The rack is utilitarian - not simply for chrome effect. Though I can't say I mind the sparkle. I installed it myself - do I get a gold star? Last night I went to pick up some flats of flowers to plant on the veranda of the Aloha Cabana, and strapped them to the rack. I should have taken a photo because it was quite picturesque. Daisies in the basket of my scooter like an old Italian postcard.

I finally got a Corazzo riding jacket, after much ado. I've been trying them on for a year now. Obviously, female scooterists are all miniature, so none of the jackets made it past my elbows or covered my navel. I tried them on over and over, growling each time. I contacted Corazzo and asked if they could make me custom jacket, and they couldn't. So I went down to Vespa Seattle every other week, hoping my arms shrank and my waist got shorter during the winter months. I tried on all the boy's jackets, too. The only boy's jacket that fit was the The Max, which is super-insulated and would be overkill in the summer - even in the Pacific Northwest.

The problem is that men's jackets are not proportioned for a girl's figure - imagine that! - and riding jackets have to fit snugly, with the armor lined up appropriately at shoulders and elbows. They also need to be comfortable when you're stretched out in riding position. So if the men's jacket fit in the waist, it was too tight across the chest, and if the arms were long enough, the shoulders made me look like a football player. It was just all kinds of wrong.

I even tried on a few different jackets up at Vespa Eastside, thinking they might fit better in Woodinville. (The altitude is different.) No go. When I was back at Vespa Seattle last week whining about my predicament, Tina offered to contact Corazzo and see if she could pull some strings. She's good like that.

Well, Corazzo still couldn't custom sew me any new attire, but they sent Tina a men's Speedway jacket that is two inches longer in the waist and arms, and slimmer fitting in the shoulders. She called to tell me about it and 15 minutes later I was down there trying it on. It fit! It's a miracle!

On a semi-unrelated note, one of the requirements for employment at Vespa Seattle must be stunning good looks. Everyone who works there is hot. Like, hello I-forgot-what-I-was-going-to-say hot. It blows my mind every time I'm there. What a fabulous marketing tactic.

My new jacket is electric blue, to match my scooter, with white stripes. It makes me look like Speed Racer. And get this - it makes my bike faster! At the Westenders ride on Monday I was talking to Nate, who got a new black GTS, and he'd put racing stripes on it. I told him it looked really sharp - and faster. He smiled and told me earnestly, "The racing stripes actually do make it faster!" His conviction was the cutest thing ever. I nodded wholeheartedly in agreement. When I put my new Speed Racer gear on and took a spin, I realized this magical law of physics also applies to jackets.

Now I'm super reflective and fully armored. A girl's got to protect her rack. It's not just for bling, you know.

Anyways, here's the new topcase:

While the trunk is weatherproof and roomy, I am a bit disappointed with it on a couple of features.

First, it's flimsy plastic and I thought it would be a bit more sturdy and durable, given the exorbitant price. Likewise, I thought the red lenses on the back would be lights wired into the brakes -- or at least reflectors -- and they are neither. I shouldn't have assumed they would be brake lights, but in my research I passed a few catalogs that carried "replacement brake wiring" for the Vespa topcases, so I jumped to that conclusion, aided by the price tag (which is more than twice what a generic Givi trunk runs). Apparently, though, I can buy one of the wiring kits and hack the trunk. I'm a bit nervous to mess with the electrical system when I've had so many problems with it already. I'll likely leave it as is and add some 3M Solas instead.

The third issue is that it is a pain in the patootie to close and lock. If there is anything at all in the topcase, the aforementioned flimsy plastic bends, so the edges don't line up perfectly and the thing won't snap shut. When I had it installed, they showed me that I have to turn the key in the lock, then close the top, then release the lock to close it. Which is stupid and I often don't have two free hands. I've discovered that shutting it hard without turning the key often gets it to lock -- but it's just super fussy and inconsistent.

I'm also cranky about having an additional key to deal with, namely because the ignition key has to be on to open the underseat storage space, and I'm often storing items simultaneously in both the trunk and under the seat. There's no way to shut the topcase without locking it, or lift the seat without having the ignition on. This requires much juggling of keys. I may just get one of those key rings with the separator clip that pulls apart.

BUT the topcase is color-matched to the bike -- a metallic midnight blue not available elsewhere -- and it came with a passenger backrest. Thus, I could justify getting it because I won't have to acquire a backrest separately. And the backrest is also color-matched to the seat. So, it looks pretty. Which is, in the end, what it's all about. Right?

