Modern Vespa

Hi all
I'm new to scooting and looking to purchase an MP3 300 for commuting, from slough to London,can anyone recommend a place around south east& London?

Or would you suggest a second hand one?

What is the reliability like and any models/years to avoid?

Are high milers risky for maintenance?

300 vs 350 vs 500?
I won't be going central London but the congestion zone being free for a 300 sounds appealing…..(is this for all previous year 300s)??

Much appreciated

Since the distance between city centre Slough and London is about 25 miles each way, you should only be looking at the 500 with the 400 as a backup alternative.

Your commute is about identical to mine distance wise. I have a 2015 500ie MP3.

The 300 and 350 are not really motorway machines.

Even with the 500 and with the commute you mentioned, expect to refuel about every other day. This is because you will be turning 5K-7K rpms. Beyond that you are merely making noise and increasing fuel consumption substantially.

These bikes are designed for the city and thus they are handicapped by way of fuel range. If you need a longer distance machine, then you need a real motorcycle.

Hi thanks for the reply really appreciate the info.

What is the mpg like on 500? Tank size etc as I'm trying to weight up if train or trike be the better option. I lose 2hrs 1 way on a train so almost 3.5/4hrs a day.

Would the Yamaha 300 or Peugeot metropolis be any better on fuel and can they be ridden on full uk car drivers license?

How's your maintenance been on the 500? Is it massive different between the 300/350?

I have the 300 - I do 24 miles about 3 times a week. At current prices, that's £10 (at today's price of 1.45 per litre). I guess that's around 7 litres in the tank and works out to be around 47 mpg - city riding with around 1 minute at 60mph on a dual carriageway. That's not as good as I hoped it would be but I get stopped a lot at traffic lights on the A23.

Can't give you imperial stats, but I can give average metric readings.

For the driving I do, (75% motorway, 25% city) I get about 7.5-8.5Liter/100km

On the 500, the engine's "happy zone" is between 5K-7Krpm. Remember, this is only a single piston engine

Fuel tank size on my model year is 12L, and I refuel just before the low fuel light comes on.

Fillups vary somewhat, but average out to about 9Liters per refill.

The consumption and lack of range is a big drawback if you plan to use this thing primarily on the motorway. My car (a Honda Accord turbodiesel wagon) easily beats the MP3 on the consumption front.

Compare this to my other bike a Honda ST1300, which has a 1300cc V4 motor. It consumes 5.5-6Liter/100km, has about 3 times the displacement and about 3 times the amount of power. I can easily get over 400km on a tankful (it holds 29Liter total) and have once gone just over 500km.

At 120km/h the MP3 is turning close to 7K rpm, while the ST1300 is barely doing half the rpms.

Again, the MP3 is a inner city machine first and foremost.

Do you have a full motorcycle license? If so, your choices are wide and varied.

If you only have a class B car license, then you automatically fall into Piaggio's key target demographic. However, also consider the Kymco CV3 which is a twin cylinder 550cc 3 wheeler

If you want something with more power only on a car license, then you may want to check out BRP's Can Am Spyder or Ryker trikes

One more thing, I would avoid any high milers or ones that have a spotty history. Ditto on models over 10 years old. Most dealers will not even work on them when they reach 10 years. I would only look at 3rd gen bikes (those made from around 2014-2015 until recently)

As for maintenance, I do a oil and filter every 5K km using the correct factory oil and filter for the simple fact that these bikes hold very little oil and I ride in the upper rpm range. Differential gear oil renewal every 20K km. Belt, spark plugs and air filter every 10K km. And renew coolant and brake fluid (including tilt lock) every 2 years regardless of distance covered.

Never had any major mechanical issues other than initial sloppy build quality (compared to a Japanese bike).

You'll save a lot on maintenance if you can do these items yourself.

One important thing, the Achilles heel of the MP3 are its tilt lock mechanism and the steering head bearings.

Grease the bearings at the same time as the oil and filter (every 5K km) and you'll likely never have problems.

I've never had tilt lock problems, but I never use it, however many people have had issues.

Thanks @imadequavers and @sbaert

Sounds like the 500 is only giving around 33/37mpg at the figures you mentioned.

I did not know about Kymco CV3, I don't have a motorcycle license. So I am stuck on the car license and being a first timer rider needed all the advice.

Can Kymco cv3 can be ridden on car drivers license?

The can am and ryker look too wide I need to park in a motorcycle bay in London. And I think this model might be picked up as a official trike 😝 compared to MP3/Tricity and CV3

Highly recommend seeking out and taking a motorcycle training class even if you don't plan on getting the full license. The Piaggio Mp3 and Kymco CV3 are both large machines that handle like regular motorcycles with all the same risks and challenges. Riding is a commitment to learning, training, growing skills, and thinking about traffic hazards with a whole new perspective.

Regarding the Kymco CV3, I WISH those things were available in California, but sadly never will be The larger 550cc parallel-twin motor produces better highway performance due to a significantly more capable engine and significantly better build quality vs the Piaggio series. The trade off is the Kymco CV3 has a slightly smaller under-seat cargo compartment but nothing a good backpack and top-case wont offset.

The Kymco CV3 can be ridden on a standard car license.

Considering the stuuuuupid price increase on the brand new MP3 530, the Kymco is the one to get.

never fianance a secondhand bike

and there are more choices

Yamaha Tricity 300

Pegeot Metropolis 400

Quadro 350 and Qooder 400

This comparison video although in French shows the Kymco CV3 has real good performance but I've just come to realise this is NEW for 2023

The prices of a Piaggio mp3 530 and Kymco cv3 are ridiculously high in uk above £12K for a scooter!

