Modern Vespa

So, I took my bike in for it's 6,000 mile service this morning. They're not sure how long it will take to diagnose what's making the bike still have some play while the tilt lock is on (see my previous thread for more information). Since I live like 30 miles from the dealership and they're not sure if it'll be done today, they gave me a loaner. So, sitting in my garage right now is an MP3 400. I thought I'd give my impressions on the differences. My bike is at 6550 miles while the loaner is about 3650, so both are fairly well broken in.

The first thing I noticed was how much more I like the body design of the 400 than the 500. That's subjective, so I won't make any more of it than that.

As soon as I sat on the 400, I noticed that I could actually touch the ground while seated. So, the seat height is a little lower on the 400 than the 500. I'd guess it's about 2" of difference. For reference, I'm about 5'7" with a 30" inseam.

Though the design is slightly different, the 400 seat is no more comfortable after an hour than the 500...

Once I got out on the road, I was able to tell the performance differences. The 400 felt like it accelerated more smoothly than the 500. It also was smoother when getting snapping off the gas (engine breaking) and then getting back on it. The rollers in the 500 tend to slam around on me when I let off the gas and then get back on it. (We'll see if that changes after this service, since I got Dr. Pulley sliders put in. More on that another time...)

The raw feeling of power on the 500 is higher than on the 400. I think you can count the number of times I've had the throttle wide open on my 500 on one hand. I had the 400 wide open a half dozen times on my drive home alone.

Now, both bikes can get you up to speed in a hurry. There were a couple times when I looked down at the speedometer on the 400 and noticed I was already 10-15 MPH over the limit without realizing it.

I rode about the last 10 miles home on the Interstate. By the time I got back to my house, I was good and ready to be done. I felt a lot more wind-tossed than I do on my 500. That may be partly due to having a windshield on my bike and nothing but stock on the 400, but I think it has more to do with the front fairings. The 400 sits a little shorter and more angled out, while the 500 sits taller and more straight up and down, at least from the inside.

When I take the 400 back after my service is done, I'm planning on riding almost the whole way on the Interstate. I'll post more notes after that.

Now, these are my observations. Do the others that have ridden both styles of bikes agree?

Mark

Well, they just called and said my bike is done. So I should have an update later today...

Mark

I hated the way the 400 performed at slow speeds. Other than that I also liked the looks better. Now that I have the 500 tho I prefer both lights being on same time and the improved performance translates to better slow speed control and maneuverability. Glad I switched - I do miss that 400 storage space though...

well i've the solution
the best of both worlds, storage of the 400 and the looks of the 500 and the power of a Beverly

A FP3 460cc aprox 46 BHP topspeed 176km/h on a zumo

So, after the ride there and back, I've got a few more observations.

I find the MPH side of the speedometer easier to read on the 500 than the 400.

I'm not sure if this is a design difference (doubtful) or just a quirk of the bike (probable) but the turn signal on the 400 didn't want to turn off. It'd usually take me 2 or 3 stabs at the button to get it to turn off.

The mirrors are bigger on the 400 than on the 500. They may be a little lower, too, but I'm not certain of that. The left mirror on the loaner was busted up, though that's the fault of the previous rider and definitely not the bike's...

Upon further review, I'm not so sure that there is a difference in the dash height and/or angle. More input is needed to confirm or deny that... I think the blowback I was feeling was really the difference between having a windshield on the 500 and not having one on the 400.

It's amazing how much you miss having one of those O-ring "cruise controls" when it's not there...

I forgot to mention it, but the ride was quite bumpy on the way home. When I got there, I noticed that the spring pre-load was set to the 1 position. Moving it up to 2 (like I did on my 500) made an unbelievable difference.

That's all I can think of right now...

Mark

My experience re the dealers loan was the same - only the other way round. I took my 400 in for a service. They were busier than expected and asked me if I would consider borrowing a 500 for the next couple of days whilst they caught up with their work. I jumped at the chance.

As soon as I set off on the 500 I knew I liked it. That extra bit of power was so useful - not particularly for speed, but as said above, even on slower maneuvers. I still struggle with U turns but I feel more confident on the bigger bike. I didn't find much difference in the seat height, I am 5' 4" but can get best part of both feet down (wearing my Doc Marten boots which have thickish soles).

I had to shell out a fair bit of cash on the exchange but have never regretted it.

Over the years I have had about 8 different scooters and two have stood out as being favourites, my red 250sl X9 that I had about 6 years ago, and now my Fuoco 500.