New Bike Tests: 2008 Piaggio MP3s

Good Things Happen In Threes

Photos by Bob Feather

Piaggio’s new MP3 scooters have made quite a splash in the scootering world. RoadBike staffers Steve Lita, Jon Langston, and Tricia Szulewski tested each of the three models — the street-clean 250 and 400cc models, and the rough-and-tumble 500cc, and graded each on its own merit.

MP3 250

Lucky me. I have the farthest commute to work, and yet I drew the short straw and got the MP3 250cc scooter. No sweat, I figured; this will be a good test of the ability of the littlest MP3, priced at $7,199. Perhaps the prejudice I just displayed against the 250 is common, but it shouldn’t be. The 250 needn’t be discounted; it’s the little three-wheeled engine that could, and can.

All the MP3s are average in comfort, but I would have appreciated a flatter seat, or at least to have the hump leading to the passenger seat situated a couple inches farther rearward. That would have allowed me to stretch out a little more. Speaking of which, I was a little disheartened to find that an average hard-shell briefcase wouldn’t fit in the shallow underseat compartment, although a soft messenger bag would. The red lettering on the gauge face also didn’t agree with me; in the daytime, it’s hard to discern from the black background.

The MP3 gathered a lot of attention, but the operation of the lockable front-end suspension needs to be clarified. Don’t think of this as a trike; an MP3 won’t just sit there if you come to a stop, because the independent suspension is still active, its locking system disengaged. To put it another way, the locking front end does not function automatically; it only works when you turn it on or off.

Here’s the rundown for all three models: as you mount a parked MP3 and the front wheels are locked, start the scoot and disengage the parking brake. The scooter will stand on its own, front wheels locked (a solid warning light on the dash confirms this), until you disengage the lock. This can be done either by flipping the on/off lever with your right thumb (feet down, scooter stopped), or by simply rolling on the throttle (feet up, scooter moving). The warning light shuts off, a short beep sounds from the console, and the wheels are now independently suspended. You’re either holding the MP3 up with your feet, or riding and relying on balance.

(It’s important to note that the operator cannot lock the front end if the revs are too high or the MP3 is moving faster than crawling speed; above about 2000 rpm or 3 mph, the suspension lock is automatically disabled.)

As you roll to a stop — off the throttle and below about 3 mph — the warning light on the dash flashes. Only now may you engage the suspension lock, using your right thumb. If you do engage it, you’re able to sit at a dead stop, without putting your feet down and without fear of tipping over — very handy at long stoplights. As tempting as it is to try to lock the suspension as you come to a light, I found this trick to be too dangerous. If you are not perfectly upright and straight, you’ll lock it on a slight lean, which then rolls the scoot into a curve, which may lead you right to the car sitting beside you. It’s best to stop, put both feet down, and then lock the suspension before putting your feet up on the footrest panel. When you get a go signal, you roll on throttle and the MP3 takes off, its suspension unlocking with the increase in speed and rpm.

As far as the ride is concerned, one casual onlooker stated, “I’ll get one of those. It won’t fall over, and it’s much more stable than a two-wheeler.” However, I was quick to correct him. Yes, it will fall over if operated improperly; and, yes, it’s more stable than a two-wheeler because it has three contact patches on the road, but it leans just like a normal scooter or bike. —Steve Lita

MP3 400

The MP3 400 ($8,699) is stronger, and faster (but only slightly bigger) than the 250 that Editor Steve tested, and that extra power and stability made all the difference in the urban jungle. Potholes? No problem. Sewer grates? Pshaw. Expansion joints? Manhole covers? Yeah, whatever. Tooling down the FDR Drive, I was the recipient of whistles, thumbs-ups, and stares of incredulity as I scooted along with a carefree smirk. One guy almost rear-ended the car in front of him as he yelled “Hey! What is that?!” Shout-outs like “Awesome, dude!” and “Nice!” were being thrown at me from every direction as I cruised the city streets. Eager to join the ranks of the scooteristi, I also managed to perfect my too-cool acknowledgement; I simply nodded and accelerated away before anyone could ask me any bourgeois questions.

The wide stance of the two front wheels give the MP3 400 a stability missing from other scooters, and those 400cc provide plenty of juice to accelerate away from trouble and power through rough spots in the road.

Which brings me to a highlight of the lockable, independent suspension. Each wheel reacts to the road on its own. So when, for example, my left front tire couldn’t avoid a pothole, that wheel simply dropped down into it, while the right tire stayed steady on the road surface. I felt a slight dip on the left handlebar, but the right side rolled along smoothly, and the rear wheel missed the mogul entirely.

Out on the highway, the MP3 400 kept up with traffic with ease. I must admit, at first I felt rather exposed; looking straight down, with no engine or tank to obscure my view, the asphalt was nothing more than a blur under my feet. The scooter definitely behaves differently than a motorcycle, simply because you can’t use your knees to nudge the MP3. You have to steer it more than you would a two-wheeler, but thanks to the power at the rear wheel and that independent suspension, by pressing firmly on the grips you can absolutely lean into turns and slice your line on the open road. And I can personally confirm that Piaggio’s top-speed estimate of 88 mph is spot-on.

