Piaggio

Piaggio comes out swinging in 2021 with its largest, and most advanced, MP3 model. Built on its proven leaning-Delta trike chassis, the MP3 500 hpe Sport Advanced carries the largest mill found to date in an MP3 platform, and it comes with advanced electronics that remain a rarity within the realms of scooter-dom. The addition of a reverse gear moves the “500” from rare to unique as the only three-wheel production scooter to claim such a feature.

Piaggio celebrates the 20-year anniversary of its very own urban legend, the Beverly scooter family. Billed as a crossover unit between the Urban Mobility and Gran Turismo categories, the new Beverly comes in a “300” and “400” model with new bodywork, updated suspension, all-around LED lighting, new saddle, and new hand controls. Both displacement sizes roll with new High Performance Engines (hpe) that sport a Euro-5 emissions rating and a keyless ignition feature.

Piaggio’s littlest MP3 – the 300 hpe Euro 5 – serves as the entry-level model for its groundbreaking leaning-trike scooter family. Able to be driven with a B license, the “300” brings all of the stability and safety of the larger models to the table in a compact package that’s all about urban mobility. Practical and relatively safe compared to two-wheeled machines, the MP3 carries itself with dignity and grace with a business-like mien that is sure to appeal to urban professionals and students alike.

Piaggio significantly expanded its renowned MP3 range upwards for MY2021 to include the new MP3 400 hpe and 400 hpe Sport. The new engine boasts a clean, Euro-5 emissions rating and comes with some comfort-enhancing elements along with mobile-phone connectivity to bring the lump into new territory. Like it’s predecessor, the MP3 400 siblings are configured as a Delta-trike with two front wheels that lean into the corners to deliver a rare combination of safety and fun.

A handful of the major movers and shakers within the burgeoning electric-vehicle industry have come together in a move calculated to increase EV viability as a practical form of transportation. I’m talking about industry heavies such as the Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Piaggio & C SpA, KTM AG, and Yamaha Motor Co., plus subsidiaries thereof including, but not limited to, Vespa, Husqvarna, and Moto Guzzi. All four have some sort of complete vehicle such as street scooters and dirt bikes with the exception of Yamaha who has so far stuck to Power Assist Electric Bicycles and general electric motor production for use in other applications. These marques have all come together in the spirit of the Paris Climate Agreement to form the Swappable Batteries Consortium whose purpose is reaching a uniform power-pack design that, ostensibly, will make it easier and less expensive to buy and maintain electric bikes.

Piaggio updated its Medley range with a host of top-shelf tech items and a facelift that mixes new aesthetic features with classic touches to set them apart from the previous generation. LED tech replaces the incandescent lighting with a new digital LCD instrument bundle to handle the pertinent metrics. Perhaps best of all is the new i-Get powerplant that pushes output up to the top of the range for the 150 cc displacement bracket to deliver GT-like performance in an around-town scooter.

If the Fast & Furious franchisee ever made a movie with a scooter trying to run away from the cops or the bad guys, this ANX Sprint Racer could just be their best hope to get away with. Oh! It can also slide under truck trailers for that.

Started life as a puny scooter from the mid-2000s—a Piaggio NRG, now it runs nitrous ( or what we love to call as NOS ), makes five times its original power, and weighs less than the skinnies girlfriend you’ve ever had.

Piaggio brings its not-inconsiderable scooter experience to bear on its Liberty line to deliver the goods with the new-in-2019 versions of the Liberty 150 and Liberty S 150 models that carry over into MY2020. The proven i-get powerplant reprises its role as the beating heart with highway-friendly speed potential and Euro 4 emissions compliance. Both models come with ABS protection to help you keep it dirty-side down. All of this pairs with that unmistakable Italian style across the board, and of course, the “S” variant brings even more eye candy to the table with custom paint and saddle stitching to breathe new life into the 20-plus year old model family.

Providing economical personal transportation since the days of WW-II, scooters have been the goto mode for being more affordable, more comfortable to operate, and more convenient to own. The fact that the licensing requirements and insurance for scooters are more accessible and cheaper than for cars in most parts of the world makes them popular in countries with rapid economic growth.

Moreover, urban citizens find it easier to operate who wheelers on the streets due to the increase in traffic congestion and the non-availability of parking spaces. These five scooters coming in for 2020 run on fule-efficient engines, and carry some beautiful piece of equipment to satisfy the majority of the folks.

Piaggio rolled into 2019 EICMA with a new 2020 Beverly lineup that covers a range of variants, but the only one that makes it to our side of the pond is the BV 350, a moniker only used in the U.S. market. This model is essentially a renamed Beverly 350 S ABS/ASR, so it brings the same level of rider protection and rideability to the table in a bid to grab some of the urban-commuter market. It also packs a wallop with a 30-horsepower engine that’ll push the scooter up to interstate speed making it a definite candidate for young urban professionals and well-heeled students alike.

Piaggio Group continues to expand its Delta-scooter program with an all-new High Performance Engine that falls in the 500 cc range to bring even more power and fuel economy to the MP3 family. The MP3 Sport 500 hpe boasts top-shelf shocks and front brakes along with four distinct and dedicated paint and trim packages, but the real gem here is the “Sport Advanced” model that adds even more value with LED tech and even a reverse gear. Of course, all of this is on top of its general design that is already a shot of Pure-D awesomesauce that puts it in a league almost all its own.

