2005 PIAGGIO BV 500 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY 2006 VESPA 200GT ENGINE BLEW UP LAST MONTH WHILE CRUISING ON THE FREEWAY, IT APPEARS THE HEAD GASKET BLEW OR SOMETHING IN WHICH OIL SPLATTERED EVERYWHERE. I AM JUST BEGINNING TO COOL OFF A WHOLE MONTH LATER I AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE HAD SIMILAR REPORTS SINCE WARRANTY IS UP BY SIX MONTH AND THE BIKE IS ONLY A YEAR AND HALF. I HAD JUST ABOUT 6K. PLEASE NOTE THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY STOCK, AND NO PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS WERE EVER MADE TO MY BIKE. THE REASON I STATE THIS WAS BECAUSE THE GUY AT THE SHOP WHERE I PUSHED THE BIKE INTO ASKED ME WHOM DID MY CYLINDER HEAD WORK. I ASKED IF HE HAD SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE TO A VESPA FEELING IT WAS JUST MY LUCK HE SAID THAT WAS THE FOURTH ON THAT EXACT YEAR AND MODEL. THE VIN [XXX] GO TO [XXX]. I PUSHED MY BIKE TO SAN FRANCISCO SCOOTER CENTER INC LOCATED AT127 10TH STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. DEALER #66594, PLEASE NOTE I OWN A 2006 VESPA GRAND TURISMO ALSO KNOW VESPA GT200 I DON'T OWN A BV 500, YOU DON'T HAVE VESPA AS A OPTION. PIAGGIO USA IS THE ENGINE AND MAIN US CONTACT. *TR UPDATED 07/10/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 APRILIA MOTORCYCLE. HE STATED THAT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN IT WAS VERY WARM AND WHILE DRIVING AT POSTED SPEED LIMITS APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ENOUGH HEAT WAS GENERATED THAT IT BOILED THE BRAKE FLUID AND THE REAR BRAKES STOPPED WORKING. IT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE FRONT BRAKES. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE LOCATION OF THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE TWICE SINCE SEPTEMBER 2006. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 350, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,800. *AK

THE EXHAUST JOINT GASKET ON THE VESPA GTS-250IE MODEL SCOOTER, IS KNOWN TO FAIL UNDER NORMAL USAGE AND CAN DAMAGE THE REAR BRAKE LINE, UNBEKNOWNST TO THE RIDER UNTIL APPLICATION OF THE REAR BRAKE. WHILE THIS HAS NOT PERSONALLY HAPPENED TO ME, IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT AMONGST OWNERS OF THIS MODEL, AND CAN BE READ ABOUT AT: HTTP://WWW.MODERNVESPA.COM/FORUM/TOPIC4020.HTML WHICH IS A USERS GROUP FORUM PERTAINING TO THIS AND OTHER MODERN SCOOTERS. IT IS CONCERNING ENOUGH TO ME TO PROMPT THIS ACTION IN THE HOPES TO PREVENT ANY INCIDENT TO ME, OR ANYONE ELSE IF POSSIBLE. *JB

THE EXHAUST JOINT GASKET ON THE VESPA GTS-250IE MODEL SCOOTER, IS KNOWN TO FAIL UNDER NORMAL USAGE AND CAN DAMAGE THE REAR BRAKE LINE, UNBEKNOWNST TO THE RIDER UNTIL APPLICATION OF THE REAR BRAKE. WHILE THIS HAS NOT PERSONALLY HAPPENED TO ME, IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT AMONGST OWNERS OF THIS MODEL, AND CAN BE READ ABOUT AT: HTTP://WWW.MODERNVESPA.COM/FORUM/TOPIC4020.HTML WHICH IS A USERS GROUP FORUM PERTAINING TO THIS AND OTHER MODERN SCOOTERS. IT IS CONCERNING ENOUGH TO ME TO PROMPT THIS ACTION IN THE HOPES TO PREVENT ANY INCIDENT TO ME, OR ANYONE ELSE IF POSSIBLE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE SCOOTER STALLED. AFTER THE STALLING A POPPING NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE SCOOTER RESTARTED ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER. THE DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM BY ONE OF ITS SALE PERSONS, AND RIDE A BIKE. THE SCOOTER IS A 2006 PIAGGIO BV500. UPDATED 06/07/2006. *AK *TS