First ride: Piaggio’s MP3 three-wheeled carver

A-

A+

Page: 1 2 3

Piaggio MP3 three wheeler

Image Gallery ( 22 images )

October 30, 2007 What a hoot! Piaggio’s new carving three-wheeler, with two independently suspended front wheels, opens up yet another whole new category of motorcycle – a category that will surely explode once people get a glimpse of the ability of these stunning bikes. The MP3’s triangle footprint produces some sensational handling characteristics, making it an exceptionally fool-proof learner/commuter bike – as well as a hilarious hooligan tool for more experienced riders. Loz Blain and Noel McKeegan spend an afternoon with the scooter that just won’t let you mess things up.

Let me get this right out of the way – I’ve never understood three-wheeler trikes. I can’t see why you’d want to combine the worst traits of cars and motorcycles into one giant annoying heap. Can’t lean into corners, can’t lane split, exposed to the elements, dangerous and slow rolled into one.

But that’s really just the whopping big twin rear-wheel jobs. The Piaggio MP3 is a different beast altogether. It’s a 250cc single-cylinder, injected CVT scooter with a top speed over 110kmh and two independently suspended, tilting front wheels.

Why would you build such a thing? Well, scooter riders aren’t necessarily known as the most capable and confident riders – presumably the theory was that Piaggio might snare a few more wavering buyers if they offered a scoot that didn’t look like it would fall over so easily.

Thanks to Zagame Ducati, KTM and Vespa, we spent three hours in the company of an MP3, and I’m here to tell you that whatever the motivation behind them, these bikes are absolutely brilliant in the flesh – they’re about the most foolproof little learner/commuter bike I can imagine, delivering facility and confidence in spades as the superb front end quietly rights all the wrongs you throw at it. What’s more, for more experienced riders they offer an absolute belter of a riding experience you simply can’t get anywhere else.

The MP3 features all the practicalities of any other large scooter – a remote button on the key opens up loads of underseat storage for helmets, shopping… Heck, even tennis racquets would fit in this one. Fuel economy is fantastic, the motor’s pleasantly grunty for a 250cc, and the continuously variable transmission lets you whack the revs right up to peak torque from takeoff and watch as the tacho stays still while your speed rises. Effectively, you’re able to use all the bike’s power right through your acceleration.

But it’s the front end we’re interested in, so the second I trundled out of the showroom I started weaving the bike back and forth, eager to get a feel for this odd-looking beast’s handling. I needn’t have worried, it feels almost identical to a well set-up motorcycle on the go. I expected the steering to be quite heavy due to the odd-looking front wheel setup, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Countersteering the MP3 like a normal motorcycle, it darts quickly and willingly into turns, achieving big lean angles with very light steering input.

And it’s here, in the turns, that the magic of the twin front wheel system becomes instantly apparent. With twice the normal amount of rubber on the road, the traction is just enormous – and the wider front footprint gives a feeling of supreme stability. It just doesn’t matter what you throw at the little MP3 in a turn, that amazing front end just deals with it. I aimed for ruts, potholes and corrugations at good speeds and serious centrestand-scraping lean angles and laughed into my lid as whatever wheel was running over them simply tracked through with the slightest of bumps.

Until you experience it, you wouldn’t imagine what a feeling of confidence this gives you – you can stuff this little scoot into tight turns on wet, poorly surfaced roads much quicker than your average roadbike. And the slow-speed handling is another revelation.

...continued

Page: 1 2 3