Modern Vespa

What MP3 model is the best? Less issues?

MP3 250, 400, 500? Generation 1 or 2? Why?

You have missed the 300, I'd say the 300 has almost no issues at all.and I have owned everything 9 mp3s fromn 125 upto 500 and the 300 just does it all without blow back with oil,oil in pretrol.cracked pistons.steering notch.have I missed anything guys?

Listing Best to Worse... US Models....

MP3/250 (Gen 1, No longer Available) - Great for the City, OK for Highway but lacking robust power due to the bikes weight. I used my MP3/250 to go from Atlanta to Memphis for Amerivespa, but I wasn't in a hurry. 70 MPH on Flat Highway, in the Mountains it was lacking power to get up the hills to maintain the higher speed limits. It uses the Quasar Engine, which is used not only for the MP3/250, but GTS, GTV, and other Piaggio Brands. No Engine history of issues, No Oil Blow. *** My Favorite Bike ***

MP3/400 (Gen 1, No longer Available) - Great for both Highway and City, less reports of Oil Blow and Piston Problems in the US. Good Power. 400cc Master Engine, that does not have the modifications used for the MP3/500 Master Engine.
I would buy one if I could find one with Low Miles and well Maintained.
Last Model year was 2010 in the US.
Uses same Body Parts as MP3/250, so it would be another Favorite.

Lastly...

The MP3/500 (Gen 1 and Gen 2) - I own one, it worries me with all the issues past and current with this model. I always had a concern for this 500cc Master Engine, purchased a new 2016 "Assuming" all was good with the later models. That does not seem to be the case. But I don't have issues right now, but keep oil level's at 1500cc vs the recommendation in the manual. Not getting rid of it anytime soon, but if the issues continue? I will probably trade it in before I start having issues.

I will ride my MP3/250 until the Wheels Fall Off...
I have plenty spare parts for this bike.

Keith,
Marietta, GA

No 300 in the US, but I wish... That would be an Awesome Bike.
I have future plans to Upgrade my MP3/250 to the Malossi Big Bore, High Performance and Replacement Cylinder Kits for 300cc.

Keith,
Marietta, GA

Keith you can fit a 278cc cyllinder on your 250 even the 350cc cylinder wil fit then you get a 289cc

The 250/300 engine is certainly the most refined and reliable of the MP3 power plants. It is also popular in the Vespa GTS. That engine may be a good match up with the lighter European MP3 Yourban. In the US, you are stuck with matching a 22 hp engine with a 500-600 pound scooter. Not the best combination. The US is still waiting for an MP3 Yourban with the 350 engine.

In the UK we have both a mp3 and a yourban in 300cc at the moment I have a 250 and of course a 300 yourban but the yourban is the lt version and the wife uses that 1 on her car licence

I have both 250 & 400 MP3s of which have been trouble free except for the car radial tires I put on both. The CRTs have caused me some issues but I still like them.

Welllll Piaggio stopped producing the Yourban and the Fuoco

Thanks Maksor,

I didn't realize you can make a Quasar Engine go to 350cc. I thought 300cc was the limit.
The MP3/250 as it is I think is Great with decent MPG, but the extra HP would offset the lack of power when riding in the Mountains.

Keith

you wont gain any hp ony a bit of torque a 300 has the same HP and torque as the 250

And stopped producing the MP3 250, and stopped importing it to the US in 2010. Most of the options described here are not available as new bikes at a dealer.

So where is the 350cc kit available from?

Cheers

there is no 350 kit the Piaggio 350cc Cylinder wil fit on a 250 it becomes a 289cc then

I owned a couple of 400s and enjoyed them though both had faults. I was hoping that a completely new design generation would be brought to market especially given how successful the current ones have become as they gradually established a new market, in Europe at least.

I would like to see:-
Lighter weight with a simpler front end design and especially less complicated tilt lock arrangements.
Underseat storage to match the X10 rather than the unnecessary two lid arrangement.
Bigger front wheels with ABS across the range.
Possibly a partial monocoque design which incorporates some bodywork into structural integrity and does away in part with the all tubular frame.
Smaller price differential compared to two wheeled equivalents.

Piaggio are really just selling the same model with cosmetic differences so its about time for a new one.

`09 MP3 400 or newer is the best all around for reliability, mpg, and storage.

Do you have links to examples? I can't imagine you can get that cylinder down onto the case without a bit of machine work, and unless you are going to change the crank, you still need to come up with a 78mm piston and wristpin for the 250 crank.
You can put the Malossi 75.5 cylinder on the 250 crankcase, but the 300 has a larger diameter wristpin and 3mm more stroke, so you will be back at the machine shop to deck the cylinder and out looking for a piston.

thats no problem i'm also converted several 400 to 500cc with the 492cc cylinder and piston then it becomes a 486cc

on some pistons you need to grind away the casting seam

i've even converted the Gilera GP800Aprillia srv850 to 1000cc

But how do you change the fuel volume that is injected to cylinder?

with software but the mapping of the 250 and 300 are the same

Looks like that's the reason why horsepower of 250 and 300 is the same.

you can get more HP out of it then you need to buy a alientech kit kessv2 with that you can access the mapping and remap and flash the ecu

sent you a pm

My new '16 MP3 500 :>(

I have a 2008, MP3 400 and I find that it has had no issues. I do my own maintenance and find that even dealers of MP3s don't assign their best mechanics to working on the scooters (because they also sell motorcycles). The MP3 400 has enough speed for the interstate highways and handles well at high speed. I have a Honda, Goldwing and enjoy riding the scooter in the city because it is easy to park and handles well in city traffic.

Having ridden the mp3 range I found the mp3 300 was more of a scooter than the 500 with much lighter nimble handling and good power up to 50mph where as the mp3 500 as a better cruser and comfortable crusing at 60 to 80mph thanks to the longer wheel base and much larger wind shield.
Both bike were very good but overall if its city comute the mp3 300 wins hands down.