Scooter News Piaggio Fly 150 Piaggio introduces larger capacity Fly 150. More get up and go for Australia's Number 1 selling scooter.
Allen Drysdale
Introduction
When Piaggio first set up shop in China, assumptions were made of how quality might be perceived by the scootering public. Piaggio needed to introduce a range of scooters that could easily compete directly with lower priced imports. The Fly was one of these.
We needn't of worried as a few years down the track, the proof is in the product. The Fly range in Australia has been a huge ongoing success, cementing itself as one of Australia's ongoing class leading scooters. This year Piaggio have released the larger capacity 150 version of the Fly and its shot straight into the No1 sales position.
So is it all smooth sailing for new larger capacity Piaggio Fly. We check it out.....
Features
There's nothing that literally jumps out and grabs you about the Fly. This isn't putting it down, the Fly just takes a fairly conservative stance. Soft rounded lines, non offensive, the Fly does its best work by appealing to everyone, and not just one single group.
When we the last met, Piaggio had been hard at work adding clear blinker and taillight lenses, some nice touches of chrome to the 125 model. The 150 version carries on with the same theme and you wouldn't tell them apart, other then for the designated badging on the side of the scooter. Though no need to change the mould here. Things look nice and stylish as they are, thankyou very much.
When choosing a scooter I find its best to sit down and ask yourself some prudent questions. Create some boxes that need to be ticked and set about looking at models that fill that set criteria. So what do I look for when choosing a budget commuter scooter?
Well first of all a good deal of storage. Meaning I would like a flat floor, a bag hook and true full face helmet storage under the seat. I'd also like some helmet hooks please to lock my helmet outside the scooter if required. Oh and yes, a lockable glovebox would be nice as well.
A nice comfortable riding position is a must. I'd like a compliant ride that's not too sharp and not too soft. Somewhere in between. And yes I want to be able to pillion comfortably. So this means the rear shock has to be fully adjustable, it needs to be flexible.
Id also like an easy to read dash that just gives me what I need to know. Fuel, Speed and a clock would be great. I do like seeing behind me so mirrors are important and I like mine nice, wide and large.
I want 12 inch wheels if I can, nice broad profile tyres and good brakes, must be a disc upfront. Apart from this I just want all the controls to work in a reassuring quality way.
Now, am I asking too much for over 100 km/h performance, reliability and that renowned Piaggio efficiency? Well in answer to your question, no your not, the Fly 150 has all the answers.
You can now see why the Fly is so popular, it ticks all boxes, fills all the basic requirements. It has all the features to have you living happily ever after.
With the Fly 150 everything you could ever want in a budget commuter has been well thought out. Piaggio has clearly got it sussed, though after more then 60 years of scooter production and design, you would hope so.
If I was to be critical the only features missing standard on the Fly might be a need for a 12 V outlet and a side stand, both issues are easily solved.
On the Road
When we first reviewed the Fly 125 the conclusion was one of not too harsh, not too soft, but just somewhere in-between. Its very much the same with the 150 version, very non offensive, not asking for too much commitment from the rider.
So for commuting duties it all makes sense. There's an easy reach to the bars, the seat is broad and flat and there's enough space to accommodate a multitude of shapes and sizes.
The 12 inch wheel package helps the commuting cause, lots of grip coming from those broad profile tyres. They also help with the braking duties, the front disc pulls the Fly up pretty much without fuss. The rear drum brake is your steadier, though there's ample stopping power front and rear combined.
The handling is best described as neutral, suiting the job description at hand. The single rear shock does its best to soak up all the bumps and potholes that litter our roads. You may need to do a little adjustment to suit your size and weight. The Fly feels lower then many and you get the feeling this ships built for comfort.
So what's changed on the Fly. The increase in engine capacity to 150 cc is a welcome addition. On paper the Fly ups the anti from 7.6 Kw to a very credible 8.9 Kw. Weight on the other hand remains the same at just 115 kg. So the overall performance gain is noticeable.
The leader derived engine has never been a high revving beast and its all to do with nice progressive amounts of torque being delivered. The Fly thrusts forward at steady pace, its all very smooth. With the new Fly 150 you just get more of it. So "seat of the pants", you can feel an all round lift in usable power.
In hilly situations the Fly is now less likely to slow, at higher speeds the Fly 150 will maintain and hold these comfortably. Two up the Fly just felt alot more at ease. So your not going to feel a huge performance boost from a standstill, you will feel it across a broad spectrum of situations.
Other small factors why I like the Fly. The mirrors are some of the best in the business, wide and easy to see anything that may be following. The rear passenger comfort is first class, great seating position and really sturdy grab handles are provided.
Conclusion
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The "Scooterman" Says,
The Fly is a well designed, well built, well behaved 150cc scooter at a very competitive price. The engine only had 35ks on it so I didn’t want to cane it but despite this the Fly ran just fine, smooth and feisty and kept up with arterial road traffic easily.
Its very slim and is great for filtering through gridlock. It is also pleasing on the eye. This scooter would be an excellent entry level machine that oozes quality.
The other good thing with the Fly was that it fitted my XL full face under the seat (amazing!). It’s not surprising that its Australia’s best selling scooter.
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I can feel a great deal of Piaggio's past in the Fly. The Fly is not just a combination of metal and plastic, its a well thought out package combining the things that have made Piaggio such a successful scooter manufacturer.
The Fly will not overwhelm you with acceleration, it wont ask you for extreme levels of riding commitment. The Fly just gets on with the job at hand, its all round usability needs to be commended.
When choosing a scooter you should also factor in the brand. The Piaggio brand brings peace of mind. You just know that the Fly will start, stop and do everything nature intended it to do for a long time to come. Servicing will be easy and living day to day on the Fly will be a low maintenance affair.
So there you have it. The Fly 150, its no surprise that this is Australia's best selling scooter. For 3 grand its the ultimate box ticker.
- Warranty is 2 years unlimited kilometres from date of purchase.
- 1st Service at 1000 Km's and then every 5000 Km's after that.
- MLP is $2990. See more @ www.piaggio.com.au
published 19/05/2010 |