French site scooter-infos.com recently published some early information about the Piaggio MP3 300 Light. With a ever-growing variety of MP3 displacements and versions on the market, including LT, Sport, and Hybrid versions, Piaggio is looking to create a smaller, more city-friendly version for 2011. The new machine is said to be based on the newly-designed 2010 Beverly (the “BV” in the U.S., though the new design didn’t make it here yet). Scooter-infos.com created the photo illustration above based on that description.
Charles from scooter-infos also emailed 2strokebuzz to let us know that Stefano Sterpone, sales director at Piaggio, reiterated Piaggio’s commitment to the U.S. market, and told him the MP3 Light has been designated a “global product” and will be introduced in the U.S. shortly after its introduction in Europe.
Thanks, Charles!, hopefully I translated your information correctly!
UPDATE commenter “Blue Mark” suggested an MP3 Sea-Doo hybrid:
That was just silly, and I wanted to put an end to the nonsense, so I bribed a worker at a taverna in Pontedera for this actual photo:
Man, that’s fugly!!!
It’s also “imagineered.”
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Ok, let’s get the design ball rolling. A little less Lego influence I think. Oh, and this time let’s not make it look so much like a snowmobile. Say, who is that European guy that whips out concepts designs? Help us out here, I can’t spend money on something that looks like THAT!
Oberdan Bezzi, that’s the guy, let’s get a little input from the big O here.
How about make it look like a See-Doo instead of a snowmobile?
Whadyathink?: http://image.bayimg.com/eaolfaacg.jpg
This is of course all speculation based on their mock-up, but I think it looks better than the regular MP3, in fact, the only thing i dislike is the vestigal MP3 grille on the front. Then again, I think the new BV looks pretty good, so that’s most of it.
Mark, that’s hilarious.
V-moto, Oberdan must be stopped. I can’t take any more beautiful drawings of things that will never happen.
Ron you know this is Rye’s next bike, right? With a child seat?
Given the numbers of motorcycles with sidecars, trikes and even Gold Wings with training wheels (yes!) that pass through Bellingham, I would say this is a very wise move on Piaggio’s part. The population in the industrialized world is getting older and more infirm, and less able to hold up a heavy 2-wheeler. Our friend Chuck says his MP3 400 is a wonderful touring bike, and there have been many times lately that I would’ve like to be able to lock the front end and set the parking brake…
Okay, now, that Sea-doo looking thing posted by Blue Mark is an improvement on what we have now, the current MP3 Snowmobile looking thing. Hey Italy, you all are supposed to be the design whiz folks, so come on now, let’s see what you can do.
I like the Sandcrawler version best.
If they were interested in making a more manageable scooter they could be sincere and go smaller. Clearly the early prototype based off of a Vespa PK should be minuscule in comparison but much more appealing to people looking for a ‘scooter’ rather than a touring bike like a maxiscooter/goldwing. What that rendering shows is the same thing with different plastic. I don’t get how that’s smaller or more city-friendly.