Modern Vespa

Paul at Vespa Medina/State 8 called and said they wanted a scooterist's opinion of the MP3 and would I "like to demo one for the weekend?" Pinch me-I'm dreaming! I drove to Medina (between Cleveland and Akron) and picked up the bike. The only catch was a "written-report" on
my experiences. I thought I was done with school but OK by me!

Many of us have read Jess's great review of the bike. I just wanted to share what impressed me the most:

1) Corners like nothing I've ever ridden. I'm pretty a conservative rider and I was still able to take turns at 5-10 mph higher than usual. An agressive sport-bike rider would really have a great time with the MP3. I took it on a 50 miler through a very hilly, winding road area and it performed flawlessly.

2) Stability is tremendous. Tight turns, bumps, railroad tracks, etc. pose no problem for this rock-solid stable scoot.

3) Locking the suspension at stops made for pure comfort (and lot of quizzical looks!). It's amazing.

4) Storage is generous. My morning commute saw me put: office clothes, shoes, camera, coffee mug and sizeable briefcase with laptop in the underseat compartment and helmet case. As fun as this bike is I think it really shines as a commuter vehicle.

5) It was stable at highway speeds. I'd like to add a taller windscreen but 55-65 was fine.

6) You make tons of friends. DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE unless you want to meet tons of people. Folks were stopping me in front of stores and restaurants, at traffic lights, coming in the opposite direction on a main street! (A 10 min trip to the bagel store took 1 1/2 hours by the time the curious subsided.)

7) Harley riders, super bikers and scooterists (vintage included) ALL were totally intrigued and crowded around the MP3 at the usual meeting places (e.g. Starbucks on Main St.)

Mileage: c.60 MPG with much-less conservative riding than I normally do.


It was a blast!

i demo's the thing down in new orleans last weekend and had the same experience. handles the streecar tracks and huge pot holes with no problem.

i didn't ride it long enough to get used to the locking mechanism.

it was great fun to ride, and yeah like everyone was staring at me like, what the hell IS that thing?!


if didn't spend all my money at jazz fest i would buy one.

I love the bike but the price is the only thing holding me back. The jump upward from the GTS to the MP3 is significant. The technology might be worth it but it's a big jump.

it looks futuristic. like a robot from the Dr Who show. but, yeah, it's too rich for my blood.

if a ever get a job with real pay, it may be a possibility.

I did my test ride on the 5th and had a blast. Overall I had a very similar experience to what you described. I was amazed at how quickly I became comfortable taking turns and curves at higher and higher speeds. The bike is rock solid. I didn't even notice the light rail tracks and even aimed for a few potholes to see how the bike handled them.

The price point is the sticking point for me too. Had I not just gotten the GTS last summer I'd think more seriously about an MP3.

For the price, I'm holding out for the 400c engine. If I'm going to spend the money, I want the bigger engine. Plus I already have a 250cc scooter.