Piaggio Mp3 Yourban 300 I.E.
Piaggio MP3 Yourban 300 i.e.
A lighter, better-handling three-wheel scooter
QUICK RIDE
PIAGGIO SURPRISED THE powersports industry when it unveiled its three-wheeled MP3 scooter in 2006. Its clever, patented tilting front end allows the MP3 to offer motorcycle-like steering response with the additional safety provided by two wheels up front—a real advantage on slippery surfaces. Despite its high sticker price (the original 500cc version pushed $9000 in the U.S.), the MP3 has been a success, with more than 83,000 sold world-
wide to date. That has led to further investment in the concept and an ever-growing expansion of the MP3 lineup. The latest edition is the MP3 Yourban 300 i.e. (You Urban), the lightest and leastexpensive MP3 yet, which I had a chance to ride on the rain-soaked roads of the Cote d’Azur around Cannes in the South of France.
Built as a response to criticism of the original MP3’s excessive weight, size and price, the Yourban is the best
version yet. Weighing 33 pounds less and sporting a
2.0-inch shorter wheelbase (56.7 in.), the Yourban features larger, 13-inch front wheels instead of the previous models’ 12-inchers, with front-end geometry altered to accommodate the changes. Not only is the Yourban lighter, it looks the part, as well, with fresh styling and less bodywork that exposes more of the front suspension components for a more techno look. The footboard has been lowered 0.78 in., contributing to a comfortable riding posture, with the seat 30.7 in. off the ground.
Power for the 300 i.e. is by a liquid-cooled, 278cc, sohc, four-valve, fuel-injected Single, which makes a claimed 23 horsepower and 17.3 foot-pounds of peak torque. This unit is teamed with an effective CV trans mission that has a crisply engaging automatic (centrif ugal) clutch that extracts the best from the willing Single. Though the Yourban shed a meaningful amount of weight, it still tips the scales at 453 pounds. Even so, its combina
tion of lighter weight and quicker steering response proved to be a lot of fun on the wet French roads. The MP3 is very 4 quick off the line and rapidly progresses to 60 or 70 mph, easily outpac/ ing traffic.
Potholes and rough pavement are competently absorbed by the larger front wheels and well-tuned front suspension. Wet pedestrian crossings and manhole cov ers barely upset the Yourban while cornering; the rear wheel would step out of line a minor amount when I was hard on the throttle but would then immediately recompose itself with little if any steering input. Wet or dry, the Yourban allows in credible lean angles around corners with a high degree of safety. Its sure-footedness in the rain easily beats that of a motorcycle in similar conditions.
Despite the cold, wet test conditions, the MP3 Yourban proved very comfortable. For the first time, the MP3 can be purchased without the electronic system that "freez es" the front suspension for ease of parking. Eliminating the system requires that the rider hoist the MP3 onto the centerstand to park it, but it also knocks an additional 26.5 pounds off the MP3's weight and reduces its MSRP by 700 euros. Expect the Yourban 300 i.e. to hit the U.S. market by the end of atayetu:~ -price:---Bruno
