Good/bad/ugly about ET4
Mark Ritchey
have been looking at an ET4.
I'd appreciate hearing from folks with experience with these scoots what
they think about them.
Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly please.
Lotho
I can't tell you about performance etc, but the rest of the scoot should be
the same.
Good - handling, underseat storage, controls easy & user friendly, excellent
economy about 65mpg, looks cool as f**k!
Bad - bodywork is metal, feels very heavy, headlamp bulb needs uprating,
glove box pops open easily when unlocking the steering if you push the key
in too far.
Ugly - when fiddling around with indicator lights, don't..repeat don't drop
any screws etc down into the bodywork. You'll never get them out...aaaargh!
Overall a nice little scoot. Cool Italian styling with modern engineering &
convinience. I'm glad I bought it as my first scoot but I'm starting to
yearn for more power & character. When I pass my bike test, I'm seriously
considering a classic scoot or one of the new PX125/200E.
Hope some of this helps.
--
Lotho Bunce
"All your base are belong to us!"
Shane J. Wolfe
That's Kinda low for a 50cc motor. I'm getting about 105 on my Honda
Metropolitan right now....
Your in the UK right? Don't you guys run over 100 Octane there? Just
curious, and has nothing to do with the MPG comment. What is the
compression ratio of the ET2 motor?
Lotho
I think our petrol (gas) is 98/99 RON here in the UK.
Compression ratio for my carburettor model is 10,3:1.
Injection model is 11,3:1.
--
Lotho Bunce
"All your base are belong to us!"
"Shane J. Wolfe" <sh...@hereintown.net> wrote in message
news:KvY19.1182$vg.1...@bin2.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
Dr Zoidberg
"Lotho" <bigs...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:9JY19.2849$6j5....@newsfep2-win.server.ntli.net...
> I'm just guessing that figure. I still haven't 'run it in' yet.
> I think our petrol (gas) is 98/99 RON here in the UK.
> Compression ratio for my carburettor model is 10,3:1.
> Injection model is 11,3:1.
> --
Our fuel is 95 Ron for normal unleaded and 97 for super unleaded although I
believe the US use a slightly different octane rating.
Is your still restricted or not? Derestricting it will improve the economy
as it can use lower gearing for the same speed.
--
Alex
"I laugh in the face of danger"
"Then I hide until it goes away"
Mike
I live in New York and own a 2001 ET4. It gets over 55 miles per
gallon, has a top speed of about 65 mph (according to its own
speedometer) and has a nice smooth ride. I like almost everything about
it. My feet cannot both reach the ground flat when I'm stopped. This
may be because the seat is either too high or to wide, or maybe I'm just
to short. I'm 5 feet 6 inches tall with about a 30 inch inseam.
I've had mine since February 2001 and have not had any mechanical
problems of any kind.
It is "not reccomended" for highway use. I believe this is because of
the 10 inch wheels. If I were to hit a major pothole I might be in a
serious accident. So far I have used it on the highways without any
problem.
Another problem is the wind. I seem to get easily blown off course when
I encounter a strong wind.
Over all I am very satisfied with my ET4.
Backwage
the ground, it is as much the width of the seat on the ET4 as anything.
Mack
Lotho
"Dr Zoidberg" <AlexcookNooooooO!!!!@cwcom.net> wrote in message
news:102815179...@iris.uk.clara.net...
Neil Morley
second-hand with 4000 miles on the clock.
Good points:
Starts first time
Comfortable and easy to ride - seat doesn't push you into a forward set
position - suits different riders
Excellent handling (the metal monocoque helps)
Impressive acceleration from standing - keeps up with traffic - top speed 65
mph - I've only had it up to 50 so far.
Comes with engine imobilizer as standard (coded key)
Full size helmet bay
Parts and accessories widely available
Bad points:
I would prefer more widely spaced mirrors for better rearward visibility.
Go try and buy one!
Neil.
