PRESS COVERAGE / PRESS CONTACT
Cycle World Oct 2006
The strength of the MP3 is that it is both newcomer-friendly (very friendly) and, with a max lean angle of 40 degrees, also fun and practical for expert riders. Steering response is instinctive, smooth and progressive. Straight-line stability is excellent, even topped out at 75 mph while riding with…no hands!
Rider Oct 2006
There’s undoubted rationality in the idea of adding another front wheel – extra rubber on the road, an additional brake disc, improved stability – but what matters is how it works in practice. As it turns out, it works really well.
I found a corner with a deep line of gravel around the outside, and battling decades of conditioning, pointed the MP3 at it while leaning over. Instead of ending up up-ended, as I certainly would have on a two-wheeler, the MP3 understeered through, then carried on unflustered. Behavior like this is bad for your personal hygiene, though…
Freaky-looking it might be, the MP3 handles superbly for a scooter and could sway the nervous into enjoying the huge advantages of bike and scooter commuting. But it’s fun for experienced riders, too.
Wired Feb 2007
One Badass Tricycle
Mod Vespa purists may scoff, but Piaggio’s latest scooter, the MP3, is way more gear than its reverse-tricycle appearance suggests. Twin front wheels keep the bike upright on the bumpiest streets, while an innovative electro-hydraulic suspension system lets them tilt independently, which means the rider can lean aggressively into corners and angles of up to 40 degrees. An automatic suspension-locking system stabilizes the rig at speed under 3 mph and eliminates the need for a kickstand. Plus, there’s enough storage for two full-face helmets, a small bag, and objects up to a meter in length-like, say, a Genoa salami.
RoadRunner Feb 2007
The buzz starts with the look, which is one part maxi scooter and two parts European subcompact. Twin headlights stand guard from atop an inverted trapezoidal grill, as black-edged fenders incorporating the turn signals arch over the front tires. The look flows to the rear in series of taut, tensioned surfaces, terminating in a curt trunk that incorporates a pair of integrated taillights and passenger grab handles. The trunk is one way to gain access to an underseat storage area that’s large enough for a laptop bag, a full-face helmet, or a couple of half helmets. Like the original Vespa and iPod, the scooter has an approachable chic aesthetic.
Most intriguing is the unique system that enables you to wait at a stoplight without putting your feet down, or to park without the use of a sidestand or centerstand. A switch on the right handlebar activates an electro-hydraulic suspension locking system that freezes the components that enable the front to the lean. The system can only be activated while the scooter is on and at standstill or walking pace, and is accompanied by a steady amber light on the dashboard and an audible beep. The locking system deactivates under two circumstances: when the scooter has accelerated beyond a walking pace, or when the motor is revved beyond 2,500rpm.
