Vespa GTS 125 for 1hr+ each way commute (Surrey to London)?

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I've always wanted my bike license (just on my bucket list rather than actually needing it in the past) So I'll be training for it in the next few months and probably take my CBT in a few weeks when I have a free day.

At the same time my brother is looking to sell his 2007 Vespa GTS 125. It's in good condition and has been stored in his garage since 2012. So despite the age it has only covered around 5k miles. Obviously I'll be able to get it at a good price and it's really not worth much now anyway. If I did buy it then my original plan was just to use it locally for nipping to shops.

Then it occurred to me that my company will likely be asking people to return to the office, at least a few days per week, early next year. I want to keep working from home as much as possible but it's inevitable I would have to commte into London at least twice a week eventually. Using the Vespa would seem to be cheaper than the train and avoid the ridiculous number of times the trains out of Waterloo were cancelled or delayed. But the commute looks like it would still be at least an hour by scooter (compared to 1.5 hours door to door by train and foot). The journey will be from Surrey to Canary Wharf so some dual carriageway and some busy smaller roads.

So... would a long commute on a 125 for two days a week drive me nuts? It's a little further than would be ideal. Once the bike, clothing, helmet, chain, etc, is bought it would seem a cheap and convenient commute and then I'd have the Vespa for fun and quick local shops at the weekend.

Good or bad idea for such a commute?



Edit: TLDR - 1 hour each way commute on a 125cc, twice a week, mix of dual carriageway and inner London roads. Yay or nay?
 
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Caporegime
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Twice a week is doable, however I'd be avoiding dual carriageways like the plague as a little 125 amongst that type of traffic is asking for trouble.

To be honest this is totally reliant on what you want out of it. If you enjoy riding the Vespa, or bikes in general, it could be a little stepping stone on to something bigger, however if you don't enjoy it, it'll irritate the hell out of you.

That said, if you're going to try commuting on a 125, a Vespa is probably one of the most suitable bikes for it.
 
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Nay...I wouldn't use a vespa for that Journey them things are dangerous in the wet with them skinny tiny wheels. Seen it with my own eyes
Everyone uses sh125i as a scooter in London Vespa's Ok nipping down the shops and stuff.
Honda sh125i 2013 onwards model or Honda forza 125 great scooters.
Honda sh125i no problem on dual carriageways, I used to M4 from stockley into London no problem :) cruises at 65mph all day long and once you hit town you are the King!
don't forget a disc lock and big chain in London !
 
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I will go on the side of "heck no thanks." Obviously I ride a normal size bike (R1250GS now) so am spoiled, but I have seen and experienced what tiny machines are capable of, and the benefits of adequate or an 'excess' of power available. Speed can get you into and out of trouble. Maybe a nice rule would be "only go on roads where your vehicle can do twice the speed limit." :p. So a dual carriageway commute means get something like a modern 500 or 650cc.

As Diddums says, it depends what you want out of it. Go and do the CBT, it'll be a fun day and you will hopefully find a decent place, chat with them about your thoughts and see about getting a day with them on a 500cc thing. The 2nd day of my DAS when I moved from 125cc to a 500GS or whatever it was, went from 'heh, interesting' to 'omg this is awesome, freedommmm' and so forth :).

But I did then skip low cc bikes entirely so am clearly biased.
 
Soldato
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I wouldn't commute cross country on a 125 especially a scooter and L plates, drivers will give you no respect at all, very dangerous.

Around town maybe.....

Just get proper bike or small car or something. To be honest with you, I did about 75 miles a day on my SV650 over winter, mix of rural roads and dual carriageway into Cambridge, and it wasn't fun at all. Anything where you have to contend with bad weather, road conditions and rush hour traffic together is just a bad mix, and that's on a bike that (generally) is faster than most cars.

On a 125, you've only got to have a windy day and you'll get lorry's and all sorts trying overtake you, spray on your face from the road etc, just a recipe for disaster.
 
