Piaggio Medley 125 scooter test

Menus

• 125 cc, 11 kW and 12 Nm i-Get engine, Start & Stop, 136 kg dry, 36 liter boot…
• Daily 2-month trial
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Contact
• In the city
• On the highway
• On departmental
• Braking
• Comfort
• Convenient
• Consumption
• Accessories
• Maintenance
• Video test
• Conclusion

125 cc, 11 kW and 12 Nm i-Get engine, Start & Stop, 136 kg dry, 36 liter boot…

Daily 2-month trial

It is not always easy to make the right choice in terms of scooter and especially when it comes to a 125. The offer is vast with prices ranging from single to double depending on the brand and even within from the same group like Piaggio between models under the Piaggio banner and those under the Vespa banner, the Piaggio being generally much less expensive. Once we talk about the price, there is still the look, Piaggio being more common in the face of the history and the Vespa look. There are also the practical aspects. Because what do we ask of a 125 scooter apart from being practical on a daily basis. And finally there is the performance, not always easy to differentiate. Because there is nothing closer to a 125 than another 125, so much so that we sometimes wonder why a 125 cm3 has evolved from one vintage to another except the reason to increase its price. This is somewhat the case with the Medley 125, launched in 2016 and which returns in 2020 with many modifications, including motorization for a real 15 horsepower. What justify a price increase of 200 euros? Test…

Evolution for the Medley 125 for the 2020 vintage

Discovery

Did you know the Medley before? He hasn’t changed, the real biker would say, with a heavy dose of bad faith. Because on the outside, nothing looks more like a scooter than another scooter and this is even more true between the old and the new version of the Medley, not so far from the late Beverly either. And indeed, the changes are not obvious to those who follow from afar the evolution of scooters from one year to the next. Yet Piaggio claims to have redesigned his scooter from A to Z! Then ?

A big wheel scooter with 16 inches in the front

The overall look remains the same, despite the brand’s marketing discourse, which claims to have completely redesigned the model to give it a sporty style. Sporty, it is above all a GT scooter with large wheels (16 inches at the front and 14 inches at the rear), in line with the SH at competition level. The SH is cited because it is the Medley’s big competitor in terms of sales in the world even if the Piaggio is ahead in France. On the other hand, the Medley benefits from a new LED lighting (front LED already but new here), which to have verified it, brings a real plus of night in terms of lighting. First good point therefore.

A sportier tie with honeycomb mesh

The central tie of the front face inherits a little of the style of the 3-wheel Yourban, with this honeycomb grid and we must see there the notion of "sportiness". And if we really play the game of 7 errors, then indeed, we note all the small subtleties of style between the old and the new model, mainly more evident at the level of the wheels. Let’s say, that it is now a little less opulent than the old one with a black exhaust a little more discreet.

Piaggio maintains above all its level of perceived quality, especially for plastics, a criterion oh how subjective sometimes, especially since the metallic blue alternates here with a matt bronze of the most beautiful effect. A quality that goes to the stitching of the brown saddle perfectly harmonized with the color of the scooter.

Medley 125 ABS

Under the fairing, we find almost the same engine with the i-get 125 cm3 single cylinder with liquid cooling, 4 valves and electronic injection but which has been modified in particular at the compression level to now deliver 2 kW more than the old one (11 kW of power or 15 hp against 9 kW previously (12.2 hp) and 1 Nm more (12 Nm of torque against 11 previously). It is moreover the same engine which also equips the Vespa GTS 125. It should not be noticeable on a daily basis..

Piaggio i-get 4-stroke 124.7 cc single cylinder

On the other hand, if there is still a start & stop, it is now a RISS system, which is more responsive than the old one. This is especially what can make the difference on a daily basis. On the other hand, this model is still Euro4 even if according to Piaggio, the transition to Euro5 will only be done via a modification of the mapping and therefore effective by the end of 2020..

A stern with an LED tail light

And not to be neglected, the Medley is equipped with a real tire fitting with Michelin City Grip which has always given me full satisfaction in terms of grip, especially in the wet..

In the saddle

The 1.70 rider will barely put the soles of his feet on the ground despite a saddle of only 799 mm (like the old model). Fortunately the scooter did not gain too much weight, at 144 kilos in running order (all full), or 4 kilos more than the old model.

As always with Piaggio, the ergonomics are ideal, with the hands falling perfectly on the handlebars. The feet easily find place on the large floor, which unfortunately wins this central beam which does not allow it to be completely flat. And above all it also has enough legroom so that the knees do not touch the apron, even for the tallest.

One immediately notices one of the major novelties of the two-wheeler with its now fully digital, well-designed and very readable dashboard. There is everything, as before, with speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature, totalizer, battery charge status but also outside temperature, max speed, average speed, average consumption, instantaneous consumption, range remaining, two partial trips as well as the unfolded side stand indicator … this does not revolutionize anything, but it brings a little more modernity.

Fully digital dashboard

But the Medley now has connectivity with the MIA application which allows you to retrieve information directly on your smartphone..

For the rest, the commodos are strictly identical. The only little thing that annoys is the time adjustment, particularly difficult to do with this small rubber button via the bottom of the dashboard. Fortunately, we only need to do it twice pan during the winter / summer time change, which happened during the test..

Contact

The little mono snorts instantly, without vibration. The scooter reacts immediately to the throttle, whether you are solo or duo. We immediately find our marks with an excellent balance that allows us to play at low speed maneuvers. The start and stop indicator light continues to flash, signaling that the system is waiting to be up to temperature to automatically stop the engine when stopped and restart automatically when the gas is activated. In fact, the two criteria for starting the system are based on the temperature of the engine oil (56 ° C) and the voltage of the battery which must be at 12.8 V. If these two criteria are not there, the engine does not stop when stopped.

