Vespa 300 HPE Super Sport
Modding Modern Vespa
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A couple of years ago, I swapped my old Yamaha for a new 2021 Vespa Super Sport 300 HPE. I absolutely love my Vespa for casual motorcycling and city driving - nothing beats the scooter-class variable transmission. I've made some minor modifications and add-ons, and I've created this page to showcase and rate them. Before I get into the details, here is a couple of shoutouts. Vespa Motorsports in San Diego has an excellent YouTube channel with a wealth of information about Vespas, both new and old. Their shop foreman, "Robot" has extensive experience with Vespas and is always happy to share his knowledge. Check them out at YouTube. SIP-scootershop has a fantastic selection of spare parts online, and I usually get most of my spare parts from there. Although they are a little slow to send items, I typically receive my deliveries within a week of ordering - a thumbs up from me!
Bag hook, replacement 👍👍 One handy feature of Vespas is the bag hook, which can be used for hanging groceries and small bags. However, the hook on new Vespas is made of plastic and do not look very nice. The good news is that it can be replaced with a more attractive option like the "Racefoxx" hook that I got from SIP-scootershop. The red hook matches my Vespa's blue and red color scheme perfectly. Replacing the bag hook is not a simple task, as it requires accessing the front panel of the scooter. Check out Robot's review of the luggage hook and his guide on how to access the front panel on Vespa Motorsports' YouTube channel: Luggage Hook Review and Front Panel Access Guide.
While the "Racefoxx" bag hook is a good quality replacement option, I have found that it tends to bind when closing the top of the hook. Additionally, I feel that the price is a bit too high for what you get. Overall, I rate this upgrade at 2 out of 4.
Oil pan with inspection glass, replacement 👍👍👍 Older Vespas have a view-port that shows the oil level in the pan, but newer models don't have this feature. Since the 2021 HPE engine tends to burn oil, it's important to keep an eye on the oil level. Fortunately, a German company sells oil pan replacement kits with a machined view-port. I purchased one from a German supplier, and the replacement process was straightforward - it only required a new gasket and oil. However, you will need to remove several covers to gain access. Robot gives a clear explanation in his review on Vespa Motorsports' YouTube channel: Oil Pan Replacement Review.
Personally, I find it very convenient to be able to monitor the oil level by simply looking through the glass rather than having to use a dip-stick. While the oil pan replacement kit is a little expensive, it is top-notch quality and definitely worth the investment. I rate this upgrade 3 out of 4.
Speedometer fix (tonal wheel), replacement 👍👍 The stock Vespa shows about 10% too high speed on the speedometer. So when you actually drive 50 km/h the speedometer will show about 55 km/h. This offset can be fixed by installing an after-marked tone-wheel. The original tone-wheel has 48 "teeth" while this after marked part only has 44. With replacement tone wheel the Speedometer will show correct speed.
Please note that by changing the Vespa's perception of speed you will raise the electronic limiter from about 120 km/h to 130 km/h and the odometer will only show about 92% of the actual distance travelled. Replacing the tone wheel is not an easy task. You must remove the rear wheel, also there is a crazy amount of Locktite on the factory screws that hold the tone-wheel. So be prepared to use gas burner for releasing the Locktite. You may also need new screws for mounting the replacement tone wheel. I would rate this is 2 out of 4. A precise speedometer is great - but the amount of Locktite makes this replacement a real pain and a little risky.
Custom side stand, modification 👍👍👍👍 Although my Vespa came with a factory-installed side stand, I found that it leaned a little too much and had a small footprint that made it sink into soft ground. To address this, I decided to fabricate and weld a "duck-foot" onto the factory side stand. This simple modification made the Vespa stand firmer and straighter when on the side stand. I also took the opportunity to remove the dead man switch while working on the side stand. This allows the motor to run when the side stand is engaged, but I must emphasize that this is a safety degradation and you should considder pros and cons. For my own convenience, I can now ride the Vespa out of the garage, place it on the side stand, and let the motor warm up while I close the garage door. If you want to bypass the dead man switch without making any permanent modifications, you can use a cable-eye plug like this one from the German SIP-scootershop. With the standard plug you can make a loop for shorting the existing wire harness connection so that the Vespa no longer detects that side stand is down. The plug sits on the left side of the battery tray.
Overall, I give this modification a 4 out of 4 rating because it's affordable and has made a significant improvement in my Vespa's stability, especially on my gravel driveway.
