They are here! The SERIES PORDOI rims for Vespa GTS!
Finally they are here! The rims from our special design series PORDOI. In mid-July 2021, the big truck rolled into our yard and we looked spellbound at the loading area. Many pallets, packed with the new rims in fancy black boxes, had to be unloaded and stored. And then plenty of packages went right out again, because the demand for the PORDOI rim is huge. We are really happy that the "baby" has finally come into the world, and it was not an easy birth.
From sketch to prototype
The idea for our own rim came up back in 2018 and was followed by many meetings of the design team with the product managers and the management. The market for rims was closely scrutinized to find out which ones did not yet exist. Many suggestions were made and almost as many were discarded. An exciting time with heated discussions and smoking heads. But slowly, a design began to take shape and our technical draftsmen and CAD specialists set to work. Because even though the rims are to be 12- and 13-inch, millimeter work is required in the development.
The thoughts behind the design were as follows: The rim bed should be visually wider and thus different from all other rims that are on the market for the Vespa GTS. Plug & Play is planned for the 12-inch version. The rim must be able to be mounted at the front without additional tools. At the rear wheel, the assembly is to be made as simple as possible.
The real highlight of the rim, however, should be the approval: Both rims are to be launched on the market with a general operating permit (ABE) and the number of the Kraftfahrt-Bundes-Amt (KBA). This would mean that anyone could put a 140 tire on the rim without being in a legal gray area. And fruitless discussions with inspectors would also be a thing of the past. A real novelty on the German market.
After a few months, we held the first model from a 3D printer in our hands. Now the final details had to be sorted out before a prototype was commissioned. SIP Scootershop has been listed as an official manufacturer with the Kraftfahrtbundesamt since 2014. Tests, paperwork and verifications followed before we finally got the final homologation for the 12- and 13-inch rims according to the ETRTO rim standard. Great jubilation! An important hurdle had been taken. Nothing stands in the way of legal conversion to wide tires for GTS riders.
Tests on the road
The public could already marvel at the 13-inch rim on the Custom GTS "SIP SERIES PORDOI" in 2019. The aluminum rim with its ten spokes caused a sensation internationally and the feedback confirmed our decisions. The 12-inch version can be fitted with tires up to 140/70, the 13-inch version with 140/60. Our sales manager Stephan Hufschmid finally took the rims out on the road. The everyday test was on the agenda ...
Stephan rode over high curbs and even higher alpine passes. He tested the suitability in city traffic and on a tour to Corsica. The rims kept everything we had promised ourselves from them. Durability, handling, appearance and safety were convincing. So nothing stood in the way of series production. But then came Corona ...
Supply chains collapsed, raw materials became scarce, deadlines had to be postponed. Our product managers were tearing their hair out, but kept at it. The rims were supposed to be on our shelves in March 2021, but now it's July. But we are all the happier now that we can finally deliver the rims to all our customers.
We hope you enjoy riding with the new rims from the SIP SERIES PORDOI.
