Damn Conti Twist

I had probs with Conti Twist and stopped using them. Your options are the Sava thingy, the Michelin Contact Sport, or the Michelin Bopper. The problem with the first two is that they have a block tread pattern and that tends to wear unevenly. When this happens, the scooter can become shaky. My front is a Sava and it shakes, rattles and rolls at high speed (daily). I fitted a bopper on the rear for a whopping $70 at Cycle Treads in Takapuna and it does not have a block pattern and I have had no complaints at all. 6k on it and still going strong. Having said that, the Sava has over 14k on it and also still going strong albeit shaky....

Have written on this topic before - Pirelli tyres only lasted for 4,000 kms before the GT wobble got real bad. However my Sava tyres are brilliant - not a prob for me at all on my latest GT - good grip on road, wet weather riding good and no front wheel wobble - yahoooo.

Info Officer & Rides Sub-Committe member 2009/10

Vespa addict! plus Crazy Frog Jog & Bella Belladonna

Those rear tyres put on by someone in the know. Otherwise the exhaust gasket is toast.

I have worn through a few on the GT and found a variety that handles heavy km's whilst sticking to the black-top - may I introduce the Pirelli Ceat Rio. They aren't as sticky as the Pilot Sport but they are very good for the high km'sI subject the GT to, espically when I used to commute from Auckland - Rotorua and back again...

http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/products/342-pirelli_scooter/2140-pirelli_ceat_rio.aspx

Thanks UberRhys, think I'll give them a try. The Pirellis on the front have done more than 18k and are still going strong...

The original Pirellis lasted 9,600 kms, the muffler gasket lasted the same length of time, the other original Sava lasted 8500 kms, it showed severe dilamination on the inside at that mileage, the muffler gasket is still good at 16000 kms, I have replaced both rears with Michelins one lasted about the same as Perelli 9000kms, replaced again with Michelin, still new, the other is still on with 8,000kms on it. I had a wobble on one of my GT' s and the tire replacement didn't make a difference, on either, I never had a wobble on my white one and replacing Sava to Michelin didn't change that nor did replacing perellis to michelin improve the wobble situation on the Grey one except for the first 500kms then it returned. If you are interested and I am not sure if this will work on the GTS but Yamaha make a muffler gasket that apparently works on the GT which sell for a lot less then the Piaggio one this is the part number 3YF-14714-00-00. it is the same or close enough to work, used on several of their bikes and common as fish and chip shops and a quarter of the price of the Vespa one. Also check with Motorsport SanDiego they are working on getting these replacement gaskets at a lower price not sure if they have succeeded yet, let us know how you make out as I will be needing one soon and intend to try the Yamaha ones, Good luck.

that the exhaust gasket and in general servicing costs are relatively high - from what i have noticed some of you guys say at any rate - i dont read GT forums

i remember gotz saying that he or netti had an exhaust gasket go on a big ride, and it didnt just eat the tyre it cooked the brake fluid in the brake line and then it cooked the brake line!

its an interesting case of short sighted design - they must have had the apprentice working on that part of the scooter during design and peer review stages. In my own experience with designing stuff - the ideas of one person are often flawed and its only a solid peer review and devils advocate stage that can weed out those flaws.

If it were me the brake line would have been re-routed, and as far as exhaust header technology - why reinvent the wheel, so to speak. When has an exhaust stub and slip over detail with high temp silicone ever been bad.

Some designers are not hands on people, they provide solutions based on whats on the screen (and feels good at the time) and they have never raised a spanner in anger. They are the worst solution providers - the non practical types.

In my opinion, the GTs is a visual design triumph, but they fell over on the vinegar strokes! It always happens, the accountants say, sooner - cheaper - dont' care, the designers say, "you get what you pay for, and what you consider carefully is good design."

Its a shame that such a good bike has design flaws that could have been easily dealt with - head (handlebar) shake ( too much weight out back), exhaust leak, no heat deflector integral to protect the brake line!

Its 95% ok - i would rather go the highly sustainable and green path and ride old poop.

is an odd technique and a potential for disaster - in the wrong conditions you will just sledge the front wheel out from under you.

when i rode the gilera runner 180 for a while, i hammered both brakes - what a mean way to stop. two levers, heaps of braking force, and loads of grip.

the drum rear and disc front way of the later geared scoots is sufficient but the drum just ends up getting dragged. i cook the drum on the back of the lambretta and it struggles to shed the heat again.

If it were the way i would want, i would want triple discs. one out back and two up front - at 40hp at the rear wheel - be cool to ride a barking two stroke beast that could stop

but does serve a purpose and is easily delt with. if you were to make the exhaust one piece(some have welded it) this has resulted in breaking bolts off at the head, In defense of Piaggio the exhaust dounut has been improved over the first ones and it is easy to recognize the sound difference once one blows. The brake line was rerouted I think in the later models and this problem is only with the GTS not the GT which exhausts somewhere else. The exhaust comes off in a few minutes, as easy as changing a spark plug and done on the side the road, the trick is to have a spare one with you, my biggest issue, is the cost of it compared to say the Yamaha part which is almost identical and is standarized across a bunch of models.

To backpressure changes I think someone made a motorcycle type slip on joint with a spring join for the GTS,as in standard motocross practice.

The heat from leak situation is supposed to be addressed by the shield on new pipes.

The Yamaha tip sounds a good one, thanks for sharing Snakebite.
Those gaskets should be almost giveaway priced by Piaggio, given their service life.

Re the rear brake, the scoots do have more rear weight bias (bit like a chopper) and need good doses of rear I reckon, try just using the front and see how the distances seem to lengthen.

Piaggio had a call back for the GTS world wide because of the early series exhaust leaks and following brake disasters ..

The importer in NZ did not follow through with a full call back but did warranty replacement on manifold and gasket on request.

I ended up calling most of my customers back, fitted the new manifold/gasket set up.

Nevertheless, even the new system requires a new gasket every approx 8000km .. or more or less every rear tyre change. .. and i have not found any alternative source for those gaskets.

As i disagree with this set up, i sell the gaskets more or less at my cost price - so at least it's not a money maker.

Looking at all the other features of the GTS, i do not think that this flaw is a major ... nor is the too small helmet bay ... it is, in my opinion, this typical Italian way of thinking thigs through 97% and then switching of to watch Inter milan play Juventus Torino ;-p
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"if it doesn't fit, use a bigger hammer!"

what self respecting metal scooter has a helmet bay, helmets are for carrying or getting wet while hooked on your scoot.

head shaking poor handling and high maintenance costs are the design flaws then - a consumable gasket is apparently not a design flaw

You'll never admit it, but deep down you love the Vespa GTS