Piaggio mono gel seat

When I hit 6ft in height my dad, who was no stranger to a Lambretta or two, said I should switch to motorcycles as I’d be more comfortable. Obviously I didn’t listen too hard but he may have had a point, particularly where the GTS is concerned. Although it’s a much larger machine than my two-strokes, the standard seat’s design means that I always end up sitting right on the ‘lip’ that’s sculped to separate rider and pillion. I’d been aware of the gel sports seats produced by Piaggio but been put off as I understood that they weren’t a direct fit for the HPE. When a batch landed at Ron Daley’s towards the back end of last year I took a risk, brought one home and hey presto, it fitted (Piaggio order reference 605677M). The seat’s packed with gel and although it’s useless for carrying a pillion I haven’t regretted fitting it for a moment. It adds to the Super Sport’s rakish lines, gives my 34in inside legs plenty of room to slide around and the sports ‘hump’ even provides some support to the lower back. Being a sports seat it’s slightly lower than the standard item, the typical loss being around 20mm. That doesn’t affect my comfort, but it might help those who struggle to get their foot down from the standard seat. The first long run after the short hops of winter can sometimes be a challenge as my rear gets into the swing of things; but the run up to Kelso, around the Borders and back home again was entirely pain free.

The seat can be ordered direct from Piaggio, or through your local Vespa supplier for around £230.