It is almost impossible to have this discussion sensibly without first categorising yourself as a Vespa rider. For example: do you want to go rally biking on your beloved scooter? Are you looking for speed or are you making a coolness statement by hopping on your Vespa instead of getting stuck in traffic in a larger vehicle?

Because Vespa owners are so diverse, the matter of putting up a windshield is quite a hotly debated topic and there seems to be some very clear camps: the racers and the every-day riders.

So the pros of fitting a screen to your ride:

• What most Vespa-lovers seem to concede and agree upon is that in rough weather, a windshield helps to make the ride more bearable. This is particularly relevant to our cape winters when we often have a whole week of nothing but cold and rain and riding your scooter to work becomes a somewhat wet and freezing experience.
• For the racer types: adding a windshield can help with aerodynamics if you fit the right sized one – you can get all your gadgets behind it to reduce the drag they may cause on mirror stems, and when you are racing or aiming for speed, you are not necessarily looking for the most comfortable ride.

This brings us to the more common cons:

• Smaller screens (which aid aerodynamics and hence may increase top speed) redirect wind rather uncomfortably to blow around your chin and neck. This also makes a lot more wind noise while driving.
• Having a larger screen does not cause this problem, but it then slows your bike down.
• You also run the risk of looking like an absolute tool.

This last reason seems to be enough to keep most people off the idea of having a windshield permanently – even if they will occasionally concede to having one for practical purposes.  Check out this debate as a prime example of how most of these discussions go.

Ultimately, owning a Vespa is probably the coolest move you’ll ever make – be it with a windshield or not.