Can buy a decent car! But being London the congestion and parking are troublesome and costly.

I may have to look at a second hand bike….for now and see how I get along over time.

So minimum is Piaggio 500 as i Tricity 300 and Piaggio 350/400 seem under powered for overtaking…..that a fair assessment???

a 400 and 500 have both a topspeed of 150km same engine just a 98cc and 7 hp at the rearwheel differents and if the 400 needs a new cylinder and piston you can go for the 460cc or 497cc then you will have also 41 HP my oppion is the 400 the better choice

SO a 2009 2010 or 2011 400 will do also haven't worked on the new 400 hpe so can tell you any thing on that one

Choices choices 😬

I'm trying to weigh up motorway cruiser with mpg and I'm reading the Piaggio 500 isn't great on mpg?
And doesn't have big tank so needs every other day fuelling.

As I'd be doing 160-170miles a week and need it to be fuel efficient……

On all the bikes discussed what's the best balanced for motorway and mpg and reliability?

if you can controle your right wrist i got customers that do 325km on 11 liters

If you keep a steady 50 km/h, then yes.

But not possible when you are on the motorway and are required to maintain 100 or 120 km/h to keep up with traffic.

Once more, the MP3 is designed as a city machine although I have used mine for touring. But I got tired of playing "where's the next fuel station" as soon as 100 km have passed by and got a real bike designed for doing distances.

If you want my opinion, I'd look for a solid example of a early 3rd gen 500ie (circa 2014-2016). They have depreciated enough to be affordable and see if the motorcycle lifestyle appeals to you. If it does, then you can always get something better later on. And if it doesn't, you can sell it with minimal investment or loss.

Definitely take a motorcycle course. Even with the car license, in Europe generally they don't let you just get on without taking a beginner's 8 hour course just to give you the basics.

And don't skimp on safety equipment, especially helmet wise. There are no spare parts for your head, so don't go bottom dollar. A decent basic helmet will cost you a few hundred and a great helmet can easily exceed a thousand. A helmet may not be the sexiest thing in the world, but just like buying a Volvo when the worst happens you want the best possible chance of walking away with little to no bodily injury.

In other words, don't buy your motorcycle gear from the same place you buy your groceries.

yes it will be possible even with highway speeds with a 400!!! a 500 will use more fuel my first was a 2008 model 400 did +/-20.000km in 9 months avarge fuel consumption 260 km on 11 liters

Then changed it to a 460 Cylinder and Fuoco Front end did 240km on 11 liters so

My tuned Fuoco 500 does 200 on 12 liters
My 1000cc Fuoco does 320 on 18 liters
A 3gen 500 ABS/Asr is heavier does about 220 on 11 liters

Completely agree. Knowing what I now know about congestion charge for London, it would be the Kymco for me if I was buying now.

Another few things to consider

The newest 2nd gen MP3 is 10 years old. For a scooter, that is old.

Considering OP lives in the UK aka the land of damp, rain, and frost having ABS and traction control is a minimum safety net especially if the bike is going to be used year round and at higher speeds (motorway). IIRC, ABS is mandated in the EU since quite a few years on all motorcycles . . . and for a good reason. It works.

Parts availability. Piaggio is not the best when it comes to supporting legacy models. Example: My 2015 has the optional brown gel saddle. This specific saddle became unobtainium somewhere around 2020 when my model was still in production. And now the seat sensor has gone bad. The seat sensor is not available as a separate part, except as supplied when buying a complete seat assembly. And in my case, that would mean a standard (without gel) black seat.

BS on parts how many brown seats do you want ?

https://shop.3ppp.de/Dreiraeder/Piaggio-MP3-ab-2014/1444/Doppelsitzbank-Komfort-Gel-Piaggio-MP3-Business-Braun

Even first gen 2008 till 2014 parts are availble

For the Gilera Fuoco some small parts aren't available anymore like a frame rubber or grill inserts

But got them in stock and i can re produce them from viberglass or silicon

Avoid finance, you're far better off moving the debt around 0% credit cards until it's paid off.

I call BS on your BS.

Easyparts.nl lists the seat as "niet meer leverbaar" a.k.a. NLA (no longer available)

https://www.easyparts.nl/Zadel-Comfort-Gel-PIAGGIO-MP3-Business-2014-Bruin-p33539303

Yep easyparts is not what it used to be the wholesale version Scooterselex also same company dito and getting to expensive

But they are still available at Ricambi guasti italy (need a bussness account)where i source al my parts and 3ppp still got them

So not unobtainium think there will be some around in the US also, the seat was made by shad

I used to work as a courier in London and rode a GTS 250. I regularly rode to slough and Windsor and Ipswich. A 300 will be fine for UK motorways. You're not travelling the length of the England, just a relatively short comute. There are petrol stations every 10 miles in that area. You will be doing 7k rpm but scooters are meant to do that and built for it.

Thanks all bought a used Piaggio MP3 500 Business 2019!

Now looking for equipment any

Urbano thermoscud cover
Muffs needed? Vs wind protectors?


Any recommendations on gloves/jacket and shoes?

Sorry, but I'd have to disagree.

Are you of the opinion that the 300 GTS or 350 Beverly are not really motorway machines either?

My 300 sits at 70mph happily enough, is big enough to not get blown around, and nimble enough for filtering.

Did a 100 mile round trip today, filled up when I started and when I got back and got just under 6 litres in (it worked out as 61mpg), and I was WOT half of the journey.

Even a 125 is fine, as the lorries are regulated to 60mph, so as long as you stick in the inside lane you're OK. All the 125s I've had could easily do that - the X9125 topped out at 70.