Vespa's Renaissance machine...the ET-4
Written: Sep 03 '07
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Pros: Nimble, reliable, easy to ride and own. Vespa's "classic" modern scooter is a hit
Cons: Fuel economy, rear tire life, cost of dealer's oil changes.
The Bottom Line: Only a Vespa is a Vespa and the ET-4 is a Vespa in every sense
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| mattgordon's Full Review: Vespa Motorscooter ET4 |
I have my 2002 Vespa ET-4 since new. My first foray into automatic, or "twist-n-go" scooters, after years of riding an older, manually shifted Vespa P200E. I swore I'd never "go modern", but after ONE brief test ride, I was indeed sold.
The Vespa ET-4 was Piaggio's (Vespa's parent company, a very large manufacturing conglomerate based in Italy) first product offering into the US market, since it left the US in the early '80's, due to declining interest in scooters, environmental issues due to the 2 stroke (2T) engines they used then, and other economic issues. The ET-4 was released in Europe in the late '90's, but arrived here in 2001...it was indeed, Piaggio's "rebirth" into the American consciousness.
The ET-4 is a versatile and easy to master scooter, of the highest quality, built by Piaggio, the company that for all intents and purposes, invented scooters in 1946!
Constructed as the original, and all Vespas before and since of pressed steel, the Vespas are more expensive than many (most) other makes of scooters. However, in the long, very long haul, most well cared for Vespas will outlast, outclass, and hold resale value better than any other scooter you can find. Many 20, to 30 year old Vespas fetch more today, than they cost new! Then there's that Italian styling, only a Vespa is a Vespa. Often imitated, never bettered.
The ET-4 is a capable city scooter, and many owners use them on American interstates, where 150cc sized engines are so allowed. To me, they are not well suited to interstae use, but I personally know several people who have accrued 20,000 miles on theirs, and routinely take them on freeways in and around Southern California. Not me. The charm for me is the road less travelled, and I routinely ride my ET-4 100 miles in an afternoon.
The American market ET-4 features Piaggio's robust LEADER range (144cc) engine, with it's automotive style spin-on oil filter, and routine service has been referred to as "bullet-proof". Earlier Euro versions had a much different engine in the first 1 or 2 model years, and they weren't so robust, but here in the US it's all LEADER range powerplants. They are simple, air-cooled engines.
The ET-4 is equipped with 10" tires, and has an appetite for rear rubber, with the average life-span of a high-quality rear tire about 2000 miles! And it's easy to rack-up that kind of miles (smiles) easily on the Et-4. Additonally, the recommended oil changes are usually about 89.-- bucks at most So-California Vespa dealers, but it is easy enough to do at home, for approximately 25.-- in oil and Piaggio filters, available through numerous sources.
The Et-4 is since discontinued as such, replaced by the stylistically different, but intrinsically the same LX-150. Among many long-time Vespa fanciers, the ET-4 is special, in it's renaissance status, here in the US. (LX-150 owners are apt to be just as loyal to their scooters, as any ET-4 owner, however!)
When new, the Et-4 had an MSRP of about 3980.--. Today, nice used examples still fetch between 2500 ~ 3000 (depending on the region of the country) and who knows what they'll fetch in ten or twenty years?
Me, I have other scooters, and have long since sold my original Vespa, a 1978 P200E, but have NO immediate plans to let my little red ET-4 out of my hands any time. I ride it regularly and marvel at it's innate "goodness" of design, pleasure of riding, and I get compliments on it nearly everywhere we go.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3980
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
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Epinions.com ID:
mattgordon
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Member: Matt Gordon
Location: California
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 23 members
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