We passed: Vespa PX
Dear readers who have watched live the emergence and subsequent development of one of the best inventions of urban transport of all time, you will naturally remember that impoverished Europe after World War II, and especially Italy, needed cheap and efficient vehicles. So the first Vespa was created, a kind of Lego cube made up of parts left over from the aerospace industry, and for the movement, well, they used a fairly simple and durable two-stroke single-cylinder engine.
The PX model, as you can see in the photos, has been selling successfully since the XNUMX's and has sold as many as three million units with relatively few fixes.
Classics are classics, and Piaggio understands this very well. With the ever-growing retro wave in motorcycling, it is time to launch the PX with a corner trim, spare wheel, large kick start, four-speed gearbox on the left handlebar, and a 125-inch two-stroke engine. or 150cc air-cooled single cylinder.
When restarting production, they didn't go overboard with the improvements, in fact, they just made sure the engine was now clean enough to meet stringent environmental standards. This is achieved by means of a by-pass in the exhaust, which ensures a more complete combustion of the fuel in the combustion chamber. The pump takes care of the correct ratio of the mixture of oil and gasoline, everything else is the same as 30 or 20 years ago. It doesn't even have direct fuel injection, the cylinder is filled with a mixture of fuel and air as usual through a rotary valve.
The engine remains good old indestructible and is advertised the same way. When you first start, when you press the electric start button or in the old fashioned way, a smile creeps into your mouth with a decisive blow of the right foot on the kick starter lever. It's even better when you leave. Spoiled with modern scooters as a complete beginner, I hastily throttle, but the Vespa did not budge, only the engine melody carried it away at casually high revs.
The awkwardness of the next moment was even greater when, using everything but the ergonomic clutch lever, I shifted into first gear with a loud squeak of the gearbox and went out of place. I immediately remembered the first meters with my mom's three-speed tomos and the first experience with the PX, which my cousin lent me for one lap. Let the clam hit me, but still like when I first rode the Vespa. Changed nothing! As if seduced back in time. But I don't blame them.
No, this is far from ideal. Anyone looking for the perfect Vespa PX should buy a Vespa GTS with a 300cc four-stroke engine. See and variomatom, but the experience will not be the same as on the Vespa PX!
What I remember most about the two-wheeled tour of Rome was the playfulness and carefree driving. The PX is so lightweight and predictable that you can even move it around in your arms if you need to drive past an uncomfortably parked van and continue your journey stress-free.
More about usability: in vain you will look for a place for two "jet" helmets under a large and very comfortable seat, there is only a spare wheel and a place for luggage on the side, just below the left. as fellow journalist and vespologist Matyaz Tomažić once wrote, big for four Trojan donuts! Someone mentioned that you put a bottle of wine and a picnic blanket in this box in front of your knees. If you are a romantic and enjoying picnics with your loved one, this is a great way to go on an enjoyable trip.
But let's put aside history and everything that people did on Vespas and Vespas, not least because they rode the whole world with them, broke speed records on a salt lake in Utah and even participated in the Paris-Dakar Rally. Overcoming traffic chaos in Rome is also a special feat, and where there are most people, the PX feels like a fish in water.
text: Petr Kavcic, photo: Tovarna
First impression
Appearance 5
What else can a legend earn? Great rating for a style that lasts forever!
Motor 3
How much we look forward to a two-stroke engine that is touted as original and almost indestructible, so we don't waste a word on maintenance. Well, the truth is, modernity cannot be attributed to him.
Comfort 3
The big seat deserves a big plus, the PX is so simple and efficient that it convinces, albeit not perfect.
4 Price
If you find a 30-year-old original somewhere, it might cost at least as much as a new one. Loss of value, what is it?
First class 4
This is a classic that has deliberately remained faithful to the original, seen through modern technical solutions, time has long overtaken it, but in its essence remains a unique success, like yesterday, today or tomorrow.
Technical data: Vespa PX 150
engine: single-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled, 150 cm3, el. + foot starter.
maximum power: for example
maximum torque: for example
power transmission: 4-speed gearbox.
frame: tubular steel frame.
brakes: front disc 200 mm, rear drum 150 mm.
suspension: single shock absorber at the front, single shock absorber at the rear.
tires: 3,50-10, 3,50-10.
seat height: 810 mm.
fuel tank: 8 l.
wheelbase: 1.260 mm.
weight: 112 kg.
Price: 3.463 €
Representative: PVG, doo Koper, 05/625 01 50, www.pvg.si.
