I don't want to make fun of somebody's scooter, but....

[Stig / Major Tom]

I just can't imagine getting excited walking up to one of these tricycles every morning.
I can't find an angle which  is attractive....
I know, it's not all about form - but dang these things are homely.


Now something like this would put a big smile on my mugg!



Stig

[Kansas kymco]

I could see someone with balance problems purchasing one of these, not my cup of tea. To me they look like a senior mobility  scooter.

[christianblessing]

 I rented a Yamaha Tri-City in Thailand last year. I was pretty self conscious initially because of its appearance but after a couple of days riding on some primitive back roads I came to appreciate how remarkably stable it was. By that I mean not that it won't fall over, but how deftly the bike managed potholes and loose gravel due to its increased surface contact. Had it had a 150cc engine and more leg room I would have bought one. I should note that nobody rents them out anymore because, as one dealer explained, most people, Thais and foreigners alike, thought it was ugly.

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[gregspeople250]

What they lack in elegance they seem to make up with ride quality and "charm". I'd be concerned about wear in the steering/suspension that will affect handling in the long term.

[Viper254]

The Piaggio ones - the MP3s - weren't great bikes.

The newer ones make fantastic delivery vehicles

[leomagnus]

The Beverly is a beautiful scooter

[SemperVee]

 That would be perfect for my GF who at 4 10 she can barely touch the ground on the Downtown i300 even as I have cut down the seat!   Something like that would work perfectly.

[Tromper]

The MP3 400 wasn't a terrible vehicle.  My wife had one for a bit but in the end found it both a bit heavy and top heavy.
I did get to ride it a tetch and found that on a sandy turn it held very well, & that in all turns it was fun to take down the the locks in a lean.
Fugly?  eh, ya get used to it.
What I didn't like was the feel of the small front wheels on broken surfaces.  Don't get me wrong, it was stable, but a bit rattly on that kind of surface.
Of note.  No mechanical issues at all and the parts I did replace (due to breakage and wear) were not insanely expensive or hard to get.

The newer ones increased front wheel size, I ponder one now and again, but the old one left me a bit cramped so I'd be more likely to check out the Yamaha first if we had 'em all.  Who knows.  In the coming recession maybe economics will bring more bikes back to the U.S.?

[rdhood]

I've never ridden one.  From the many posts I have read, they really aren't that much like 3 wheelers, they are heavy and still require significant effort to push around and keep upright. BUT,  (it is claimed) they seem to skirt some EU laws on licensing and handle loose surfaces better.  So maybe they have a niche in a way that I can't imagine.

[christianblessing]

I've never ridden one.  From the many posts I have read, they really aren't that much like 3 wheelers, they are heavy and still require significant effort to push around and keep upright. BUT,  (it is claimed) they seem to skirt some EU laws on licensing and handle loose surfaces better.  So maybe they have a niche in a way that I can't imagine.

The Yamaha Tri-City 125 weighs about 150kg, to the MP3's 241kg, and only 22kg heavier than the Nmax I ended up buying. With it's tilt suspension it was very nimble and tracked beautifully over bad pavement. It's unfortunate that the perception that it was heavy and awkward helped fuel it's demise.

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[de dee]

I could see someone with balance problems purchasing one of these, not my cup of tea. To me they look like a senior mobility  scooter.

that is what I call my Piaggio b v 350 my # 1 mobility scooter, besides it is a conversation starter on new friends ,.  then I tell them I am 87 years old, and I do all my own service, took me 4 hours to change the gas tank,most of the time was for the tupper ware, off then on,  the tank crushed from pluged EVAP system, now evap system is gone, only need it in Cal., by law

[Tromper]

I believe in the UK the wide track version of it skirts around needing an MC license.
In WA, land of politicians who obviously know bikes, You're required to either do your MC test on it (they give you an extra piece of paper that you must carry...) or have a trike endorsement...It's of note that if you apply anything from riding a trike to an MP3 you will wreck...
Still they trike/sidecar endorsement class gave me a weekend riding someone else's bikes on  a close course for cheap so it wasn't a complete waste.

I've never ridden one.  From the many posts I have read, they really aren't that much like 3 wheelers, they are heavy and still require significant effort to push around and keep upright. BUT,  (it is claimed) they seem to skirt some EU laws on licensing and handle loose surfaces better.  So maybe they have a niche in a way that I can't imagine.

[randyo]

I ride a V-strom, ugly doesn't register with me


fwiw, ugly is a good theft deterrent

[Stig / Major Tom]

I ride a V-strom, ugly doesn't register with me


fwiw, ugly is a good theft deterrent

Read your post - and this song came to mind....


Stig

[rdhood]

I ride a V-strom, ugly doesn't register with me


fwiw, ugly is a good theft deterrent

I used to do a  lot of backpacking in the NC mountains.  A a couple of the trailheads,  cars were getting broken into. We almost always had a two or three hour trip there... with accompanied eating and drinking.  When we get to our destination, we leave all that trash from the ride strewn about the vehicle with the doors unlocked (if they are going to break your windows, you might as well leave the doors unlocked!). We could even leave valuables in the vehicle, hidden, and the trash would cause people to skip it and move on!