Founded in 1946 in the town of Florence Italy, Vespa, meaning wasp in Italian, is manufactured by Piaggio.

Vespas are easily recognized by their coated, pressed steel unibody which combines a prominent front fairing that provides wind protection, a flat floorboard for foot protection, and an ample cowling for the engine that conceals dirt or grease.

Vespas are so revered by Italians they refer to them as an entity separate from the run of the mill scooter. While most Westerners put the Vespa in the general scooter category, Italians are offended when their esteemed Vespas are called scooters.

During its long history, the Vespa has been modified in numerous and diverse ways, some of which are so elegant and refined they are called objects of art, while other mods merely confirm their use as an excellent base for creating a custom machine.

Vespas can be seen all over the world and are especially prevalent in Europe where heavy traffic conditions, narrow streets, and hard to find parking make them more attractive than an automobile.

However, they are also popular in Indonesia where fuel efficiency and purchase price make the Vespa an attractive option.

One group of enthusiasts called the Vespa gembel or drifters has taken modification to the extreme. The Rastafarians and metalheads gather annually at the small village of Desa Tukadaya, in eastern Bali, to display their own interpretation of mobile Vespa art.

Here are a few examples of modded Vespas, both in the more traditional style and the wilder Indonesia flavor.

13 Tree Vespa Indonesia

Via: sea-globe.com

Vespa is well-known all over the world as the iconic scooter brand with gleaming chrome and retro styling. However, in Indonesia, it represents the basis for a vehicle with much less polish.

Celebrating their Vespa-mod passion, hundreds of enthusiasts gather annually at events like the 20th Platinum Anniversary of Bali’s 450-strong Dewata Scooter Club held in October 2015.

A reminder of the film Mad Max, the eccentric piston heads and their admirers show up to display their latest artistic creations. They use whatever materials are readily available to transform their Vespas into rugged sculptures.

Vespa DIY modifier Neo, from Banten, is famous around in the area for his custom-made "tree Vespa."

12 Balinese Dancers on Vespa Trike

Via: Motoblogn

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theatre Academy Helsinki wrote: “While Bali has established its reputation as one of the world’s best- known tourist paradises, its classical dance and theatre have become its true trademarks. Ritual performances take place as before, children learn music and dance, and popular performances gather together both local and foreign audiences.”

Slow-moving, mesmerizing, and beautiful, Balinese dancers express their stories through dynamic bodily gestures such as moving their eyes, heads, and fingers in slow, angular patterns that has its roots in Hinduism.

This driver provides transportation with a stylishly modified Vespa appropriate for its elegant passengers (much different from other artistic modified Vespas found on the island).

11 Steampunk Vespa Guardian

Via: Pinterest

The iconic Vespa Piaggio scooter, considered by many to be pure art in its original form, is often enhanced to achieve a new level. So is the case with this altered Vespa.

Modified by Pulsar Projects, this Steampunk Vespa Guardian is the creation of Greek artist and sculptor Coffin Cris who successfully converted the legendary Italian transport symbol into a retro Steampunk wonder.

Adorned with chrome finish tires, clutch, and brake pedals, the scooter has bright-blue LED lights that display speed and other statistics. The exteriors are completely draped in brass, copper, and silverfish finish. It is clearly one of the prime works of art featured in the Vespa Piaggio Museum.

10 Flower Power Vespa

Via: Pinterest

A Vespa’s utility is never exhausted, even when the engine no longer runs, the gearbox is shredded, and the wheel bearings rusted.

This old 1955 Vespa has been modified to extend its life and continue providing pleasure to its owner, albeit no longer on the road. Now a vintage flower pot, the Vespa sends out a pleasant vibe from the Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck movie Roman holiday while adding some color to an otherwise bland outdoor terrace. The Vespa is completely covered by glass tiles left over from the owner's bathroom remodel, making it an all-weather resistant garden feature full of nostalgic glamour.

9 Vespacycle

Via: Pinterest

A Vespa is an inexpensive, fuel efficient, and fun to drive vehicle that is easy to park even in a parking lot full of cars. However, it provides no exercise. The solution is the Vespacycle, a vehicle that not only keeps the driver (rider) in good shape but has several other benefits as well.

First, from the front, it appears to be a real Vespa and therefore provides the same status that Vespa owners get when seen driving around town on their two-wheeled Italian scooter.

Second, it makes no noise. Although sometimes silence is golden, most Vespa owners will say they like the high-pitched whine their scooter makes. Third, no driver's license is required. Fourth, and maybe best of all, it consumes no gas.

