Not to exacerbate this scooter-buying frenzy, but U.S. scooter reserves appear to be running low. Here are some things I’ve heard lately, from various sources:
Continue reading “Scooter shortage?”
Category: Piaggio
New Vespa Museum opens in Ravenna
If you’re headed to Italy this summer, and you’ve seen the Piaggio Museum three times already, check out Mauro Pascoli’s recently-opened Vespa Museum in Ravenna. Apparently the Massimiliano Fuksas-designed “cloud” museum hovering over the Pontedera assembly line (that was supposed to be finished last year) was just 60th-anniversary P.R. bullshit.
(See also: Machine-translated story from Repubblica.it via Motoblog.it.)
Piaggio USA names new PR firm
Looks like Piaggio USA won’t have Access Communications to kick around anymore. Hard to believe anyone could be worse than CooperKatz, who botched the “Vespa Blogs” idea, but you’ve also gotta wonder why the current glut of scooter stories are practically ignoring Piaggio products to talk about the 100mpg Buddy. Oh, wait we just answered our own question there. Anyway, if Brandware can increase the Vespa’s fuel efficiency*, lower the price, and improve the parts supply, and give dealers more realistic terms and margins… Good luck, Brandware.
*Place your bets on the exact date Vespa’s fuel efficiency rating is ‘recalculated’ to be more competitive with other scooters. (Alternately, guess how long it takes before the hybrid MP3 becomes the centerpiece of their campaign, despite the fact that $10/gallon gas wouldn’t drive an American to buy an $8000 hybrid three-wheeled scooter.)
Piaggio stock drops
It’s always the day after a new product release, right? Piaggio’s stock dropped 2.8 percent after an announcement that the company’s quarterly profit was down 21%. Bobby C. tempered the announcement with plans for a stock buyback, and promised Piaggio’s gas/electric hybrid MP3 will be released in October this year (Piaggio unveiled the prototype hybrid MP3 last July).
MP3 ticketed for using MC spot
The Brighton and Hove City Council had to redefine “three wheeler” to allow the Piaggio MP3 to use motorcycle parking. As the current glut of proposed three-wheeled minicars and motorcycles hits the road, many other municipalities will likely have to follow suit.
Secret Vespa GTS Brain Box Codes Revealed
When owners of Piaggio scooters with computerized engine control systems bring their steeds in for service the attendant hooks up a ‘code reader’ to help diagnose any issues. These codes give advice on how to proceed with repairs. Now, for the first time, the secret codes are revealed. Formerly only known to those with a secret set of instructions, these codes can now be interpreted by all. Continue reading “Secret Vespa GTS Brain Box Codes Revealed”
New Piaggio models next week
From Motoblog: Piaggio plans to launch new Beverly and Carnaby models next week. The Beverly Tourer is a new version of the scooter known as the “BV” in the U.S. The new line will feature 125, 250, and 400cc versions. The Carnaby (unavailable in the U.S.) will feature new colors with 125 and 200cc engines. While we’re on the topic, I don’t think we’ve mentioned their new-ish X7, yet, by the way. It’s getting a lot of press in Europe lately.
Vespa S, new MP3s in shops
Heads up! Piaggio dealers are starting to get the new Vespa S as well as the MP3 400 and MP3 500 (the rebadged Gilera Fuoco.) The Vespa S is hott, the only current model that really evokes the old days, and it’s amazingly priced below the equivalent LX models, which seems to be rare smart move for Piaggio. With the S and the exciting (but expensive) MP3 500 on the floor, Vespa dealers can expect some foot traffic this weekend.
Piaggio profits, sales up in 2007
Today Piaggio reported a 10.8% increase in core profit in 2007 and has proposed a .06-euro-per-share dividend. Net sales were up 5.3%.
Piaggio will not privatize
Ducati Motor Holding has announced plans to buy out shareholders at a 23% premium and take Ducati private. According to Forbes, this news drove up Piaggio stocks, though Piaggio asserted today that they have no intention of following Ducati’s lead. 56.5% of Piaggio shares are held by IMMSI SpA, Piaggio chairman/CEO Roberto Colaninno’s holding company.
(See comments, I originally totally mangled this story and reported that Ducati was threatening to buy out Piaggio stockholders. I blame Forbes for writing confusing sentences.)
Paris’ MP3 taxi service
Motoblog reports Parisian entrepreneurs Ludovic Dazin and Remi Flesselles have launched “Nip Bike,” a Paris taxi service using Piaggio MP3 scooters.
Piaggio steps up Asian operations, hybrids due late 2008
At a press event in Mumbai today, Piaggio announced plans to re-enter the Indian scooter market, focusing on manufacturing hybrids for the local market by 2010. The press release states that the company will be selling Vespa/Piaggio hybrids in Europe by the end of this year.
Piaggio has been producing 3- and 4-wheeled utility vehicles in India for years, but has avoided the crowded scooter market. The press release also lists new agreements with partners and suppliers, and hints at more. It also outlines their operations in China (a partnership with Zongshen Group, making Piaggios for local and world markets), Vietnam (a new factory manufacturing scooters for local markets), and Japan (a new importer/distributor).
POC: Piaggio dealer training and the 500cc MP3
Our old friend and contributor Phil Waters of Pride of Cleveland Scooters sent this informative and funny dispatch with much insight about Piaggio’s dealer training, and some dirt on their upcoming scooters… including photos of the Piaggio MP3-badged Gilera Fuoco 500!
Last week The Rabid Badger (Renae) and I attended Piaggio Dealer Training in lovely Costa Mesa, California. A rumor has been going around that Piaggio is closing their Costa Mesa Tech Center to dealers. We would only be able to get future training secondhand from certified “training centers” located regionally. In other words, it sounds like Piaggio is going to make folks from “ABC Motorcycle Mechanics School” pay big bucks to attend a training class, which will certify them to train the ever increasing number of questionable Piaggio/Vespa Dealers at a cost I’m sure will be split with Piaggio/Vespa. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I haven’t been wrong yet.
Continue reading “POC: Piaggio dealer training and the 500cc MP3”
Peel microcar video and Hammacher Schlemmer
POC Phil posted this must-watch Peel Trident & P50 minicar video as a comment to my microcar book review, but it deserved a more prominent link. In the sixties you could buy a two-seater car made on the Isle of Man for £200 but these days a similarly-sized Chinese electric car costs $25,000. Nitro sent that Hammacher Schlemmer link, along with this $6000 2-person scooter coupe. He says “Imagine if you changed the cheap Chinese subframe for maybe a kitted 125 or so.” I guess, or you could buy an MP3 for the same price.
MP3 HyS: late 2008
French site Scooter Station reports that Piaggio plans to offer the gas/electric hybrid MP3 125 by late 2008. A prototype hybrid MP3 was unveiled in August along with the release of the Ape Calessino and the Vespa S, but no date was set for its public release. The bike features the HyS hybrid engine that’s been on test by Milan municipal vehicles since April, 2006. No word yet on whether the other HyS-equipped Vespa and Piaggio scooters will be available sooner (or at all).