BikeTest:Piaggio MP3 Piaggio's MP3 lets John Wheelerget beyond the marketing hype and recognise real innovation
Two wheels good, three wheels better? How do you tell the difference between a gimmick and an innovation? When it comes to motorcycles and scooters, even a different colour scheme from last year's can be portrayed as an innovation.
Looking at Piaggio's ingenious MP3 scooter, the immediate reaction is that we have seen three-wheel scooters before. The first that I recall was made, briefly, by Triumph and the only one I ever saw was used, for a short while, by Stirling Moss as a very local runabout.
What Piaggio have done with the MP3, apart from hijacking a cool name, is to create a machine which, like all other three-wheelers, can stand upright without a stand when stationary but, uniquely, which can lean into corners like a "real" bike. That might still seem like a gimmick.
But take a closer look at the parallelogram-style suspension and steering geometry. Nothing gimmicky here, just good, well thought-out engineering which, after all, is what one would expect from a firm which has its roots in aviation and which has been making scooters since 1946.
The tilt mechanism comprises four cast-aluminium control arms, hinged in four places to the central frame tube with two guide tubes on either side of the parallelogram, connecting the arms to the suspension pins and bearings. Sounds complicated, but when studied closely there is an elegant simplicity about it all. The front assembly means that the two front wheels can tilt or lean just like the front wheel of a single-wheel machine.
This gives a claimed 20 per cent reduction in braking distance on normal roads and 24 per cent on wet roads. All three wheels are disk braked and you have 50 per cent more tyre area in contact with the road. It also improves stability and roadholding.
The scooter is equipped with an electro-hydraulic front suspension locking system which keeps the vehicle upright. The rider simply presses a handlebar switch to activate the system which then stops the tilt mechanism, enabling the scooter to be parked without use of a stand.
Once this switch has been pressed, the control unit only activates the electro-actuator if the vehicle is travelling in the 10-23km/h range. The exact speed at which this takes place depends on the degree of deceleration; the greater the deceleration, the higher the speed at which the tilt mechanism locks.
The mechanism will not lock unless the throttle's butterfly valve is closed and the engine is running below 3,000rpm. A parking brake lever is on the inside of the front scuttle. It is safe to park the scooter without using a stand, even where the ground is sloping up to a height difference of 20cm between the front wheels.
Piaggio MP3s come in two engine sizes. The Quasar 250ie and the Leader 125. The 250 is Piaggio's all-new four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine which meets the Euro 3 standard. This is achieved by the use of closed-loop injection with a Lambda sensor together with a three-way catalytic converter and electronic ignition.
Quite apart from its eco-friendly credentials, it's also quick off the mark when it comes to acceleration. The 125cc Leader engine is the latest generation four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine which also meets Euro 3 standards. The variable transmission system has been tweaked to provide a smoother and more linear power output. Both versions have a 12-litre fuel tank which, with consumption in the 25km per litre bracket, giving a range of the order of 300km.
Apart from the fact that innovation and ingenuity are not always everyone's cup of tea, the only other possible drawback we heard when we first saw the MP3 was that its width might put it at a disadvantage when compared with normal two-wheel scooters.
It is, admittedly, a little bit wider but, in practice, it is only marginally wider than any other scooter in its class. The technically sound construction, better braking, better roadholding and the ease with which it can be parked and un-parked, suggest that far from being a gimmick this is one purposeful machine.
Factfile
ENGINEEither the 250cc Quasar or 125cc Leader engine, both are four-stroke, four-valve, liquid cooled and both meet Euro 3 standards. Automatic CVT transmission.
CHASSISTubular steel frame with parallelogram front tilting suspension.
WHEELS: 2 x 120/70 front and single 130/70 rear. Linked disk brakes 240mm dia.
DIMENSIONSFuel tank: 12 litres. Luggage capacity 110 litres.
ACCESSORIES:larger screen, winter tyres, heated leg cover, heated waistcoat, TOM TOM GPS, X-Jet Intercom helmet. Disk lock and anti-theft siren, rear rack and top case.
PRICE:TBC