Modern Vespa

Hello everyone,

For far too long (years, actually) I have lurked on here, occasionally coming up for air with the odd question or attempt at humour. The MP3 always seemed a bizarre but perfect form of urban transportation - at that magical point where a medium budget meets innovation - just the same thing that has brought us the smart car and BMW C1. But I have always felt that I was an impostor, who had only spent a day on a clapped out Honda Lead 110 as part of his CBT course. There was always a reason not to bite - finance, location, safety, parking.

But today that changes! I present to you, my brand-spanking-new MP3-500-LT-sport. The heavens opened while I was in the dealer signing everything, but thankfully it was sunny when I set off for home. With my lack of experience, the start was decidedly wobbly, but I was surprised how quickly I got the hang of it. Here in the UK we have a bizarre legal loophole that allows me to ride on a car licence without any MC courses/licences. But, having said all that, the 500 gives me great confidence that I can keep up and not get in anybody's way. And with the extra wheel, even I realised that the wet road was far less of a problem than it would have been on two wheels.

Finally, I understand the cheek pain that comes from being unable to stop grinning!



David

Welcome to the enjoyment of the MP3 ride and to this forum. FM

Cool! And congratulations on the new ride!
As a new MP3 rider I also now understand the grin factor.

Nice piece of kit. You will enjoy the experience immensely.

Awesome on the USB port.
Gonna be putting one of those on real soon. Ordering one today that looks just like that!

I forgot to add: Being a non-scooter culture over here that's why we don't get the cool stuff. I see a 500cc bike, same body/fairing style as the 400 over here, driving lights (hopefully they are actually useful), and an adjustable windshield. Oh yeah, and that USB port...

What's not to like?

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

I gave it another run today, doing a loop of Richmond Park - perfect for me at the moment as it has few junctions and a 20mph limit. The deer and scenery are fantastic as well. Keeping to 20 is a bit tricky as I now understand how difficult it is to read the mph on the run. Is there a way to get a digital mph readout on the dash?

I also noticed that there is a slight play left to right on the throttle grip - is this normal?

One minor annoyance is the way you have to activate the steering lock to lock the seat/rear storage. Otherwise anyone can press the unlock buttons on the bars and get at your stuff.

Finally, I'm not sure how to keep it at home. I put it on my garden path so it's out of sight, but I'm a bit uneasy using the centre stand as I fear it might break the slabs. The dealer seemed to keep them just with the tilt lock on and the parking brake. Will this damage anything?

Thanks again.

For a digital speed readout, most people use a GPS. It has the added benefit of actually reading the accurate speed!

If you're using the bike frequently, just using the tilt lock in the parking brake is fine. If the bike is going to be sitting for more than a few days at a time, you should put it on the center stand and take off the tilt lock.

Mark

Congratulations! That's a beautiful scoot.

Lovely.

Where are you ordering it from? Want.

Get a decent size (say 18" square) peice of 3/4" plywood to use under the centre stand and spread the load.

As has already been said, it's best to put it on the stand, then knock the tilt lock off. I was having problems with the tilt lock hydraulic pressure (horn beeping when i turned the ignition on) until i started doing this.

I am not sure where "The Holly" is getting hers from, but I think I've located the supplier.

http://burnsmoto.com/usb-power-socket-weatherproof.php

Anyone have a different source?

At $25.00, it seems reasonable enough, but I'd like to see a bank of two or three in a pod.. Hmmm. future mod?

Steve

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