There must be an awful lot of people riding Italian-made scooters in Europe these days, because one of the biggest motorbike companies over there is Piaggio, which got its start manufacturing affordable little two-wheeled runabouts. The Piaggio Group now owns Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, MV Augusta, Gilera and Vespa, among others.
And now the company has moved into North America, where it recently introduced the X9 Evolution, the largest model they have that bears the Piaggio name.
Competing against the likes of the Honda Silverwing and Suzuki Burgman, the X9 is kind of like a Vespa on steroids. There's no mistaking its scooter-like heritage, but it is also a fairly powerful machine that can easily keep up with freeway traffic. The speed tops out at 180 km/h and the tach redlines at 8,500 rpm. Power is provided by a single cylinder four-stroke that has four valves, electronic fuel injection and an internal counter-balancer. It is liquid-cooled, displaces 460 cc and develops 39 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. Power is delivered to the rear wheel via a one-speed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
Considering its 213-kilogram weight, the X9 ranks fairly high on the heavyweight scooter list. This is not a lightweight curb-jumper that you can pick up and stash wherever you want, but a substantial semi-motorcycle that can shoulder its way through city traffic and is up to the hurly-burly of highway traffic. With 14-inch wheels and tires, it's not the most stable bike I've ever had on the freeway. It gets buffeted around pretty vigorously by large trucks and buses, but has surprising takeoff power and is probably the equal of Honda's Silverwing in overall performance.
But not in handling. Neither machine is exactly going to rip up the corners, but the X9 hits bottom very easily. During my time with it, I continually scraped the bike's underside through even the most modest turns, which got kind of irritating after a while. A quick visual check indicated that I'm not the only one -- lots of scratch marks down there. The culprit is the centre stand, which hangs down too far and needs to be relocated up into the frame somewhere. There is also a side kick stand that works just fine so, theoretically, you could remove the centre stand and solve the problem.
The X9 won't start until the left brake lever is activated. Brakes are twin discs up front and a single disc in back, both manufactured by Brembo. They're also linked, which means that the left brake lever activates both the rear brake and the left front disc, while the right side activates the right front disc. The idea is to distribute braking power throughout the bike and it is a treat to operate -- the X9 has outstanding stopping power. There are no pedals or foot controls of any kind and the vehicle has decent instrumentation: a gas gauge, speedometer, tachometer and temperature gauge. It will also go pretty far on its 15-litre tank. The manufacturer recommends 92 octane gas.
The X9 also sports a variety of convenience features. The entire saddle lifts up to reveal a fairly substantial storage area, and there is a fold-out ring for your helmet and a small bin in the front fairing that houses the fuel tank cap release. Rear passengers have their own built-in footrests and grab rails, and the windscreen is adjustable, but must first be physically removed.
Like scooters everywhere, the idea behind the X9 is convenience. Get on the bike, twist the throttle grip and Bob's your uncle. No messing around with fuel petcocks, choke levers, transmission shifters or any of the stuff we normally associate with motorcycles, and it actually has a pretty comfy saddle with a modest-sized lumbar support. Seat height is a bit of an issue, however, at 780 millimetres, mainly because of the bodywork -- the bike's frame backbone puts it into the step-through category in terms of getting on and off it.
The X9 is also a bit of an attention-grabber. During my time with it, I had more than the usual number of people wander over to chat. Somehow, I don't think it would elicit the same reaction with a Honda or Suzuki badge, but the chrome Piaggio trim seemed to intrigue people and draw them in. According to the dealership where I got the bike, it can't keep the X9 - or any other Piaggio/Vespa models - in stock. They are being sold as soon as they arrive.
"You can't even get a blue one any more," the service technician said, which means that steel grey is the only choice. That Italian "thing," I guess.
The base price for the Piaggio X9 Evolution is $8,150.