The BV 350 from Piaggio, sold as the Beverly Sport Touring in other markets, is win-win as far as scooters go. With a big 16-inch wheel up front, monster-size brakes usually seen on full-size motorcycles, an assortment of tech acronyms, and an ample touring windscreen, the Beverly is a downright proper little touring scooter. As a commuter in the city or suburbs or for your weekend getaway, the BV 350 fits right into the niche that Piaggio intended. With a lively throttle response and plenty of power and torque to back it up, the Beverly puts “sport-touring” into scooter vernacular.

The UK has been facing a notorious crime of motorcycle thefts. Things in London, however, is in a different level altogether. There were over 14,000 motorcycle thefts reported in London the last year, and 23,430 crimes were committed using motorcycles that were stolen of course.

On an average, 77 bikes worth are stolen per day and to crack this atrocity, London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke about manufacturers incorporating better anti-theft measures into their products to make it difficult for people just to whisk away bike without authorization. And joining Honda UK in this effort, Piaggio has offered to equip all the new Vespa GTS 300s’ and Piaggio Beverly 300/350s’ with tracking equipment free-of-charge.

Piaggio’s MP3 scooters were a game-changer when they hit the markets back in 2003, and Italy’s premier scooter maker has hit a new pinnacle of refinement with its MP3 Business HPE ABS ASR. That alphabet soup of features adds to the yummy-goodness already under the hood to make this new variant particularly suitable for the office/student commuter, even if they’ve no previous riding experience. New details abound. Of course, the obvious selling point is the two-up-front trike arrangement that grants the MP3 the stability of a trike with the fluidity and sensation of flight normally reserved for two-wheeled machines. Power, performance and safety; what’s not to love?

Continue reading for my review of the Piaggio MP 500 HPE Business.

Piaggio steps up its backwards-leaning-trike game ahead of MY2018 with brushed up looks and a brand new 350 cc engine. The larger engine replaces the 300 and promises greater performance to go with its urbanite looks and unique front-suspension system that delivers a safe and stable ride without sacrificing the feeling of flight that makes leaning into the corners so much fun. Electronic safety features bolster the inherent stability of the Delta-trike design to make the MP3 as safe as possible, and Piaggio seems to have accomplished that with a trifecta of features that work together to provide overlapping safety nets. Think I’m overstating it? I don’t think that is possible with this ride.

Continue reading for my look at the Piaggio MP3 350.

Piaggio rebuilt its fun-and-young Typhoon 50 ahead of the 2018 model year, and the changes are sufficient to give it an “all-new” tag. New body details modify the looks slightly, but what remains is still recognizable as a Typhoon with plenty of key elements that keep it close to the family tree. Not only is the engine new, it’s a super-clean two-stroke that meets Euro 4 standards due to a number of improvements in induction and emissions control. The factory plans on bringing this little ride to the U.S. for the entry-level/teenager market, so let’s take a look at what the Italian scooter maker has in store for us.

Continue reading for my look at the Piaggio Typhoon 50.

On the campus, in the gated community or in an urban area, it’s hard to go wrong with a small-displacement scooter for running errands or generally getting around. Piaggio is happy to accommodate you with its Fly duo. On 12-inch wheels with all the usual storage a scooter can boast, the Fly 50 and Fly 150 carry a petite 1.8-ish gallon fuel tank; but with 100+ mpg in fuel economy, that little tank takes you far.

Continue reading for my review of the Piaggio Fly 50 and Fly 150.

Piaggio updated its Liberty scooter range with the all-new, fuel injected “i-Get” engine that boasts improved emission control up to Euro 4 standards on the 150 models and Euro 3 on the 50s with CARB and EPA approval across the board. The change brings increased power output and better mileage to the Liberty stable. A new frame and rider’s triangle improves comfort and feel while the ABS works to improve safety. The list does go on. Needless to say, these are significant updates for the nearly 20 year old model family, and the factory has even more on tap to keep the Liberty at the top of the small-displacement food chain.

Continue reading for my review of the Piaggio Liberty.

Piaggio group had established the Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) to pioneer the sector of smart future mobility of people and goods. PFF builds robots and lightweight transportation solutions that travel behind, beside, and beneath people on the move, and their first project is the GITA (pronounced as jee-ta).

This assisting robot was selected in the ’Robotics’ category for its futuristic design innovation, technology, sustainability, creativity, environmental responsibility, state-of-the-art materials, and functionality. It competed amongst hundreds of products from around the world

As the EV sector expands ever upwards into more powerful car and motorcycle designs, there is also a concurrent growth down the foodchain as well. Piaggio’s Wi-Bike borrowed the efficient electric motor technology and power-storage systems, then miniaturized it for use on what has got to be the most basic form of transportation this side of the two-foot express. That’s right, the humble bicycle that has traditionally been a sweat-powered form of transportation is jumping into the EV mix, and the results are rather remarkable. It isn’t a scooter and it isn’t a motorcycle — although it is a cycle with a motor — but it is a small-carbon-footprint ride, just the kind that Millienials are looking for.

Continue reading for more on the Piaggio Wi-Bike.