport SE, GTS300IE Super, GTS 300 IE Super, GTS300IE, GTS 300 IE, GTS300ie Touring, GTS 300ie Touring, GTS SuperSport, GTS300 Super Sport, GTS 300 Super Sport, GTS300 Super, GTS 300 Super, GTS 300, GTS300 SuperSport, GTS 300 SuperSport, GTS Touring 300, GTS Super 300, GTS SuperTech
|manufacturer     = Vespa
|parent_company   =
|production       = 2009 - 12
|model_year       =
|predecessor      =
|successor        =
|class            =
|engine           = Four stroke single cylinder, SOHC, 4 valve
|bore_stroke      =
|compression      =
|top_speed        =
|power            =
|torque           =
|fuel_system      =
|ignition         = Electric
|spark_plug       =
|battery          =
|transmission     = CVT with [[torque]] server
|frame            = Sheetmetal body with welded reinforcements
|suspension       =Front: Single arm, dual chamber [[hydraulic]] [[shock absorber]] with coaxial spring <br>
Rear: Two dual effect shock absorbers with adjustable preload
|brakes           =Front: Single 220 mm disc <br>Rear: Single 220 mm disc
|front_tire       = {{tire|110/70-R12"}} 
|rear_tire   	  = {{tire|130/70-R12"}} 
|rake_trail       =
|wheelbase        = 1370 mm / 53.9 in
|length           =
|width            =
|height           =
|seat_height      = 790 mm / 31.1 in
|dry_weight       = 158 kg / 348 lbs
|wet_weight       =
|fuel_capacity    = 9.2 L / 2.4 US gal
|oil_capacity     =
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius   =
|related          =
|competition      =
}}



==Engine==
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke single cylinder, SOHC, 4 valve.  

==Drive==
Power was moderated via the Automatic, dry centrifuge with [[damper]] buffers.  

==Chassis==
It came with a 110/70-R12" front [[tire]] and a 130/70-R12" rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 220 mm disc in the front and a Single 220 mm disc in the rear. The front suspension was a  Single arm, dual chamber hydraulic shock absorber with coaxial spring while the rear was equipped with a Two dual effect shock absorbers with adjustable preload. The GTS300IE was fitted with a 9.2 L / 2.4 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 158 kg / 348 lbs. The wheelbase was 1370 mm / 53.9 in long.  
== Photos ==
[[File:vespa-gts300ie-13-01.jpg|600px|Vespa GTS300]]
[[File:vespa-gts300ie-13-04.jpg|600px|Vespa GTS300]]
[[File:vespa-gts300ie-13-05.jpg|600px|Vespa GTS300]]
[[File:vespa-gts300ie-13-02.jpg|600px|Vespa GTS300]]

== Overview ==
Vespa GTS 300 IE



















Powerful
engine, plenty of storage...
The Vespa GTS 300 i.e. is an uncompromising fusion of
breathtaking performance, technical superiority and classic Vespa design. The
visual flow of the modern and decisive lines of the cowls, the round and sloping
front headlight, the passenger footrests which fold out from the body, are all
characteristics which make Vespa unique. The Vespa GTS 300 i.e. maintains the
fundamental characteristics which make every Vespa an incomparable vehicle in
the scooter world--the monocoque body, made entirely from steel is a
construction philosophy which ensures legendary sturdiness, reliability and
superior rigidity, all to the advantage of riding precision.

Sleek, Smooth, Fast
Powerful, sporty, and oh-so stylish. The Vespa GTS 300 is an uncompromising
fusion of breathtaking performance, technical superiority and classic Vespa
design. The GTS 300 has 12 alloy wheels, front & rear disc brakes and a liquid
cooled engine with electronic fuel injection.



