Piaggio MP3 Hybrid trike hits the streets in early 2010 for around $9k
By Paul Miller 
posted Mar 7th 2009 7:32PM
posted Mar 7th 2009 7:32PM
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ew....
Yes.. Eww...
don't plan on getting any savings from that 141MPG...
OBAMA is already working on a way to tax the distance you travel should you use an electric car or high mileage vehicle...
All the while those filthy politicians still roll around in a 1-Ton or 2-seater...
AHAHAHAH!
You dumb americans...even is Energy was free your SCUM piloticians will find a way to TAX you so that they can have a nice cushy lifestyle....
I would post a rebuttal to you iHench, but the shear idiocy of your post has done my job for me
If only he weren't pretty much right :(
Seriously? We can't even muster a good reply to this douchebag?
sigh. Here goes. I'm pretty sure there would be a fair bit of difficulty involved in taxing distance, and the odds are unlikely that we would ever tax the distance on anything such as a scooter for money. We may be cash-strapped, but we generally don't tax for fun, as much fun as it may seem. Relative to Europe and Canada, our taxes are actually kind of light.
Every country on the face of the Earth has public officials who are less than trustworthy, nay, even corrupt. Always has been, always will be. To simply point out the obvious by citing such simplistic cases as Blagojevich (as a citizen of Illinois, I apologize for him) is ridiculous and merely stands testament to your lack of knowledge and support for your case.
Not all politicians, or, as you seem to prefer to call them, "piloticians" (politicians...who also fly planes?) are Hummer Limousine owners who, in their free time, burn poor people by spraying them with an aerosol can, drowning them in 100% gasoline, and then igniting them via flamethrower and laugh while burning hundred dollar bills and smoking a cigar while ALSO diabolically petting their white cats in spinning chairs and laughing maniacally...just some of them.
Lastly, how the hell does this comment relate to the initial comment about the aesthetics of the vehicle? Honestly.
Sorry to take up anyone's time who had to read this, because I fully realize that his comment was essentially flame bait, but I couldn't resist.
The vehicle...should it be called as such...seems like a good idea, but I can honestly never think of fully justifying a 9 thousand dollar expenditure on something that you KNOW you'll be made fun of for owning, despite its obvious green advantages. Needs to be cheaper, and the third wheel on the front...really? Was it quite necessary?
BOTTOM LINE COMMENT
I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA , I WOULDNT BE CAUGHT DEAD RIDING SOMETHING LIKE THIS
It looks like the Power Wheels police "bike"
If you're dead, I'd avoid driving any sort of motorized device.
It better come with headphones and a armband.
Sorry guys, iHench is partially right. It's not Obama (yet) but there are lots of plans in the works for either replacing or (more likely) augmenting gas taxes with a distance-driven usage tax:
http://www.wtop.com/?sid=1603555&nid=108
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/14/eveningnews/main674120.shtml
Just do a search for "tax distance driven"
regenerative what?
It's sort of like when the Terminator would go to pieces and then rebuild himself.
Serious reply: It means when it stops it acts like a generator rather than just rubbing pads. Little bit more juice if your using it somewhere you have to stop and go a lot, very good for taxi's in larger cities probably.
@templarian:
Read the summary again... "regenerative breaking"
breaking != braking :)
oh man i didn't even notice that!
@TS, bwa ha ha ha!!!
I like the scooter.
+1 to that, its pretty cool looking IMO
Me too!
I can easily see Jackie Chan on one of them and anything Jackie Chan ride is cool, even a freaking segway!
Eh. It's hardly a tesseract...
...though this might even go into production someday. That's an advantage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNrJOrfqA-E
It looks kinda interesting to me too. And as happens, I just saw one of these trike scooters parked in front of a local movie theater. Not sure what model it was -- though going by their website, it had to be an MP3 250 or 400 -- but it definitely had the distinctive pair of wheels in the front.
Main thing that looked odd to me was the size of the tires -- less than a foot diameter, I'm guessing, but I didn't exactly stop to measure them. Parked in the same space as a more conventionally-styled scooter, didn't notice the make of that one. On my way back to my car, the couple were suiting up, wasn't curious enough to ask them about their rides.
So what? It plays music?
I wondered why it calls itself an "MP3 Hybrid". Probably has an iPod dock or something... like you'd be able to hear your stereo with a helmet on.
pointless when a zuma will go 45 mph and get 100 - 120 mpg. know because i own one and drive it all summer.
This'll be much faster with performace akin to a 250cc scooter. That means 0-60 in about 5 seconds and a 70-80mph top speed.
you're shittin me right? 250cc scooters take about a mile to get to 70mph, and a 2009 Ninja 250R takes 6 seconds to get to 60. The whole point of a scooter being the automatic transmission (at least here in indiana, it can't be manual in order to qualify), I seriously doubt this is gonna come equipped with a 14,000RPM redline engine that is mated to a 5 speed manual gear box.
