Modern Vespa

For ScooterMaxi.com posting I am try to confirm the correct weight of the 400 and 500. The claim that BOTH the 400 and 500 are 538 pounds (244 kg) most likely is not right. The 250 is listed at 450 pounds.

It is also frustrating to see Piaggiousa claiming 70 to 80 mpg on the 400. The 55 to 57 mpg claimed on the 500 sounds reasonable.

Thanks for any feedback if anyone has an answer.

Looks like I have an answer based on a variety of sources:

250 - 450 lb (204 kg)

400 - 525 lb (238 kg)

500 - 538 lb (244 kg)

My best guess is that the 400 will tend get roughly 2 mpg better given the relatively minor weight difference and similar overall physical design (not appearance, obviously). It would be nice to see Piaggiousa listing the correct data.

Piaggio MP3 brochure from the Vespa dealership says this;

250...249.7 lbs...204kg
400...538 lbs......244kg
500...538 lbs......244kg

cheers...jacq

The USA info seems to be less than reliable in this instance. The website actually claims that the 250 and 400 weigh the same (204 kg) - obviously not right. Rest of the world has the more complete info. Think about it, the 500 has the same drivetrain as the 400 with more metal body work, as well as a 94cc larger engine. At 13 pounds additional, that sounds about right.

Could the difference in bodywork panels / styling be the answer to the identical weights? The 400 has much more bodywork than the 500, and looks to be more 'bulky'. The 500 is lean in comparison - I'd be willing to bet that the metal tubing weighs less than the large panels and headlight array on the 400

What do you suppose the chances are that they would happen to weigh exactly the same?

The 94cc engine differential is pretty significant - more than 20% larger. These days plastic body panels weigh very little; that's why 'naked' bikes weigh only a few pounds less than their clad siblings. (The 500 is not by any means a naked bike.) The apparent problem is that PiaggioUSA didn't have a weight for the 400 when they put the specs together. Someone on the web site apparently just decided to indicate "204 kg" for the 400 because that's what the earlier-released 250 weighed. Someone on the print side (brochures) apparently saw 244 kg for the 500 and decided that must be close enough. All the info I've seen from the int'l sites indicate 238 kg for the 400.

Admittedly, this is all somewhat based on best available info, but it really shouldn't work this way - it should have been reported correctly by Piaggio in the first place.

Just to throw this into the mix... the dry weight of the MP3 125 is 219kg.

Something aint right here...

EDIT: from the owner manuals...

MP3 125 = 219kg
MP3 250 = 224kg
MP3 400 = 253kg
MP3 500 = 253kg

The owners manuals should be the primary source - those don't go through the marketing gurus. But none of those numbers match the promotional materials or web posts. You have to wonder if they are really indicating dry weight.

I'm no legal eagle, but as far as I know, the owners manuals have to be correct for legal reasons. If they want their derrieres covered, that is!

Can't speak for the 400 or 500 but everything I've seen/read/feel/general consensus of 250 owners say the 250 is dry weight of 390somethingish...so basically 400lbs. Would fluids add another 50lbs?

Nobody is ever going to own any vehicle at it's "dry weight", so why even claim it ?

I didn't write, I'm just saying it. I had to have someone explain 'dry weight' to me as well. But, than again I also don't know why I had to pay for replacement brake fluid w/my brake flush?? (Not my dealer of choice anymore)

As a fellow owner of an original style S500, Randy will surely recall the rare situation with our manual - the beast is listed at running weight, presumably on the basis of a full tank. In our case, that's a hefty 4.5 gallon tank, or around 25 pounds. Additional fluids add 6-8 pounds.

Dry weight always has been the standard. Gasoline and oils change weights considerably based on temp, elevation and blend. With the variation in the size of tank, it might be fairest to just use the dry weight.

As for the legal issue, I agree that the owners manual might be an incentive toward honesty. On the other hand, it would be pretty tough to file a case claiming a crash was caused by the claimed weight being off by 10 pounds. And the lawyers who chase ambulances aren't looking too closely at that level of detail...

Rider, Motorcycle Consumer News magazines list actual weights of vehicles they test. 8)

I'm still thinking..."So, what?"
Mine mut weigh around 500 lbs by now...Some of you guys have mod-ed up the scoots so much, it might diesel truck (lorrie) scales to weigh those little babies....I'm just saying....

Do remember that US measures remain different to Imperial (UK) by a good margin. It may be called pounds, gallons and feet & miles but therfe is a differemce which is often overlooked. The ONLY common standard on which to ase calculations is in Metric, where we all sing from the same hymn sheet!

When are you gonna get on the right page though? My chemistry professor once told me(early in my chemistry studies) that we would all have to learn the metric system and how to convert the different measurements. He said the whole world except for us used it, at which point a 'bright' girl decided to blurt out "if all the other countries jumped off a bridge should we do that too?". Luckily, my chem prof has a sense of humor...