The Vespa GS 200 – “I ride a GS scooter with my hair cut neat”

So most of us know about the Vespa GS 150 and GS 160, yes? And of course there’s the Vespa PX125E T5 from the 80s, which is also fairly common knowledge amongst scooter enthusiasts too, right?

So how many people do you think are still in the dark about the Vespa GS200?
 

Back in the 1980s Piaggio launched the sporty new 125cc Vespa T5 with a modern (ish) design and fast motor, based around the old tried and tested Vespa P-range. The PX125, 150 and PX200 still proved a popular scooter however, and so they remained in their line up.

For some markets however, presumably to make the then aging PX look a little more up to date (the P-range was launched in 1977 and the T5 arrived in 1985, some 8 year later), they decided to fit the old faithful 200cc engine into the new T5 chassis, complete with square 1980s headset and angular rear end, and offer it for those after more torque that the T5 offered.

In Spain the local MotoVespa factory called their T5 200 a TX, combining one letter from each model to create an obvious conclusion.

In other markets however, notably Belgium and Germany (and if anyone can confirm if Scandinavian countries did the same, please let me know) the local Piaggio concessionaire decided that the Gran Sport name of old was so successful back in the 1950s and 60s that slapping a GS badge on a T5 with a 200cc engine was the best way to sell the ‘new’ model.

Well I’m not sure about that, although it was good to see a few 1980s GS Vespas mixed in with older (original) examples at the Antwerp Custom Show a few years back, confusing some people into the bargain!

The Vespa GS200 – a little known, modern classic.