Outside a civic
disaster like a transit strike, many motorcyclists just find
it more convenient to not ride to work. I'm not judging you,
even though I am on the Ride to Work Advisory Board and
therefore must advise you to, um... ride to work. But many
of you ride specialized motorcycles that just aren't suited
to riding through commuter traffic, especially traffic
thickened by the cornstarch of an extra 400,000 disgruntled
ex-subway riders stuck in their cages. That 600-pound
adventure bike is just right for a weekend trip to Nevada,
and your MV Agusta F4 carves up Laguna Seca like a hot poker
through polenta, but lane-splitting for 10 miles in
90-degree weather? No, grazie.

But why this velvet-black Italian fashionista? Well, any
scooter can do what the Super does, but can it do it with
such style? Anybody can just survive, showing up at work on
a battered '80s-vintage Riva they got at an estate sale, or
the unregistered, battery-less wreck of an Elite 80 a racing
buddy abandoned in the garage in 1994, but they will not
look cool. They will not look like they were ready for that
once-a-decade crisis. They will not look prepared. They
won't even look employed. And if you're doing better than
just surviving, better than just scraping by, you're going
to spend a few grand on your motorized, street-legal transpo.
So why not spend a little more and pony up for the scooter
equivalent of... well, maybe not a Mercedes, but an Audi at
least.

Electric start, automatic transmission, liquid cooling, fuel
injection are all things car drivers have been used to for
decades. But for those unaware of Vespa's resurgence in the
U.S. marketplace, it may be news, and welcome news at that.
Scootering is not the rattley, smoky, weird-handling
experience of the '60s and '70s, nor is it the cheap, tinny,
small-wheeled, anemic-motored Jog/Razz/Riva gig of the '80s.
Scooters like the Vespa are reliable, quiet, powerful, easy
to ride and plenty fast to keep up with modern traffic
conditions. They also handle well and have the brakes to
underwrite their improved performance.

The Vespa's motor is Piaggio's QUASAR design, a
bored-and-stroked version of the old GTS 250 mill, but it's
very refined  smoother as well as more powerful, clean and
efficient. As I reported a few years ago, it's 278cc and
makes a claimed 22 horsepower  a spicy meatball for a
scooter (or motorcycle) that weighs in at a claimed 326
pounds dry.





The suspension and
brakes were improved as well, with some anti-dive function
worked into that traditional single-sided front end, and
twin 220mm disc brakes (one front, one rear) slowing the
12-inch wheels. The swingarm/drive unit is suspended by
preload-adjustable dual shocks. Wheelbase is a minimalistic
54 inches, and the wide, flat seat is 31.1 inches off the
ground, though it's narrow at the front so short folk will
be able to manage okay.

Riding a big Vespa on surface streets is comforting and fun.
The big motor and seamless fueling means glitch-free
performance and quick acceleration, even when the bike is
cold. Just start, twist and go. There's ample suspension
travel for potholes and rough surfaces, so long as you don't
attempt a rally-car pace, carrying a passenger isn't just
possible, it's pleasant. And even though the bike weighs a
little more than your average around-town scoot, the stubby
wheelbase and steep geometry help it feel light and easy to
manage.

On the freeway, it's not quite in its element, but it's not
so bad, either. It feels strong off the line, so you can
merge with traffic easily, but the power tapers off around
an indicated 80 mph. Top speed is about an indicated 85 or
90, but I think there's some error; one of those radar
speed-limit signs in a construction zones told me I was
travelling at 60 when the speedo was reading 72. Flat out,
you're pretty much confined to the right-ish lanes, ahead of
the semi-trucks but slower than the nuns in beige Camrys.
Still, my lovely wife was happy to use the Super to get to
work during the afore-mentioned BART strike  it's perfect
for the Bay Bridge, heavy enough to not be too affected by
gusty winds but fast enough to keep apace with the
slow-moving commute traffic. A 2.4-gallon tank and observed
50-60-ish mpg fuel economy means you won't have to fill up
too often, either, though the fuel light seems to come on at
just under a half tank.

