You heard it here first; the best scooter for tuning ever built, the Piaggio Zip SP, is being re introduced to the UK market, but called the Zip RS this time.  From what we know they'll be available in white and Piaggio are just deciding on the new Zip RS decal designs at the moment 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 ...

Cheap Chinese scooters are here to stay, there is no denying it unfortunately, especially with oil & petrol prices rising the way they are, so why should you buy a cheap Chinese scooter, and why should you not buy one? As a scooter mechanic, I’ve worked on pretty much everything at one time or another, from Piaggio’s, Peugeot’s, Yamaha’s, and right down to the cheap and nasty crap like the first generation Chinese scooters. As far as I’m aware, Piaggio actually released the first big selling 4 stroke 50cc scooter with the Vespa ET4 50cc, over 100mpg compared to 65-70mpg for it’s 2 stroke counterpart definitely made it a winner among commuters, but with it’s high European build quality and all metal monocoque chassis, it wasn’t the cheapest scooter on the market, and this was the way the market was heading: 16 year old lads still wanted scooters with the best handling and performance (a niche pretty much dominated by the Piaggio NRG, Gilera Runner and Yamaha Aerox, in that order), and older people trading in their cars for cheap transport wanted something just that; cheap. The problem is as I see it, most car owners see their £6-7000 car (at the cheap ...

Firstly, Piaggio / Gilera / Vespa engines are mainly split into three different types, all produced by Piaggio: Pre 2000 Piaggio / Gilera engine – No catalytic converter and Dellorto or Weber 12mm carb 2000-2005 Piaggio / Gilera / Vespa engine – Catalytic Converter and 17.5mm Dellorto carb 2005 onwards Piaggio / Gilera / Vespa engine – Catalytic Converter, 17.5mm carb and slightly lower exhaust port There are minor differences between the Piaggio 50cc engines (which is the same motor fitted in every Piaggio, Gilera or Vespa 2 stroke 50cc machine produced, e.g the Piaggio NRG MC3, Gilera Runner, Piaggio Typhoon, Gilera Stalker, Vespa ET2 50cc, Vespa LX 50cc, Piaggio NRG Power etc) but no real major differences between all the engine versions, just mainly setup changes with the introduction of the catalytic converter into the Piaggio / Gilera / Vespa Exhausts The pre 2000 engine came with no catalytic converter and a 12mm carb fitted. This engine is getting on a bit now, and there aren’t that many bikes left on the road with it, although I’ve seen more Gilera Runners still about at that age, so I presume they sold a lot better than anything else. Derestricting this engine is ...

Piaggio Performance Tuning Guide To compliment to the Moped & Scooter Tuning: The Facts article, here is my personal reccomendation on how to tune Piaggio scooters, at my old work we have used this setup literally on every 50cc scooter we tune and have never had a kid come back from his test ride without a smile on their face. This article covers any Piaggio engine based scooter, so will apply to all Gilera, Vespa and come Aprilia scooters, but beware that exhausts may be specific for certain Vespa & Aprilia models due to bodywork differences. Although a little different in order from the previous article, these are the three main things we to do Piaggio scooters, and most people do not require anymore! 1. Fit a performance Race Pipe / Sports Exhaust We reccommend the Giannelli Reverse (or the Giannelli Extra if your budget can't quite stretch that far) for Piaggio motors (Remember all Gilera, Vespa and later post 2004 Aprilia's use the same motors). Firstly, this exhaust is sold as a legal aftermarket exhaust, not technically a race pipe by law, so it's got a nice little stamp on it which means it'll pass an MOT, as well as coming with a warrenty, so ...

OK, this is NOT a definative Scooter tuning guide, nor does it delve into the best combination of Jets, Rollers or Tyre compounds. There are too many combinations to contemplate, so I'll stick with a nice simple overview of what you really need to know. First, the nasty stuff. Legalities You must be aware that at 16 you are only legally licenced and insured to ride a 30mph Moped, assuming you have a CBT.  That means no go-faster modifications, or you are risking a total loss of licence and when you get it back, prohibitive insurance costs. THE COURTS ARE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WOULD GET AWAY WITH IT! At age 17 or more, you can ride a 125cc UP TO 14BHP unless you have passed a full motorcycle test. Unrestricted or Tuned Mopeds are fine too, although the 14bhp limit applies (No problem normally) and the machine should have been re-registered. CBT Riders are not allowed to ride tuned (Over 14bhp) machines, or those with Big Bore kits. The penalties can be harsh! A driving ban for 12 months, Huge fines, and worst of all A CRIMINAL RECORD for riding uninsured. This may prevent you doing important things in later ...