Piaggio MP3 500 SPORT reviews

I love my scoot. It is so much fun, and most may not realize this BV is better than a motorcycle in many aspects. It pulls me around (250 lbs) with ease. Show less

The Piaggio BV 500 is more than a scooter, and better than a motorcycle. After years of riding BMW bikes (two old classics) and a 15 year hiatus, I decided to go for comfort at my age (60+) but didn't want to sacrifice performance and tourability. The BV 500 was the perfect solution. Cruise all day at 65-70 or maneuver around town: it masters both. Show less

I got my BV 500 and have had zero scooter problems at 1200 miles. I wanted to kick in with what appeals about the BV 500. It has a lot of personality. The CVT works like you hope it will. This scoot will do anything from a 2 mph crawl, which will let you converse with a walking pedestrian, to a 90+ mph run down the interstate highway. You can leave all the cars behind at the stop light with the exception of a few muscle cars, if they are both determined and attentive. CVT allows you to keep both feet out for balance when you need to go slow because the road is gravel or the road is slick. All that, a bag of chips and 60+ mpg too. Show less

I have owned the BV-500 for nearly three years and found it to be in the Italian tradition for superior engineering and performance. How Piaggio managed to get 39HP from a one cylinder engine and outrun many motorcycles is amazing in itself! I have also found the scooter very stable at speeds well over 100 MPH! Show less

Great scooter, comfortable, fast, steady on hwy and very manuverable, very balanced. Best investment I made. Show less

I had owned a smaller(125cc) scooter before the X9 and fell in love with the concept. But I felt the power was low and the balance did not fit me. I decided an upgrade was in order. The X9 fit the bill. It handles very well on stop and go secondary roads, while getting 45-52 mpg. It is solid on freeway at speed, and has enough left to pass semis decisively. It gets 60-65 mpg on the freeway. My wife and I have taken several enjoyable 2 hour trips. It seems unaffected by weather extremes, reliably turning over in temps from 25-100 F. The only times I use my four wheeler is when there is ice on the road or when cargo/dogs need to be carried. I give the X9 two thumbs up! Show less

I've had 22 bikes (everything from full-dress touring to sport-touring to cruisers to retro to 'nakeds'), and I have to say this is among the very best, if not THE best. Easy to maneuver around town and yet very adequate on the highway. Good acceleration. Outstanding comfort & wind protection. Stylish looks. Can park for free on sidewalks. Optional saddlebags & topcase, when combined with glove compartment, underseat storage, & bag holder swallow as much gear as my former Goldwing. Good on gas (4L/100km or about 70mpg). Did I mention comfortable? No heat onto rider from engine (a blessing in hot weather). Strong brakes are a bit stiff at the lever and difficult to modulate. Givi windscreen is awesome for total wind protection with very little buffetting, but you need to take it off in really hot weather or you'll cook with so little breeze. This bike is easy to overlook among 'real bikers' but that's a shame because it has a lot to offer. Works just as well 2-up as solo. Passengers enjoy the wide plush backrest on the optional topcase. Crashed the bike this past weekend (sand on pavement - went down at high speed). Bike was still running when we found it in the bushes/ditch. Surprisingly little damage, considering the impact (saddlebags were not broken; fairing was cracked but all lights still functional even though scraped). This is clearly a tougher bike than I had imagined! Design also allowed me to fall clear of the bike without getting impailed by the handlebars or riding up over the tank, as might have been the case on a conventional motorcycle. Impressive. Show less

I traded my 2005 Piaggio BV200 for this Piaggio BV500 and it was the greatest deal I have ever made. There is no comparison between these machines. The 500 is a tad longer but handling characeristics are exactly the same. I love it. Show less

My wife just purchased this bike last week and we already have over 500 miles on it. Took it on a long ride in the country and it performed well in all conditions...open road 65+ mph, high speed twisties, rolling hills and even gravel roads! My wife rode a motorcycle for several years, but gave it up after a couple of low speed spills. She was always looking for something more stable and the MP3 is definitely the answer. This bike won't break any land speed records, but that's not what it was built to do. Its main attributes are the incredibly stable agility, powerful braking ability and smooth ride. I find the bike a bit tight (5ft 11in w/34in inseam), but I like to stretch out on my Burgman 650 or even my other Vespa GT200. The dealer even cut us a deal for being the first MP3 sale ... knocked off $. Make sure to contact your insurance company before buying, Progressive gave me all kinds of flack and almost wouldn't cover the bike. Enjoy the ride! Show less

I've had my motorcycle license for 2 years and rode a borrowed BMW Airhead the first summer. I was not able to ride last year due to health reasons. I thought my dreams of riding again were over until we saw the MP3!! I feel confident on this stable ride to keep up with the rest of my BMW riding in-laws! The design is very well thought out and they paid close attention to the details. I've almost been the cause of many near accidents as people turkey-neck and double-take as they admire the ride and ask, 'What is that?' 'I've never seen anything like that before!' They shake their head in amazement as I demonstrate how the front wheels can be locked to hold the bike and ride up. Then they stand there and wait for me to take off so they can watch how it corners! This has become my daily ride to work. First, because it's so much fun to ride. Second, because of gas prices. But mostly because it's so much fun. You can fit 4-6 bags of groceries in the back storage compartment - great for on the way home from work to pick up dinner. My husband opts to ride my MP3 over his 1990 BMW K75 because it's so much fun to ride. I love the curvy roads on this ride! Downside: I rode on the back one day while my husband drove - the seat is comfortable, the grips are in a great location and adequately sized - however, there's not much room for your feet! My heels can fit in the designated area, but the front half of my foot was getting in the way of the driver on take-offs and they were just hang'n out there in the air. Would love to see the 500 cc in the US! The 250cc has good speed for in-town driving and short interstate rides. Top speed is advertised as 80, but on a real windy spring day, you top out at 70. Show less