Modern Vespa

I had an MP3 400 for a while and traded it back in April for a Burgman 650. The Burgman is simply top heavy (620 pounds or so), and feels too bulky.

A local dealer has some left over BV 500s at very attractive prices-though they are new 2007-08s, they are out the door at under 5K.

Would love some opinions on the scoot.

The bottom line is it is a great scoot. It's strong points are its engine, ride quality and brakes. Its light and nimble enough to handle urban areas with ease and strong enough to comfortably cruise the highway. I've had mine for 6 months now and am even happier with it today then I am the day I bought it. It's only major weaknesses are the lack of storage space, a too soft seat and while its the most classic looking maxi scoot, it doesn't quite look like a GTS Vespa . The pillion seat is the biggest I've seen on a scooter and if you add the Givi backrest, its a great seat for your passenger. My last scoot was a Honda Reflex and the BV500 is more top heavy but I don't notice it while riding. Some smaller riders have a hard time getting it on its center stand but for the average man, its a breeze.

If you live in Pa and get an 07, then you'll probably want a larger windscreen than comes standard. I recommend the smaller Givi for good coverage.

I love my BV500, and everything HM says is true. I have ridden mine for about a year now and it just gets better and better.

If you get a BV500 make sure to get it with a top case for storage. If you purchase it and install it after-market, it is a bit rickety.

I would get a newer model with the windscreen built in. I do not have a windscreen and I get a lot of buffeting while riding on highways. I have heard that the after market installed screens started to vibrate at higher speeds. Seems like it might be true, so I don't have a screen on mine yet.

It runs hot, meaning the temperature gauge will always be high, and the blowers will kick on and vent on your ankles, but it is no big deal.

I ride it up to about 85 mph. City streets, highways. It is flexible.

Touring, it is pretty good. I would bungee a duffle bag on the seat behind me to give some lower back support.

For me, it is a perfect fit!

Belkwinith: I have a BV500 with the aftermarket Givi windscreen and it DOES NOT vibrate at any speed. It is mounted with very sturdy mounts and is extremely stable at any speed that the BV is capable of achieving. The person who told you that must not have installed the screen correctly because I've never heard anyone say this about any of the aftermarket screens for the BV500.

I love mine! I have the medium piaggio windscreen, and added a topcase. It's a great scoot and I can't wait to ride it

Where in PA do you live?

Great comments here so far. Spot on! My only addition is that the saddle is a bit wedgie-inducing on longer rides. I would have the seat modified a bit, but that's a minor thing. Otherwise, the bv500 is a great bike! I grew up in PA, and unless you live in downtown Pittsburgh or Philly, that's probably the ideal all around scoot.

I do not own a BV but it was on my short list. After my test ride of the BV, I liked the big wheel stability it provides. With the taller, shorter frame it is good in traffic situations and seems more nimble than the longer super-scooters.

After test riding the BV and several other new and used scoots, I bought a Kymco People 250 for the same reasons listed above. I chose the K due the low price ($2200) and the relatively high price of the BV (over 6K) when I was shopping. I was shopping during the height of the gas price induced sales surge last summer. All the local major brand dealers had very few large scoots in stock and were going to be out of scoots for at least two-months.

I've owned a BV500. Removing the California-ARB gunk increases under-seat storage enough to fit a half-helmet. The Aprilia Scarabeo 500 (same scooter under the bodywork) fits a full-face helmet under the seat. The 500 engine is reliable and has a nice torque-power curve. The Burgman-650 and SilverWing-600 feel like oversized boats compared to the Beverly. The Beverly handles better in the city than either the Lardy or SWing and feels more stable at high speeds than the small-wheeled SWing. Gotta say the Lardy tracks well at highway speeds however. I'd take a Beverly over either of those two bikes any day.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a good highway bike consider the automatic-transmission Mana-850: very quick, wonderful handling, with easy-access front storage. Best highway scooter & daily commuter I've ever owned.

I have both, the MP3-400 and the BV500. They are very different machines. The BV is much faster, lighter, more agile than the MP3. The MP3 is more luxurious, smoother softer ride, more comfortable seat, and brakes that are the best.
It's like compairing a Cadillac to a Pontiac GTO.
I'm still undecided on which one to keep, but I'd like to keep both.

Sounds like somebody is married. LOL

There is a serious rumor of a Gilera Fuoco-850 in the works; to be rebranded as a Piaggio MP3-850 in the USA. Reportedly, it uses the Fuoco-500 assembly with the Mana-850 engine. I highly recommend you hang on to both of your bikes until 2012. Then trade your 3-wheel 400 for the 3-wheel 850 for use as a highway bike, keeping the Beverly as your nimbly city bike.


* I'm seriously starting this rumor.

I can't see how they could do that without a complete and very expensive re-work with probably small sales.

* I'm seriously scotching this rumor.

Thats a good idea. But knowing how slow Piaggio is, I'm not holding my breath for the MP3-850.

I loved my BV500, for a whole bunch of reasons - power, economy, agility, looks. What I wasn't crazy about was the seat and the rather small under seat storage. I did add a Givi V460 top case and thought it looked very good on the machine. I had the Piaggio windshield and although it wasn't the best looking thing it worked very well for me (5'9" 30" inseam) no buffeting, very little noise.