Fuel tank heat insulation (Vespa "farting" problem) Work-In-Progress! The Vespa 300 HPE has an EVAP (evaporative emission) system that redirects fuel tank vapors into the scooter's intake manifold, preventing their release into the atmosphere. However, after riding and parking, the passive heating by the hot exhaust causes the fuel tank to constantly release over-pressure, resulting in a periodic "farting" or honking sound from the scooter. I attempted to insulate the tank to alleviate this issue, but it was not very effective. I am currently exploring alternative solutions that will not disrupt the EVAP system and will update this page accordingly...
Side cases, Add-on 👍👍👍👍 For a while now, I've been dreaming of taking a motorcycle trip to Norway. Unfortunately, my previous bike, a Yamaha MT-01, was not suitable for longer journeys. It lacked the necessary support for side cases and comfortable riding, it was focused more towards raw acceleration and aggressive engine sounds. However, with my new Vespa, I found that I had more space for luggage and significantly better riding comfort. In an effort to revive my desire for a long motorcycle trip, I decided to fabricate side cases and spare fuel cannister setup for my Vespa. With the added 5L of fuel, I can now travel up to 300km without needing to stop for gas. To ensure the security of my belongings while I stop for shopping or sightseeing, I opted for solid side cases that lock securely to the Vespa.
I started out with a German Fehling Monokey rack for modern Vespa, sourced from eBay. I don't think it is made anymore but SIP-scootershop still has the product listed. However the Fehling mounting kit was pretty complicated with brackets that attach to the frame inside the engine bay, I'm not sure they actually fitted the updated HPE model. And finally the Fehling Monokey screw-mounts were misaligned by 5mm, requiring me to weld two holes shut and re-drill them to fit the side-cases properly, there is probably a reason why they don't seem to make these racks anymore.
Despite these issues, I was able to repurpose most of the Fehling kit and create my own parts to fit my needs. I wanted to avoid modifying any of the original scooter parts so that I could easily return to the original look. Therefore, I ordered the following parts from SIP-scootershop and put the original parts on the shelf: Original Piaggio luggage carrier rear, Original Piaggio passenger foot-pegs (left & right), metal stock from staalet.dk 150cm stainless pipe, 16mm diameter, 2mm wall thickness & 100cm stainless flat stock, 30mm width, 2mm thickness. The luggage carrier is a two-piece attachment, consisting of a grab rail and a flip-down carrier. I decided to focus on the grab-rail first and will work on the carrier later. The Fehling rear mount was decent and fit under the license-plate with some adjustments. For the top attachment under the seat, the Fehling kit instructed me to insert brackets under the grab-rail where it attaches to the frame and then attach the racks to the brackets. However, this would have lifted up the plastic assembly under the seat and potentially caused problems when closing the seat. Instead, I cut the Fehling bracket in half and welded it directly onto the grab rail, which provided a solid attachment point and did not raise the plastic assembly under the seat.
To simplify the installation process and avoid interference with the scooter's internal components, I decided to forgo the Fehling Frankenstein front attachments altogether. Instead, I gutted the foot-pegs and kept only the brackets that attach to the frame, these now serve as a non-permanent front attachment-point for the rack. Welding directly onto the foot-peg brackets is an option, but instead, I welded a nut onto the end of the 16mm tube and screwed it to the bracket. Then I bend and welded the 16mm tube directly between the rack and the foot-peg brackets.
When modifying your Vespa, it's important to avoid mistakes that could cause problems later on. One lesson I learned the hard way is to always detach the Monokey mounting hardware from the frame before welding. I made the mistake of leaving it on, and the heat from welding caused the synthetic hardware to warp. I had to order replacements from the louis.de store.
I can now use the Monokey mounting hardware to attach 2 GIVI Trekker Dolomiti 36L hard-cases to my Vespa. However, be aware that there are two different styles of mounting brackets for the Dolomiti, so make sure to get the ones that fit your specific Monokey hardware. One locks from outside of the case and the other locks from inside. You should know that the left pannier will get in the way of the center stand. I had to remove the case to use the stand, but maybe you can do it differently with some practice. Also, the bags will slow you down when the wind is against you on the highway, on my last trip in stiff headwind and going up-hill I maxed out at about 100km/h. Besides providing storage space on trips, it's also convenient for commuting to work as I can store my jacket and shield on the Vespa. This mod was a lot of work, but I am pleased with the result and rate it 4 out of 4.
Spare 5L fuel tank, Add-on 👍👍👍 For long trips I wanted to be able to go further between fuel stops, the Vespa's 6L tank size means refueling every 150km. To achieve this, I found a small 5L jerry-can and converted the rear carrier rack into a spare canister holder. With the additional 5L of fuel, I can now travel about twice the distance between tank stations and have some peace of mind while riding. I already got a rear carrier rack for the sidecases Original Piaggio luggage carrier rear.
