Modern Vespa

I took the MP3 500 (with a friend on a dualsport) on some OHV and fire roads in the Angeles National Forest a few weeks back and was quite surprised with how well it handled...well, until I dumped it. Anyhow, I finally allocated some time to document it here:

http://www.mutated.net/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=91

Scroll to the bottom for some YouTube action!

deli-x

Some of the guys and gals on here are pretty quick at finding new stuff and somebody beat you to posting the video. At least now we know who is in the video. Here is the link to the other post. https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic36187

Looks like fun. I enjoy geocaching too.

Quote from deli-x's link "Piaggio should make an MP3 that is built for offroad, not just one that looks like it."

Check out http://www.brudelitech.com/

Piaggio is unlikely to get into a niche market of offroad vehicles, but there are others that may fill in those gaps with interesting new vehicles.

Dude! With the quickness! I didn't even see that post!

The Brudeli looks interesting but kinda wide for trails or lane splitting...is it wider than the MP3? I wonder how much work will need to be done to modify the MP3 for offroad.

I have trailed and fire roaded my both my MP3's, a 250 and a 500. Both are fine till you hit sand over 6" deep. The front end is too heavy to power lift. With a dirt bike you get back on the pegs, float the front end and power through on top. With an MP3 you have to slow (maybe 10 mph or less) way down and use a low power waddle through with lots of foot dabs. More like plowing than riding. I never feel in control.
Bottom line, I have revised my plans to use either for off road transport in the high desert where sand is plentiful and deep mud is instant with a little rain. I travel alone and cannot really afford to get stuck or dumped without good reason. Gonna get a fat tired Yamaha 200 cc for that role.

Your post just strenghtens my quest to buy my mp3 500!.....i cant wait!

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Your page doesn't want to open for me, so I accessed the youtube vid directly.

Just a note on off-road riding:

1) Are those trails one way?

If not, one or maybe both of you appear to be riding on the wrong side of the road/trail into blind corners, at times.

There have been countless off-road collisions, some fatal, on little-used tracks when a vehicle suddenly appears around a blind corner. I hope you bear this in mind...

Cheers, and all the best

Trevor G

If you are using fire trails like in the video, then it's possible.

The enemy is dirt. You need to service your air cleaner element daily in dusty/off-road conditions.

1) It is oiled foam, so it needs to be washed out in soapy water and then re-oiled using appropriate filter oil, making sure that all the excess oil is squeezed out.

2) You could also use more foam on the air intake area on the outside of the air cleaner assembly, as a pre-cleaner.

It's messy and time consuming, but absolutely necessary. Any dirt or dust that gets past becomes an abrasive paste in the engine oil and will rapidly wear out the engine. Because some still gets past anyway, it pays to change the engine oil more frequently than suggested.

3) The other hazard is the auto trans area, which I believe is vented. If air can get out, dusty air can also get in and accelerate wear of the belt and pulleys. You could use foam over the air exit and entry points and lightly oil this also to trap dust.

4) More suitable tyres.

Cheers, and all the best

Trevor G

Thanks for the feedback, Trevor. I think the trails are bidirectional and I just tried to ride where it would be easiest on the MP3.

I took my MP3 in for 4K mile service this past Saturday and made sure they checked the air filter. The shop called me today to pick up the bike. They said the filter was filled with dust and they had to clean it. I'll have to get more info from the mechanic when I pick it up tomorrow.

Most do. Just move to the correct side before blind corners - it really is a life-and-death hazard.

Also never be travelling fast into a blind corner, in case you have to take avoiding action from someone who is coming around on your side of the road.

All the best

Trevor G