Scooter Review

Peugeot Blaster

Peugeot’s new 50s Neat + petite = $3890+orc

Words By JEREMY BOWDLER

Somehow, the French have managed to build a lifestyle around food, style and savoir faire that is the envy of the rest of the world. Now you can toss the Blaster into the mix. It’s fast, fantastic and French to the very core. It’s dripping with je ne sais quois. I mean, who would have thought a high-powered liquid-cooled two-stroke could fit into a package this small?

At the end of a ride, you don’t want to park it so much as tuck it under your arm or into your Birkin and carry it the five flights up to your artist’s garret overlooking the Seine.

Of course, you couldn’t. Four flights would be the limit, tops. But you get the idea that the Blaster is small. You’d want to be in good shape when you ride it, too; since your bum is quite likely going to be the widest part of it (or at least mine was). But then I’m possibly not the ideal body type for a Blaster.

What the hell, I enjoyed riding it so much I’d put up with the tight fit. It may look like a toy beneath me, but whoever said good things come in small packages was on the money and the Blaster’ll get me through a grid-locked commute like fat through a goose. The dimensions, steering, braking and suspension are all spot on for Australian use, and why wouldn’t they be?

The scooter has been designed to be operated at a speed roughly twice that of the 50km/h the Blaster will be limited to here in the land of the wide grey bureaucracy – so of course it handles. And of course it could handle the power it was designed for. Having been in the enviable position of having ridden a Blaster in both restricted and unrestricted forms, I’d have to
question the sense in buying the restricted version unless you’re willing to spend the money on the handling, style, build quality, reputation, and name.

Doing so would mark you as a Francophile, for sure. Or you’d be prepared to risk the fine associated with returning the Blaster to the state it originally came in. Reversing the restriction is, of course, illegal – both for dealer and owner – but without it, the Blaster is barely half the scooter it could be. In the war with bureaucracy and a car-driven society, there will be casualties. C’est la guerre.

As published in TW SCOOTER MAGAZINE - 1/06/2008
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