Piaggio Liberty 125 scooter test

Menus

• The small city scooter
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• Highway
• Departmental
• Duo
• Braking
• Convenient
• Consumption
• Conclusion

The small city scooter

True sales success for Piaggio with more than 800,000 units sold since its launch in 19997, the Liberty returns at the end of 2013 with a new model now equipped with injection. The Liberty remains of those scooters that return to the sources of urban mobility: two wheels, a handlebar, a saddle… And sails with ease. And for this, Piaggio offers its 125 cm3 now manufactured in Vietnam at a reduced price for the brand. So, poor man’s scooter? Test.

Discovery

What first surprises with this 125 is its size, barely more imposing than a 50 cm3, if it had not been nicely written on the Liberty 125 3v ie side, a detail which also makes it possible to differentiate the vintage. 2013-2014 of the previous ones.

Its featherweight of 117 kilos confirms its size, which differs only 11 kilos from the 50 cm3 model. The overall line is unchanged from previous vintages but remains elegant and in line with the Italian style. The scooter does not lose a wrinkle in the end, even compared to the latest competing productions.

Small, sober, its simplicity is noted at all levels from the dashboard reduced to the extreme (only counter, clock and totalizer but a gauge), to the simple round mirrors placed on the handlebars. The stripped-down grille displays the tie dear to the brand with a very sober logo. The saddle seems ideal for an average rider and just right for a duo. There is no backrest but on the other hand a very small luggage carrier, which can possibly serve as a passenger handle. Simplicity at all levels is also found in the saddle, which opens with the same key as the ignition key, but not from the central switch like other Piaggio scooters but through a lock placed on the saddle itself.

On the engine side, we find the single-cylinder 4-stroke LEM 124 cm3 air-cooled with 3 valves (2 for the intake, 1 for the exhaust) and a single camshaft. The crankshaft is unique and contributes to the reduction of friction, together with the camshaft on bearings and the roller balance.

In the saddle

Even the smallest rider of 1.60m will put his feet firmly on the ground, despite a relatively high saddle at 790mm but very thin. We really have the impression of being on board on a 50cc, all frail and light. And light, the Liberty is with its only 117 kilos, which is put almost with a finger on a daily basis on the central stand. Smaller riders will instantly find themselves at ease while the older ones will, on the contrary, be cramped. In front of you, the dashboard proudly displays an analog counter, a totalizer and the time in digital form. No warning, no partial trip here but a fuel gauge, accompanied by a reserve indicator and the most usual injection, oil, turn signals, full headlight, headlights on.

The round mirrors are easily adjusted and offer a rather good rear view.

Contact

The Liberty snorts gently and calmly. With a stroke of the right handle, the scooter takes off, smoothly and almost silently, but instantly. And it’s instant responsiveness is really appreciable. The handling is then at the rendezvous with behavior closer to a bike than a 125 scooter, both in terms of weight, really light, and lightness of the direction. We then appreciate from the first meters, the comfort provided by the saddle and the suspensions.

In the city

Lightweight, manoeuvrable, the Liberty easily picks up its cruising speed to reach 60 km / h, enough to get out of traffic and start quickly at a red light. Its finesse allows it to sneak everywhere. It is in fact the mirrors which will touch first, because placed at the same height as the mirrors of car, when one really tries to pass through a mouse hole. But with ease reinforced by its lightness and an excellent turning radius, the Liberty is the king of squeezing between stationary cars in traffic jams..

Highway

The Liberty is already struggling from 70 km / h and it is therefore necessary to wait a little before making it reach 80 km / h. Suffice to say that there is no recovery from 70km / h … confirming the limit reached by the 10.3 horses at 7,500 rpm. And that if he is still able to accelerate slowly beyond 70 km / h, we should not even consider overtaking. However, well launched on the flat, it is able to take a good 90km / h. And as long as we are on a very slight descent, we then perceive a few jolts: the scooter breaks in fact at 99 km / h !

You will understand, it is not made for the highway. And its lightness makes overtaking by trucks more unpleasant. However, it is quite capable of doing a bit of peri-urbanization with a piece of expressway such as Paris Aeroport d’Orly. The 15 "(previously 16") front wheel in combination with the 14 "rear wheel also provides good ‘high speed’ stability. And the lack of a windshield isn’t a problem either. , given the size of the scooter, avoid any high windshield, which would then cause real discomfort in terms of stability.

Departmental

The Liberty therefore finds its preferred terrain with the small departmental areas where its pace and its long gear will allow it to consider journeys in peace. It then reveals its qualities of comfort with a saddle and suspensions which erase rather well the defects of the road. At night, the lighting is particularly effective.

Duo

The saddle is thin but comfortable for the rider. It is much wider and more comfortable for the passenger, who benefits from well-positioned grab handles integrated into the rear luggage rack. Road holding remains excellent in duo, even if the weight of the passenger makes maneuvers at very low speed more difficult. In fact, it is especially acceleration and speed that suffer, with a maximum speed set back by ten good kimometers / hour.

Braking

The Liberty offers a good feeling and the power to brake it all, mainly thanks to its front 240mm disc brake. Because the rear brake with its small 140 mm drum seems to never be able to stop the scooter on its own even if it brings more efficiency when you take both brakes full hand simultaneously. First prize of the brand, we will not find here either combined braking or ABS. But for all that, it is quite sufficient, in the dry. In the wet, braking is a little more difficult, partly due to the fitting of Maxxis tires, not as efficient as the Michelin City Grip that we find in particular on the Beverly or the Primavera..

Convenient

The Liberty offers a very small storage compartment at the front, right side, enough to put some papers, a rag. The luggage hook associated with the flat floor makes it possible to board a good capacity in the front. Under the saddle, we will find enough to put just a jet despite a capacity increased from 8.8 liters to 10.8 liters with vintage. On the other hand, there is not enough space to place even an Ipad type tablet, mainly due to the shape. Because if the chest is deep, it is also oblong and not very wide. Most U locks will not pass unless you take a smaller size. On the other hand, the saddle folds down and wedges perfectly against the handlebars once raised, making it easy to organize the meager storage available..
Fortunately, the Liberty has a flat bottom, very practical on a daily basis, allowing you to place a large shopping bag there with just enough room for the feet..

We will not forget the small rear rack, which can also serve as a base for a top case.

There is no side stand, but the scooter is placed effortlessly and very easily on the central.

Consumption

Electronic injection has been reworked and now benefits from a new lambda sensor which helps to lower consumption, for an average consumption of 2.8 liters per hundred. The fuel gauge is on the other hand facetious. The first half empties quickly in less than 50 kilometers then descends more gently then while being very sensitive to the differences in height. The reserve thus begins to flash after 100 km to really light up continuously after 130 km. And yet, after 140 km, we only put 3.9 liters of fuel, which tends to say that there would still be 2.5 liters of fuel (6.5-liter tank including 1.5 liters of reserve). The scooter thus has a theoretical autonomy of about 200 km !

Conclusion

The Liberty does not promise you the moon but it ensures day by day, starting with its reasonable selling price of 2,899 euros (only 800 euros more than the 50 cm3), a ridiculous consumption and a maintenance cost also reduced . Suddenly, it almost becomes the daily utility, reliable, cheap and faithful with an additional elegance that make it a nice object beyond its utilitarian aspect. What more ?

Strong points

• Line
• Flat floor
• Price

Weak points

• Max speed.

The technical sheet of the Piaggio Liberty 125

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