A flexible engine in the city

In the city

The Medley starts quietly at the green light, despite a tachometer climbing to 7,000 rpm or the values ​​of its maximum torque. You really have to wring out the handle to extract all its power and especially its torque, set back in terms of sensations compared to an XMax while the technical sheet is very close between the two models. If that’s the power and nervousness you want, go your way. The Medley is around the 125cc average, but not over the top. Which means that there is much softer (the Fly not to mention it) but also much more nervous, especially at Vespa. But it is soft, voluptuous, vibration-free, offering real driving comfort associated with unparalleled handling, to such an extent that you squeeze through the slightest mouse hole and in complete confidence, still helped by its weight. feather and placed low.

It takes a few minutes for the start and stop to kick in (disconnectable start and stop if you want), with a certain sensitivity to the outside temperature. During the test, he tended to get into action more easily in cool temperatures than on hot days when he then asked for 15 minutes in the city before agreeing to stop at a red light. The reaction to the throttle to launch again is noticeably better than before, but there is still this small second of delay, which I find shorter with the SH in particular. On the other hand, this silence at a red light is a real comfort. Because it is necessary to speak of comfort more than of real economy on the consumption, which decreased enormously on the models of 125cm3 of mark like Piaggio.

Finally, the Medely is comfortable, COMFORTABLE, even, but not too much. In other words, he doesn’t waddle. It quite simply erases the usual defects of the pavement well and even makes it possible to be a little violent on the backs of donkeys, especially without generating any parasitic movement. It will find its limit as a duo, in deep holes in the road, to reach the limits of the small travel (76 mm) of the rear suspension. And then you have your passenger who goes "ouch".

15 hp at 9000 rpm

On the highway

Do not go ! The Medley is not made for that! It is dynamic up to 70 km / h and then gains kilometers per hour up to 100 km / h, like its predecessor, but will drop back to around 90 km / h at the first rating. Come on, we managed to get him to take 112 km / h (odometer) downhill … but he will rarely be at this speed in real life, even well slender on the flat.

On the other hand, it is particularly stable at its maximum speed, helped by its large 16-inch front wheel, which is not the case with some scooters which sway noticeably from these speeds. Suddenly, we take our troubles patiently and we stay handful to chain the kilometers with excellent road holding and comfort, including duet.

12 Nm at 6500 rpm

On departmental

Like most 125cc, the Medley will be in its element on departmental roads, with comfort, flexibility but not too much, excellent road holding and exemplary behavior. The maneuverability appreciated in the city is embodied here, with a two-wheeler that lets itself go and goes just where it is needed, no more or months and without any effort. Suddenly, it allows you to string together tight virolos effortlessly and easily and maintain a good rhythm.

Exemplary handling in town

Braking

The Medley brakes normally, that is to say without excess and will not risk surprising its driver with its violence. However, in the event of emergency braking, it will still provide enough to brake in time. The ABS Bosh gets into action quite difficult (apart from the rear solo), which is a real plus on a daily basis, while ensuring its role if necessary. In short, do not hesitate to take the brakes with full hands to obtain braking worthy of the name. That said, the braking is up to the performance of the machine..

260 mm disc – Bosch 10.0 2-channel ABS

Comfort

The Medley is very comfortable for the driver as well as for the passenger, if the road does not have too many holes. The handles are well placed and the footrests just as well placed – with rubber to promote grip – for a pleasant position even behind.

A long, comfortable seat for rider and passenger

Convenient

36 liters! The trunk is big! And roomy! And that is really the strong point of this scooter which can accommodate two integral under the saddle. We also have a practical luggage rack, a large floor with the essential hook on the apron to hang the bag, not to mention space in the front apron, with the USB socket to recharge your smartphone. We also note that the apron locks automatically, thus protecting the contents.

A box that can accommodate two modular helmets

And for those who still need more room, there is an optional top case, available in two sizes (32 and 37 liters).

Storage compartment in the front apron, locked

Consumption

I expected a consumption of 2.5 liters per hundred. But it is not. Depending on the driving, the Medley spends between 190 and 210 km on reserve, having consumed a little more than 3 liters per hundred. We can then make him tease the 250 km with the 7 liters of the tank, including the 1.5 liters of reserve.

7-liter tank, 250 kilometers of autonomy

Accessories

There are plenty of accessories available, including the bubble, which the Medley does very well, even in the rain. But there are possibly top cases, available in two sizes.

A luggage rack completes the storage capacities

Maintenance

Apart from the first service of 1,000 km, we then have a service every 10,000 km or every year (oil, air filter and oil filter) and every 20,000 km or every two years: spark plug, transmission belt, sliding pads, variator rollers.

Video test

Conclusion

The Medley is a good little 125cc scooter, good everywhere and bad nowhere, without excess either. It is the utility, but of quality, day to day, which will fulfill its office with above all its many practical aspects. It is clearly its price which will finally make its choice above. Because at 3,499 euros (3,549 euros in version S), it remains in the first prices of 125 cm3 for this overall quality with in addition a reliability of an engine which has largely proven itself for years.

Strong points

• handling
• start and stop
• comfort
• practical: place under the saddle and storage compartment
• night lighting

Weak points

• motor

Medley 125 technical sheet

Test conditions

• Itinerary: town and various small roads + interurban highways
• Scooter mileage: 600 km

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