8 Custom Wood Vespa

Via: dudeiwantthat.com

Many consider the Vespa, not just a means of transportation, but a traditional art form. The characteristic front leg shield body panel, elliptical-shaped rear side panel, and engine cowling have remained virtually unchanged since its inception in 1946 making the Vespa easy to identify on the street.

Several years ago, a Portuguese carpenter Carlos Alberto took the art form one step further when he created a Vespa-styled scooter made almost entirely out of wood.

Alberto created his masterpiece using laminated hardwood based on a bent plywood frame. The leg shield and body panels display the wood’s elegant texture and fine grain while the attention to detail is evident on the graceful coffee-colored handlebars and a marbled, spring-supported seat. The Vespa is powered by a 50cc motor and rides on a pair of roulette-rimmed wheels.

7 Street Cleaner Vespa

Via: tumblr.com

Most street cleaners are massive machines that use broad brushes to efficiently scrub and remove dirt and grime from asphalt roads and gutters but are too big for sidewalks or outdoor shopping malls.

This Vespa has been modified to create a street cleaner that can reach places where the big machines can't go. It is equipped with a small diameter brush, ideal for scrubbing surfaces riddled with chewing gum and various other sticky substances in tight places. The seat is made for two people should the driver want to carry a passenger for a fun tour around the mall walkways. Now doubt the Vespa street cleaner is much more fuel-efficient than the full-size versions.

6 Vespa Limo

Via: modernvespa.com

When the entire family wants to head out for a ride on Vespas, for more than two people it requires more than one Vespa. This Vespa Limo offers an alternative allowing everyone to ride together. You have to wonder if the larger turning radius makes it difficult to maneuver in tight places and if all passengers lean into the turns what keeps it from tipping over? This model was built in South Africa and was constructed using two Vespa GTS250 chassis. It uses only one of the original gas tanks, and one center stand to keep it upright when not in use. It may be a bit harder to find parking for the Limo version than it is for a standard Vespa.

5 Vespa Chopper

Via: KustomKing

For those enthusiasts with Harley-Davidson chopper envy and a small budget, the Vespa chopper offers a great solution. With extended forks, monkey handlebars, and low-mounted chopper seat, the driver could draw the attention of every onlooker.

However, one significant feature may make onlookers ask the question, “what kind of bike is that?” The Vespa Chopper lacks the low rumbling exhaust note that only a Harley-Davidson makes; the one that can be heard from miles away. So unique and characteristic is the exhaust noise that Harley filed a sound trademark application to prevent other manufacturers from duplicating their distinct sound.

Somehow the whine of Vespa engine just doesn’t have the same impact.

4 Vespa Montlhery

Via: ciaocrossclub.it

Designed and developed specifically as a response to the rival Lambretta Innocenti which set 13 records on the Roma-Ostia highway in 1949, the Vespa 125 Montlhery was fast.

A year after the Lambretta records, Piaggio took to the racing track at Monthléry, France where the modified Vespa, ridden by pilots Castiglioni, Mazzoncini, and Spadoni set 17 new world records for time and distance in ten consecutive hours and over 1,049 kilometers (650 miles)!

The green bullet shattered, among others, the speed records over a one-hundred-mile distance and a five-hundred-mile stretch, as well as the hour record. The top speed exceeded 85 mph.

3 Yellow Vespa and VW Bus Sidecar

Via: Flickr.com

This yellow Vespa with VW bus side car pays tribute to a vehicle that was sold in the U.S. for 41 years and over three generations. It became an icon of the 60s era hippie movement providing, a place to sleep, room to swing a guitar, seating for a small commune and a big canvas for a psychedelic paint job. In 1069 Woodstock was full of the VW mini-buses.

With looks like an overgrown loaf of bread, the rear-engine, flat-front vehicle had seats that placed the driver directly on top of the front wheels creating an unbelievable view ahead and more than ample space behind for passengers or cargo.

As a sidecar for the Vespa, it is perfect for passenger space and perhaps fond memories.

2 Vespa Trike

[caption id="attachment_51930" align="alignnone" width="947"] Via: YouTube[/caption] Who says tricycles are for kids?
The selection of a three-wheeled vehicle over a traditional two-wheeled scooter or motorcycle offers the owner several advantages including: Increased equilibrium: the third wheel on a trike provides a more balanced distribution of weight. Increased stability: trike riders don't need to lean into curves to prevent tipping. The third wheel holds the bike steady around a curve and provides stability stoplights. Increased peace of mind: Trikes are inherently stiffer and turn more like a car. A bike relies on counter-steering and the appropriate lean to negotiate the perfect turn. This trike was made for the disabled, who have a difficult time controlling a two-wheeled vehicle, especially when stopped.

