I agree with you DtG,

The Lambretta 150 that I had back in 1960 was a far better bike than the Vespa, tho' Vespas improved markedly in the next five years, and eventually more or less cornered the market.

Great fun to ride, and it carried myself and my wife-to-be all over the UK, with camping gear and a guitar stacked on the rear carrier, at 30 - 40 mph and over 60 mpg.

Scary in rain or ice tho' (small wheels and a high centre of gravity), and you wore out a lot of shoes in the winter riding with both feet on the ground.

All in all, if you weren't in a hurry they were ideal.

Pushed hard they would hit 65mph downhill with ferocious front wheel wobble. Only tried it once, as it added about ten years to my apparent age.

Don T.