Kurtis D. Rader
I basically agree with the other posters pros and cons. I've had mine for a
little over one month and am very happy with my purchase. One con I haven't
seen mentioned is the difficulty kick-starting the engine. It starts easily
enough with the electric starter but it takes some serious effort to
kick-start. I've had mine traveling in excess of 60mph a couple of times. Very
stable and comfortable up to 45mph, beyond that it becomes uncomfortable in a
very linear fashion. By comfortable I refer to how comfortable I am that I
have complete control and can handle any reasonable situation (e.g., a pot
hole or similar road hazard).
Greg
they're both nice bikes, they seem enormously overpriced in the US.
The ET 2 is one of the most expensive 50's here, and the ET4 is
incredible. You can buy two Chetaks for the cost of an ET4.
Piaggio's marketing strategy for the Vespa in America is strange.
They seem a lot more interested in selling Vespa "lifestyle"
accessories than scooters. The Vespa boutiques are like Gaps that
also happen to sell scooters. Mind you, I'm not knocking the bikes,
which I liked. It's just that the "Vespa lifestyle" concept ensures
that you're going to pay a lot more than you would for comparable
scooters at a multi-line dealer.
Al
my first scooter, so I can't really compare it to other makes & models but
it's been trouble-free and lovely to ride. Size suits me perfectly, braking
is good, easy start & handles well.
Top speed is apparently 97km/h however I've had it up to 105km/h on the
freeway. I mostly stick to back roads though - it was a bit whiffy after
that workout and riding at full throttle for extended periods is not
recommended.
I love the under seat storage, helmet hook and slide out shopping bag hook
(I guess I'm easily impressed) and the classic styling seems to draw a lot
of attention around town.
As others have mentioned, I suspect the kick-starter is a doozy to use (a
friend attempted to kick start it and couldn't get it going) and the only
other mini issue is that the rubber bits that sit on the footrest area don't
seem to sit as flat as they did before it's first service (they pulled them
up for easier access to bits). I suspect that might be easily remedied if I
take the time to re-fit it. :o)
I had a little scoot around on an ET4 with a windshield yesterday, can't say
that I recommend that. It made for a much noisier ride and interfered with
my view of the road ...
Anyway, apologies for being so general in my review. I still feel very new
to the world of scooting !!
Cheers,
Allie.
(in Australia)
xenox
> my first scooter, so I can't really compare it to other makes & models but
> it's been trouble-free and lovely to ride. Size suits me perfectly, braking
> is good, easy start & handles well.
>
>
> Allie.
> (in Australia)
hey there al
i'm also in australia, where are you? thanks for the informative et4
review.thinking of getting one myself...what city are you in?
xenox
melb, aust
Al
I am in Melbourne also (where it pays to check the radar before heading out
on a ride!). If you're thinking of getting yourself a Vespa, I can recommend
talking to Frank at Vespa House in Collingwood. Maybe I'll see you out there
one day!
Toodles,
Allie.
<snippety snip of original message>
xenox
thanks...it just so happens i live around the corner from vespa
house...however i have a few more questions for you, if you dont
mind...could you please email me privately, if thats ok??
thanks
x
Catboy
The major problem with them is rust. They rust appallingly and can
start from the age of about 6 months. Climate should not stop this as
they rust from inside at the welds.
The kick start IS useless. I have had a flat battery and it took over
an hour to get started.
Most concerningly, see other post for more info, but I am convinved
that the ET has a fundamental flaw in it's construction which makes it
handle unpredictably at times and usually finsihes with you picking
the scoot up from under you (if you are lucky!)
It does look better that most of its twist n go competition.
spacemonkee77
> >That's odd. I'm 6' and I can't plant my feet flat on the ground. I
> >also remember someone else here saying that the ET4 was a bit
> >difficult for short people.
>
> If you read between the lines.. you will find not one of your replies came from
> an actual, live, Vespa ET4 owner... They were all highly opinionated replies
> from non owners...
>
> I don't own one. I have ridden one. I am 5 '11" and had no problem. I found it
> very smooth riding and quiet but lackluster in power: after riding a harley
> 1200 sportster to test the Vespa ET4. I have no idea how this could help.
I am 5 foot 10 and my et2, same body as an et4, feels higher than my
last malaguti yesterday. The balls of both my feet can just touch the
ground, compared to sitting flat on the ground with the malaguti. A
funny thing is when I have driven it for about 15 minutes I can then
put both feet on the ground, does the heating up of the tyres make
them squishier? I have correct air in my tyres, so I hope so.
