Modern Vespa

Being an old hotrodder, I'm already thinking about getting more power out of the engine in my newly acquired MP3 500. Does anyone know if there are big bore kits, cams, cranks available for these things? I know exhaust systems are available and I'm looking to get a GRmoto from England.

Get a bike with a bigger engine that has a real transmission

Very helpful response. Thanks(?) Um, why are you on a scooter's with automatic transmissions forum if you hate scooters with automatic transmissions? Just wondering.

If I wanted to get another motorcycle with a manual transmission I would have bought one, but nothing with 450cc or bigger are low enough for me to ride comfortably. Plus, none have the cargo carrying capability that the MP3 has without resorting to huge and bulky panniers. I already sold my Suzuki GS750 because I can't ride it comfortably with my bad knees and short legs.
Besides, I like modifying engines and making them go fast. At some point I'll pull the head off the MP3 and do a port and flow job. Possibly modify the throttle body too. And playing with the O2 sensor signal to trick the ECU into richening up the mixture might be beneficial.

I do like scooters, just that the mp3 is way too heavy to even consider spending the money to make it go faster. I use my mp3 as a winter bike and grocery getter, both of which it handles really well

You can't turn a Winnebago into a Golf GTI, no matter how hard you try

If you wanted a scooter you can mod somewhat easily then the Yamaha T-Max is a far better choice with plenty of available go fast aftermarket support

Problem is, the US is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to scooters so we don't get the latest and greatest scooters. While I would love to get a Yamaha T-Max, they haven't been available here for quite some time. Used one's are hard to find and when one does pop up, the sellers seem to think they're made of gold, judging by their asking prices.

I do have a PGO G Max 150 that I've modified to 185cc. While it's not all that heavy, it's a lot of fun. It has a stroker crankshaft, big bore kit, ported head with over sized valves, ported intake manifold, larger carburetor, performance cam, modified oil system, Dr. Pulley variator, performance clutch, upgraded suspension, basically, the works. The most fun I have with it is racing motorcycles and beating them. Some get kind of upset because they, like many motorcyclists, hate scooters. The Harley guys are particularly fun.

So yes, the MP3 500 is heavy, but that doesn't mean one can't have fun and make it the best it can be. Harley's weigh as much as a house and handle like one, but plenty of guys dump bucket loads of money into them to try and make them better. It's all in one's perspective.

The biggest mp3 problem is the engine. To shift all that weight It needs a twin vs continuing to recycle a 20 year old single popper that cannot be developed further.

Case in point: Power output between the last gen 500hpe and the current 530hpe is the same.

The Kymco CV3 is a much more attractive proposition.

Speaking of performance parts, does anyone have experience with the GRmoto muffler?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275531658095

It's about 7.5 kg (16.5 lbs) lighter than the factory muffler with a removable baffle. The price is not too bad compared to the likes of Leo Vince and Akrapovic.

Well, yes the Kymco CV3 is beautiful and I would love to have one. But it's also US$12,000, and that's before taxes, fees, and license. Plus I'm not even sure it's available in the US. And while it makes 11 more horsepower, it also weighs 622 lbs (282 kg) compared to the MP3 500's 538 lbs (244 kg). So as far as power-to-weight ratio goes, it kind of evens out.

I paid US$1,000 for my MP3, so I have lots of room to throw into the money pit.

BTW, just to nitpick, the new 530hpe makes 44 hp compared to the 500's 40 hp. I know, not much. But it's something. Lol. And with an aftermarket muffler, the 500 will lose some weight and gain another 2.5 hp or so.

You're not likely to gain much power if anything from a exhaust. The biggest benefit is lighter weight vs the stock muffler and a slightly better soundtrack.

The current mp3 comes in at around 280kg and costs 15,5K Euro. That is about 50kg more than a similar maxi scoot with similar power output (Yamaha T-Max)

I'm just going by what the representative for GRmoto told me, a 2 kw gain in power.

Piaggio says the dry weight for a 2008 MP3 500 is 244 kg, so that's the number I'm quoting.

In the end, even if the T-Max and CV3 were available here to purchase, I can't afford them, so the point is moot. It's like I'd love to buy a Porsche, but I can't so I'll stick with my little Fiat 500 turbo (which I absolutely love).

The 2008 MP3 in the US was actually a Fuoco elsewhere in the world, hence the lower weight factor vs genuine mp3 models

I'd take the power gains&claims with a huge grain of salt.

I got less than 1hp with my Akrapovic, and put the silencer back in to minimize torque loss.

I put a Leo Vince Nero Slip-On Muffler on My 2016 Mp3 500ie Sport. Its pretty similar specs to the other after market exhausts.

As expected, it did not make much difference on power or performance. What it did do was drop weight which combined with other mods to drop weight.

* Deleted the CARBs system from the trunk dropped 2 pounds and made more room for stuff under the seat
* Lithium Battery dropped 10 pounds; never had trouble with the Lithium even on cold days in the mountains.
* Leo Vince Nero Slip-On muffler dropped 15 pounds

Taken together it was 27 pounds off the bike; not much but every little bit helpes.

The biggest change was the "fuzzy washer" I got on this forum. It changed the CVT ratio by widening the rear variator by 1mm. Lower top speed but better low-end acceleration. This boost was great in the twisty roads of the local mountains but the 10mph loss of top-end speed was a problem on the highways. Had to hold 6,5000 RPM to stay at highway and 7,000 RPM for passing. When I started doing longer road trips (800+ miles) the lack of top-end speed was really becoming a problem... so I got a CTX700 DCT for road trips.

Some folks mess with the variator weights and slides putting lighter or heavier ones on for different results. I never messed. with that stuff but the gains where incremental at best

I hear you pinheadh78. My goal is to reduce the weight of the scoot too. I'm going to get a Dominator muffler (https://www.ebay.com/itm/284178364141) because it sounds great and the price is reasonable.
I also have a lithium battery (it came with the scoot) and the weight difference between it and an regular AGM is huge.
I may play around with the roller weights, but the rollers for the MP3 are significantly more expensive than those in my GY6 powered scooters. I would like to get some Dr. Pulley sliders though because I found they last longer than regular rollers. Probably some that are a little lighter to help with acceleration without impacting top speed too much. I usually stay pretty close to speed limits. Well, most of the time anyway.
I found someone selling a complete stock head assembly for a MP3 500. I may pick it up to play around with. Do some port work on it for better flow and maybe find a performance cam, it they even exist. If nothing else, I'll regrind the valve seats and clean it up so I have a spare head in case it's needed.