The MP3 uses two front wheels articulated in a complex miraculous way that allows the scooter to ride just like a regular bike- once rolling there is no difference in the feel of the thing though getting going the steering feels heavy. It is nothing like a traditional scooter to look at, such as this Indian Stella, known in Italy as the Star:
The MP3 uses the same 250cc engine used in the modern Vespa GTS but with the extra weight and complexity one loses some acceleration and top speed, though it will still out accelerate all but the most determined Roman driver.
Even though the scooter has two front wheels it is not actually any wider than a modern maxi scooter with all the protective plastic paneling they use to keep the weather off the rider.It fits as easily as any scooter in the many public parking and illegal parking spaces used around Rome.
The MP3 which I test rode in Miami a few years ago always struck me as a brilliant engineering solution for a problem that didn't exist and riding the scooter has forced me to consider what it's purpose really is.
Given that there are quite a few on the streets of Rome I'd say they are a success and given that the 250 is the one I see most I'd also say I'm renting the correct model, at a hundred bucks a day that's a good thing. For American scooterists the thing to understand is that in any crowded Italian metropolis a scooter is a very effective tool, with gas at €1.60 a liter or $10 a gallon a 60 or 70 mpg scooter is the only way to go, especially when you consider the complexities of traffic jams and parking congestion which scooters sidestep brilliantly in the unconventional way of Italian urban riding...These aren't enthusiasts or bikers in any sense, they are just sensible urban dwellers who may even resent the imposition of a scooter in their lives with all the problems of helmets and weather and risk of accidents.
My MP3 has been ridden hard and put up wet in it's life as a rental and the suspension seems tired as we careen over cobbles and pot holes, the seat is hard and uncompromising for both rider and pillion (according to my wife), but as an urban discovery tool it is fantastic. I have found this weird scooter's purpose in life. It is simply to allow visitors to Rome to keep up with locals on local roads at insane local speeds. I am certain I would have either tumbled or been rear ended on a conventional scooter before now but this thing sticks to tram tracks, cobbles wet or dry and bounces like a bronco but it remains sure footed and under control no matter what the abuse.
It has ample under seat storage with room for a full face and a half helmet as well under the rear portion, or you can pack foul weather gear, guide books and camera accessories with room to spare. It of course has awkward helmet hooks so you don't have to walk around carrying them and the electronic key is a nice theft deterrent in a theft prone city. With the front wheels locked the bike stays upright and with practice you can engage the wheels rolling up to a traffic light and never have to put your feet down but I am not that confident in these road conditions. Nevertheless I have never used the center stand, I just lock the wheels and engage the hand brake:
In short this scooter has all the facilities you expect from a regular scooter, freeway speeds, gas economy, storage with the benefit of amazing stability. However at a price well above the regular GTS price of six thousand dollars or more why would one pay for this ride which has extra brake wear, more tire wear, lower speed and acceleration and a stability advantage of little use in the US? Because if you need three wheels to corner safely in the land of no tram lines or cobblestones I suggest you stick to cars and get a nice economical Yaris instead. Of course if you lived in Italy, land of ten dollar gas (and free universal health care) you would have access to astonishing gas mileage in a dizzying array of small cars. Gas may be expensive but people are driving- witness all the traffic jams! They are smart enough not to buy large trucks. And I'm glad I was smart enough to try out this machine on it's high speed home turf, and now I've got to go ride before I return it to an uncaring rental company, poor thing. I am quite fond of the MP3, it turns out.
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
3 comments:
Dear Conch:
Are we not to be treated to the spectacle Of M. Beattie barrelling around the Vatican on a three-wheeled hot dog stand without the umbrella and the grill?
Oh, the sadness of the situation.
Fondest regards,
Jack/reep
Twisted Roads
I appreciate your perspective of the MP3, but I really did like the challenge of an Aprilia Scarabeo 125. Having done thousands of miles on dirt, the cobbles of Il Centro reminded me of the thought involved associated with placing the rear wheel.
Yes - there's a reason the world loves a Vespa, and that reason is Rome.
Nothing wrong with the MP3, and yes it has probably taken over Europe by now, like the Romans did a few thousand years ago. I believe this is a motorcycle you can drive with a car driver's license in some countries, and hence making it accessible for the caged crowd who wants to save some gas.
I still like my Vespa better though.
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