I got the topcase and had it installed at the new Vespa Eastside. It's my understanding that they're part of the Vespa Seattle empire (along with the repair shop -- Big People Scooters). I was mad at Vespa Seattle so decided to order my topcase online, and I ended up doing business with them by accident. But the folks at Vespa Eastside were an agreeable bunch. I bought the trunk on eBay with free shipping, and then realized they were in Woodinville, WA. So I called them, and the fellow there said if I picked it up, he'd install it for free to save him the shipping charge.

So I went on a little road trip down to wine country, and it was a beautiful 50 minute ride. The sun was out and it was warm, getting me excited for spring riding weather. Following Google's directions there, I made the mistake of turning right rather than bearing right and instantly found myself on the 405. I guess it was as good a time as any to put the GTS through her paces at 65 mph... and I promptly got off the first exit. Aphrodite can handle it, but I'm not sure I'm ready to. Not with SUVs whizzing by on either side of me doing 80 mph.

They had many pretty scooters and attire at Vespa Eastside. As you can see, everything is reflective.

This is the scooter I was going to get, the Vespa GTV, which is the same engine as my GTS but the body styling is "retro". I didn't like that the headlight was down on the fender as visibility is already a big concern for me. I also didn't really like the exposed handlebars, which is the core of the "retro" look. I did like the Portofino green though, and the brown leather double-saddle seat.

In the forefront on the right is another GTV, in "Aviator Grey". Alas, the GTV is also an extra $1,000 and to pay that much more for a paint job that's going to get demolished by urban living didn't seem worthwhile (been there, done that).

See -- it's not always about looking pretty. Logic occasionally sneaks by me.

Of course, what should have been a two hour affair dragged on for three weekends due to lack of proper tools (Vice grip? Ginormous allen wrench?!) and the loss of a nut. Now I understand the old adage "for want of a nail the war was lost". That singular piece of hardware put a wrench in the machine, as it were, of the whole installation. The nut rolled off somewhere -- perhaps into the storm drain -- never to be found again. I had already installed half of the crash bars on the other side, so I rode around for a week sporting only 50% bling.

I tried to pick up a replacement at three different hardware stores, but of course it was a certified Vespa® nut and engineered specifically for the 2007 GTS left cowl. I finally bit the bullet and rode all the way down to Big People Scooters to pick up a replacement nut so I could finish the job.

Orin provided some tools and brute force, for which I am grateful, as I am lacking in the brute force department. The chrome was not quite at the right angle so the placards had to be bent with the vice grip in order to match it to the bolt on the cowl. The left cowl chrome is a little too bent, over-projecting from the bike an inch, but that is both subtle and fixable.

The wind screen was the trickier part because it involved so much assembly and came with so few directions. The directions that were provided were (poorly) translated from Italian and contained hand-drawn not-to-scale diagrams that had been photocopied a million times. This was no illustrated Ikea "how to". But I figured it out, mostly with the assistance of Click's windscreen as a model. The windscreen I installed is one size larger and works quite well at deflecting wind, rain and road-spray from my face and chest.

All in all I'm quite pleased with the results. And I highly recommend the DIY method of scooter maintenance, especially for non-critical items like this. I learned a ton. And the Vespa is all shiny!

I've been admonished that "chrome won't get you home" -- but damn if you don't look good en route...

Sunday I went on the first half of the Operation Flap-jack ride, including breakfast at the Swedish Cultural Center. I ate many pancakes with strange berries on them. Then I rode around Green Lake and across one of my favorite neighborhoods -- Phinney Ridge. I absolutely love that stretch. I used to ride it several times a week when I was working regularly at Cat City -- from Westlake to 85th via Fremont Ave. and Phinney. Views, parks, long flat stretches of new pavement. It was a good day.

Now that I've put about 300 miles on the Vespa, I've been able to draw some comparisons between this and the various other scooters I've ridden. The GTS is the creme of the crop -- a five-star scooter, the Jaguar of the scooter world, if you ask me. Vespa calls the GTS "The Fastest Vespa Ever." I would also call it the safest Vespa ever. Not that I need to rationalize anything, but purchasing the GTS was definitely a wise move.

As a disclaimer, I am in no way an expert on safety, scootering -- or really anything other than, say, cats and indie rock. I am speaking solely from my own experience, which is very limited. That said, I've been riding since '99 and I've never had an accident. (Although I have dropped the Frankenstella twice this winter, both times going 5 miles an hour on precarious road conditions.) I really like this article from Motorcyclist Online, 50 Ways to Save Your Life. There's also places like the Evergreen Safety Council who can provide you with actual legitimate information. Consider my input totally editorial.

