Things to Look For When Buying a Vespa in Vietnam
Whether you’re planning to drive a Vespa or motorbike through Vietnam, there are a few things you should know. These tips will help you enjoy the ride with ease and safety.
A classic Vespa might look good from the outside but it’s a lot more important from the inside. You should always take a look at the fuel tank of a Vespa before buying it. It will tell you a lot about the condition of the scooter and what it might need.
Another thing to look for when purchasing a Vespa is the speedometer. They often don’t have any kilometers on them which is a big giveaway that the Vespa might be fake. They are often reproductions which have a very low quality and might leak water or not fit properly.
Some restored Vespas from Vietnam don’t use cotter pins in certain places which could be dangerous when riding the scooter at high speed. For instance, the rear-wheel isn’t locked with cotter pins and they often don’t use them on the brake levers as well. This can lead to problems with your brakes and gears when driving through traffic.
The braking system on restored Vietnamese Vespas is not as good as on original Vespas. The pedals have a softer spring and the brake pads are not as hard. This can make your brakes work too slowly or stop working completely. If you’re not careful, this can result in an accident.
You might also find that the frame of a Vespa is not made of Vespa steel but rather of cheap metals. This makes it more likely to break if you hit a pothole. This is a big issue for Vespas because the frame has to absorb impact from bumps and other road debris.
One big giveaway that a Vespa might not be the real deal is the leg shield. On most Vespas from the ’50s and ’60s you will not find a glove box on the leg shield. Piaggio started to produce this glove box in 1972 when they launched their first Vespa Rally 180 model.
Many restored Vespas from Vietnam don’t use the reflector on the headlight globe. This way you will have no proper beam of light in front of your Vespa when switching from low light to high light which can be dangerous if you’re driving at night.
They might even use a different color for the handlebars. These might be red with a kill switch in yellow which is funny considering all Vespas from Piaggio come with black buttons on the handlebars.
Another easy giveaway that the Vespa might not be a genuine classic Vespa is the button for the horn, on/off light, and high/low light. These buttons are normally in the color black on all Vespas from Piaggio and are usually located on the left side of the handlebar.
When you see a Vespa from Vietnam that is missing these parts, it might be a fake. You should always do your research before purchasing a Vespa so that you don’t get ripped off by a scam artist or a bad seller. You might be able to ask for the right price or get the Vespa you want at a lower price than you would have paid without knowing what you were getting into.
