# Vespa scooter Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/vespa-scooter/ 14 people recommended Vespa scooter in Hacker News comments, 5 had mixed feelings and 12 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 2 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. 14 of the 14 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”. **Verdict:** People recommend Vespas for their iconic design, good fuel economy, long range and reliability. The most common caveat is that they are loud and smoky. Summary written by Claude from 33 comments. ## Why people recommend it - Iconic, timeless design (4 comments in the sample): "Vespas have been around for so long because it is such a great design" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785522)) "The new Vespa looks very cool and seems to have much better balance." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48794050)) "Timeless iconic Italian design." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785229)) - Good fuel economy and range (3 comments in the sample): "A modern 300cc four stroke Vespa will use 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km and Euro 5 means noise is quiet." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785260)) "About 160 miles on a full tank, which no electric motorcycle or scooter I've tried can match." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48786390)) "gets over 65mpg and I don’t need to move 2,000 lbs of metal to get around" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785611)) - Reliable with few repairs (2 comments in the sample): "I loved my Vespa, it was always ready for whatever I wanted to do." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785491)) "Well, zero repairs so far." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48789665)) - Quieter than motorcycles (1 comment in the sample): "I have a 150 4-stroke that is fuel injected and it’s way quieter than any motorcycle and has very little exhaust smell" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785605)) ## What people warn about - Loud, noisy exhaust (6 comments in the sample): "damn they are noisy, and not a nice rumble either but more like a very loud chainsaw" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785000)) "It's loud as hell, but this guy is the type to remove his muffler" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785420)) "Even the new ones are awfully loud." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785807)) - Smoky exhaust and pollution (3 comments in the sample): "inhaling their exhaust fumes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785242)) "poorly maintained vespa at a stop light, and in it's cloud of exhaust" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48790499)) "still terrible, pollution wise" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785760)) - Cracking frames, failing aluminium engines (2 comments in the sample): "He has to re weld the frame from time to time due to the cracks that form." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48788411)) "The horror that was aluminium engine. You could open and close a screw only twice and goodbye threads." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48785007)) - Heavy, uncomfortable, and expensive (1 comment in the sample): "Heavy, uncomfortable, not eco-friendly, and overpriced." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48790744)) ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.vespa.com/us_EN/) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Vespa scooter", https://hackerapproved.com/p/vespa-scooter/ (14 recommend, 5 mixed, 12 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.