The new Italian flagship maxi-scooter
It’s got the lines of an Italian
supermodel’s legs and we got the VIP treatment at a suave scooter launch
with the Italian Embassy in Paris, serving as the runway. The Piaggio
X10 is the famed scooter producer’s new flagship model and it’s aimed at
a grown up market that knows how to appreciate everyday comforts.
Rain was expected in Paris on my riding day so I packed my Gore-Tex
jacket in the 52-liter (13.7-gallon) capacity underseat storage
compartment. The compartment, which includes a light, will take one full
faced helmet at the front and an open faced helmet at the back but it’s
not quite big enough for two full faced lids as the rear compartment
isn’t deep enough.
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| The
Italian Embassy in Paris offers an elegant backdrop for the launch of
the Piaggio X10, the Italian manufaturer's new flagship maxi-scooter. |
The seat is both comfy and spacious with an adjustable lower back
rest for the rider. Taking off from the embassy I learned how to
appreciate the tall windscreen straight away as there was a drizzle in
the air. It was easy to get complete wind protection without crouching
down too much.
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| The tall windscreen provides more than adequate wind protection. |
The new Piaggio 350cc single cylinder four stroke
engine produces a max power output of 32.5 hp and 23.7 ft-lb. The big
500cc version has 8 horsepower more and electronic rear suspension
adjustment but this wasn’t ready yet for our Paris test session. The X10
350i also has an ECO mode which reduces horsepower with the purpose of
reducing fuel consumption. I never bothered actually testing the ECO
mode but it will make the X10 just slightly faster than the 15
horsepower 125cc version according to reports. I can see this being a
cruel tool for an owner lending out their X10 to a friend.
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| The rudimentary traction control system proved to be a bit obtrusive on the wet streets and riding over painted lines. |
Piaggio being the mother ship for high-tech
Aprilia, there’s been some transfer of traction control technology to a
GT scooter for the first time. The traction control isn’t on par with
Aprilia’s top-end APRC package but more a rudimentary version of what’s
on offer in Aprilia’s Dorsoduro models.
The system retards the ignition once rear wheel slip is detected and
gradually released to full performance as grip increases. It’s not the
fastest traction control system in the world but sufficient for the 33hp
X10. On my Paris test there was plenty of rear wheel slip over white
zebra crossings and wet roads and I found the traction control to be
quite obtrusive but not so much so that I wanted to turn ASR off.
Leaving the many busy traffic-light crossings in Paris, the X10 350
provided all the flexibility needed to stay way ahead of other traffic.
The small engine responds well from the word go and the new CVT variable
transmission is as seamless as it should be. The suspension works well
and is comfortable in most situations but the rear struggled a bit over
some of the cobbled streets in Paris.
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| The cobblestone streets of Paris proved to be a challenge for the X10's rear suspension. |
On open motorways the X10 350 will do a claimed
140 kph (87 mph) top speed and the 15-liter (4-gallon) fuel tank can
achieve a claimed range of 400 km (248 miles) before a top up is needed.
The service intervals are 20,000 km (about 12,500 miles) with oil
changes every 10,000 km (about 6200 miles) making it cheaper and easier
to maintain than a motorcycle.
With a double set of 280mm discs at the front and a 240mm disc at the
back there’s plenty of stopping power and it’s a linked ABS set up. The
X10 Executive (ASR+ABS included – Pearl white exclusive paint job)
version weights a claimed 200 kilos where four of those are additions
because of the ABS system (that’s 441 pounds with ABS making up 8.8
pounds.)
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| Ample storage, large grab handles and roomy floorboards make the X10 a practical option for two-up riding. |
Should you wish to take a pillion passenger the
X10 have a lot of amenities such as the storage capacity, an 820mm long
well-padded seat, large grab rails and spacious footboards. The rider
seat height 29.9 inches while the pillion is 4.3 inches higher,
providing a view of the surroundings or the Eiffel tower if you’re
riding around Paris like me.
The front of the new Piaggio X10 is quite extravagant and houses a triple headlamp where the middle is a LED running light.
Conclusion
Carefree in the city is pretty much what the Piaggio X10 set out to
be and that’s exactly what I found after my day in the saddle. At
standstill there are some vibrations from the engine reaching the
handlebars but that’s pretty much my only niggle along with rear rebound
damping that sometimes were overwhelmed by the cobble streets.
The brakes are great and the ABS and ASR makes the X10 one of the
safest maxi-scooters there is. The comfort level is very high and the
350cc single cylinder engine performs like a bigger engine with near
perfect transmission.
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| The
Piaggio X10 350 is a comfortable and practical scooter with an engine
that performs better than its displacement would suggest. |
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