We’ve brought you a few posts from the pen of Paolo Martin in the past, but here’s scooter he drew that finally became a reality. Ladies and gentlemen, we present the much maligned Piaggio Vespa Cosa.
When the Cosa arrived at the end of the 1980s, it was met with a less than luke warm reception. Looking at Martin’s drawings however, it seems it could have been much worse.
While the 1980s might fairly be described as ‘square’ in the automotive industry, cars and bikes alike being very box-like, it might also be fair to assume that Martin had spent a few years awaiting the box to come back into fashion!
While Martin dates the project as 1987, some of the drawings (which he claims are part of the project) are potentially from an earlier time, suggesting that he used older ideas from previous work with Piaggio and developed those.
As well as utilising the hand of Martin, the Cosa was also famously the first Vespa to be developed with the aid of a wind tunnel.
The result being a scooter that was a bit too modern for its time, quite a long way away from the traditional Vespa’s looks as well, while mechanically no faster than the PX range of Vespas it was designed to replace. Things were not boding well for Piaggio…
Having ridden many Vespas from old to new, and owned a Rally 200, PX200 and Cosa 200 over the years too, we can often report on scooters here at ScooterNova ‘from the horse’s mouth’ (yes, we actually ride what we blog about!). From experience therefore, the Mk 1 Cosa 200 was a heavier and more lethargic version of the PX200.
However it was also a more sure-footed scooter on the road and more stable at full throttle in winds, especially noticeable for example when slip-streaming and then overtaking a lorry. The ride was comfortable as well, the seat spacious, and the Cosa’s linked hydraulic brakes were pretty good too (if a bit of a pig to bleed!), which together with improved handling did make for a nicer Vespa on the roads. Maybe we should have got that Malossi 210 kit re-lined and fitted it after all…
There was talk and discussion about liquid cooling Vespas at that time and the Cosa was potentially designed and produced with a liquid cooled engine in mind.
It’s just a shame that nobody bought the slow, less than stunning scooter which instead of replacing the Vespa actually cost Piaggio both money and reputation, resulting in the Cosa slowly fizzling out after a couple of (relatively minor) mechanical overhauls (the final nicasil lined 200cc version actually being quite good, but of course not the liquid-cooled 2-stroke Vespa engine we would have all loved to have seen), while the good old PX Vespa is still being produced today.
On the positive side, because of all this the Cosa is still a fairly cheap scooter to buy, and from experience if you can handle the looks, we reckon you’ll enjoy the ride…
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I always liked the lines of the Cosa. It’s clearly ‘of it’s time’ maybe even ahead of it’s time… they years have been kind to it, and to me, although by no means a Vespa expert, the design works better than the P range or T5. A neglected classic, that I think is only now getting a positive reappraisal.
I love the Cosa and have a 150LX and 200L both of which are running and have recently benefited from a full overhaul of the hydraulic brakes which is not as complex as one is led to believe. Provided one can tolerate a lower top speed due to the low gearing you actually get a far more sure footed ride with much better road holding particularly when cornering. The two big issues to watch for, apart from seized brakes and cracking autolube tanks, are the incredibly lean main jet (ca 94) and the razor sharpness of any cracks in the plastic bodywork.
Thanks for your comments – glad to hear you’ve still got a couple of Cosas on the road.
Top speed of the 200 wasn’t too slow, but noticeable, and I must add that the autolube tanks were far too small as well. If you have a decent journey of over 100 miles you have to keep topping it up with 2-stroke!
Hi,i have cosa 125 from 1996 years,still its with me,40.000 km,never crush,original paint on it..looks like just came from shop:)
Wow you must send us some photos.
I have had 2 vespa cost 200 cc. As stated, best handling scooter, very sure footed, excellent cornering abilities. Far better than my brand new vespa gts scooter. Prefer the lines of the cosa too. I can understand why at the time it never took off, too far advanced but if you look at the gts very similar lines but a better glovebox and better underseat storage on the cosa. Yes, cosa overtime for me.
Please excuse the spelling mistakes. Bloody apple mac computer.
Agree
Cosa a real Classic,a one off well ahead of its time ,
In
In my eyes
A VERY STYLISH SCOOTER
The Cosa is like Marmite….
Personally I think they were beautifully ahead of the time.
