Why’s the Zip RS re-introduction to the UK a big deal?

The Zip RS (and Zip SP) is the lightest, best handing, most tunable scooter Piaggio have ever built, as far as I’m aware no other bike has won any UK or European scooter championships at all, and the race fields are 95% Zip RS / SP’s anyway, which says something for how good they are

Singled sided front suspension allows you to run Malossi RS24 suspension dampers front and back to provide the perfect handling, the 10″ wheels on the Zip RS are some of the only scooter wheels which the tyre manufacturers make super sticky race compound rubber for, the stuff you can get your knee down with!

The Zip RS is powered by the legendary liquid cooled Piaggio Hiper-2 Pro motor, which when derestricted alone normally does a very healthy 55mph, and can reach 85mph+ when fully tuned with Malossi MHR Team parts under racing conditions!

No prices have been confirmed yet but apparently they will be around the £1450 mark, making them cheaper than the Piaggio NRG and Gilera Runners, as well as being lighter and having better handling.

Peugeot Speedfight 50cc Tuning: Performance Exhaust

Although I usually recommend fitting a Giannelli exhaust to most 50cc scooters when tuning, Peugeot Speedfights work very well with LeoVince performance exhausts as well.

For the Peugeot Speedfight, both these exhausts are similar priced with the LeoVince ZX being £126 and the Giannelli Reverse exhaust being £117.

As always, the decision is between maximum power and reliability; the LeoVince ZX is a slightly higher performing exhaust and has roller weights included with it, but the Giannelli Reverse comes with a warranty.

When tuning Peugeot Speedfights, bear in mind LeoVince exhausts come with a restrictor cone in the manifold end of the exhaust that is tack welded on, you’ll need to grind / hammer / chisel this off unless you want a restricted moped again!

Depending on what year your Peugeot Speedfight 50cc is, you may need to go up 2-4 sizes on the main jet when fitting your exhaust.

Peugeot Speedfight 50cc Tuning: Performance 70cc Big Bore Kit

LC Peugeot Speedfight Motors:

Malossi only produce their Malossi MHR Replica 70cc big bore cylinder kits for tuning the Peugeot Speedfight LC models and this weigh in at £225. Although these are a very good kit and produce bucket loads of power, they love to rev and make this power at higher rpm. I prefer to get road tuned scooters making their power at lower rpm as it is better for reliability and easier to setup.

Polini produce a cast iron 70cc big bore kit for the Peugeot Speedfight 50cc LC (£132) which I’ve had excellent results with when used in combination with a LeoVince ZX. Using this combination will allow a Speedfight LC to be almost as fast as Piaggio motors with a similar setup

AC Peugeot Speedfight Motors:

Malossi do manufacture a cast iron 70cc big bore kit for this engine, which is £122, or Polini do a alloy cylinder kit for it at £107 although I prefer to use the Malossi cast iron whenever possible for tuning road scooters. If it does go bang, then you can rebore them and just fit an oversized piston, instead of having to buy a complete new kit.

When tuning Peugeot Speedfight 50cc’s with big bore kits, you’ll usually have to increase the main jet another 6-8 sizes or so.

Peugeot Speedfight 50cc Tuning: Performance carb

The standard carb on these uses a stupid bolt on mount which makes finding just a replacement carb difficult; I’ve used 19mm Arreche carbs which bolt on in the past with poor results. Luckily, the Peugeot Speedfight 100 comes with a 17.5mm Dell’orto as standard, and its inlet manifold also fits the Peugeot Speedfight 50cc crankcases, making it an ideal tuning part as you can pick them up from breakers or eBay, and it is essentially the same as a new Malossi carb anyway

Peugeot Speedfight 50cc Tuning: Performance Variator

As per my usual recommendation, buy Malossi every time and you won’t go far wrong. An aftermarket Variator will help acceleration and top speed slightly, and if your Speedfight has been restricted for a long time and worn a grove in the standard Variator, it’ll cure that and stop it bogging at 30mph.

After tuning your Peugeot Speedfight, it is probably worth upgrading the suspension also, as the standard units are poor at best, and usually have failed by their 1st or 2nd MoT test