So this cost point brings my rant to the Vespa S 50…it isn’t cheap. So who the hell are they aiming this scooter at then? Well I’ve figured it out. Rich children. See an adult is more likely to purchase a larger cc scooter that can be ridden on a freeway. The Vespa S 50 is targeted squarely at the private school attending, I-pod listening, Volkswagen Golf driving super yuppy child. “Dad I need a scooter to go to school” Dad looks up from his Wall street Journal “Fine Melissa, which one would you like?” “The most expensive one Daddy” The father thinks for a second, “Ahh that would be the Vespa S 50, it’s a ridiculous amount of money, I’ll order one right now.” The yuppy girl smiles and turns her I-pod back on, she smiles at her Dad and says rather too loud because of the Britney Spears track blaring in her headphones. “You know Daddy I should probably get a pony too, we could even get one the same color as my scooter”

Now don’t take all this moaning the wrong way at no point have I said I don’t like the S; the Vespa S 50 is a superb scooter. It’s actually one of my favorite 50cc scooters, period. Head to head with thirteen different bikes in our 2008 50cc scooter comparison test the Vespa S emerged in a well deserved 2nd place. First off the newly styled and trimmed down Vespa S is a fantastic looking bike if you’re into retro styling. Virtually everybody agreed that it was one of the best looking bikes on the market. The Vespa isn’t just a styling exercise either, the bike oozes quality. In comparison to the average 50cc scooter the Vespa S is in a different league.

Riding the Vespa S is also a pleasure. It’s smaller than Vespa’s older LX but still a reasonably large and heavy 50cc bike. Weighing in at 96 kgs it’s nearly 30kg heavier than some popular models. This extra weight cuts down on how nimble the bike is but gives it a sure footedness that the smaller lighter bikes can’t match. It really comes down to what sort of bike you like. My guess is the Vespa S would suit a bigger rider over an ultra mini yuppy girl child.