8 or 9 thousand will get you three brand new Ninja 250R's, and they'll get 80 mpg. That was my point.
They're hardly competing for the same audience. And for an application like this, a CVT is actually faster than a manual gearbox, putting the revs into the power band immediately and for the complete duration of acceleration.
what audience is this competing for, exactly? the "look ugly, feel green, spend 9 grand on a POS" audience? cuz I gave up on that group long ago.
I currently own the NON-Hybrid MP3 500. It does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, track tested. It does 93mph top speed, track tested. I have owned it since April 18th, 2008. I get an average 52mpg.
Before that I owned the Mp3-250 for over a year (again non-hybrid version), that did 0-60 in 6.1 seconds, track tested and had a top speed of 82mph, also track tested. In the year I owned that I averaged 60mpg.
A halfway experienced Mp3 rider can beat anyone but the best sports bike riders in the twisties. It will smoke any car on a continuously winding road.
Pieface:
The one thing about it is that it's built for short people. I found it WAY too cramped.
That's why I ride a Yamaha TMax (500cc parallel-twin scooter)
I just love the MP3; too many Vespas in Berlin, but I saw them everywhere in Paris (the MP3s) and someday, I dream of some...
Piaggio is wonderful.
Piaggio is Vespa..
When did I say otherwise? The closest I got to that was There are too many Vespas in Berlin + I love Piaggio.
Now go put words in your own mouth and don't act like I'm some kind of idiot.
PhorZwanZig:
You got it backwards. Piaggio is the parent company of Vespa.
It's so pathetic when people who correct other people are wrong themselves LOL
I could get a used Honda for that price, TWO of 'em in fact!
Yeah? Well I can get 15 used pontiac grand ams for that price. I win.
I bought a Harley Nightster for that $8900 and get 55 mpg. Granted it ain't some crazy 141mpg, but I can at least take mine on the highway.
I'm holding out for the AAC.
FLAC's better.
AC556 is best
For Losers' Aural Canals?
I plan to buy the OGG, it will be cheaper, and after install the restricted codec package....
I like how it regenerates when it "breaks". If they put that into cars, I'd never have to pay for a mechanic. No wonder it's so expensive.
It is not a trike.
It is a small displacement motorcycle with CVT and three wheels.
What is the max electric-only speed? At what speed can I travel and still make 40 miles?
If I can ride to work and back at about 45mph on electricity only I'm very interested
Awww yeah.
I'm considering one of these for my next scooter upgrade. Though the MP3 inherently takes up more space and is almost impossible to 'lane split' with, so I'd be more interested in the rumored hybrid Xevo or X8 or whatever they were considering.
Oh hell. If I can't lane split with it, I have no use for it. That's the best part of my morning commute!!
Should have posted the action shot http://hellforleathermagazine.com/galleries/images/Piaggio_MP3_Hybrid_21.jpg It is priceless.
Here's some real action shots:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c204/EdInBTR/My%20Pics/Scooters/S4010232.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c204/EdInBTR/My%20Pics/Tiger%20Track%20Days/2008-10-12/DSC_0001_1.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c204/EdInBTR/My%20Pics/Tiger%20Track%20Days/2008-10-12/dsc_0030.jpg
More
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c204/EdInBTR/My%20Pics/Tiger%20Track%20Days/2008-10-12/dsc_0096.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c204/EdInBTR/My%20Pics/Tiger%20Track%20Days/2008-10-12/dsc_0097.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c204/EdInBTR/My%20Pics/Tiger%20Track%20Days/2008-10-12/dsc_0116.jpg
That actually looks damn impressive!! Never knew that bike could corner like that. Once I'm back to doing a daily London commute I might actually be tempted to pick up one of these bad boys - sure as hell would beat the tube!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH wow, talk about training wheels taken too far
That picture makes it seem fat an unloved, wanting attention.
However the other pictures below your comment make it look awesome.... its sort of like Myspace angles.
@Pieface: Looks like when it gets mad, it stomps on your helmet? Not sure I want one of these...
That's sooooo overpriced.
In Suzhou, China, internal combustion two wheel bikes are outlawed, so millions of people drive to work using fully electrical plug-in scooters.
You can buy them in any supermarket, and, get this, pice is about $300 - $400!
Guess what - You can get those here for the same price! My daughter has one, only cost $199. They're quite different from this beast though.
That's funny, when I think of China and traffic, the rule of law doesn't seem to really be a factor. Driving on the side of the road is illegal too, and you see it every day.
