Scooters don't get much respect in the testosterone-stoked world of 160-horsepower superbikes. And they're not known for representing the pointy end of the moto-tech spear either. Until now.
You'll never lose the front on this baby!
The Piaggio MP3 is designed to be a kinder, gentler Euro-scoot, for fashion-forward folk who despair of getting grease on their Guccis. Its fully leanable, three-wheeled architecture is intended to take the fear out of latt-fetching while dealing with crazed traffic, cobblestones, spilled diesel, greasy street-car tracks, etc.
That was the goal. But the result might just change motorcycling.
To make its dual front wheels feel and act as one, Piaggio's engineers devised a complex parallelogram steering/suspension system that forces the front wheels to lean together yet remain independent over bumps. A slick electro-hydraulic system locks the leaning linkages when stationary to keep the MP3 upright, and you can manually trigger the lock so you don't have to extend a foot when you stop. If Britney had been aboard one of these instead of riding shotgun in Paris' Mercedes that night, we'd have seen a lot less of her nether regions.
When the light turns green, just crank the throttle and go-the tilt lock switches off automatically, leaving you with what feels like a conventional scooter. The CVT transmission lets the liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 244cc single whir away unsupervised beneath all that curvilinear bodywork, exhaling sweet nothings through its three-way catalytic converter.
The MP3 is motorcycle-narrow, so you can cut and thrust through traffic. The claimed top speed is 75 mph, but I saw an indicated 80 on the freeway. The comprehensive bodywork and short windscreen keep you dry, the plush seat is comfortable and there's plenty of legroom. You may look-and feel-silly, but at least it's a comfy silly.
Braking is amazing. With two sticky contact patches and no fear of falling, you can decelerate like an F-18 hitting the three-wire. But it's in the corners that this thing really makes history. You can run it in hot, hammer the brakes, bank it like a P-51 at the Reno Air Races and proceed to make mincemeat of mortal sportbike riders. Going downhill, it's a non-stop grin-fest. Knowing that the front end will merely slide allows you to ride with giddy freedom, no matter what the road conditions.
They say: "Redefines the very concept of ride stability."We say: "How do you say mnage trios in Italian?"A face only a three-legged mother could love.
The MP3 is not designed for this kind of foolishness, but somebody forgot to tell it. Front suspension travel is short, at just over 3 inches, and the ample unsprung mass of two separate leading-link suspension arms, complete with individual brakes, can produce quite a thump when running over sharp ridges or potholes. But other than that, it's just a whole lot of giggling, centerstand-grinding fun. Word has it there's a 500cc version in the works, which would make this puppy nearly as much fun going up as it is going down.
Price: $6999
Engine type: l-c single
Valve train: SOHC, 4v
Displacement: 244cc
Transmission: Automatic CVT
Horsepower: 22.5 bhp at 8250 rpm
Torque: 22.5 bhp at 8250 rpm
Frame: Tubular steel
Front suspension: Twin leading-link with four-bar parallelogram leaning linkage
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Dual two-piston calipers, 240mm discs
Rear brake: Single-piston caliper, 240mm disc
Front tires: (2) 120/70-12 MichelinPilot Sport
Rear tire: 130/70-12 Michelin Pilot Sport
Seat height: 30.7 in.
Wheelbase: 58.7 in.
Fuel capacity: 3.2 gal.Dry weight: 449 lb.
Contact: www.piaggiousa.com.
Verdict
All the perceptual freedom of a motorcycle, with a feeling of stability and sure-footedness no two-wheeler can match.