Scooter Theft & Vandalism

Taking care of your Vespa should be a high priority and that includes more than just regular maintenance. It seems scooter theft and vandalism may be on the rise. In the past few months I have had two customers bring in their Vespa scooters after being tagged with graffiti, another gets her starter button repeatedly broke off and five others have had their scooters stolen. How and why is this happening? Better yet, what can be done to prevent it from happening to you?

Modern Vespa scooters come from the factory with a few built in theft deterrents. All models are equipped with a locking steering column and most come with an anti theft immobilizer. The Asian built Piaggio Fly and Vespa S DO NOT have the immobilizer. The problem, I believe, is thieves are unaware of the presence of the immobilizer and think they just have to overcome the locked steering column. However there is no way to bypass this electronic anti theft system, new components would need to be purchased at great expense, which is the last thing a thief wants to do, spend his or her money on a stolen scooter.

If you're on a strict budget there are many things you can do to prevent theft from occurring. During the day park in a busy, public place. At night, park in a well lit area. Try to vary the parking place, although it's nice to always park in "your" parking spot, nothing tells a thief you're "home for the night" more than seeing the same Vespa in the same spot at the same time every night of the week.


I highly recommend installing a FACTORY VESPA or PIAGGIO alarm system. They are designed to fit and work with your specific model of scooter. These alarms have a two button remote and have a built in motion sensor. The alarm unit starts at $208 plus tax and also require an adapter cable for each specific model for an additional $40 to $58. If you have a GT/GTS/GTV the alarm costs $232 and the cable is included. As always I offer FREE installation on any Vespa OEM accessory purchased through me saving you some $$$.


If a lower cost option is what you're looking for, Vespa offers a bright yellow disc brake lock for $23. These are basically a padlock that fits through your front brake disc stopping would be thieves from rolling your scooter away, however a couple of burly people can still lift your bike and you have to REMEMBER to REMOVE the disc lock before driving off or risk damaging your bike and yourself.


The coil cable lock is your most affordable option at $12. This is what most people would call a "bike lock". These locks act as an obvious visual deterrent, if there are two scooters side by side, one secured with a cable lock and one without, then it’s clear which one is the more attractive option to would-be thieves.


Finally we have the Vespa "Chain", a Heavy duty square 8 mm link security chain
with padlock. The chain is sheathed so as not to damage your wheels comes in a holder. This is a seriously heavy chain! Cost is $116

For maximum security you ideally want to secure your Vespa to a fixed object, a lamppost, signpost, telephone pole etc. When possible use the back wheel to secure your scooter, since you park with your back tire backed up to the curb you DON'T want to have you leg or head sticking out in traffic as you futz around with the cable/chain, JUST MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER IT'S ON THERE!