Battery power is ridiculous once you figure in the cost of replacing the battery, the cost of the wasted batteries in the landfill, the toxic chemicals used to produce the batteries and the diminishing returns of the battery over time.
No, give me the normal MP3 at 6 grand and maybe you'll have a deal.
Where's the Headphone jack?!
I never learned how to ride a bike, I've tried multiple times and failed, so for losers like me this should be fun to try, but I wouldn't spend 9K on it...
I rode a traditional-gas one of these and they're really slow. They're hilarious to ride and you never have to put your feet down if you manipulate the front wheel lock correctly. No real motorcyclist would want one of these and their only niche are little old ladies.
'No real motorcyclist would want one of these"
Does that not apply to virtually all scooters?
So...ummmm...how is this supposed to save me money? I would need to sell my mansion to afford this regenerative crap...
First: It saves money by using less fuel than a car (most scooters do) and then goes a step further by also being hybrid and reducing normal scooter fuel consumption.
Second: It helps the environment a great deal via reduced carbon emissions.
So it goes a bit further than just being a money saver, it also allows people concerned with the environment (which you'd think would be everyone these days) lower their impact considerably, especially if they're shifting from a car to this.
@duality
First: It saves money by using less fuel than a car (most scooters do) and then goes a step further by also being hybrid and reducing normal scooter fuel consumption.
Second: It helps the environment a great deal via reduced carbon emissions.
So it goes a bit further than just being a money saver, it also allows people concerned with the environment (which you'd think would be everyone these days) lower their impact considerably, especially if they're shifting from a car to this.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So, presuming that "Global Warming" is real(which it isn't in the first place), wait how fast does this thing go again? My moped almost goes faster than it(and it gets as good MPG) and it is only 67cc whereas this has the power equivalent of a 250cc engine...also, when its snowing or something, how do you get to work? I mean you can't afford that H2 anymore cause you bought this MP3 hybrid...
Who said anything about global warming?
If you're concerned about your level of smog-producing pollutant emissions, it helps with that too. If you are concerned about America's dependence on foreign oil, it can help with that too.
Why do luddites insist on trying to shoot down any attempt to impact the environment less by coupling it to global warming?
Is it just me or does a
0 0 (front)
V
0
vehicle seem more dangerous then
0 (front)
A
0 0 ?
How much different are they?
It's just you. Having two wheels in front like the MP3 is much safer than having two wheels in back. Just look at most three wheeled cars. Almost all of them have two wheels in the front. It's much more stable in turning, even more so when the wheels tilt like the MP3. See here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wheeled_car
Traditional trikes (two wheels in back) are far more unstable than inverted trikes (wheels in front). The only reason you see any motorcycles with two wheels on the back rather than the front is it requires little reengineering to do the latter, whereas you need a more complicated rework of the front end. The T-Rex, VW GX3, XR-3 hybrid, Aptera, Brudeli, Can-am Spyder, all reverse trikes for that reason. :)
i dont know but when i found out ill write you at P.O. box 963, new york city, new york state, 10108!
@ andreas i think im the only person other than you that knows that is stick stickly's address.
Nope, I instantly got the reference, but had totally forgotten about Stick Stickly's existence till now.
Better yet, if you want a 3-wheeled twist-and-go, get a $3800 automoto:
http://www.theautomoto.com/
@ Dax
LMAO. The Automoto looks like a mobility scooter for a disabled person. Good luck macking the ladies in that one :P
dress like the stig
Erm, they put the wheels the wrong way round. Somebody tell them to call it a trike, Its 1 up front and 2 behind.
Uh, NO!
It's not a delta configuration, like most trikes you see, but it's very much a trike. Trike is abbreviated from tricycle, where tri- means 3, and cycle means wheel. It has 3 wheels, it's a trike.
Two-wheel front-end is called tadpole, and is generally better handling-wise, but can't be made with a beefed-up motorcycle front-end like a delta; that's why you see more deltas.
Fair enough. My comment was not completely serious, but colour me educated none the less.
Motorcycle Consumer News did a review of the gas only version in December 2006 Piaggio Three-Wheeled Scooter. They actually enjoyed it and thought Piaggio did a good job thinking outside the box. Maybe when I can no longer handle my PC800 these will be available and more affordable. I do hope they change those wheels though.
Hey Pieface, thanks for posting those shots, they do show that this bike has a cool factor that doesn't register with shots of it just parked. The automoto, though, that looked gay!
Looks like a Segway with a training wheel.
I ride an electric vehicle, and while I like the looks of this thing, I wouldn't get it.
Why? Too expensive for what you get. For "around 9k" I could get a low-cost new car that would give me a roof over my head, more crash protection, and better range.
I'm an EV advocate, but this is a stupid price for this bike. $4k to $5k would be acceptable. My last gasoline moped, a Honda Metropolitan II, cost me about $2.5k new. Why would I spend around four times that for a hybrid version with an extra wheel?
