Piaggio Beverly 350 - THIS Sounds Exciting!

[cbolling]

We already have a Girly stereotype in the US for scooter riders. I don't think a red or pink seat would help the cause very much.

[Infracaninophile]

Originally Posted by Cortez

Pics, anyone?

Local dealer, 2011 BV300 in the background, new BV350 up front, and
a Scarabeo 200ie hiding there too!

I just bought that exact bike and color combo here in the US this week. My first scoot. It works great and I like the color combo. Style and colors are always a personal thing. My wife bought a white Vespa and she loves it. I don't dig the color at all.

Tom

[Cortez]

I'm picky about that stuff too, but I like probably every single color combo
on the BV350.

I just recently had a chance to ride it.
Long story short - if you're considering the 300, get the 350.


..or get the Kymco People 300GTi, save a ton, and get basically
the same, but bigger and more comfortable bike.


Let us know if it will really top 100mph!

[JerseyBiker]

WANT!!

Maybe someone can make seat decals - skulls or the like -- that would help with the red seat!

[cdwise]

Seats are easy to recover but the red plastic will be a little harder to deal with. You know a checkerboard seatcover might be quite attractive - red & black. The red is almost a brick color when you see it in person on the plastic. I sort of wondered what a cordovan polish would do to it. Something it might be worth trying in on the inside of the glovebox cover to test.

[Infracaninophile]

Just an FYI: The reviews of the Piaggio 350 tail box and mount were not that great. I decided to go the Givi route. On Modernvespa.com there was a person from the UK who has a BV350 who stated that the Givi rear rack mount for the BV300 is the same for the 350. I could not find a US supplier anywhere who listed what I wanted.

The Givi part number is E349. You remove the little plastic top piece on the rear rack of the BV350 and the Givi piece bolts into place. You can then use any Givi MonoLock (MonoLock, not MonoKey) top box.

I had to look for a while but finally found a place in Europe who would ship to the US and ordered the Givi E349 piece. Shipping was expensive and the who part + shipping came out to almost $90 USD.

I already have a 30 litre Givi Monolock box so I just needed the mount. This just a FYI for anyone in the US looking for a rear top box who doesn't want to use the Piaggio one.

I got my part at this link. This is just the mounting plate.

http://www.moto24.org/givi-piaggio-b...ockr-case.html


Here's a shot of the part and installation instructions from Givi. This was a PDF I found somewhere and downloaded.



Tom

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by Infracaninophile

Just an FYI: The reviews of the Piaggio 350 tail box and mount were not that great.

Any online source/web about that or?

[Infracaninophile]

Originally Posted by Cortez

Any online source/web about that or?

Nope. That was gleamed from PM conversations with three current UK-based BV350 owners. Let me Google a bit and see if I can find any online sources.

Tom

[chazbird]

Infrancannophile:

When you get a chance a ride/owner review of the BV350 would be most welcome. The usual, handling, fuel mileage, storage, performance, etc.....My carb'ed BV250 gets 68-74 and whatever bike I get next has to get 70+ mpg.

[Infracaninophile]

Originally Posted by chazbird

Infrancannophile:

When you get a chance a ride/owner review of the BV350 would be most welcome. The usual, handling, fuel mileage, storage, performance, etc.....My carb'ed BV250 gets 68-74 and whatever bike I get next has to get 70+ mpg.

Will do. Only got two 25-mile rides in after work this week. Weather turned cold and rainy for the next three days so no riding at all. As soon as I have some more data I'll post a report. I am a motorcycle guy since age 5 and when we went this week to purchase the Vespa that my wife wanted (for commuting) I ended up coming home with the BV. So far I love it. No idea on gas mileage or anything yet.

A few quick inputs (Mini Review):

1. The bike handles well. The bigger wheels (16/14) make it more like a motorcycle which is likely why I like it.

2. Under seat storage is good. I can get a full face helmet under there. I just ordered a Givi rack for the rear so I can mount a 30L Givi box soon. Will report when I do. The glove compartment is large and does have a 12V power plug in there. Under the seat there is a light. All done very nicely.

3. Mileage: No idea. I filled the bike up when we went our for our first ride. I can't tell how accurate the gauge is. When it gets low I'll check it out and report. I think it has a 3.1 - 3.2 gallon tank.

4. Performance is good and fun. I took it on a little 2-3 mile stretch of interstate and it popped up to 80 indicated easily and quickly at 6500' elevation. That was likely 72-75 MPH real. There was more left in there. My wife's 300 Super can still beat me off the line but that's cause she's smaller and her bike is lighter. Once we hit 45-50 I roll on by.

5. Ergo's: I'm 6' tall with a 33-34" inseam. I like big bikes (I ride a KTM950 Adventure and two R100GSPD's) and the BV feels nice. Not small like my wife's Vespa and not really big like the Kymco Excite 500 we rode last weekend either. Once the weather clears we'll go out and do a 100 and then a 200 and then a 250 mile day and see how it goes. The bigger wheels and tires help with the bumpy local roads. I've already learned to avoid pot holes, man hole covers, and such now that I ride a scooter.

6. Misc: It has a "mode" button on the right hand side of the handlebars. It allows me to toggle through ODO, Trip Meter 1, Trip Meter 2, Voltage, and Outdoor Temp. I love that. My wife's expensive GTS300 Super doesn't even have a single trip meter. It has a digital clock, analog fuel and coolant temp gauge and a big speedo that is analog as well. The High/Low headlight switch is intuitive and labeled well (compared to the Vespa). The Run/Off switch as well is nice and labeled. The OEM windscreen and mount is nicely sized for what I want. If you want a bigger one you can purchase the one for the BV300 and use that. Might have to go to Europe online to buy it. I have no issues with it. I can put the thing on the centerstand w/o using my hands. It's that easy. And, unlike the Vespa, it came with a sidestand.

In a week or so I plan on riding this thing to work and everywhere within 50 miles if I don't need to haul a load or such. Meaning, I am going to see if I can live with this thing as my daily vehicle. I've never done that with my real motorcycles as I don't use them for commuting. Never have. But the little BV is just so easy to use.

Future considerations are a set of Hot Grips with controller (I live in Colorado) and learning how to maintain the thing myself.

Tom

[Dabears]

Originally Posted by Infracaninophile

In a week or so I plan on riding this thing to work and everywhere within 50 miles if I don't need to haul a load or such. Meaning, I am going to see if I can live with this thing as my daily vehicle. I've never done that with my real motorcycles as I don't use them for commuting. Never have. But the little BV is just so easy to use.

Tom

I suspect you will find like many folks that the right sized scooter will meet so many of your riding requirements that your motorcycles will see less and less use. In my case my old Vespa is a bit too small and the brakes too poor to provide much overlap with what my GS does. The BV350 however is as powerful as many regular motorcycles were years ago, and we managed to do everything on them. I think you've got one of the best new scooters out there from a size/power/feature perspective (my opinion only- there are lots of other great scooters, and I love most of them!).

What dealer did you get it from? I work in Denver two weeks out of the month- out by Centennial Airport. Haven't been to Fay Myers for a while- need to go see if they have a BV to check out!

[Infracaninophile]

Originally Posted by Dabears

I suspect you will find like many folks that the right sized scooter will meet so many of your riding requirements that your motorcycles will see less and less use. In my case my old Vespa is a bit too small and the brakes too poor to provide much overlap with what my GS does. The BV350 however is as powerful as many regular motorcycles were years ago, and we managed to do everything on them. I think you've got one of the best new scooters out there from a size/power/feature perspective (my opinion only- there are lots of other great scooters, and I love most of them!).

What dealer did you get it from? I work in Denver two weeks out of the month- out by Centennial Airport. Haven't been to Fay Myers for a while- need to go see if they have a BV to check out!

