Modern Vespa

Just keep them on the general discussion they are already there. I have a piaggio LT150 not a vespa it's similar in alot of ways. The flys are to. Just my thoughts

Logically, if the MP3 is not accomodated on MV, then niether should the Fly, BV or other Piaggio models. In my opinion, there is plenty of room on this site for the entire family of Piaggio/Vespa scooter owners.

two reasons i'm hoping for the 400 soon...



the 14in back tire makes it look bad ass and much more aggressive

the tail pipe is much nicer than the 250...can't see it too well here



can see it better at the link below, but i can't mirror photos from that site:

http://scootersales.com.au/News-348-scooternews.aspx


oh, and the dark blue is kick ass

g

Consider chopping off the mudflap and relocating the lic.plate to the airbox using an LED vertical license frame (ala, a custom chopper). I did that to my Beverly-500 and it really shows off the fat 14-inch rear tire.

I'd love to see that, do you have a picture?

But when is the 400ie reaching our North American shores?

-Rick

No official announcement yet. Hopefully VespaUSA will hear our pleas and bring it soon.

I would still like to know how to officially wave to an MP3. 3 fingers or 2?

Can't wait to see one in person...I'd love to take one for a spin too!

Any speculations on dates? How long did it take the 250ie to arrive on our shores in the first place anyway?

-Rick

Sure, let me run out in the rain and snap a photo...
...here it is.

That is a pretty cool shot. Most of the tire wear in in the center. Do you you your bike mostly for commuting or for fun?

I finally got to sit *and tilt* on one yesterday, at the Mpls Cycle World show. What surprised me was the total lack of resistance to tilting in the static mode! I thought all those linkages and the independent suspension damping would make it resist tilting at the curb. But it most definitely did not.

This definitely makes me more interested in test-riding one, if the opportunity presents itself.

Feels like two-wheels, until you need three? Not a bad proposition.

Very cool, gets me thinking about doing that with my Fly.

Thanks for going out in the rain! Just got back from being in it myself while taking my dog to the park.

It's a brand-new Pirelli without any wear. The outside edges of the tire are wet because it just started to rain and I spun the tire when I started the bike.

Mostly for commuting but also for fun and to explore the local area. My commute is 30-miles round trip on the highway and I ride every weekday unless there is ice on the road. Riding in the carpool lanes cuts my commute in half from 1-hour to 30-minutes. I bought both my Piaggio and my Mercedes nine months ago when I moved to Seattle; the bike has 4000 miles on it and the car only has 2000 miles.

Took these photos at the Seattle MC Show:

Let's keep it in this forum. It'd be nice to read MP3 experiences without looking elsewhere. It's all Piaggio anyway.

That is so funny. My last 4 cars were Mercedes and I sold it when I bought my scooter. I just never used it anymore. I have always had a company car for work so it's nice to have something I enjoy putting miles on. You just saved yourself 150 mins a week!! Not bad....

It belongs on this forum.

That said, I sat on one yesterday. It is too wierd for me to accept. That's a problem with me not the MP3 though. I'm not even interested in how great the thing rides. All I can think about when I see it, and especially after being on one in the flesh is, safety bicycle. Your mom would be dead set against you getting a motorcycle. She would be against you getting a scooter. But something with three wheels? Why, that's alright (shiver). Cute even. She could tell everyone at the bridge club her son or daughter is captain of the protection squad and looking for a partner for the upcoming safety dance next Saturday night.

Excuse me whilst I go scrub off all my skin with a metal brush.

<EDIT> I want to remind you guys that this is just MY Personal opinion of the 'thing'. I'm probably just one of those grumpy guys who isn't keen on this idea yet, maybe ever. I don't want people to take what I say personally and get all mad about my opinion. There are lots of opinions and some already from people who like how the bike rides. The few of us who aren't thrilled with the mp3 know where I'm coming from. Its just a product from a company we all love to a degree or another and not something anyone [here] put time, sweat or effort into bringing to market.
So please do not take what I write here too personally, ok?

The Roadbum

You should ride it, just so you can say you did. Sure it's strange, but when you're grabbing the grips you can't see both wheels ahead of you. Once under way it's actually pretty easy to forget they come in a pair up front. Safety Dance? Sweet.

I knew you would catch that haha

Rb

My issues with the MP3:

(1) The USA should have gotten the 400 first. I'm concerned that the 250 sales will be dismall and as a result PiaggioCo won't bother bringing the 400 to the USA.

