2019 Piaggio MP3 Sport 500: 3-Wheel Scooter Arrives in USA

Anyone here have personal experience with this product line or Piaggio products.

where are the dealers in the US?

A quick google search shows the are scattered top to bottom corner to corner in the U.S.

but not many of them

I find if fascinating the obsession and curiosity on here for overweight lardass 3 wheelers. Whether it's adding a complicated conversion kit to a Silver Wing, or the overweight and over complicated Piaggio MP3.

One reason....people who never really rode well...get older/fatter and the third wheel keeps them from falling over at rest.

Think for those who want/need three wheels, the new CanAm trike might work.

Piaggio products IMHO are a bit hit & miss (in my experience more miss)

However the Metropolitan Police ran a fleet of 40+ MP3s for a number of years which are just making they way into the used civilian market.
So build wise they must be to a standard acceptable though a large city force has (had) the money to repair faulty ECUs (a common fault with early models caused by water ingress)

They where the 350 models as I recall.

The other consideration is if you aren't buying for long term ownership you are going to take a huge hit if you can actually sell it (I know 2 owners both can't give them away dealers aren't interested)

Also you can tip them over if you stop on a pot hole or such like woth 1 wheel lower than the other.

They defeat the logic of filtering (but understand not a problem in most American States) and there are some good blogs from folk including a women who toured Spain on here with her daughter.

Service intervals (now extended) are expensive and short.

Horses for courses but if I had the cash spare Yes I'd own one but would have another bike for daily use.

Meldrew wrote:

I find if fascinating the obsession and curiosity on here for overweight lardass 3 wheelers. Whether it's adding a complicated conversion kit to a Silver Wing, or the overweight and over complicated Piaggio MP3.

Well there's a surprise.

Meldrew wrote:

I find if fascinating the obsession and curiosity on here for overweight lardass 3 wheelers. Whether it's adding a complicated conversion kit to a Silver Wing, or the overweight and over complicated Piaggio MP3.

Three wheelers have their place as do the people who want to ride them.  Being condescending to them is just like the folks who look down their nose at anything that isn't a Harley.   My wife, bless her heart, got her MC endorsement to keep up with me, but was never comfortable riding on 2 wheels.  She is comfortable being on the highway with me on the Spyder and says she would like to be able to drive it as well.  There are people over on the Spyder forum that have disabilities that couldn't ride at all if it weren't for these overweight 3 wheelers.

EvilTwin,
I totally agree with you. My wife is uncomfortable riding two up with me on two wheels here in Hawaii. She will ride with me on my Swing-trike (training wheels) in Idaho.

Scootypuff Snr wrote:

Meldrew wrote:

I find if fascinating the obsession and curiosity on here for overweight lardass 3 wheelers. Whether it's adding a complicated conversion kit to a Silver Wing, or the overweight and over complicated Piaggio MP3.

Well there's a surprise.

Why is it a surprise? I had my Silver Wing for eight years and while the physical weight of the thing wasn't a problem, loading it up for touring and the addition of a passenger didn't do it any favours. Anyway all this adding training wheels and fitting conversion kits just even more weight and width.

I'd have thought after all this expense the stability of an extra wheel or two would be an excellent incentive to ride outside the fabled 'riding season, it isn't.

The 3 wheel scooter thing like that car tyre nonsense has been done to death, and whether you're for or against it we've all had our say.

[Edit]

Loved my 2009 MP3 500.  I agree it is overweight but nevertheless it handles well and filters just fine since it isn't wider than most two wheelers.  People have a tendency to lump the MP3 in with Spyders and trikes but it really feels like a two wheeler.  At times the ability to lock the front suspension comes in very handy but It can not be ridden that way and would be unsafe if it could.

Modernvespa.com is a good source of info.

Answering original question----I have had 4 Vespas, 3 of them new---2 stroke. No experience with new ones as they are very expensive---no dealers, for somebody who travels a lot.

Fact: Italian stuff is probably not was reliable as Japanese, so dealer is needed more often.

When I lived in Italy there seemed to be Vespa/Piaggio service on almost every corner.

Dealers have told me in US, they make no money with Vespa and demands of importer are great.

Be it engines or wheels, different strokes for different folks, adapt or not ride you decide. When the time comes for me three it will be.

oldwingguy wrote:

Be it engines or wheels, different strokes for different folks, adapt or not ride you decide. When the time comes for me three it will be.

Bingo!

I have been riding siince 1968, the best thing I ever did was convert to a trike with my swing.

I am playing catch-up, started late and will extend my passion any which way. The only 3 wheel vehicle that I would not consider is a Polaris Slingshot. Might as well get a 4 wheel convertible.

Jay.