Vespa scooter
Scooter in Cars & transport
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.
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.
32 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 20
- criticize it
- 12
- approval share
- 63%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 20 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 1.6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Iconic, timeless design
“Vespas have been around for so long because it is such a great design”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “I never had problems with it.”
Comment from 5 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “Timeless iconic Italian design.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” - Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
Reliable with few repairs
“I loved my Vespa, it was always ready for whatever I wanted to do.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “I never had problems with it.”
Comment from 5 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “Well, zero repairs so far.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” Good fuel economy and range
“A modern 300cc four stroke Vespa will use 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km and Euro 5 means noise is quiet.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “About 160 miles on a full tank, which no electric motorcycle or scooter I've tried can match.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “gets over 65mpg and I don’t need to move 2,000 lbs of metal to get around”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” Quieter than motorcycles
“I have a 150 4-stroke that is fuel injected and it’s way quieter than any motorcycle and has very little exhaust smell”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “A modern 300cc four stroke Vespa will use 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km and Euro 5 means noise is quiet.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Loud, noisy exhaust
“damn they are noisy, and not a nice rumble either but more like a very loud chainsaw”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “It's loud as hell, but this guy is the type to remove his muffler”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “Even the new ones are awfully loud.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” - Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
- Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
- Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
Smoky exhaust and pollution
“inhaling their exhaust fumes”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “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.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “poorly maintained vespa at a stop light, and in it's cloud of exhaust”
Comment from 5 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” - Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
- Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
Cracking frames, failing aluminium engines
“He has to re weld the frame from time to time due to the cracks that form.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “The horror that was aluminium engine. You could open and close a screw only twice and goodbye threads.”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” Heavy, uncomfortable, and expensive
“Heavy, uncomfortable, not eco-friendly, and overpriced.”
Comment from 5 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels” “They're noisy, underpowered and way too expensive”
Comment from 4 Jul 2026 in “The Vespa at 80: Why the Italian scooter remains the coolest thing on 2 wheels”
What people said
34 of the 37 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The new Vespa looks very cool and seems to have much better balance.”
“I never had problems with it.”
“Heavy, uncomfortable, not eco-friendly, and overpriced.”
“poorly maintained vespa at a stop light, and in it's cloud of exhaust”
“People who sleep with the windows opened in summer at night”
“Well, zero repairs so far.”
“To be repairable it has to break first, which Vespas don’t.”
“He has to re weld the frame from time to time due to the cracks that form.”
“They're noisy, underpowered and way too expensive”
“I'm surprised the small diameter wheels allow for such a good ride.”
“About 160 miles on a full tank, which no electric motorcycle or scooter I've tried can match.”
“those sharp metal edges on the Vespa were just waiting to scrape my leg”
“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.”
“Switched from Vespa (combustion) to Unu (electric)”
“Vespas are fashionable and cute”
“there seems to be, er, room for improvement”
“Even the new ones are awfully loud.”
“still terrible, pollution wise”
“the coolest thing on 2 wheels only in CBC's imaginary world”
“my favourite safety feature is the noise they _can_ make”
“modern vespas are none of those things”
“gets over 65mpg and I don’t need to move 2,000 lbs of metal to get around”
“I have a 150 4-stroke that is fuel injected and it’s way quieter than any motorcycle and has very little exhaust smell”
“Vespas have been around for so long because it is such a great design”
“I loved my Vespa, it was always ready for whatever I wanted to do.”
“It's loud as hell, but this guy is the type to remove his muffler”
“A modern 300cc four stroke Vespa will use 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km and Euro 5 means noise is quiet.”
“inhaling their exhaust fumes”
“Timeless iconic Italian design.”
“Ah ah my youth! I had a Vespa with a 200cc engine, three speeds, from the 80s”
“The horror that was aluminium engine. You could open and close a screw only twice and goodbye threads.”
“extremely noisy and dirty”
“damn they are noisy, and not a nice rumble either but more like a very loud chainsaw”
“One the primary reasons I have a vespa is that in my big city you are allowed to park them for free on the sidewalk”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.