2014 Piaggio Fly 150 3V?

Anyone own one yet and have any opinions to share?

On another forum out there I read a very favorable owner review of the updated 2014 Piaggio Fly 150 3V. The person who purchased it had nothing but good things to say about it. Out of curiosity I read a few online reviews also favorable.

Last week I had a bit of time to kill so I stopped by the nearest Piaggio/Vespa dealership for a look around. I was not even entirely sure they got them in yet. When I arrived they asked me if I was looking for anything in particular and when I told I was curious about the new Fly 150 3V they pointed me to one they literally just got in. Since I have a soft spot for scooters it did not take long before the style really started calling to me.

They asked me if I wanted to take a test ride but I was on limited time so I had to decline. However I was able to spend a good 15 minutes checking it out. Fit and finish was on par with the Italian made scooters even though these are made in China. I found the seating position comfortable and found it roomy (at least compared to my Elite 110). I also found the mirrors more functional then my Elite 110. Under seat storage was very generous. Overall a really highly functional looking scooter.

What has me curious is the new motor? Supposedly these are supposed to put out a good amount of power and deliver low maintenance and class leading fuel economy. Rumors before release were 130 MPG but Piaggio claims 104 MPG. If it gets over 90 that is good in my book.

At first I was not that serious but I can't seem to let it go. Its priced reasonably at $2,899 witch is doable but if they fee you to death this its not doable witch I have heard Piaggio dealers are famous for.

Another concern is dealer support? In the Seattle area we have always had Vespa and Piaggio dealers but they tend to bounce around from dealer to dealer. However things have been a bit more stable in this regard lately. They just don't seem to sell in volumes that dealers can make money here.

Also I have a pretty strong dose of past "Not So Good" experience with Italian products. I know they are doing far better then they used to do and have a completely different model then in the past. However I am still slightly concerned. I do have an Aprilia SportCity 250 that so far has needed nothing but oil and gas. So I am not as concerned as I used to be. However I am not sure I would trust a garage full of Italian bikes even today.

I still kind of want it but its a bit of a reach. Especially at full MSRP plus fees they are likely hitting you with. However usually once I get something on my radar screen it happens eventually. I don't see these being super hot sellers so they will always be around if you want one. In a few years time it will probably not be impossible to pick one up used.

did you check it out at cycle barn lynnwood? they dropped all freight and fees on my bv 350, and their service and support has been admirable. they had a good year last year, apparently, and deservedlybso.

as for piaggio, my 2013 bv 350 has been rock freakin solid.

The 2014 Fly is the best value in Piaggio's line-up in that class. The new engine is getting wonderful reviews, and Piaggio's engines are quite robust.

Dealer saturation is and always has been the big question. You have a long-time dealer (Vespa Seattle/Big People Scooters) which is a fixture for at leat a couple decades in your area (my former stte of residence as well).

A very safe bet on a great scooter with Piaggio's newest technology. I wouldnt hesitate if it floats your boat.

Yeah it was Scooter Barn in Lynnwood.

If they drop the fees on this scoot I may seriously consider it.

In the past this dealership in different forms had a pretty poor reputation. In fact I believe they almost went out of business because of it. I have always been hesitant to do with business with them. I am not sure what changed but the scooter division at least has stepped it up big time and online reviews seem favorable.

If I have time I may stop by tomorrow for another look and make an offer. MSRP plus TTL seems fair and just. Maybe they will earn my business!

Get one and review it. Seems like an excellent buy. Wishing that motor finds its way into the Typhoon. Sign me up!

Ended up picking it up. I am now just waiting for it to be delivered

I took it for a test ride. It has good power and a very smooth engine. Handling is about what you would expect from this class of scooter. Its not all out sporty but very zippy.

Dealer was a pleasure to do business with. It appears they have a new General Manager and different ownership. They are trying really hard to win people over and the sales experience was very easy going with no pressure.

I wheeled and dealed but because its new and very low margin I was pretty much forced to pay some fees. However they cut them down as much as they could. I was impressed enough with the scooter to not be so concerned with it. I got it for $3,800 out the door. This is with a rather high 9.5% tax rate.

When its delivered I plan to detail it myself. They did it and did a good job but I can do better plus I feel better when I get a nice coat of wax on it and Plexus the clear plastic bits. A little protection added now goes a long ways keeping it looking good down the road.

I plan to write a review after I putz around on it later today. It will likely not be the best most thought out review and intended to be a running review so I will add my experiences to it as time goes on.

Other interesting facts about this scooter. Its actually made in the Vietnam factory and not the China factory. This makes me feel better for some odd reason. My wife is Thai and have been all over SE Asia. The Vietnamese people are very polite and they take things very seriously. No doubt they do a fine job at that factory in Vietnam especially with Piaggio supervision.

It has the same external Piaggio/Vespa/Aprilia and whatever oil filter and o-ring. I already have a few filters and o-rings in stock. It comes with synthetic oil in the 5W-40 weight. This is nothing new with this brand. I am debating on dumping the factory fill like I usually do at 60 miles but the last few bikes I have done that on I felt I was wasting my time. It really does not hurt but likely not necessary like it was in the past. The machining is so good now days.

As designed this scooter does not really need much. Even the dealer was honest and said if I can do my own maintenance all it should really need an oil change and filter at 600 miles. However if I brought it in they will inspect the valves just in case. I will probably have this done by the shop as I take good care of my bikes and I don't want to break habit.