(2) With the two front wheel design they should have added a flat front rack for carrying cargo (like an ATV). This would have opened a new market segment and offered additional practicality. It would also give the bike a more aggressive and utilitarian look which would have appealed to a broader section of the American market.

Hey Dudel,

I would think that the sheer novelty of the leaning and tilting MP3 would be enough to generate a sufficient number of sales. Then Piaggio would bring in the 400ie as the next wave of MP3s to further boost MP3 sales again. Of course, both of conjectures are quite reasonable, even though they lead to totally different conclusions. So it remains to be seen how things will really turn out.

As to your number 2 issue, a front cargo rack would simply NOT work on the MP3. Bear in mind that the MP3 leans just like another scooters. Having a flat front rack would mean throwing things off the rack every time you turn / lean the scooter. So it's either tie downs just like any rear luggage racks, or a a front basket type of configuration. But have you seen how unsightly these front baskets are?

Here is a JDM Yamaha Jog with the front basket:


-Rick

400

250


400 vs 250

the rear wheel looks so small on the 250

size compare---the 400 is 60 mm longer, same width
400 puts out 34 hp, 250 22.5 hp
400 is 238 kg, 250 204 kg

so not much bigger, but quite a bit heavier...and lots more HP

really really really tempted to wait for the 400...


g

I posted elsewhere an interview i read in the itlian rag "motociclismo" where the Managaing Director of Piaggio said they were having unexpectedly high sales of the MP3 and they can't meet demand. I have no clue if they are building 1 a week or a hundred a week.

Just spoke with my Dealer Rep and we are supposed to be getting the Mp3's in the last week of March or the first week of April. These units WILL be DOT/EPA approved and available for sale.

The downside, they are shipping most dealers only 1 (one) scooter. Some dealers may sell that one unit, but most will keep it for the Piaggio MP3 open house that is running at all dealers from April 19th to 29th.

So, it sounds like dealers will be lucky to fill orders they've already taken.

The good news is the LXV150's we weren't supposed to get until May are arriving this Friday.

Although I clearly speak for none but myself, I can count on my hand the number of times I have even clicked on other MV forums beyond "general discussion." I vote for inclusion and no splitting. I come to MV for anything scooter related and the hard line taken on B.S. This is a clean cut forum dedicated to the love of all scoots (with a preference for the Vespa). Although I will likely not buy a MP3, I want to know all about it, or the 250 Dragster, Bajaj, Stella...

Best,
Stephen

Well in talking to my dealer, it appears the interest in the MP3 is alot greater (no numbers given)) than they anticipated, hence they were "light on the quantity order into stock initallly. I think 250 or 400 the MP3 is going to do really well and neighsayers are really wannabees who initially did not want to admit that they had an interest in the Mp3.

Alt

the 250's wheel looks really small on the mp3. i think the 250 should be given the big rear wheel like the 400.

I agree that the reason Piaggio is bringing the 250 here first is most likely to be able to capture a second wave of 400 sales a year later.

I posted it in another thread, but it's odd that Piaggio's Gilera group is bringing out an MP3 styled bike in a 500cc. The downside is that it probably won't be coming to America.

It's also great in Vancouver (i.e - MP3 interest).

A couple are pre-sold already.

MsD (definitely not a "neighsayer")

yeah, the small number of bikes we were ALLOWED to order will be spread out across the year because the lack of available units.. Italy oversold their stock, causing the UK bikes to arrive really late and now the same thing is happening to us in the US.. Piaggio moved the official Open House date for the MP3 back, TWICE!!

Soon, though... so soon....

grrrr, it's like the nintendo wii (except i got one on the first day by sheer luck)....piaggio should have people working day and night to get more MP3s out there if people want to buy them...bust some butt and get them to italy, england and the US (and canada and down under of course)...its a new popular product, couldn't they shift some people from the GT production line and fly production line and double up production in the MP3? heck thought i hear the Px and Gt are not being made anymore...just get all those people building more MP3s

g

Here's some video of the MP3 400. Looks pretty sweet. Check out the huge windscreen. Looks like that could protect you from some serious rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L68XNwDUtpQ

I dunno about windscreens that big (btw, I dont' think that's the stock screen)

It seems to me, that without windshield wipers, you need to have a screen you can see over to ride safely. When it rains on my FACO medium sized screen, it's impossible to see through, so I'm glad I'm just tall enough to barely see over it.

alfamoi posted this in the Scooter Gallery section but I thought it deserved a spot on this post too. Video of the MP3 and lane splitting in London, plus a speed test versus a Vespa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvNOkEcobkc