Comparo Piaggio MP3 350 & 500 HPE

Menus

• A new 350 engine and a more powerful 500 block
• The 3-wheel phenomenon has everything to continue its success in our cities
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Engine and transmission
• In the city
• On motorways and main roads
• On departmental
• Part-cycle
• Braking
• Comfort and duo
• Consumption & autonomy
• Convenient
• Conclusion
• Video test of the Piaggio MP3 350 and 500 HPE

A new 350 engine and a more powerful 500 block

The 3-wheel phenomenon has everything to continue its success in our cities

"Primogenitor": marketing being a science whose content for the improvement of civilization is unfathomable, we will not be surprised to learn new words. And that was the case during this international press presentation, held, once is not customary, not at 12 hours by plane, but about 4 kilometers from the editorial staff of Le Repaire. This is even better, because a test in real conditions of daily use is the best. In short: primogenitor, it means something like "MP3 is a trendsetter" or "MP3 is in place, prem’s! ".

So: stop the presses, start the majorettes, ring the marching band, the news is important. Piaggio renews its MP3s. It doesn’t show too much, if at all, actually, but, it’s like the Danette: the best is inside.

Concretely: the 500 is a hit by gaining both in power and in sobriety, while the old 300 gives way to a 350 which claims to behave like a 400. Yes, all this has something to confuse the spirits, but at Le Repaire , we keep our ideas clear. In fact, the MP3 being a big international success (170,000 copies sold since 2006), but also and above all, hexagonal (France has absorbed 60%, or more than 103,000 units), the new buyer could ask himself a question. , very legitimate. The new 500 HPE (for High Performance Engine, an acronym that scholars will recognize as having been affixed to Lancia Beta coupes in 1975, but that first meant High Performance Estate then High Performance Executive) manages to maintain its superiority facing this new 350 with long teeth ?

In other words: which one should you buy? Le Repaire explains ….

Comparative test of the Piaggio MP3 350 & 500 HPE

Discovery

Already, it’s not the look that will decide between them: because if you like matte paints, black rims, smoked bubbles, “petal” disc brakes and red shock absorbers (roughly, it corresponds to the declination "Sporty" of the MP3), it turns out that the 350 and 500 are identical, especially as the 350 and 500 Sport offer the same color palette, in particular with a white and a blue.

Piaggio MP3 350

Or almost: because the 500 MP3 Sport (a Business version is also available) is quite close to the 350 which only exists in one version, with two details. The 500 has a new dual-outlet exhaust, supposed to provide a more “sporty” sound, while its rear shocks, designed by Kayaba, have a gas tank. The “Business” version of the 500 has no not entitled to these attentions (it compensates with a TomTom Vio module mounted as standard on the handlebars) and for its part, we recognize it with a chrome finish (rims, grille, details….).

Piaggio MP3 500 HPE Sport

For the rest, the MP3 version 2019 has a new bubble, which, in its lower part, protects the hands well. That’s not all: the saddle is new, so are the passenger grab handles.

Piaggio MP3 500 HPE Business seat

Suddenly, in presentation, it is a tie between the two models. We could also say that, the MP3 having been presented in 2006 and having been a little revamped in 2009 (new front face) and in 2014 (new rear face), Piaggio could have taken advantage of this new update to make evolve the design. Obviously, this was not the wish neither of the brand nor of the customers: we will therefore be satisfied with a new smoked windshield whose widened base allows to better protect the hands, new LED indicators, as well as a new rider and passenger seat, matched with new grab handles for the passenger, higher while the passage seat is a little lower.

The bubble of the MP3 500 HPE Sport

Finally, we will note the prices: 8,599 € for the 350, 10,199 € for the 500 HPE Business and 10,599 € for the 500 HPE Sport.

In the saddle

It’s heavy, an MP3: count 256 kilos with the full for the 350 and downright 275 kilos for the 500 HPE. We can therefore call it a big turkey without getting angry with its designers: it is factual. Nevertheless, the MP3 takes advantage of this magical invention that is the roll-lock: maneuvering is made easier, even if, once on the way, you should not miss it by activating it. The MP3 can then freeze while remaining a little at an angle and it takes a little helping hand to get back online, cleanly. Nothing difficult, of course, but frail or fearful souls may eventually find themselves in perdition ….

Piaggio MP3 500 HPE Business

But beware, Piaggio has always presented the roll-lock as a parking aid. In other words, once we have stopped, we activate it. Obviously in France, we said to ourselves that we could also use it so as not to dismount when stationary and we activate it before the MP3 is stopped. It is possible, it takes a little practice not to put one on and it is not recommended at all by the brand. Moreover, the first models were not so planned for the exercise, that the constraints were so strong when starting the roll-lock while driving, that there was an exaggerated wear of the system. Wear observed only in France, since abroad, users were using the system as originally planned.

HPE Business 500 footrests

That being said, we are well installed on board. The foot brake is a legal requirement that we do not really use, the hand brake in the central apron is very useful. Then, we will familiarize ourselves with the roll lock control and for the rest, we will discover a complete dashboard with an on-board computer which displays some useful information, including autonomy.

The instrumentation of the MP3 350 & 500 HPE Sport
The 500 Business integrates a TomTom GPS

Equality between the 350 and the 500, then? No, the 350 is a little lighter: it marks the point.

Engine and transmission

There is something new in both cases: the 500 indeed gains 14% power, now posting 44.2 horsepower, a gain of 5.4 horsepower compared to the previous generation. Work carried out on the engine and the intake allows Piaggio to claim at the same time a 10% reduction in fuel consumption.

The 500 HPE Sport engine

Below, Piaggio mounted the block from the Beverly so that the 300 gives way to the 350. There, the power gain is much more spectacular: we go from just under 20 hp to 30.6 hp. This block is a long stroke single cylinder (69 x 78 mm), to provide more torque at low revs.

Here, we could therefore give the advantage to the more powerful 500. It’s not that simple: the 500 retains a rougher, slightly more "brutal" engine character, especially since the 500’s new twin-ended exhaust makes it a bit louder. The 350 is smoother, more progressive, as much as it is mated to a multi-plate clutch in an oil bath, while the 500 has a slide clutch..

The silencer of the Piaggio MP3 500 HPE Sport

The winner will therefore be designated in the following paragraph.

In the city

Because if you do a lot of town, the 350 is obviously smoother, more progressive, more pleasant, in fact. And as it is a little lighter, it does not spoil anything: victory at the 350, therefore. And all the more so as its engine provides very decent acceleration and pick-up, even up to 70 km / h, which is enough to cruising with ease and with good resources on peri-urban boulevards..

The Piaggio MP3 350 in town

We will nevertheless mention the potato of the 500, which regularly activates its ASR traction control system, when you accelerate suddenly on cobblestones or on white stripes..

The Piaggio MP3 500 HPE in town

For the rest, no changes compared to the MP3s that we knew: we are always amazed by the good agility and the turning radius of this machine, however quite large. And he wears his comparative advantage in terms of safety on his face: two wheels are better than one, that speaks to customers ….

On motorways and main roads

Small test on a German motorway: at 140 km / h odometer, the 500 still has resources and a test with an old model shows that it is falling behind. With a little insistence, we manage to get the needle close to the 160 km / h mark. Of course, in addition to being totally irresponsible, such conduct is prohibited: we will therefore keep in mind that the MP3 500 HPE has more resources than in the past, which will not hurt those who drive a lot. , far and long (there are some!).

The HPE 500 has more resources than in the past

In this area, the 350 is necessarily left behind. Despite everything, its top speed is announced at 130 km / h, which may be more than sufficient for users who make urban and peri-urban journeys. By comparison, the old 300 peaked at 118 km / h and therefore quickly reached its limits for those who wanted to go far every day using a lot of expressways. The new one therefore does not lack much to go for a weekend away, without dragging itself on the national roads but can now take the motorway and reach its destination at legal speeds..

The 350 now reaches 130 km / h, against 118 previously

In both cases, we appreciate the new bubble and indeed, the enlarged base protects the hands well from drafts. Large riders, however, still take a little wind on the top of the helmet. And even thoroughly, there are no stability issues to report.

