Modern Vespa

Hello, I just joined and am likely purchasing the above. From your experience, what do you think i should know about this scooter? I have done some research. I have also owned a number of 2 wheeled motorcycle. Thanks!

Hi pow,

I had this scooter in 2007 until it met a tragic and ignominious end on the grill of a distracted left-turner. I really enjoyed riding it, but its major downside was that the engine was under-powered for the weight of the scooter. After its demise, I bought a 400, which was just "over the hump" in terms of power. I rode it for 11 years and 40,000 miles, including freeway commuting.

As much as I like my current 500 HPE, I have a soft spot in my heart for the 400.

If you are sticking to the streets, the 250 will meet your needs.

What he said. I had a 250 and it was perfectly fine for local riding. It has a good seat and feels very planted on the road. It struggled to get above 60 MPH, though, likely because of the weight. Also, it's harder to maneuver around when it's not running because the front steering is stiff. The footwells (footboards) are tight if you have big boots, and there's not a lot of legroom. Many owners fabricate extended footpeg mounts so they can stretch out their legs.

Thanks, I live in Santa Monica, CA. I would be riding the 250 in town mainly to get to the Pacific Coast Highway for about 15 miles where I could be on nice "country" side roads and Mulholland Highway which is breath takingly gorgeous. So my "high" speed highway riding would not be extensive. Of course, after having ridden motorcycles for years, I don't relish the idea of a bike that feels too underpowered. I am also concerned about the weight of the 250, and the 500. Is it a pain in the derriere to back up? I am in good shape but 70 years old. I don't care to wrestle a heavy beast around. I am open to the 250 or 500, whichever would best serve my purposes, and of course there is the price difference. Having said all that, I don't know if I need the heft and power of a 500, but I do want to feel comfortable going 60-70 mph when I want to. Thanks for any input !!

A MP3 IS heavy, a LOT heavier than it might seem.

The current MP3 weighs in at around or just over 280kg (over 600lbs).

That is in the same class as a full fledged touring bike.

If backing up and maneuvering is a issue, I'd suggest you look at the current MP3 530 Exclusive or the last gen MP3 500hpe Advanced. Both have integrated reverse like a Honda Goldwing.

I don't think you are going to be happy with a 250 for what you want to do. A 400 would be perfect. The 2016 and newer 500s are roughly the same weight, but somehow feel bigger.

Backing up is easy. Just engage the tilt lock and you don't have to worry about holding the bike upright. Same for pushing it around when parking.

I know the Mulholland Highway very well. It's a beautiful ride.

I am in good shape and 75 years old.

Thanks, for my purposes a new MP3 with reverse in too expensive. I do not see any 400 cc's in my searches. Only 500cc's in the Los Angeles area. The 250 is appealing because of the lower price, and I will not be riding a ton. But yes, perhaps i would be a bit dissatisfied with the power.
Never seems to be an easy decision. Thanks.

My current Liberty 150S feels like it has about the same performance as my MP3/250 did, but is much more flickable and lighter, with better ergonomics. The tilt lock servo mechanism can be fickle, and is VERY costly to replace. There's an MP3 forum here on MV. You might take a look at the threads on various issues. They're wonderful rides, but they're not as simple as a two wheeler. Good luck.

I had one of the early MP3 500's (a Gilera Fuoco) and that had just enough power for all conditions. I gather the 400's were just as good. An early 400 might be a better bet, especially if you're used to other more powerful PTWs.

Just FYI. The Mp3 can still fall over with the tilt-lock engaged. The tilt-lock locks the bike at whatever angle it was parked and engaged at. So if your on a slope or uneven surface then the bike can topple over while being pushed. Best to make sure that the bike and parking surface is level before you try to push it around.

Otherwise, (and I've had this happen) make a plan for how you are going to push it past the slope or uneven spot. Sometimes you have to temporarily disengage the tilt-lock while holding the bike upright, adjust the angle, then re-engage the tilt-lock.

If your mind is set on a MP3 I'd stay away from a first gen MP3 for the same reasons you stay away from anything that is version 1.

For the hilly areas you want to tackle, a good pick would be the 2016 or later 500ie as those are old enough to be inexpensive (compared to the later/newer hpe versions) and new enough that most of the bugs were worked out. Also the 500ie engine is very reliable, perhaps not Honda reliable but definitely Italy reliable.

Another thing to consider is that the bulk of Piaggio dealers are not willing to work on Piaggio products that are 10 years old or more, so that should tell you something.

Just make sure to replace coolant (G12 spec as used on VW/Audi cars) and brake fluid (DOT4 spec) every 2 years without exception. And grease the headstock bearings with every oil and filter change, ideally every 3K miles to avoid issues. The headstock bearings are the Achilles heel of every MP3 every built and keeping them full of grease is the cheap and cheerful solution to avoid issues.

I have a 2020 500 MP3, it's perfect if you need to carry a passenger, mounting up is much easier, My wife can't passenger anymore...
Locking the front like Frank says makes it easy to move the MP3 around off the bike, easy to park, If I park with the front uphill, I roll backwards, start the bike ride away, once parked, I usually lock the tilt, put on the parking brake, walk away. The center stand is easy too.
The front is great, you're always over at least one of the front wheels. I rode on icy streets, pucker was greatly reduced
Power is adequate, even for the freeway, passes on two lane roads take some planning . I ride it a couple of times a month

I have a Liberty 150 which is lighter, easier for me to ride, cheaper to register, insure & repair
More suited to my increasing decrepitude
Tops out 60+
Simple to park, usually by the bike rack
I take it for a 2-3 hour ride every week