Review: LEGO Vespa 125 (10298)!

The LEGO Vespa 125 (10298) is a set that I thought I’d never get, not because it’s bad I’m just not into Scooters, but seeing it proudly displayed at my local LEGO Store (Southampton) I instantly felt a connection and thought to myself ‘I need this in my life!‘.

This however was quite short lived as one aspect of the build really turned me off, please read through the review to find out why.

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The Box & Contents:

Being an 18+ set the box is the now standard plain black background and displays the usual information on the front, set number (10298), part count (1106), branding and the model itself.

The instruction manual is a delight to read through as it gives a brief story and history of the Vespa, there is even a time line that spans the entire lineup.

Slide out the six numbered bags and the sticker sheet and you get a good idea of what’s involved and the colours on offer, a shed load of light blue!

The stickers on offer would have been better printed as there wasn’t that many of them, especially the Vespa logo, for the price of the set (£89.99) there should have been se prints if not all.

In a separate bag we have the two wheels, which are moulded together and the tyres are put on afterwards. The tread on the tyres look cool and give the Vespa that added uniqueness it deserves.

Crack open the first bag, turn to step one in the manual and away we go…

The Build:

Building the LEGO Vespa 125 (10298) was at times a chore, perhaps that’s just the non-scooter lover in me speaking, but this build did seem to take forever to get finished. That’s not saying its a bad set, it’s just my honest opinion, coming from someone that has never build a larger LEGO vehicle before. I genuinely thought this would open my eyes to a whole new theme and I’d want to grab the LEGO Creator sized cars such as the Mustang, Fiat 500, and Ecto-1!

It may have felt long as there are a ton of light blue elements, when opening and tipping out the contents of each bag being presented with yet more of the same colour is a little disheartening, to me at least.

Some of the building techniques and processes were amazing and I did learn a thing or two about new ways to build. Clipping & hinging bits here, SNOT (studs not on top) there, Technic pins and rods everywhere.

As you can see from the image above, bags 1 & 2 made a start on the body of the scooter and quite a lot of SNOT are showing, these are utilised later on to add side panels and details to the exterior.

Bags 3 & 4 add much needed detail and exterior parts to the body, in the form of the foot well and front ‘shield‘ section. These were actually quite enjoyable to construct and pop inplace each side of the steering column. The angle it creates matches the Vespa almost perfectly and definitely resembles its real-life counterpart.

Nearing the end of the Vespa build it starts to take shape and the finishing touches really do look smart. Adding curves and slopes to the SNOT pieces we left bare earlier come into play here, the final results really make this set pop and look the part.

One of the more enjoyable parts of the build was surprisingly the engine and the connecting bits. Hidden under the right-hand wheel arch, the engine is a decent size and looks in scale to the rest of the build. It features a round disc that has printing on it and is held by a Technic pin that spins.

Not knowing much about engines I obviously can’t say which parts represent what, but from face value it looks the part and adds a whole other level to the overall build.

Bag 5 is where we complete the Vespa and where the sole problem lies for me, the crux to which the set fails and makes me wish I steered clear of it, pun intended!

From just looking at it, as the display piece it so clearly is, you wouldn’t know how flimsy the handlebars are. At first I thought maybe I put it together wrong but after re-reading the instructions I hadn’t. I get how pedantic this sounds but from a company that prides themselves on high standards and product quality it’s somewhat unacceptable!

The GIF above shows just how wobbly they get and without much pressure being applied. I don’t think the way it’s built is good enough, simply being held together by a small red Technic pin and a few studs.

If this were in the younger age range and ‘played‘ with then they may have done a better job, but this is a display piece for the 18+ AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) market. Which I guess they can get away with and could argue it isn’t for ‘playing’ with, either way in my opinion it’s unacceptable and sadly the sole reason why I have fallen out of love with it.

If you have had a different outcome please do get in touch, I’d love to hear from a fellow LEGO Vespa builder.

Sorry for bringing the tone of the review down somewhat but I feel it had to be addressed as I give my honest verdict on the set in question.

Looking past that issue, which I personally can’t, you do have a rather cool and retro display piece which fans of the Vespa will really appreciate and adore!

Chuck in the accessories, the helmet, basket, and bouquet of flowers you have a very complete looking set. I particularly liked building the bouquet as it introduced a while new way to make flowers, with a whole be pile of parts.

The helmet looks a tad odd too and resembles a Minion more than a vintage motorcycle helmet, I think it’s the goggles that do it. Again using SNOT techniques the helmet is built up sideways and joined by ‘L’ shaped elements and an 6×6 round plate.

Put all these elements together and again your have one hell of a display piece, checkout the extra photos below in the gallery, where you’ll see Iron Man getting in on the Vespa act!

The Conclusion:

Purely based on a display aspect the LEGO Vespa 125 (10298) set is amazing and looks very much the part, with the iconic shapes and slopes of this particular brand of Scooter. Fans of Vespa and the larger LEGO Creator vehicles will be in awe of it and shouldn’t hesitate in adding this one to the collection.

From a build point of view the set is let down considerably by the woddly handlebars and lack of clutch power holding them in place. One short Technic pin and a few studs just don’t cut it unfortunately.

Including the brick-built accessories was a great idea and one they implemented well. Both the Helmet and and Flower Bouquet add so much to the overall aesthetic, giving it that personal touch!

Take away that one unforgivable design flaw and you have a great set that will sit proud amoungst your display.

Thank you for reading our review of the new LEGO Vespa 125 (10298) set, if you have it too please let us know what you think via the comments section below.

Watch this space for our review of the smaller LEGO Creator Vespa (40517), coming soon to The Brick Post!

Gallery:

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