On departmental

The two engine blocks have enough torque to pull together at 80 km / h, as our good Prime Minister decided. Considering that it is now almost forbidden to overtake a heavyweight, the 350 is more than enough, even if the resource of the 500 HPE is, quite logically, a little higher. In theory, the difference is therefore small. Note, however, that the 500, which is heavier and has a larger transmission housing, makes its center stand more easily rub on both sides when cornering. The 350 is less prone to this problem.

The Piaggio MP3 350 on a bend

Now, will the average MP3 user (according to the Piaggio morphotype: a man, CSP +, between 40 and 50 years old and who mainly uses it to go to work) take his MP3 to go flying like the Valentino Rossi basic ? Good question !

The Piaggio MP3 500 HPE in curve

Part-cycle

It is the same in both cases, so we won’t make a difference here. We insist but the base is identical between the two models. Recall that the 500 HPE Sport has, like the 350, shock absorbers painted in red, but they also have a gas tank on the 500; these are not fitted on the 500 HPE Business, which is content with conventional shock absorbers. As an option, for 600 €, the Business can be equipped.

The rear shocks of the Piaggio MP3 500 HPE Business

Braking

The system is identical on both versions and on hard braking, but with the weight, the ABS unit has a bit of work to do. Nevertheless, MP3s slow down hard (do not hesitate to “hit” the levers) and online. And there is always the foot brake for those who want to do trapper braking. Good job, so.

Piaggio MP3 500 HPE Sport front brake

Comfort and duo

We found a Geraldine on this test (forgetting those at Porte Dauphine, which charge for their services and do not invoice with VAT, for expense reports), who therefore tried to judge the comfort in the Parisian traffic. The saddle is wide, welcoming and comfortable, and the footrests are well placed to keep your legs relaxed. On the other hand, even if Piaggio announces to have raised the handles and significantly lowered the saddle, these same handles are always a little far for the short arms. So, any Geraldine will prefer to hold on to the pilot rather than the handles, especially since the stability of the MP3 is excellent and the power reasonable, not leading to rear wheel departures requiring to grip the handles to stay in the saddle.

As a duo on the Piaggio MP3 350

We also tested the two 500s to probe the difference on the pavement between the gas shocks of the HPE Sport and the conventional shocks of the HPE Business. Conclusion: well, it’s not obvious.

Consumption & autonomy

Fuel gauge and range indicator should help you avoid pushing the MP3, because that’s where you will realize how heavy it is. Again, test too short to gauge the sobriety, up 10%, of the 500 HPE. We will try to come back to this later.

Convenient

Two helmets are housed under the saddle, depending on the size of the helmets. Either two jet helmets, or one modular (here the latest Nolan N100-5 and a jet helmet). Note the jack to hold the saddle, with a simple opening to the apron.

The new MP3s can accommodate 2 jet helmets

Conclusion

Piaggio had announced it: customers do not want a revolution and these new versions of the MP3 are therefore evolutions. No doubt, the new HPE engine deposits well, but the real good surprise is the 350: smooth, pleasant, sufficiently efficient, it is the right choice for those who do not have to bang several tens of kilometers daily. highway. And there, we are talking about approval and performance. But the 350 is also 2,000 euros less than the 500 Sport version. With two thousand euros, you can be fully equipped with Piaggio clothes and options included or have a great vacation on top of that..

The 350 model is a nice surprise

Finally, it should be noted that Piaggio, to get in tune with customers who have very “automotive” habits, offers services such as long-term rental (LLD) with maintenance included, with affordable monthly payments..

Strong points

• Block 350 flexible, soft, pleasant, quite powerful
• Very punchy 500 HPE version
• Ease of driving
• Security
• Magic Roll Lock
• Maneuverability in town

Weak points

• High price in absolute terms
• High weight in absolute terms
• Crutch of the 500 which rubs in turns

The technical sheet of the Piaggio MP3 350

The technical sheet of the Piaggio MP3 500 HPE

Test conditions

• Itinerary: A half-day trial in Paris and its surroundings with the 3 versions
• Motorcycle mileage: – km
• Problem encountered: a mega accident on the A 13 with two bikers covered with a tarpaulin. be careful !

The competition: Peugeot 400 Metropolis

Video test of the Piaggio MP3 350 and 500 HPE

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