Scooter Review

Bug Espresso 150

In a hurry to get that coffee fix? The best way is with a shot of espresso

Photography by CARLOS ALZAMORA

Big wheelers are a relatively new addition to the scooter world, and now they are a becoming more and more commonplace among scooteristi. The big, thin wheels – 16-inch on the Espresso – give more of a motorcycle feel to the scooter and don’t tend to grab ruts, potholes and the like as much as smaller wheels do. All in all they make riding on poor road surfaces more comfortable than it can be aboard your average 10-inch wheel scooters, most of all at speed and cornering.

The Espresso has your ‘traditional’ scooter foot-boards that are of great benefit to those who are a bit shorter, allowing you to step through the bike more easily, and also give a lot more protection from the elements than some other scooters do.

There is load of under-seat storage and again, like its fellow bugs, carries a luggagerack that doubles as a grab-rail as well as fold out passenger foot-pegs. There is enough room on the Espresso for a pillion but your trips wouldn’t want to be too long or it would be best knowing your passenger intimately, as seat space is kept to the essential minimum. The Espresso comes in two colours, not white or black but rather, ivory and red.

The engine is a 150cc air-cooled fourstroke automatic not much different from the one fitted to the likes of the other big wheelers; the Liberty, Torpedo and Scarabeo. You couldn’t ask for much more from the engine. There is enough power to get you away from the lights in a hurry and out of trouble and enough power to keep you at a good turn of speed if you happen to find yourself on an arterial road with their higher speed limits.

As published in TW SCOOTER MAGAZINE - 27/10/2003
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