My current electric moped/electric bicyle cost around $900 before modifications I made to it. My total cost so far has been less than $3,000 and that's including battery replacements, new wheels, lights, a new trunk, a paint job, electrical alterations, and so on.
Yes, this ride has some nice features and great range, but it's nothing that makes it worth four times more than a gas-powered scooter. Double, maybe. Quadruple? No.
I'd say half of that price is paying for the Piaggio name.
BOTTOM LINE COMMENT
I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA , I WOULDNT BE CAUGHT DEAD RIDING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I think it looks kinda cool. Not in a motorcycle kind of way, but in a scooter kind of way.
I think electric bikes are cool, but I'd hate to sit my balls on one of these in the rain when just one of those brake wires' insulation wears thin.
I want to see Xzibit pimp this thing!
No matter how you package it this is nothing more than a scooter with training wheels!
There is NOTHING cool about training wheels!
Wow, that is amazing. Good stuff dude!
Looks like something Grandpa would buy at The Scooter Store, just to piss off Grandma.
I assume that regenerative breaking (sic) is the power to generate electricity by things falling apart?
Wouldn't regenerative BRAKING be of more use?
Call it what you want. I'm so down on getting one of these. It was only six+ months ago when the gas prices it an all time high of $4. Don't expect this $2.25 gas to stay on so long. Market crisis will end and $5+ will be right around the corner. I currently own a 150cc scooter doing 60mpg and tops at 80mph $2.50~ at every fuel stop. Doing 250cc getting 141mpg will cover the off set like its always ~$2.50 is sooo worth it. This is an awesome A to B vehicle and you can always get a sexy sports car to show off if you want to.
jeesusfreek
Last time I check 2009 Ninja price went up. Most of them were around $4400 *because dealers were shaddy and demands were high in '08 I imagine it'll be around $4800-5000 in '09. You can barely afford 2 250 Ninjas for that price not three or four.
I dont know about the U.S but the U.K has had the standard petrol version of this for like 3 years now. All thats changed is its now partly hybrid to offer slightly more MPG!!!!! Looks are exactly the same...
I don't know where all the hate is coming from, but i think its awesome. The standard gas powered MP3 goes highway speeds. Not sure the top speed of this one!
I for one love scooters and motorcycles, and always wanted ot try one of these out.
Yeah, I think it's some pretty awesome hate too.
@why not the LS2LS7?
Who said anything about global warming?
If you're concerned about your level of smog-producing pollutant emissions, it helps with that too. If you are concerned about America's dependence on foreign oil, it can help with that too.
Why do luddites insist on trying to shoot down any attempt to impact the environment less by coupling it to global warming?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sorry if you misunderstood me...what I meant by that was If global warming is a myth, then why try to help the environment in the first place?
When you cool the earth to an extreme low (in contrast to the normal temperature aka what it should be) during the normal heating/cooling cycle, you create a colder cold climate during the next cycle. So basically, after you think you have cooled the earth enough to stabilize it, the earth will just keep on going in its normal cooling cycle and then it will be a ice age forcing mankind to undo everything that they spent their time and resources on.
@Henry - You made that up, right?
Even if it would be the last bike on earth, I would even touch this piece of plastic crap on 3 wheels!
This is the kind of transport that earns the right to have "metal balls" on them!
http://dysfunctionalparrot.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/super-hybrid-scooter-vs-metal-scrotums/
$9k is way to much, this must target the eco friendly uppity up class yuppies. You can buy a used 250cc motorcycle and get at least 75-80 mpg for $2500. Insurance is about $100 per year. Thats a $6400 dollar difference. At a gas price of $4.00 per gallon you can buy 1600 gallons of gas and travel 120,00 miles at 75 mi per gallon. Do the math I was real conservative.
This scooter is a novelty item. Do not buy it. Wait a few years, when some rich person is tired of it purchase it used. Learn to live off the waste of the wealthy. Don't get hoodwinked or suckered into being a trendy with this item. We are so wastful in this country, learn to recycle the waste of the wealthy.
$9k is way to much, this must target the eco friendly uppity up class yuppies. You can buy a used 250cc motorcycle and get at least 75-80 mpg for $2500. Insurance is about $100 per year. Thats a $6400 dollar difference. At a gas price of $4.00 per gallon you can buy 1600 gallons of gas and travel 120,00 miles at 75 mi per gallon. Do the math I was real conservative.
This scooter is a novelty item. Do not buy it. Wait a few years, when some rich person is tired of it purchase it used. Learn to live off the waste of the wealthy. Don't get hoodwinked or suckered into being a trendy with this item. We are so wastful in this country, learn to recycle the waste of the wealthy.