Even though the seat made me squirm after an hour and a half, I regularly would be out on it for 8, 9, 10 hours or more. I did several 500 mile days on it... the more I think about it the more I want another one!

DAve

I have over 12,000 miles on my BV. Love it. I use it about 50/50 hwy/city. I get about 60MPG. It is not that fast off the line, but scoots along wonderfully once underway. I blast all over the place. I rode mine down to Amerivespa last Summer. I agree the underseat storage is poor and the seat does not support the backside as well as it should. You might also want to check out an Aprila Scarabeo 500 which is essentially the same bike with a bigger seat and underseat storage.

A word about windscreens. I tried several different ones and strongly prefer the mid-height original Piaggio.

I recently changed the tires to Pirelli Diablos and can recommend them highly.

Agreed. I have the smaller of the 2 givi's and it has a very solid mount. It isn't as elegently designed as the Piaggio mid but it offers better protection for less.

MY quandary is the fact that I like taking longer rides, yet also want something more maneuverable that the Burgman.

The Burgman is very luxurious (with all of the gadgets etc.), has plenty of storage, is great for long rides, and plenty of power. I even like the power windscreen.

The Piaggio is almost 200 pounds lighter and would be a lot better around town, and better in some ways for the longer club rides i do. It is easier to handle, and certainly easier to roll in and out of my garage. It also can be had at a reasonable price especially if I opt for the left over 2007 ($4500), and it has the full factory warranty. The other concern I have is whether the BV will continue to be part of their line, as well as the time it takes to get parts. THe Burgman is a Suzuki with a huge dealer network and parts availability never seems to be an issue. The lack of storage is a concern, since I use the Burgman year round and grocery shop with it. I have a Givi Box mounter in addition to the capricious under seat storage.

I appreciate the feed back everyone has given and I guess the next step is to ride one.

I went to look at the BV 500, and although the weight is terrific, and in fact feels light to me, I can not say I was impressed.

The power was fine, but the seat felt uncomfortable. The worse thing, at least for me was the total lack of storage. I commute to work and as a College professor, often carry a lot of materials. It would appear that I might be able to fit a couple of books under the seat and that is about all. With a top-box added i could carry my school materials, but then have no place for anything else.

It looks like the Burgman is a better choice for me overall. I have done some overnights and fairly long distance trips on the Burgman-350 or so, and do not see any way the BV would work.

I do appreciate all of the input, and still love the Vespa/Piaggio products. Perhaps I should have kept my MP3 400.

I posted the following on another forum recently after taking my Scarabeo 500 in for service and riding a BV 500 around for a couple days....

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I've had the opportunity to ride a loaner '05 BV 500 for the last 24 hours while my '07 Scarabeo 500 is in for some routine maintenance. I thought I'd share with all of you some of my observations...

1) Scarabeo seems quicker off the line.
2) BV seems faster to 60.
3) BV seems to have more immediate response to increased throttle at highway speeds.
4) Scarabeo has much more useful truck space.
5) BV has helmet hooks.
6) BV has a much more usable glove compartment.
7) Scarabeo has a much softer suspension (even though I have the Scarabeo set stiff and the BV is set soft)
8} BV feels like it has a lower driver seat. I can flatfoot the BV where I stand on the balls of my feet on the Scarabeo. I have not decided if this is truely because the seat is lower or if the width of the BV is narrower at my knees than the Scarabeo. It might be a little of both.
9) Scarabeo has a more comfortable seat.
10) BV's seat has a rigid lump at the leading tip (resulting from the builtin storage for the seat cover) which constantly makes my jeans ride up.
11) Scarabeo provides a much more sheltered (from the wind) ride. Wind off the BV's flyscreen hits between my shoulders and mouth. Riding with a 3/4 helmet, lips dry out quickly. Riding with a full helmet at highway speed my helmet wants to lift. Ducking down can reduce the lift by sending the wind more into the face but at the cost of significantly increased wind noise.
12) Scarabeo has a much more compact range of movement on the throttle. Where to go through the full range with a single grip on the Scarabeo, the BV requires me to regrip to get to full throttle.
13) Scarabeo has a more comfortable footwell for the operator. While the BV has more room for front to back movement, it feels crowded from side to side; almost to the point that the tank may taper out as it rises from the floorboard.
14) Scarabeo rides very stable, where the BV is very responsive to twitchy movements.

Trying to quantify that last difference...
What I think I am feeling is a difference in where the bike wants to pivot in relation to the rider. Imagine the follwing line as helmet to tire left to right (-------) . The Scarabeo want to pivot near the ground, cuasing the bike and rider to pivot as a single entity (-----o-). Only a little bit of the bike wants to or can move away from the the rider. With the BV the pivot point seems much higher (---o---) this results in much more disconnected ride, where the rider can potentially remain upright, yet have the bike moving out from under.

Anyhow... that's what I've noticed and observed. For being essentially the same scooter in different clothes, I was surprised at the overall differences in handling and characteristics.

I have owned one. For me, this is an excellent maxi scooter, very reliable, very smooth on freeway, do not feel fast at 80 mph, like the design. My next one may be the same BV500.