Most don’t understand why I like my Cosa, but !! The intellectual cansee the beauty
Can anybody tell me the dimensions of a vespa 1995 cosa 200 i have been given one but have to pick it up david
try this David: http://www.autoevolution.com/moto/vespa-cosa-200-gs-1986.html#aeng_vespa-cosa-1986-198
Does anybody know were I can get a front rack for my Cosa
No
But would think a rear Rack would be easier to source and fit
Try looking German or Italian shop sites and online auctions. They were far more popular over there.
Just acquired a L????X 200 Cosa.
Very stylish ( was ahead of its time when released )
My scooter pals call it my Sinclair C5 !!!
Rides well I think
Of it as a PX with more futuristic looks and clever extras
If I knew how to add pictures I would
Thanks for your comments, feel free to email your pictures and we can post for you.
Love my cosa`s, and I have 3, well 2 plus 1 all in parts plus a spare good condition complete engine. I spend most of my summer restoring my black 125 cosa, have a black rough Imported from france cosa as next years project, but still looking to buy more.
being given a PX t5 from my son in 2000 it restarted my love of scootering, but like a fool sold my T5 for an auto scooter. bought and sold many since, but always admired Cosa`s, so last year i began buying some. My latest Cosa is very good to ride, but needs just a bit more go, so have purchased new piston/barrel and head kits from India in 150 cc size to try.
the rear brake cylinder used was designed for a baby fiat car so look along them lines if you need one.
Agree
Top Vespa, missed by so many,
Comfortable
Stylish ( to my eyes at least)
Smooth as silk
“ different “????????
I obtained a 200CL:X Cosa in 2014/15 and enjoyed riding it once I’d put new modern tyres on (came with 840 original mileage but the tyres had gone hard),. Starting to plan for a modest engine upgrade + higher gearing and reckon this will then be an ideal touring scooter. It handles well.
Great scooters to ride, just need a little more ‘oomph’ in our opinion.
Try a SIP Road 2 exhaust maybe for a start as on a similar Px200 engine they add a little more torque.
The Cosa is a bit like Marmite
Love it or loathe it
I’ve just got my long awaited Cosa
A n LX 200
Smooth comfortable ride,
Different but to my eyes Beautiful
I absolutely love my licence built Cosa 150 (LML Supremo). Just started a bit of an overhaul. Parts are hard to come by.
Body parts for the Cosa/Supremo are hard to find anywhere I am afraid to say. Good luck with your project, please do share some photos when it is complete.
Hellow from Greece!
Does anyone know something about the paint code for a yellow cosa like the one in the photo of dhl???
Thank you
I have just taken ownership of a lovely LX200. I have a PX 200 but much prefer the COSA.
And thank lord it didn’t. As if it could be any more atrocious and unappealing looking as it was. I was there at hat time, riding on my PX200E when this monstrosity came out as a “Vespa of the Future”. But because we all lived in the “square” and angular late 80-es, with cars sporting sharp straight boxy lines, it didn’t hit us back as hard as it is these days, reminiscing of all the good times and failures of the fantastic and magnificent decade that was 80es. If one wants to lock their mind and go back to that period, Cosa might not be such a shock, but looking at it from today’s perspective it goes into WTF were they thinking category. Kind of Fiat Multipla way…
I also blame Cosa’s influence in the design of the now legendary GT 200, lines of which have stood the test of time and the latest GTS 300 HPE sports pretty much the same design, 18 years ago. Had the GT 200 been developed straight from the more traditional looking PX model rather than Cosa and ET4, we, Vespa enthusiasts could be admiring a whole different scooter these days as our bellowed GT and GTS machines.
Simply the best Vespa ever made! Its design and ride quality can still be compared to modern scooters while PXs are rather outdated for years. Don’t get me wrong, I like PX as well. “They” never liked “us” because we were leaving them behind in twisty roads. Especially the Nicasil version -which is so hard to find these days- was a slower Vespa but only compared to a Rally 200. The only annoying problem of Cosa was the higher cost in its overall maintenance & the lack of some specific spare parts, even right after its production ended in 1996. Of course the haters will remain haters but to those who lived next to a Cosa no other Vespa can be compared with it. I bought mine in 1996. It has more than 110.000Km but it is quite new as I was always taking care of it. COSA 4 LIFE!