Italian Evolution

Big maker of small bikes builds its biggest scooter

by Sarah Schilke

If I told you that Europe’s largest motorcycle manufacturer offered me a ride on its biggest-displacement model, you probably wouldn’t expect to see me roll up on a scooter.

And if I told you the ride took me 120 miles from Long Beach, California, to Santa Barbara, through the gauntlet of Los Angeles’ heaviest traffic, and then along some backroads just for fun, you might think I’d be crazy to ride a scooter.

But the new Piaggio X9 Evolution 500 handled all that—and looked really cool in the process.

Piaggio is indeed the largest manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles in Europe. The 120-year-old company built everything from ship fittings to aeronautical equipment before World War II, when the factory was destroyed. Company leader Enrico Piaggio guessed correctly that postwar Italy would need cheap transportation. Thus was born the Vespa.

While small scooters, including Vespas, still sell by the thousands, the newest trend is toward larger machines that combine the no-need-to-shift convenience of scooters and the power to run with highway traffic on U.S. roads. Aprilia, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha are also selling scooters ranging from 400cc to 600cc in the United States.

The X9’s power was much better than I expected. Piaggio says the 460cc, four-valve single makes 39 horsepower, and although the bike was a little sluggish on takeoff, I could easily pull away from a stop faster than the cars around me. At times I was frustrated because I couldn’t downshift for more power, but overall, not having to shift was kind of nice.

Piaggio didn’t hold back on its press-intro ride, taking a group of us out on the infamous 405 freeway in Los Angeles, where the X9 cruised comfortably at the elevated prevailing speeds. But the scooter’s huge advantage showed when an accident brought traffic to a halt for a 10-mile stretch of freeway.

In California, where lane-sharing is legal, that meant we could glide between the rows of stopped cars on the well-balanced, agile scooters. And I didn’t end up with a sore hand from feathering the clutch for miles.

When we stopped along the way, I was able to fit my helmet, jacket, water bottle and purse in the underseat storage area. Plus, the X9 has a lunchbox-sized storage compartment on the frame. An optional 11.9-liter top case provides even more capacity, making the X9 a vehicle you really can ride to work and stop on the way home to buy groceries for dinner.

When we reached Santa Barbara, we ventured onto some twisty backroads. And I discovered that this scooter really scoots! The handling was stable, the brakes were strong and the sporty tires provided excellent grip.

Unfortunately, the centerstand limited cornering clearance. I’d like to be able to lean a little more.

Piaggio plans to pitch the X9 as the perfect commuter vehicle: cheaper than a car, more convenient than public transportation. And more fun.

Scooters have typically been a hard sell in the United States. But sales hit 84,000 in 2003, up 20 percent from 2002 and growing.

Even in the land of tanker-sized cruisers, more and more people, especially in urban areas, are learning the joys of scootering. And bikes like the X9 are making scooters more practical than ever.—Sarah Schilke

SPEC SHEET

Engine
Liquid-cooled
four-valve
460cc single

Carburetion
Fuel injected

Drivetrain
Automatic clutch
continuously
variable
transmission

Brakes
Partially linked
dual 260mm discs front
single 240mm disc rear

Tires
120/70-14 front
150/70-14 rear

Seat height
30.7 inches

Price
$5,999

2005 Piaggio X9 Evolution 500