3-wheeler – Tricity Vs MP3 Yourban 300 LT: the Yamaha 3-wheeler challenges the Piaggio – Yamaha reference on a third way

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Tricity Vs MP3 Yourban 300 LT: the Yamaha 3-wheeler defies the Piaggio benchmark

3-wheeler - Tricity Vs MP3 Yourban 300 LT: the Yamaha 3-wheeler challenges the Piaggio - Yamaha reference on a third way

As the first Japanese manufacturer to tackle Piaggio’s hegemony in the three-wheel scooter segment, Yamaha is trying a roundabout approach based on accessibility. Enough to divert the B licenses from their “ dear ” MP3 Yourban 300 LT ? Duel.

Yamaha on a third way

On a strictly arithmetic level, comparing the and the is not a logical equation … The Piaggio cube 278 cc, grazes 23 horses and weighs a trifle of 211 kg dry, while the Yamaha displays 124.8 cc of displacement, a modest power of 11 hp and a full weight very contained – for a three-wheeler – 152 kg.

Insofar as the Italian tripod carries 10.8 liters of gasoline, the difference in weight is therefore established – by the MNC ladle – at around 75 kg including a few liters of oil. Huge ! Add to that the 2,500 euros difference in favor of the Yamaha (6,299 € against 3,799 €), and you get a high sum of differences. Too high to oppose them ?

In any case, this is the opinion of the general manager of Yamaha Motor France: "the Tricity has no direct competitor in the three-wheel category. It is much lighter, more compact and more affordable. Its rivals are rather to be found on the side of the 125 cc "traditional" scooters, with two wheels. Moreover, we believe that some of our 125 cc customers looking for additional safety will find in the Tricity an ideal alternative.", says interviewed by MNC.

If the French leader carefully avoids mentioning his competitor Piaggio, the comparison is nevertheless obvious: who says "three-wheeled scooter" necessarily says "MP3", name which has become a generic brand following the success of the Italian tripod (150,000 sales worldwide since 2006, half of which in France!). An undeniable and almost undisputed success despite the opposition – discreet, let’s face it – started by the and the three-wheeler () Quadro…

On the other hand, the Yourban 300 LT, current entry level within the MP3 range, and the Tricity have another very decisive point in common: their driving is accessible with a simple B license (after 7 hours of training for first-time buyers). Therefore, a motorist tired of traffic jams (pleonasm!) Can choose one or the other, regardless of the displacement twice as high and the performance also doubled of the Piaggio..

And one of the reasons for the success of the MP3 is precisely this possibility of accessing without a specific license the advantages offered by a large displacement, especially in terms of times and extension (read our and our).

This situation is explained by the widening of the center distance between the front wheels, from 420 mm on a "standard" MP3 to 465 mm on the LT models (for "Large Tread", or "wide track"). A minimal transformation which allows them to enter the "L5e" category, accessible to B licenses without restriction of displacement and power.

Static: Piaggio takes care of the details

Less long and bulky (especially at the rear) than a standard MP3 300, the Yourban 300 LT version nevertheless remains impressive: with its 2040 mm long and its 765 mm measured on the handlebars, the smallest of the MP3s is a beautiful baby. ! Its tires are wider than those of the Tricity (110 mm at the front and 140 mm at the rear against 90 and 110 mm) reinforce this intimidating – or reassuring aspect, depending on the point of view..

For its part, the Yamaha claims an unprecedented compactness for a 3-wheeler: 1905 mm long and 715 mm measured between each end of its handles. Handles also perfectly compatible with small hands because they are thinner than those of the MP3. Well done, insofar as the Tricity is designed "for both men and women", insists Iwata’s coat of arms.

Its rounded and fluid lines highlight the slenderness of its silhouette, where the Yourban 300 LT appears more massive with its taut angles and its stocky front face. However, the transalpine tripod benefits – to our taste – from a more inspired pencil stroke, especially at the rear part, the design of which seems already dated on the Tricity..

On closer examination, the MP3 retains the advantage due to the superior quality of its materials. Thus, even if the assembly of the plastics of the Yamaha has nothing to envy that of the Piaggio, their appearance and their consistency are less flattering. The surface treatments and the integration of the mechanical and electrical elements are also more careful on the MP3, with the exception, however, of the liquid cooling hoses which are a little too apparent..

The same goes for the Tricity commodos, certainly functional but with austere presentation. The absence of a contact switch and a warning command complete the betrayal of a desire to lower the price of this scooter made in Thailand. Produced in Pontedera, at the headquarters of the Piaggio group near Pisa (Italy), the Yourban here justifies part of its additional cost..

More rewarding, the Italian scooter has in particular an instrumentation surrounded by a chrome plastic strapping. The essential functions (speed, two trips, clock, engine temperature and fuel gauge) are alongside additional information such as the battery amperage and the outside temperature (read our Comparative table of practical aspects and equipment on the last page).

Scarcely less supplied, the Tricity’s digital on-board console is sufficiently rich. It is above all more readable, especially in terms of speed, which is sometimes difficult to decipher with a quick glance on the needle counter of the Yourban 300 LT. The ability to scroll through the Piaggio display data from the handlebars (via push buttons on the dashboard on the Tricity) partly compensates for this practical disadvantage..

On the practical level, precisely, the two 3-wheels include the essentials (tie-down hook to the apron, opening of the Neiman saddle, central stand) but ignore certain equipment which is far from superfluous: no 12 V outlet or storage compartment, for example, gaps necessarily harder to forgive this "dear" Yourban !

The Piaggio, however, opposes the Yamaha a greater carrying capacity: a full face helmet, an anti-theft device and rain gear enter its lighted hold. In addition, the presence on its apron of an elegant chrome lever used to engage the parking brake (absent on the Yamaha) reassures – and ensures! – when parking on a hill.

Without lighting, the trunk of the Tricity barely accepts a full-face helmet or a modular large shell, despite the lower bulk generated by its small rear rim in 12 inches (14 on the Yourban 300 LT). The reason for this lower useful volume lies in the placement of the fuel tank, located under the saddle on the Yamaha to promote weight distribution and free up floor space..

On the MP3, the tank runs under a "tunnel" between the feet which affects ergonomics and accessibility, especially for users in a skirt (a practice frowned upon by MNC, but so common in the city that our professional conscience pushes us to take this into account) … This prominent tunnel also makes it difficult to secure packages or "trolley" type luggage between the legs.

On the other hand, this solution makes it possible to remain comfortably seated to refuel, a quarter of a turn of the key in the Neiman lifting the access hatch to the fuel cap. On the Tricity, the flat floor makes it easier to get on board and leaves plenty of room for the feet, but every stop at the pump involves getting off the saddle and then lifting it to access the tank..

Fortunately, the Tricity has the appetite of a sparrow at revs with 2.9 l / 100 km during this test against 5.2 l / 100 km for its rival, a logical departure given the difference in weight and performance. . However, due to their small tank (10.8 liters on the MP3 and 6.6 on the Tricity), theoretical autonomy is not so far: around 210 km for the Italian reserve included, 230 for the Japanese.

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