Vespa Primavera 'Yacht Club' 150 i-Get

This (take a deep breath) Vespa Primavera 'Yacht Club' 150 i-Get ABS scooter is a limited-edition jobbie with just 38 units available, so if the nautically themed white-and-blue colour scheme appeals, you'll need to move fairly smartly to secure one.

The Yacht Club theme really doesn't extend beyond the colour palette, the unique rims and the small badge located near the base of the front bodywork, but that's no big drama because underpinning the plot is one very capable little scooter.

The Vespa Primavera has been around in one form or another for decades, but these days it boasts a clean-running Euro4 four-stroke 'i-Get' single, LED lighting and ABS for the front 200mm disc.

This Primavera 150 is in fact the biggest of a trio of models – there's also a Primavera 50 and a Primavera 125 – but it's still incredibly easy to ride and manoeuvre. Vespa doesn't quote a claimed weight figure for the scoot but rest assured it ain't much, and it takes but a small shove of your foot to lift the thing up on its centrestand.

While there might not be much substance behind the 'Yacht Club' theme, for city commuting this thing is hard to beat. Of course there are many larger-capacity and faster scoots available but the 150 is entirely sufficient for getting out in front of the traffic when the lights turn green, and it tops out at 100km/h on the motorway – 110km/h with a tail wind.

I have a 100km daily round commute and 80 per cent of it is on motorway. While I missed the sheer acceleration and road presence of my usual ride – a 900cc in-line four – the Vespa was fine for the most part, and truly excelled whenever the traffic built up.

The suspension is basic but does a great job, ironing out the worst of the bumps. Stability it impressive too, despite the compact wheelbase and 11-inch wheels, even when the thing's tapped out.

And when necessity dictated, the little i-Get 150 even managed a two-up run, carrying myself and Bikesales Editor Fattore – a total payload of around 200kg – on a 50-kilometre jaunt to Melbourne's outer fringe.

The little single was struggling with the weight (no surprises there), but it did it the job regardless.

The braking package comprises a single front disc with twin-piston caliper mated to a drum brake at the rear. Together they do a really good job of pulling the Vespa up, and the addition of ABS on the front disc is a worthy one.

The build quality is beautiful and we like touches like the LED daytime running lights, although the LED headlights don't offer a particularly strong beam.

The saddle is comfortable but there's not a heap of room for your feet and the mirrors don't offer much of a view beyond your elbows. Oh, and the fuel filler – accessed by pressing a button near the ignition and flipping up the front-hinged seat – is a crappy design. It's almost impossible to fill the tank without a jet of fuel shooting back up towards you when it's nearly full, usually splashing anything you might have stored in the underseat storage compartment in the process.

That compartment is a handy thing, however, and features a removable marine-carpeted liner. It's big enough to store an open-face helmet and a pair of gloves, but too small to accept a full-face lid.

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The analogue speedo has a small inset LCD screen displaying a clock and one of two trip meters or the odometer.

Fuel economy, of course, is any scooter's strength, and it's no different for this Primavera. We achieved 3.7lt/100km over the course of the scooter's Bikesales 1000-kilometre stay, which equates with around 200km from the eight-litre tank.

Although little more than a fresh cosmetic twist on an existing model, the Vespa Primavera 'Yacht Club' 150 i-Get ABS is a great option for anyone who likes their city commuting delivered with a strong dose of Latin flair.

Yes, there are other – more affordable – scooters available, but none with this Vespa's timeless design or rich heritage.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, three-valve, SOHC single-cylinder
Capacity: 154.8cc
Bore x stroke: 58.0mm x 58.6mm
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 12.9hp (9.5kW) at 7750rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 12.8Nm at 6500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: CVT automatic

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel
Front suspension: Single arm, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Single 200mm disc with twin-piston calipers, ABS
Rear brake: Single 140mm drum
Tyres: Maxxis – front 110/70-11, rear 120/70-11

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Seat height: 780mm
Wheelbase: 1340mm
Fuel capacity: 8 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $7990 ride away
Test bike supplied by: Vespa Australia
Warranty: Two years, unlimited kilometres