DA:

I bought mine at Fay and paid the MSRP of $5495. They tried to add another $800 or so in fees for shipping, assembly, dealer handling stuff and I said I would not pay that. They quickly dropped all the fees except the dealer handling ($149 IIRC) and I said I'm not paying that either. They agreed. But we bought two scooters at the same time. I do not know if they have more BV's or not. Call and ask for Joe or check the Denver CL. Joe is their CL specialist. Erico has one for sure as I saw it last Wednesday in person. It is black as well. Not sure on price there. I have no love for Fay as it seemed more like an appliance store than a MC dealer. But we got the scoots and even had them delivered to the springs the same day for $100 (for both) so no complaints.

Tom

[chazbird]

Thanks for the information. Just goes to show what branding/image can cost, IE Piaggio vs Vespa. Vespa, owned/built by Piaggio, = more money and less features. Anyway, the BV350 seems very similar to the BV250 in chassis, wheel size, etc. They (mine) handle really well. Brakes are very good, albeit with high effort for serious stops. Though competent, the suspension is a bit harsh. So, with the BV350 I'd be interested in seeing if those factors were improved, and of course more performance for the same mileage is a goal. Does the windshield buffet? If your fuel gauge system is the same as a BV250 its rather a joke, every other trip it will start at full (when full) and then stay full too long, then drop to nearly empty, and then empty (no reserve light though) and then up to 1/2, by then of course you've been keeping an eye on the odometer and/or the reserve light goes on - which is accurate. The next trip it'll read fine only to repeat the goofiness the next fill-up. I do love the BV250 though, and I use it for most everything. I could see having just a scooter and using a motorcycle for specialty "fun" needs, like a '59 Goldstar for local sport rides. (Dream....)

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by chazbird

Thanks for the information. Just goes to show what branding/image can cost, IE Piaggio vs Vespa. Vespa, owned/built by Piaggio, = more money and less features. Anyway, the BV350 seems very similar to the BV250 in chassis, wheel size, etc. They (mine) handle really well. Brakes are very good, albeit with high effort for serious stops. Though competent, the suspension is a bit harsh. So, with the BV350 I'd be interested in seeing if those factors were improved, and of course more performance for the same mileage is a goal. Does the windshield buffet? If your fuel gauge system is the same as a BV250 its rather a joke, every other trip it will start at full (when full) and then stay full too long, then drop to nearly empty, and then empty (no reserve light though) and then up to 1/2, by then of course you've been keeping an eye on the odometer and/or the reserve light goes on - which is accurate. The next trip it'll read fine only to repeat the goofiness the next fill-up. I do love the BV250 though, and I use it for most everything. I could see having just a scooter and using a motorcycle for specialty "fun" needs, like a '59 Goldstar for local sport rides. (Dream....)

For what it's worth, I found the older 250 a lot more comfortable then
the new 300/350, I've ridden all of them, had some in for magazine reviews,
others borrowed from dealers for weekend rides etc.

I find it interesting that the OP has no issues with finding a comfortable
position, I found the new 300/350 too small/cramped for my 5'11" frame.

And I'm a bit surprised the Super 300 can beat the 350 in any situation.
That might change with time/miles.

[Infracaninophile]

Originally Posted by Cortez

And I'm a bit surprised the Super 300 can beat the 350 in any situation.
That might change with time/miles.

Cortez:

I weigh 50-60 pounds more than my wife and the BV350 itself weighs 50-60 pounds more than the GTS300 Super (I think). Comparing the 33 HP of the BV to the 22 HP of the GTS means there is 11 HP advantage. Assuming a minimum of a 100 pound weight penalty (rider and bike) that means the extra 11 HP must pull the extra 100 pounds. I recall back in my racing days that 1 HP is equivalent to about 8 pounds. In this case 100 Lbs / 11 HP = 9. My pure complete guess here is it's the extra weight. I should switch it around and ride the GTS and have my wife on the BV and see what happens. It might also be those 12" wheels on the GTS just roll quicker off the line than the 16/14 of the BV.

Just looked up the specs:

Vespa GTS 300 Super: 278cc, 22 HP, 326 pounds dry.
Piaggio 350BV: 330cc, 32.8HP, 390 dry.

So the HP delta is 10.8 and the DRY weight delta is 64.


In any case, once I get to 45-50 I can easily outrun the GTS. Let's see what happens after break in.

Tom