This mod required cutting, bending, and welding flat-steel stock and mounting a GIVI compatible lock to secure the canister. Maybe I was just lucky but it went surprisingly smooth; bend a little - check on the canister - bend a little more - and so on until the shape was right. I found the spare GIVI lock on e-bay and the GIVI panniers came with a spare locking cylinder for rear-case so I put that in and presto - same key for sidecases and spare fuel canister. The canister was brand-new and never used before welding the locking latch to it - it does have some burns on the protective coating on the inside - so it will rust with time - I'll find out what to do then. Although the fuel canister mod is not practical for daily commuting, I still rate it 3 out of 4 for its X-factor and usefulness during long trips.
Reflexes on GIVI Panniers, Add-on 👍👍👍👍 Adding reflex tape to your motorcycle is an excellent way to increase your visibility on the road. I found some rolls of reflex tape on sale at my local parts store and applied them to my Trekker Dolomitri side cases.
First, use ethanol to clean the area where you want to apply the tape. Then, use a ruler and pencil to draw a straight line where you want the tape to go. Finally, apply the strip of tape to the area you cleaned and marked. I used a knife to trim the bottom of the tape. I rate this a 4 out of 4 because it is easy and a little more visibility is always a good thing.
Trax inner lid bag for GIVI Panniers, Add-on 👍👍 Finding small items in your panniers can be a bit messy. Fortunately, SW-Motech makes a nice bag that fits inside the lid of their Trax panniers. While this bag can be made to fit the GIVI Trekker Dolomiti, some modification is required.
I attached a couple of 6mm elastic cords to the back of the Trax bag and hooked it to the mounting-hardware of the GIVI lids. This is a great modification that provides additional storage space for small items such as first-aid, papers, sunscreen, flashlight, batteries, and more. I only rate this modification 2 out of 4 because it is most useful on long trips and not as much during daily commutes.
GPS "cockpit", Add-on 👍👍👍 A GPS is a valuable tool for traveling, and I wanted one that could be securely attached to my Vespa even when I made quick stops for shopping or to visit a museum. I also wanted it to be wired into the Vespa's 12V system, so I needed a semi-permanent installation. Since I had originally ordered a windscreen for the Vespa, but I never used it so I decided to repurpose the mounting hardware and turn it into a GPS holder. To attach the GPS to the Vespa, I used a Touratech lockable bracket, which was purchased from their website. Using the Touratech internet store was a very strange a surreal experience, but after a couple of tries (and several months of waiting) they allowed me to buy it. I bent the windscreen mounting hardware to fit the Touratech bracket and bridged the two bent columns with a small stainless pipe that I welded together. After finding the right angle for the GPS mount, I welded a base-plate onto the hardware. I positioned the GPS at an angle that would reflect off my chest rather than the sky or my helmet, which provided the best visibility with a dark motorcycle jacket.
One important lesson I learned is to remove the locking clips or grind away the locking recesses before test-fitting the windscreen mounting hardware. The windscreen snaps into place using two clips that lock solidly into the sockets, which I didn't notice at first. As a result, before I could remove the hardware, I had to pull the plastic headcover apart and use a spring tool to rip out the clips. So, to avoid this mistake, it's essential to take the necessary precautions before test-fitting. Also make sure to leave enough clearance below the bracket so that the GPS can be removed easily. I made the mistake of making it too tight, which meant that I have to detach the GPS holder before removing the bracket to avoid scratching the headlight.
Moving on to the power supply, I realized that the Vespa's USB charging port in the glovebox is switched on and off with the ignition key via the 12V supply. By tapping into the source-voltage for the USB charger, I could make the GPS turn on and off automatically with the key. To achieve this, I made a split cable with standard connectors and hooked up the GPS 12V charger. I found the standard connectors at my local Biltema parts-store: male connector house, female connector house, male connector, female connector. To access the wires behind the USB charging port, I had to remove the plastic cover behind the left "kneepad". There was enough space behind the panel to hold the GPS charger, and from there, I could route the cable through the handlebars and up to the GPS.
The GPS holder functions well and provides a stable platform for the GPS while riding. It also offers a good viewing angle. However, it doesn't blend in seamlessly with the Vespa's aesthetic design. Additionally, removing and attaching the holder is pretty cumbersome due to the 12V connection. Overall, I rate this modification a 3 out of 4. |
