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There are those among us who do not fully appreciate the modern scooter. Which, to be honest, is baffling. Scooters possess an ease of use that lets you go places you dare not tread in a car or an SUV or a truck or even on a full-size motorcycle. Scooters elicit smiles. And waves. A six-pack fits neatly under the flip-up seat. Best of all, you can spin your little wheels all weekend on five bucks worth of gas.
As the high cost of fossil fuels continues to create headlines, the small-wheel set is garnering mainstream attention. Reporting last year on Piaggio's recent return to profitability, The Wall Street Journal noted that the Italian firm's scooters “were a favorite Hollywood prop.” Nicole Kidman on a Vespa? Can't get much more mainstream than that.
Between Aprilia, Honda, Piaggio, Suzuki, Vespa and Yamaha, U.S. consumers can choose from more than two dozen two- and four-stroke models, ranging from campus-capable to freeway-friendly. Regarding the latter: Auto-clutch Continuously Variable Transmissions aside, anything with two wheels and an engine displacing more than 49cc is a motorcycle, at least in most states. So, technically, the new-for-2006 Yamaha Morphous and the Vespa 250 GTS tested here are motorcycles, meaning they both require a two-wheel endorsement on your license. Beachside vacation rentals they aren't.
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| Options for the GTS, as with all late-model Vespas, are numerous. Our testbike was equipped with a windshield, a footrest mat and an electronic alarm. |
Not that they don't belong at the beach. Or in the city. Or just about anywhere in between. The GTS is the fastest, most powerful, most technically advanced Vespa in history. And that's not PR prattle; as scooters go, the thing is genuinely quick. The Morphous, with its Cadillac-like length and curious styling, draws slack-jawed stares wherever it goes. Behind the acres of plastic, there are no fewer than four storage compartments, all locking.
Both are fuel-injected 250s but arrive at their respective displacements differently. Bore and stroke on the liquid-cooled, dohc, four-valve, 249cc Yamaha is an undersquare 66.0 x 73.0mm, while the liquid-cooled, sohc, four-valve, 244cc Vespa uses a short-stroke 72.0 x 60.0mm combination. In terms of peak power, the GTS (15.9 horsepower at 7600 rpm) gets the nod, though the Morphous (14.5 hp at 6900) isn't far off.
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| Morphous is a foot and a half longer than the GTS but sits six inches lower. Yamaha claims the shape is more aerodynamic than conventional designs, enhancing fuel economy. |
Throttle pegged, the Vespa zips from 0-60 mph in 12.9 seconds, 3.4 seconds quicker than the Yamaha. Chalk up the difference to weight: The GTS tips the scales at 345 pounds, nearly 50 pounds lighter than the Yammie. Quarter-mile times are closer, and top speed is dead-even at 76 mph.
Acceleration isn't the only area where these two machines differ. The Yamaha, with its ultra-long 64.5-inch wheelbase and larger-diameter 13-inch wheels, is supremely stable at any speed. The Vespa, which measures a sportbike-like 55.0 inches between axles and rolls on smaller 12-inch hoops, always feels a bit jittery, as if it's enjoyed one too many espressos. The tradeoff, of course, is instantaneous steering response. Whereas the Morphous arcs gracefully through corners, the GTS darts toward apexes with puppy-like playfulness.
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| The GTS darts toward apexes with puppy-like playfulness. |
Part of the credit for the Yamaha's gracefulness goes to its telescopic fork, which, like its hydraulically actuated disc brakes, works well and offers good feedback. In a nod to the past, the GTS, like other Vespas, uses a single-sided trailing-arm front end. Brakes are hydraulic discs. As on the Yamaha, the right lever works the front, the left activates the rear.
The low-slung Morphous reaches its cornering limits quite early, hitting its sidestand and centerstand on the left and the centerstand on the right. Adding a passenger makes the situation worse, particularly since, unlike on the Vespa, the dual shocks are not adjustable to compensate for additional back-of-bike weight. The GTS will deck its centerstand, too, but doing so requires a much deeper lean angle.
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