Riding a scooter in the city is dangerous. There's no two ways about it. You have to pay attention constantly, ride defensively, and assume that every single car on the road is going to hit you. You are literally invisible. Even wearing my new Glo Glovs, even with my white 3/4 helmet lit up by 3M Solas marine grade reflective tape, even with the dual halogen headlamps on the GTS, I am invisible. But as long as I accept that, I can ride as safely as possible. This means at every intersection, I assume the oncoming car is going to turn left in front of me, that the car next to me is going to change lanes into me, that the SUV hurtling down the hill to my right is going to run that red light. Even if drivers do see you, they misjudge your speed because you're smaller than a car, particularly if you're heading toward them. That's one of the reasons why many two-wheeled collisions with a car involve the driver turning left in front of the bike, even if they saw the rider -- even if they made eye contact.

For the way I ride, it's not the open roads or speed that I'm too concerned about. It's intersections, it's heavy traffic with lots of lane-changing, it's long stretches of construction without clearly marked lanes, enormous steel plates covering the road with zero traction in the rain. Some people argue that because the GTS is capable of highway speeds, it is therefore more dangerous. That's totally flawed logic.

Compared to my previous scooters, the Vespa GTS has the following safety features: better brakes, larger wheels, stronger acceleration, brighter headlights, louder horn, lower center of gravity, and all-around better handling.

There are three ways to avoid obstacles or danger on a scooter -- speed up, slow down, and/or swerve. You have to make split-second decisions on which is appropriate in any given situation, based on who's behind you, who's in front of you, what the road surface is like, and how fast you're going (and myriad other factors). On the Stella, I tended to brake and/or swerve to avoid danger because I just couldn't move fast enough to get out of the path of the obstacle. Particularly with the hesitation in 3rd and 4th gear. The torque on the GTS is unbelievable and I can easily throttle my way out of situations instantly. And I don't have to shift before accelerating. It makes riding so much more enjoyable.

Stopping on the GTS is smooth and fast. Compared to both the Stella and my Honda Elite 250, the brakes on the Vespa are a million times better. The Elite was 20 years old, so I did replace the brakes with new ones. But I still had to stand up on the foot brake to stop on Denny. The GTS has no foot brake, which was disconcerting at first (and I occasionally slam my foot into the floorboard for no particular reason), but with both brakes on the handgrips, I found I could maintain better balance when stopping. On the other scooters I would need to hold my right leg at an awkward angle to use the foot brake -- I don't know if I sit weird or it's because my legs are so long. With both feet braced flat on the floorboard, stopping on a hill is much more comfortable on the GTS. Plus the GTS has disc brakes both front and back. The Stella and the Elite have front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. Hence the standing-up-to-stop maneuver.

As an added stopping bonus, the GTS is fuel injected so engine-braking kicks in fast if you don't give it gas. When riding in the city, I often don't even need my brakes if I leave room in front of me.

The GTS halogen headlight is wicked bright, and there's a second headlamp on the mudguard for increased visibility. The stock headlight on the old Stellas are inadequate at best. Luckily, adding a halogen headlight is one of the things Genuine improved upon for the new Stellas coming out this year (along with a decent crank). Of course, the Frankenstella's electrical system was so royally screwed that I rode with practically no lights or signals for a good few months. (See safety disclaimer above.)

The GTS is a very heavy scooter. The weight was the one thing I was concerned about when comparing models during pre-purchase research. My Elite 80cc weighed 170 lbs., while the GTS weighs 326 lbs. In between are the Stella, at 240 lbs., and the Elite 250cc, at 287 lbs. Forty pounds difference between my largest bike and the GTS didn't seem like much, especially since I carried a 170 lb. passenger every day on the Elite 250. And I easily weighed at least 40 lbs. more than I do now.

I talked to Tina at Vespa Seattle about the weight differences among the models, LX150, GT and GTS. She said I wouldn't even notice it. And I don't -- except when I'm parking. Or putting the GTS on its center stand, on top of my big toe. Because the weight is distributed so well on the GTS, and the center of gravity is so low, the bike is perfectly balanced. Once you give it some throttle, the weight disappears. The bike feels like it's made out of graphite.

After riding the GTS for awhile, I got back on the Stella, and could instantly feel the difference in the center of gravity. The Stella felt downright tipsy. Maybe that's why I keep putting it down.

I've been entertaining myself by blowing people away at lights -- particularly when they inch up alongside me and I know they're going to try and pass me when the light changes green. They see a girl in a skirt on a cute little scooter and get their panties in a bunch that they're going to be "stuck" behind me. So I leave them there to reconsider. It's juvenile and unnecessary but I have to get my rocks off when I can. On Aphrodite, I'm no commuting secretary -- I'm a superhero in civilian clothing.

In summary, I am totally, fully and completely smitten with the Vespa GTS. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. "