All Duels – Happiness without a motorcycle license! – Motorists: the new breath!

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Happiness without a motorcycle license !

All Duels - Happiness without a motorcycle license! - Motorists: the new breath!

These two scoots are the most efficient and secure – but also the most expensive – offer available to holders of a car license only. Which will win between a 125 two-wheeler compressed with ABS and a three-wheeler of 400 cc ? Testing !

Motorists: the new breath !

The great strength of our two protagonists of the day is to allow motorists who do not have a motorcycle license to venture out of town centers without becoming mobile chicanes on rolling axles … In this context, its higher displacement allows the MP3 400 LT to gain the advantage.

However, the BlacKsat shows a good length for a 125: it quickly reaches 110 km / h and takes a little longer to go flirting with a small 130 meter. Not bad, especially since the scooter engine in our test was far from broken.

At these speeds, the Peugeot retains exemplary and very reassuring handling. On the other hand, it should be remembered that a four-stroke single-cylinder, a fortiori in 125 cc, is not made to run at full load on long journeys. !

Peak speeds – above 100-110 km / h – should only be considered occasionally and not on long daily journeys. This is also how many inhabitants of the suburbs go to Paris every day … and see their engines give up after 4,000 km! A good hearer…

The thrill of speed…

Glad to have tried the BlacKsat, Nicolas is now rushing to test the MP3 400 LT on fast axles! It is indeed the first time that he can pilot a machine that does not cap at 120 km / h … And the Piaggio did not disappoint him. !

A bit slow at start-up, the 400cc Master block shows good health as soon as it is launched, in line with what we noted on the X8 (read our).

It accelerates correctly between 50 and 140 km / h, in a smooth and very linear manner. Then, with a little time and space, he bravely hangs on the 160 counter, or 150 km / h chrono. Not bad without a motorcycle license !

But all this is ultimately just a detail: the important thing for everyday use is to know that you can cross a good cruising 130 without pulling on the mechanics, while still having a reserve of acceleration sufficient to get out of a difficult situation.

And this is the advantage and the strong added value of this MP3 400 LT! Certainly, it does not make you want to cross Europe on its handlebars, but it can be of great service to a scooter rider who, for example, lives in a distant Parisian suburb poorly served by public transport (pleonasm?) And must surrender every day in the capital to work.

Even at high speed, the Piaggio retains its stability and is both neutral and easy. Nevertheless, it turns out to be less sporty and less playful than the little Peugeot. The MP3 prefers a utilitarian use and the scraping of its central stand when taking too deep angles are there to remind you !

And security in it all ?

In the end, on which machine do we feel the most secure? On the 125 and its ABS braking, or on the 400 and its two front wheels? Well it’s actually a story of personal preferences and experience…

With a motorcycle experience, we are very confident in the handlebars of the BlacKsat which offers truly incredible braking, even compared to many recent large displacement motorcycles! This braking which therefore combines assistance, distribution (front / rear) and anti-lock (ABS) is remarkable in terms of power and feeling..

It is even impressive, so much you have to hold on to stay on board the machine when you apply the brakes … and especially to look behind to avoid being hit by a less well equipped vehicle. !

As for less experienced users, they may be less seduced by the fun side of the Peugeot and more reassured by the stability of the MP3 thanks to its front axle. The Piaggio also brakes fairly well, but it lacks ABS.

If you look carefully, you can end up blocking the wheels on the MP3, even in the dry, but the fall will not be automatic – it will even be exceptional – unlike a two-wheeler..

And if the feeling of the brake levers is classic, that of the brake pedal can be more confusing because it is of the on / off type: when you press gently on the pedal – which activates, as a reminder, the brakes of the three wheels at the same time – the bite is almost non-existent. But when you insist a little more, the scooter really hits the road.

As a duo and at the pump

When it comes to taking a passenger, the 400 takes advantage of its engine capacity. Departures are even more laborious but once launched, the pilot forgets the overweight. The passenger will be at ease with a comfortable seat and a very pleasant backrest. The only fault of the Italian is an obvious lack of space at the level of the feet, which makes it difficult for the pilot to set foot on the ground.

On the 125 Compressor, the passenger will also be very comfortable and will just regret the absence of a small backrest. On the other hand, we wonder about the duo performance of the engine, which sees the air intakes of its compressor hidden by the legs of the passenger … not very smart !

At the pump, the picture is not very bright for the BlacKsat which displays a fairly high consumption – for its displacement – of 5.7 l / 100 km. No doubt we can blame this on the compressor, but we must also qualify these measures by the fact that our scooter was in break-in.

In comparison, the MP3 400 LT is much more reasonable despite its additional 250 cc, with an average consumption of 5 l / 100 km.

In the end, their autonomy before reserve – around 180 km – is close, since the Peugeot has a slightly larger tank than that of the Piaggio: 13.2 liters against 12.

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