As soon as its delivered and I detail it myself I will take a few pictures then its off for a days journey.

Congratulations and ENJOY!

150cc scooters are just about perfect for running around town and a blast to ride. I'm looking forward to your report and some pics. Congrats on the new scoot.

Got it delivered and took some pictures. However I need to find the cable for my digital camera so I can upload them.

I took it for a ride and it runs really nice and smooth. However a few blocks from home I ended up scraping the side stand making right hand turns. One of the reviews had the same issue and solved it by shaving the rubber pad in half. So I ended up running over to the dealer and having them fix it. It seems to have fixed it and I have not scraped it yet.

So far so good. It appears the odometer is kilometers and not miles. Likely typical for this brand. The engine is very smooth. I would not call it butter smooth but close. Power delivery is really good. If I had to guess i would say this scoot was powered by a 170 or 200cc engine then a 150cc engine.

Handling once the kickstand is about what you would expect. Not many miles on the tires so I am still taking it easy. This is not exactly a sport scooter so its not intended to be ridden at the limit but like anything on 2 wheels its fairly capable. I imagine once broken in it will keep up with the best of them in this class.

Dang were is that wire?

I may have to reshoot the photos using my phone and upload them that way. I have not used my camera in months.

I also topped off the fuel tank so I can get an accurate read on mileage. However I don't expect the best mileage until its fully broken in. On my Honda scoots it was fairly dramatic. The first tank did not really hold up well but as things loosened up economy got better. One thing I expect out of this scoot is class leading fuel economy. I don't think 100 MPG is out of the question but if it does 90 + that is still very good for this class.

Recent economy figures for my SH150 is 90 MPG. My Elite 110 is 95 MPG and my PCX 125 is at 93 MPG. The PCX is an odd ball because every so often you get a tank that just refuses to go away. I think its more likely getting an accurate fill every time is the issue on the PCX. If you take it real slow you can squeeze a fair amount of extra fuel into the tank without compromising the EPA stuff. I think a big air bubble in the tank sometimes keeps it from getting completely full.

Snugging up the rear shock pre-load before shaving any bump-stops may be just the ticket for scraping the sidestand.

That would probably work as well. Assuming it has a shock pre-load adjustment. I will have to check on that. The service guy at the dealership was kind of surprised it was scraping but agreed that shaving the rubber pad down would fix it. A lot of space to play with there.

i scraped the stand on my bv 350 right after i bought it, but that was because i was treating it like my former sportcity 250 in a 15 mph turn behind canyon park

Im sure it does have a preload....all my Piaggio scooters have from my ET-4 forward.

Cant uncut the rubber pad, so Id try the preload avenue first.

Canyon Park is my stomping ground. I live a mile north of there. I have seen a BV 350 running around...hmm I wonder if that was you?

I have plenty of motorcycle friends but they are not much interested in my scooter side of the equation. If you are up to it we can meet at Starbucks and talk about our scoots. Just food for thought!

I am sure it probably does as well. I think just about everything made now days does but I will have to look. When you sit on it the preload seems fine however that is really not the whole story. The forces involved when you turn are considerably greater so weak preload will show up here. I am 5'11' and 220 lbs so no doubt on the heavy side for the way this scoot is set at the factory.

Not much new to report. Dinner at my folks and my wife and I took the SilverWing on this beautiful day and evening. I love that SilverWing but its a beast and not that economical. However its highly practical especially when you have to carry lots of stuff. You can probably get a water bed under the seat. Thats an exageration but you all know what I mean.

Tomorrow I plan to ride it some more and play with the preload if possible and shoot some pictures on my new smart phone. I am a bit old school and prefer using a digital camera but who knows where that cable is.

if it was black and going 15 over, it was me

any friday or saturday evening after 7 works for me! just send me a message, since i check these forums irregularly. i've also been meaning to go to the eastside rider meetups in woodinville/redmond. my wife rocks a red pcx 150 which you might see from time to time, loaded up at qfc or fred meyer ;-)

My Aprilia came with the ODO reading in KM but it could be re-programmed to read in Miles. I found the procedure on the Aprilia forum, I couldn't find it in the manual. I'm pretty sure your ODO can also be made to read in miles.

same with my bv 350. it came set to km, and there was an undocumented method (simple) to change it to mi. check modernvespa.com.

I will look into setting the odometer over at modernvespa.com. I am not registered there but I spend a great deal of time browsing the forums. Its a very active scooter forum. One of the few!

On my Sport City you just hit the mode switch until it reads "Miles" but its not that simple on the Fly 150.

I am usually stuck at work Fri and Sat nights but sometimes I get them off. Yeah I have seen a black BV350 running around I am sure that was yours. Seen a red PCX running around as well. We are in good company as I have a white PCX 125 in the garage as well.

For the record the Fly 150 seems faster then my PCX125 and a hair smoother as well. Especially at idle. Not sure how it would compare to the PCX 150 but from what I have read the PCX 125 and 150 are actually pretty close most of the time. You just get about 5 MPH more up hills and 5 MPH more on the top end. Other then that they are darn near the same thing.

just drop me a message here if there's an evening you wanna meet up!

Sacrilege. Everyone on this forum knows there is only one two wheeled vehicle capable of going to a Starbucks.