Backwage
fact that the seat is wider than Texas.
Mack, 32 inch inseam, and just about right.
Kurt F
"spacemonkee77" <spacem...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:725eaa38.02081...@posting.google.com...
Nahhh.. as you ride, your crotch rides up, making your legs longer.
Kurtis D. Rader
> The major problem with them is rust. They rust appallingly and can start
> from the age of about 6 months. Climate should not stop this as they rust
> from inside at the welds.
Can't confirm or refute that yet as I've had mine just a couple of months.
> The kick start IS useless. I have had a flat battery and it took over an
> hour to get started.
Agreed. I'm reasonably fit (I walk three large dogs six miles nearly every
day). Yet I still find it exceedingly difficult to kick-start my ET4 150.
> Most concerningly, see other post for more info, but I am convinved that the
> ET has a fundamental flaw in it's construction which makes it handle
> unpredictably at times and usually finsihes with you picking the scoot up
> from under you (if you are lucky!)
Anecdotal evidence supporting your claim: the rear wheel slid out from under
me during an S-curve. See my earlier thread, but in short: I was traveling
approximately 20 miles/hour and had successfully negotiated the first turn in
the curve. Midway through the second turn I hit a patch of oil and the rear
wheel slid out from under me resulting in a broken clavical and wrist.
It's possible, even likely, that my accident had nothing to do with the
handling characteristics of the Vespa. It was probably just an unfortunate
accident. Still, I can't help but wonder. I've logged thousands of miles on my
bicycle, including many traversals of the same S-curve without incident. I
also had 300 miles logged on the Vespa at that point. I certainly don't
intend to stop riding my ET4 150 but will be more cautious than might seem
warranted in similar situations from now on :-)
> It does look better that most of its twist n go competition.
Yes, that's one of the reasons I bought one. The aesthetics are hard to beat.
And despite my accident I'm still happy with my purchase and plan on riding
many thousands of more miles on it.
Michael Bednarek
alt.scooter:
>I drove a number of ET4 125s over a number of years.
I've been riding mine now for 1.5 years (5,300 km) and ...
>The major problem with them is rust. They rust appallingly and can
>start from the age of about 6 months. Climate should not stop this as
>they rust from inside at the welds.
... I must disagree. Mine doesn't show any spot of rust at all.
>The kick start IS useless.
[snip]
Agreed.
>Most concerningly, see other post for more info, but I am convinved
>that the ET has a fundamental flaw in it's construction which makes it
>handle unpredictably at times and usually finsihes with you picking
>the scoot up from under you (if you are lucky!)
I travel up to 90 km/h every day on city thoroughfares (I hope the
Bill aren't reading this), including roundabouts, S-bends, and plenty
of corners with the road falling away to the outside (is that positive
or negative camber?). But I haven't picked the scooter up yet.
>It does look better that most of its twist n go competition.
It does look better than any of its competition :-)
--
Michael Bednarek, IT Manager, Tactical Global Management
Waterfront Pl, Brisbane 4000, Australia. "POST NO BILLS"
http://mcmbednarek.tripod.com/
Catboy
>
> ... I must disagree. Mine doesn't show any spot of rust at all.
They do not all rust. It is a chemical reaction that occurs dur to the
painting. I had a professional vehicle survey carried out on one and
that was the result. I could get more technical but I would have to
get off my arse and dig out the paperwork...
>
> >The kick start IS useless.
> [snip]
> Agreed.
>
> >Most concerningly, see other post for more info, but I am convinved
> >that the ET has a fundamental flaw in it's construction which makes it
> >handle unpredictably at times and usually finsihes with you picking
> >the scoot up from under you (if you are lucky!)
>
> I travel up to 90 km/h every day on city thoroughfares (I hope the
> Bill aren't reading this), including roundabouts, S-bends, and plenty
> of corners with the road falling away to the outside (is that positive
> or negative camber?). But I haven't picked the scooter up yet.
Hopefully it will never happen to you, but when it does you WILL swear
it was the bike. I have ridden over 15,000 miles on ET4's, by the way.
>