AUTOMOTIVE CARS ACCESSORIES: Piaggio MP3 -Three wheeler-scooter with two front wheels

With gas prices hiking up every day, a motorcycle seems like a very attractive idea for our city movements. But what if you don’t want’ to –or- you can’t drive on two wheels? Well, then how about three wheels?

Maybe VW’s GX-3 won’t make it to production, but that doesn’t mean we not going to see another three-wheeler vehicle as Piaggio, worldwide known for the Vespa that went in production in 1946, has unveiled an innovative scooter, that draws very close to that concept. Named “PIAGGIO MP3”, the three-wheeler scooter (with two front wheels), want’s to re-define the very concept of ride stability providing an unprecedented riding experience.

Press Release: Cycle parts
The PIAGGIO MP3 frame in high-tensile steel tubes is the result of the best CAD technology and computerized FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis. Elements such as frame strength and weight were precisely defined and tested from the initial phases of the project, with the suitability of each solution checked at every stage.

The PIAGGIO MP3 uses three 12" wheels with large tyres - 120/70 front, 130/70 rear. Together with the revolutionary front suspension, the wheels provide a tilt angle of up to 40° while riding like any normal two wheeler and simultaneously ensuring better road grip on any surface, especially slippery tracks. The parallelogram suspension also ensures increased stability at high speeds.

At the rear, the cycle parts feature a singlearm suspension with two dual effect hydraulic shock absorbers, a helicoidal spring and four-position preload.

Besides its exceptional stability, the PIAGGIO MP3 also provides brilliant braking thanks to three powerful linked brakes, 240 mm in diameter, and the parallelogram suspension. The result is record deceleration (about 8 m per second) with braking space reduced by over 20 per cent on normal road surfaces and as much as 24 per cent on slippery roads compared to a traditional two-wheel scooter.

Design
The PIAGGIO MP3 has innovative, eye-catching styling while maintaining a clear resemblance to the Piaggio GT (Gran Turismo) range. The new two-wheel front assembly doesn't detract in the least from the PIAGGIO MP3's sleek styling. Its size and proportions are those of a normal compact GT scooter, with an overall front-end width of only 420 mm. As a result, the Piaggio MP3 can be type-approved as a standard two wheeled motorcycle.

The rear loading section has been designed to offer maximum comfort and storage capacity: a boot lid painted the same colour as the bodywork provides access to the under seat storage. A substantial 65-litre storage capacity and dual access to the storage area, from the boot lid as well as by flipping up the seat, make the PIAGGIO MP3extremely practical. The storage area comfortably holds two full-face helmets, a small bag and objects up to a metre in length. The under seat storage also has a courtesy light and a seat cover for use when parking in rainy weather. A handy remote control button on the ignition key opens the seat lock and the rear boot lid.

Comfortable, agile, fun and easy to park: with the PIAGGIO MP3, parking hassles are a thing of the past. Because of its innovative three-wheel concept, the PIAGGIO MP3 is equipped with a revolutionary electro-hydraulic front suspension locking system that keeps the vehicle upright without using the usual central stand (which is, however, also available). The rider simply presses a switch on the handlebar to activate the system that stops the tilt mechanism and park without using the stand. An electro-actuator activates a central clamp on the tilt mechanism and generates hydraulic pressure to lock the suspension dampers.

Once the rider has pressed the handlebar switch, the control unit only activates the electro-actuator if the vehicle is travelling at a speed in the range of 23 kph to 10 kph. The exact speed at which this takes place depends on the level of deceleration: the greater the deceleration, the higher the speed at which the tilt mechanism locks. Additionally, the mechanism will not lock unless the butterfly valve is closed and the engine is running at below 3000 rpm.

To ensure rider safety, the tilt mechanism not only shuts off by pressing the handlebar switch, but is also automatically deactivated if vehicle speed exceeds 15 kph, if the butterfly valve is not fully closed or if engine rpm is higher than 3000.

A lever on the inside of the front shield actions the parking brake, making it safe to park without using the stand even on sloping ground and making it possible to park the two front wheels where there is a height difference of up to 20 cm.

The PIAGGIO MP3 dashboard provides comprehensive, at-a-glance trip information. It includes a speedometer, fuel gauge, cooling liquid temperature indicator, clock and partial and total mileage. Other features are a fuel reserve indicator, oil pressure, turn signals, low and high beam, seat or boot lid open warning and an Immobilizer LED. The rider can open the fuel cap and rear boot lid with a single twist of the key in the ignition unit.

Engines
The Quasar 125 i.e. & 250 i.e. are Piaggio’s new 4-stroke, 4-valve, liquid-cooled engines that meet Euro 3 standards. The PIAGGIO MP3has an exceptional distance range thanks to low fuel consumption by both engines (about 25 km/l) and a sizeable 12-litre fuel tank.