I also had fun on twisty roads, enjoying my usual 150-mile
Sunday ride. My gang of ne'er-do-wells I ride with gave me a
good ribbing for showing up on a ride dominated by
dual-sports, adventure-tourers and high-end European nakeds,
but I actually enjoyed the notion that no matter how fast I
went, I was all but invisible to the Highway Patrol. The
small wheels, lack of wind protection and pinned throttle
made me feel like I was Carlo Ubbiali drafting Surtees at
the Isle of Man. Fueling is smooth, and the brakes are good
enough  fade free and plenty strong, though you do need to
squeeze hard at higher speeds. It's fun holding the bike on
its side through a turn and then feel it quickly bob back
upright like a rowboat on a stormy sea when you release
pressure on the handgrips.

The fun was also limited by the jouncy front suspension. I
think D'Ascancio's design really is better suited to
helicopters, especially when the going gets really rough and
bumpy and you add in mid-corner braking. Plus, the
centerstand tang will touch down in very tight left-hand
turns, but those drawbacks were more than compensated for by
the stable feel, quick steering, and good gearing choices
made by Piaggio's engineers.

But let's keep it in perspective  for gosh sake this is a
scooter, after all  the fact that it's fun at all on a
twisty road seems like a minor miracle in the eyes of
seasoned motorcyclists. To my eye, the reason Vespa has been
such a successful brand, for the better part of a century
now, is that fun has always been part of the Vespa riding
experience.

Vespas are just fun, a combination of simple, reliable
operation, low operating costs, spry handling,
fashion-forward styling, comfort and convenience... put them
all together in a single vehicle and maybe you'll start to
see the appeal. It's a ride that can perform well at 70% of
the tasks you need a motorcycle  heck, even a car  to do.

Is a $6000 300cc scooter starting to sound like a good 'B'
bike to you? Yeah, me too. And as the GTS300 gets older, it
seems to drop in price  the basic model is $5999, cheaper
than when it was new in 2010. The model I tested, the GTS300
Super Sport SE, gets you the matte-finish paint and graphics
and a cool slotted grille on the sides. At $6399, you pay a
premium, but you'll have a lot more fun getting to work 
and look good doing it.





{|  class="wikitable"
|- 
!Make Model
|Vespa GTS 300 IE
|- 
!Year
|2009 - 12
|- 
!Engine Type
|Four stroke single cylinder, SOHC, 4 valve
|- 
!Displacement
|278 cc / 18.2 cub in
|- 
!Bore X Stroke
|75 mm x 63 mm
|- 
!Cooling System
|Liquid cooled
|- 
!Lubrication
|Wet sump, chain driven lube pump
|- 
!Ignition
|Electric
|- 
!Starting
|Electric
|- 
!Clutch
|Automatic, dry centrifuge with damper buffers
|- 
!Max Power
|15.8 kW / 21.5 hp @ 7500 rpm
|- 
!Max Torque
|22.3 Nm / 2.27 kgf-m / 16.45 ft/lb @ 5250 rpm
|- 
!Transmission
|CVT with torque server
|- 
!Final Drive
|Belt
|- 
!Frame
|Sheetmetal body with welded reinforcements
|- 
!Front Suspension
|Single arm, dual chamber hydraulic shock absorber with coaxial spring
|- 
!Rear Suspension
|Two dual effect shock absorbers with adjustable preload
|- 
!Front Brakes
|Single 220 mm disc
|- 
!Rear Brakes
|Single 220 mm disc
|- 
!Front Tire
|110/70-R12"
|- 
!Rear Tire
|130/70-R12"
|- 
!Dimensions
|Length: 1930 mm / 75.9 in Width: 755 mm / 29.7 in
|- 
!Wheelbase
|1370 mm / 53.9 in
|- 
!Seat Height
|790 mm / 31.1 in
|- 
!Dry Weight
|158 kg / 348 lbs
|- 
!Fuel Capacity
|9.2 L / 2.4 US gal

|}

[[Category:Vespa motorcycles]]