Report From Italy

REPORT FROM ITALY

CARLO PERELLI

SCOOTER STORIES are usually not popular with motorcycle magazines, but this is a special case. The new Vespa “Super Sprint” 90, introduced at the recent Milan Show, is such an unsual scooter in both shape and performance that we believe these notes will prove interesting and refreshing even to the keenest motorcyclist.

Most noticeable feature of the Super Sprint line is the false tank. It is actually a practical supplementary case (the tool kit is under the saddle) topped by a pad for comfortable flat-out riding. It also represents a useful aid in controlling the machine while going fast on winding roads.

Other sporting features include the quickly detachable spare wheel, fitted behind the slim legshields; the narrow, 16-inch bars; “pointed” front mudguard, and the

%-length saddle. It comes in two attractive colors, racing red and blue, at the right of the rear wheel and moving with it, develops 6 bhp at 6500 rpm with an 8.7:1 compression ratio. Intake, controlled by the right flywheel of the crankshaft, is claimed to offer better breathing and lower fuel consumption. A 50:1 (2%) gas/oil mixture is used.

Controls are well placed, except that the typical Vespa levers are a bit too far from the grips; riding position, inclined slighty forward, is comfortable. Braking is rather spongy on the front and abrupt on the rear. Thus road holding, which is good on dry, smooth surfaces, becomes a problem in wet, rough going, where sudden braking can be unnecessarily thrilling due to the easily locked rear wheel.

Summing up, this new form of scootering offers quite a bit of fun and seems capable of attracting many motorcyclists.