But freeway commuting on the MP3 definitely requires a heavy throttle hand — and a pretty quick wallet hand as well. I had to gun the throttle wide open to get the MP3 400 quickly and safely up to merging speed, and hold it there just to keep pace. Around town my fuel economy was grand; I was able to make it through a weekend in the city on one fill-up. But on the freeway, unless you’re tooling along at 55 mph (and who commutes like that?), you need to hold the throttle pretty much wide open to avoid being run up on from behind. I regularly burned through one 3.2-gallon fuel tank in a little more than one 96-mile trip to work and back.

My one small gripe is similar to Steve’s: why does a small-displacement machine with automatic CVT transmission need a huge tachometer? (Especially one with small red numbers on a black background.) A LED speedometer would’ve been a far better use of dash space, especially in the US market, where we’re not used to having the larger numbers on the outside of the dial gauge our kilometers per hour. —Jon Langston

MP3 500

The MP3 500 is the one with the all-terrain cues and the largest engine of the three. With the double steel tube bumper and metal mesh inserts, the aerodynamic front end sports a five-lamp headlight system. The two biggest are equipped with off-road-style shockproof covers. This look paints an aggressive stance, even while sitting still. Our tester was the flat black Demon version, which makes the rugged machine appear even meaner.

Performance is what the 500 is all about. While the 250 and 400 are similar in design, and have abundant storage capacity, the 500 sacrifices some cargo room for a larger engine. The liquid-cooled, electronically fuel-injected 492.7cc four-stroke power plant sports 40 hp at 7250 rpm. Getting there is where the fun comes in. A quick flick of the wrist won’t launch you at rocket speeds, but you’ll feel the torque curve peak at 31.12 ft-lbs. at 5500 rpm. It’s enough to pull away from most four-wheelers stopped next to you, their drivers trying to get your attention to ask questions about the strange-looking three-wheeled insect you’re sitting on. Once rolling, the smooth automatic CVT transmission takes you all the way through the powerband. Even at high speeds, passing is almost effortless.

Topping out at 89 mph, the 500 is pure adrenaline on the twisties. The trademark parallelogram front suspension technology provides stability and unmatched roadholding. Trying to lose traction proved to be my mission throughout the testing period. The two wheels up front not only give you superior cornering traction, but in 20-percent less braking distance than other two-wheeled scooters of similar size. So even on wet and sandy roads, I was able to carve corners at warp speed and never lose front-end grip. Stopping with three 240mm steel discs was so quick it makes a more aggressive rider like me want to take the Demon and put it through the wringer. Apparently, as seen on the contents page, I wasn’t the only one who saw the 500 as a hooligan scooter.

The similarities between all three MP3s include large footrest panels and seats, translating to ergonomic comfort for both rider and passenger, plus automatic CVT transmissions, similar controls, and suspension components. For $8,899, a motorcyclist could get a lot more for his money than this MP3, but for someone who wants the convenience of a scooter, and is looking for innovation, security, and versatility without sacrificing power, this is a fantastic choice. —Tricia Szulewski

Drip Drip

Over the course of two weeks, our test drivers recorded varying mileage figures between each fill-up — everything from a low of 40 mpg to a high of 57. However, the averages worked out as follows:

MP3 250 54 mpg

MP3 400 49.75 mpg

MP3 500 50 mpg

Results are decidedly not scientific! These averages were taken by RoadBike staffers from actual everyday use over varying road and weather conditions.

Tic Toc

In our unscientific 0-60 mph shootout on RoadBike’s clandestine, abandoned, industrial-park driveway, we clocked the MP3s at:

MP3 250 11.92 seconds

MP3 400 10.60 seconds

MP3 500 8.85 seconds

That’s with a cell phone stopwatch and speedo-indicated speed, but you get the gist.

Cross-Country On MP3s

Four weeks, 14 states, 500 cities, and more than 3,400 miles — all for only $276 in gas money. Bernard “Buddy” Rosenbaum, 71, from New York City, and Bob Chase, 72, of San Francisco, California, proved that in the world of motorcycling there really is no age limit as they rolled into drizzly Times Square after crossing the country on a pair of Piaggio MP3 500 scooters. “The next time I come into New York through the Lincoln Tunnel with a police escort is when I’m elected president,” Rosenbaum cracked to the crowd.

The friends set out from San Francisco on June 13, tackling the legendary Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the US. Buddy and Bob arrived in Times Square, the eastern terminus of the route, to a warm reception from a crowd made up of members of the Scooter Club of New York, representatives of Piaggio USA, including President Paolo Timoni, and dozens of curious onlookers and tourists in town for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. There were also a number of journalists from news organizations such as CNN, AP, Forbes, BusinessWeek, and RoadBike.

“No Age Limit” was the name of Piaggio’s promotion, and the adage proved true. Buddy and Bob traveled about 150 miles per day on their MP3s, staying at bed-and-breakfasts along the way for a more down-home experience. Read all about Buddy and Bob’s experience on their travel blog, see photos from the trip, and trace the route of the Lincoln Highway at www.NoAgeLimitPiaggio.US. RB