How to fill up without spilling

My 2004 Vespa GT is actually the first vehicle I've owned that requires premium fuel. A sticker on the headset specifically recommends using fuel of 90 octane or above (also in the manual) and I've been filling it with the 92 octane. Although it costs more than the lower grade, this is not something I would cut corners on, as the engine was engineered to consume a specific type of fuel, and using the recommended fuel will ensure not only that your vehicle will run better, but also that it will last longer.

There is a particular issue with the GT model and their variations (GTS/ GTV etc.) however, and that is how easy it is to overfill the tank. By overfilling, I mean when you're filling up at the station and you're holding down the pump lever, and by the time the gas stops flowing from the hose there's a bit of spillage (due to the way the bike was designed). Overfilling by itself is not always an issue as gas evaporates quickly, but on the GTs it can turn out to be an issue. Due to the design, any gas spillage can leak into the air filter, causing problems in the way the scooter runs (more details available on the forums at modernvespa.com). These problems can certainly be fixed by removing and cleaning out the air filter, but a preventive approach can also ensure no spillage.

To ensure that spillage never occurs, I follow these basic steps when filling up the tank:

1. I run the scooter until the yellow 'need gas' light comes on. When this light comes on, it means there is 0.5 gallons of gas left in the tank, which is usually enough for me to finish my current trip with ample time to hit the station.
2. Since the total capacity of the gas tank for the GTs are 2.5 gallons, when I fill up, I then watch the meter and try and fill it up to 1.9 gallons (give or take a few), but not more.
3. This ensures that there is never any spillage while filling the tank, and also that the tank is full (just a tad under 2.5 gallons).