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Nobody expects a Vespa to show up at an off-road motorcycle event. They’re city scooters. Weekend cruisers. The kind of machine you ride to a coffee shop, not through mountain trails at 4:30 in the morning. But that’s exactly what Ruso Ricaurte and his riding partner did — and 19 hours later, they crossed the finish line of the MotoRuna expedition, beaten up, dehydrated, and grinning from ear to ear. This is the story of how two Vespas took on terrain built for dirt bikes and enduro machines, and what kept their engines alive through every brutal kilometer.
The Bet That Started a Vespa Adventure
The MotoRuna idea didn’t come from careful planning. It came from a challenge.
“A group of friends on high-displacement bikes dared me — so I decided to show them that a Vespa can ride the same roads, just at a slower pace.” — Ruso Ricaurte
Rather than back down, Ruso tracked down a second Vespa that had been sitting abandoned for 12 years and started a two-and-a-half-month restoration and modification process. Every mechanical detail got attention. Nothing was left to chance — because on unpaved roads this unforgiving, chance isn’t a strategy.
The goal going in was clear: finish the route, keep pace with the schedule, and show the off-road motorcycle community that small machines can handle serious terrain.
Why the MotoRuna Is One of the Toughest Off-Road Motorcycle Routes in Ecuador
To understand why this matters, you need to know what kind of route the MotoRuna is.
This isn’t a scenic country road. It’s the kind of trail that separates riders who’ve prepared from riders who’ve assumed. The terrain is damaged, uneven, and unforgiving. Standard off-road bikes — dirt bikes, enduro machines, dual sport and adventure motorcycles — are built for exactly this. They carry purpose-built suspension, high ground clearance, and engines tuned for power delivery across loose and unpredictable surfaces.
A Vespa has none of that. It has a small-displacement engine, limited ground clearance, and tires designed for tarmac. It is, by every conventional measure, the wrong machine for the job.
And yet.
19 Hours on Unpaved Roads: An Off-Road Motorcycle Story Like No Other
The team rolled out at approximately 4:30 a.m.
“We were very nervous. It was the first time we’d entered a circuit like this. We felt nerves and excitement to finally start the journey we’d been studying for so long.” — Ruso Ricaurte
Their average speed across the route stayed between 30 and 40 km/h. On the worst sections of the trail, they slowed further. Other riders passed them throughout the day — most unable to believe what they were seeing. Two Vespas, completing the same circuit as off-road bikes with three times the engine displacement.
The hardest stretch came after dark.
“When night fell, we were stranded in the middle of nowhere with no fuel. We ended up completely alone in the mountains, pushing the bikes through villages until we found gasoline.” — Ruso Ricaurte
The event’s supply points weren’t where the riders expected them to be, and the group became separated. What followed was a slow push through isolated villages, asking locals for fuel, moving the Vespas by hand when the engines ran dry. No panic. No talk of stopping. Just the next village, the next litre of fuel, and the next kilometer of trail.
By 11:00 p.m., they crossed the finish line at the Crater of Pululahua. Nineteen hours after leaving in the dark, the Vespas completed a route built for a completely different category of off-road motorcycle — and did it without a single mechanical failure.
Engine Performance Off-Road: How TOP 1 Oil Kept the Vespas Running
Here’s the part that matters mechanically.
Before the event, Ruso knew that piston cooling would be critical. A small engine working at sustained high effort across hours of off-road riding generates heat in ways that urban riding simply doesn’t. If the oil can’t manage that heat, the engine seizes. The ride ends.
“Piston cooling is everything. After years of testing on my regular routes, I knew we wouldn’t have problems — but we did increase the oil ratio in the fuel for extra piston cooling, to make sure the engine didn’t seize from overheating.” — Ruso Ricaurte
The result? Zero mechanical failures across 19 hours of continuous off-road riding. The only stops for the machines were two flat tires — both fixed roadside and both back in motion quickly. On a route where even purpose-built off-road bikes encounter mechanical issues, the Vespas finished clean.
The Moment That Made It All Worth It
Ask Ruso about the finish and he’ll tell you about water.
“We just wanted water. We hadn’t hydrated in hours. Once we did, everything came back into focus — it felt like a dream to arrive and see all our friends who had been waiting for hours.” — Ruso Ricaurte
Then the scene came into focus. Friends who had been waiting for hours. A crowd that had watched the tracker, seen the Vespas’ progress, and stayed up to see them finish. The kind of reception that only happens when people genuinely didn’t know if you were going to make it.
For Ruso, that moment confirmed what the whole expedition had been about. Not just finishing a long-distance motorcycle ride. Not just competing alongside enduro machines and dual sport bikes with twice the capability. Proving something that couldn’t be proven on paper. The Vespa doesn’t quit.
What Comes Next: Costa 2026
The team is already planning the next edition. The Costa 2026 route takes the Vespas to the Ecuadorian coast — new terrain, new conditions, and a fresh set of lessons learned from MotoRuna. Improvements are already in the works: better route navigation including printed maps as backup for when phone batteries die, additional modifications to the machines, and upgraded rider gear for different weather conditions.
If you asked Ruso what he’d tell someone considering doing something similar, his answer is short and direct:
“The Vespa is a small machine with the soul of a giant. It was built to handle terrain. We just proved it — the Vespa never gives up.” — Ruso Ricaurte
Ready to Follow the Journey?
The MotoRuna expedition is one chapter in an ongoing story. To learn more about the rider behind it, read Exploring the World on Two Wheels: Ruso Ricaurte’s Vespa Tour. And follow TOP 1 Oil on Facebook and Instagram to stay close to the next adventure, see the footage from MotoRuna, and watch what happens when a Vespa takes on the coast.
FAQ
1. What is the MotoRuna expedition?
MotoRuna is an off-road motorcycle event held in Ecuador that takes riders across demanding mountain terrain and unpaved roads. The route is typically completed by riders on purpose-built off-road bikes, including dirt bikes, enduro machines, and adventure motorcycles.
2. Can a Vespa actually handle off-road riding?
Vespas aren’t built for off-road riding in the traditional sense, but the MotoRuna expedition demonstrated that a well-maintained and properly prepared Vespa can complete challenging off-road motorcycle routes. The key is thorough mechanical preparation and the right approach to pacing.
3. What role did engine oil play in the MotoRuna Vespa expedition?
Engine oil was critical to the Vespas’ success. The team used TOP 1 Oil and increased the oil-to-fuel ratio before the event to improve piston cooling across 19 hours of sustained off-road engine performance. This decision helped the machines run without a single mechanical failure throughout the entire route.
4. How long did it take to prepare the Vespas for MotoRuna?
One of the Vespas had been sitting unused for 12 years before the expedition. The full restoration and modification process took approximately two and a half months from start to finish.
5. What is the biggest lesson from the MotoRuna Vespa ride?
Preparation matters more than machine type. Proper maintenance, the right lubricants, thorough route knowledge, and a clear mindset carried two Vespas through terrain that most riders wouldn’t attempt on an off-road motorcycle adventure of any size. The right oil, the right preparation, and the right attitude make the difference.