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I wouldn't commute cross country on a 125 especially a scooter and L plates, drivers will give you no respect at all, very dangerous.

Around town maybe.....

Just get proper bike or small car or something. To be honest with you, I did about 75 miles a day on my SV650 over winter, mix of rural roads and dual carriageway into Cambridge, and it wasn't fun at all. Anything where you have to contend with bad weather, road conditions and rush hour traffic together is just a bad mix, and that's on a bike that (generally) is faster than most cars.

On a 125, you've only got to have a windy day and you'll get lorry's and all sorts trying overtake you, spray on your face from the road etc, just a recipe for disaster.

Have they put ABS on that yet? I assume it's a requirement these days! Suzuki seemed to be the laggard when I started out, abs wise.
 
Soldato
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Have they put ABS on that yet? I assume it's a requirement these days! Suzuki seemed to be the laggard when I started out, abs wise.

Not on mine, it's 17 years old :)

Yes I believe the new ones do have ABS.

I want to get a Yamaha XSR900 but...... With this virus thing, the fact I don't use mine as much as I used to and it's in v good condition for its age, I just can't justify it.
 
Man of Honour
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Not on mine, it's 17 years old :)

Yes I believe the new ones do have ABS.

I want to get a Yamaha XSR900 but...... With this virus thing, the fact I don't use mine as much as I used to and it's in v good condition for its age, I just can't justify it.
COVID has actually made traffic around my area worse. That's partly due to the council closing some lanes to allow wider pavements and also due to it being in the outer commuter belt for London. Everyone is working from home so traffic here is a lot heavier now. I've been stuck in a few queues I would not have been previously. So a scooter makes a bit more sense in my area right now.
 
Caporegime
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COVID has actually made traffic around my area worse. That's partly due to the council closing some lanes to allow wider pavements and also due to it being in the outer commuter belt for London. Everyone is working from home so traffic here is a lot heavier now. I've been stuck in a few queues I would not have been previously. So a scooter makes a bit more sense in my area right now.

It's the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods that are causing this. Our government ministers thought it'd be a good idea to shut off entire postcodes to all traffic, resulting in the remaining traffic all condensed on the remaining roads. Our 4 minute commute now takes two hours, it's beyond ridiculous. Loads of people kicking off about it.
 
Soldato
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Yea 125 is fine for around town, I grew up in North London and had a couple of Japanese geared 125's and they were absolutely fine until you go out cross country on to proper A Roads and dual carriageway.

To be honest, a 125 cross country on a sunny day to day ride to the coast or something is fine.

It's just commuting, bad weather/visibility/grip if it's dark, rush hour traffic, your tired plus on a scooter, just a bad combination.
 
Soldato
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I rode a Varadero 125 + R125 on dual carriageways no problem. Top speed of 70 on both. Only had to be careful on overtakes making sure I didn't hold anybody up and that's about it, no different to riding a 600 unless you want to exceed 70 or overtake faster.
 
Soldato
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I commuted 35 miles a day on a Vespa GTS 125 when I was younger and it wasn't that bad. I did only do around 5 miles of dual carriageway though (50mph).

In terms of weather protection, vespas are quite good as obviously your legs are kept dry due to the design. The small wheels are actually surprisingly stable and the suspension is plush so it's never a case of getting uncomfortable; it's the lack of speed that makes it difficult on faster roads.

I've said to myself numerous times that if my commute into Manchester gets much busier, I'll buy a scooter again. The storage with a top box was brilliant and a Vespa is much easier to handle in busy town centres than a bigger bike.
 
Caporegime
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I'll very likely be buying a scooter in the near future tbh. I rode them for years, even delivered pizzas as a yoof and there's nothing that can come close to comparing in terms of practicality and convenience. We're moving to Chiswick soon and I work in Chelsea so it'll take 10 mins to get to work and back, lovely jovely.
 
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