 Ten-Inch Terror

[caption id="attachment_51911" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Via: RocketGarage Cafe Racer[/caption] Created by Marek Nachlik from Hamburg, Germany, the 145kg Italian Vespa super scooter hosts a Husqvarna WR360, 55 hp engine that generates 45Nm of torque. The engine is mounted at an angle of 45 degrees forward to provide the scooter with more even weight distribution and improved handling. The center placement is far superior for cornering to the side mounted engine on a traditional Vespa. Just like a Buell, the rear shock absorber is installed underneath. The “Ten-Inch Terror” (named after the engine) gets its braking from a special made front disc system. A radiator is mounted just after the front wheel to keep the engine cool, and the entire bike is reinforced with 10 centimeter steel ribs to keep the frame from bending.

Jack Stillman Bali Vespa

[caption id="attachment_51915" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Via: jackstillman.com.au[/caption] Changing the color of a Vespa is probably the easiest modification an owner can make. It allows for the expression a variety of emotions and says a lot about the personalities, partialities and perhaps age. Often the color will indicate economic well-being, political preferences, and family values. Bright colors usually indicate an owner who wants to draw attention to his vehicle and himself (or herself); one who wants everyone he passes to gaze with admiration and envy. Subtle colors, on the other hand, suggest an owner who just wants to blend in with the crowd (or traffic) and get to his or her destination without notice. And sometimes, as is the case for this Vespa, the color scheme just plain “sucks,” is extremely difficult to look at, and says only that the owner has no taste at all.

Three Wheel Tuk Tuk

[caption id="attachment_51917" align="alignnone" width="1334"] Via: Pinterest[/caption] Built to transport passengers like the Tuk Tuk this modified Vespa places the driver in the back, leaving a clear view forward for front-seated riders. Paying customers breathe no exhaust fumes (except for those from the vehicle they are following) and hear less noise from the engine located in the back. While this three-wheeled taxi is elegantly outfitted for a romantic tour around the city, it may be best suited for transportation only. The driver behind has a clear view of any couple seated in front and can observe any amorous activity no matter how innocent. Despite some inconveniences, the ride in this three-wheeler is more comfortable than a trip in the Tuk Tuk which is often on a hard bench seat in the back of the vehicle.

Tank Vespa

[caption id="attachment_51919" align="alignnone" width="770"] Via: sea-globe.com[/caption] This modified Vespa represents the ultimate in scooter utility. The creators paid no attention to finish details (except for the carefully placed stickers on the metal body), instead focused on function. The vehicle is equipped with more tires than most, giving it some off-road capability in spite of the low ground clearance. There is no problem in case of a flat tire; several others pick up the load. Designed to look like a tank, the open sidecar offers ample room for four or five passengers. The extended monkey-hanger handlebars not only make the driver look cool but also allow him to stand when driving.

Cargo Vespa

[caption id="attachment_51921" align="alignnone" width="818"] Via: wagamamaya.jugem.jp[/caption] The Italians use an aerodynamic, locking box mounted to the back of a Vespa called "bauletto" to carry a variety of items and to hide the driver's helmet when parked. However, most bauletti have limited space, and sometimes you just need more room to haul cargo. This modified Vespa is ideal for carrying the groceries, workman's tools, or any other items that can fit in the large containers. Held tightly to the frame with belts, the containers could also be coolers filled with picnic lunch and several rounds of cold beverages. The driver is advised to proceed with caution as the weight of the cargo will have a significant influence on the scooter’s handling characteristics.

Zero Scooter

[caption id="attachment_51878" align="alignnone" width="2592"] Via: gizmodo.com[/caption] One of the attractions of riding a Vespa is the parking, much easier to find a parking space than it is with a car. The Vespa Segway goes even further. The footprint is so small it can also be parked next to a bike rack or on the sidewalk! Created by design house Bel & Bel using genuine Vespa parts, the iconic device called Zero Scooter, can be customized upon request. Traveling at speeds up to 12 mph, it goes 21 miles on a battery charge. The unique Segway device can carry a load up to nearly 400 lbs and can climb a 30-degree slope.

1 Two Can Holders

Via: modernvespa.com

A close look at this modified Vespa reveals the real reason it has been adorned with at least nine headlights and more than 20 rear-view mirrors. Hidden in the complex support structure are two beer-can holders, large enough to accommodate a 15 oz. and perhaps even the 24 oz. can of brew.

All those lights illuminate the road both wide and far ahead with no trouble spotting a police car in its path. The array of rear-view mirrors gives the driver a complete view of everything, should a police car approach from behind the Vespa. Even if a police car passes by, the silver colored beer cans that match mirrors, lights and supports may go undetected.

Sources: popularmechanics.com, vespa.com, harley-davidson.com, quora.com