Piaggio MP3: Three-Wheeled Scooter

Motoring Channel Staff - 22/November/2007

Melbourne, Australia — Piaggio's innovative MP3 scooter - a three-wheeled design that looks as though it's been plucked from a science fiction movie - is now on sale in Australia.

It's not cheap, priced at $10,990 for the 250cc model. But it's no ordinary scooter.

The MP3 is made by Italian company Piaggo, which also makes Vespa and Gilera scooters, and it's claim to fame is the 3-wheeled setup.

The Italian company claims that the two front wheels  provide "safety, road grip and stability levels that no other two-wheeler can match -- especially on uneven and wet surfaces."

Because there are two wheels at the front of the scooter, there is double the contact patch and improved grip levels. Piaggio hopes that riders wanting more safety and grip will be attracted to the innovative design.

With a pair of wheels at the front of the scooter, this makes it far more stable on rough surfaces or uneven roads, such as rough asphalt, over tram tracks, and on cobblestone streets. Moreover it's no wider than most two-wheel maxi scooters on the market.

"Not since Enrico Piaggio introduced Vespa to the world in 1946 have we seen such a revolution in transport for individual mobility," said Piaggio's brand manager Simon Gloyne.

"It has taken six decades for Australia to embrace scooters into our culture. Sure, the culture of the four-car family in the suburbs is well ingrained, but as fuel prices increase and our urban areas become more consolidated, the time continues to be right for scooters. We are not experiencing a scooter craze; we are experiencing a monumental shift in the way we think about our personal transport needs."

So how does the odd-looking front end of this futuristic Italian scooter work?

It features dual independent tilting wheels that provide a lean angle of to 40°. The two front wheels are able to tilt by way of a locking electro-hydraulic front suspension system that keeps vehicle upright without using the centrestand. 

Parallels can be drawn with the the dutch Carver One, only that vehicle flips the concept around with one wheel at the front and two at the rear.

The 204kg MP3 features a single-cylinder 250cc 4-stroke engine that outputs around 16kW of power (22hp) and has a top speed of about 125km/h. The liquid-cooled engine has an electric button operated start and power is transferred to the road via an automatic CVT 'twist and go' gearbox.

Some of the other features include lockable underseat storage with room for a helmet, three disc brakes for improved braking, and there's even a park brake when you want to park it. Unlike almost every other scooter and motorbike on the market the Piaggio MP3 doesn't need a side stand (though it has one for maintenance). 

According to Piaggio, the electro-hydraulic tilt-locking front forks always keep the vehicle upright. You just hit the lean-locking button then activate the parking brake and the system will operate at any angle, so you don't need a flat surface to park it.

There's a range of accessories already available for the Piaggio MP3 in Australia, and the scooter comes with a 2-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Colours choices are as follows:

• Azzuro Sky (Sky Blue)

• Grigio Excalibur (Silver)

• Nero Graffite (Black Graphite)

• Rosso Cherry (Burgundy)

At present the 250cc Piaggio MP3 scooter is on sale in Australia priced at $10,990, while a more powerful 400cc MP3 scoot will arrives in Oz in January 2008, expected to cost a grand or two more. Piaggio is also set to release a 500cc Gilera Fuoco later in 2007, which features the same 3-wheel technology as the MP3.

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