piaggio bv 500 reviews

I have owned the BV-500 for nearly three years and found it to be in the Italian tradition for superior engineering and performance. How Piaggio managed to get 39HP from a one cylinder engine and outrun many motorcycles is amazing in itself! I have also found the scooter very stable at speeds well over 100 MPH! Show less

I got the BV 250 a week and a half ago. Road it in the rain, in the cold, in the warm sunshine, and it's wonderful! First gas refill revealed 75 MPG, but we live in a very hilly area. My guess is that will improve as the engine breaks in. It's a little high for me, at 5'2, but I can reach the road on tip-toes. It's still shorter than my last 'bike' (an old Suzuki GT 250 that I had to lean over to touch the road). LOVE that it's an automatic. It pulls out right away, which we weren't expecting, even when my husband (230 lbs.) road it with me on the back to go practice at the church parking lot on the first day. It wants to go 50 - 55, so I have to watch the speedometer to make sure I'm within limits. didn't think I would be so happy with it. We were just buying it for the gas mileage, but have found the trunk light, the theft deterrent coded keys, the glove box, etc. to be added luxuries that make us both very happy with it. Show less

I have owned 3 scooters in the past 2 years, starting with a Korean 50 cc 2-stroke, then up to the Piaggio Fly 150 (which I loved) and finally the BV 250. In my opinion, the BV 250 is a fabulous machine. I particularly like the 16 inch wheels, because our Quebec roads are notorious for potholes, and I consider this to be a major safety hazard for 12 inch wheels. The styling is beautiful. I've tried 400-500 cc scoots like the Yamaha and the Piaggio X9, but in my view the BV 250 is the best of the lot. Only one small complaint - lack of storage space. But my topcase takes care of that. I'm 74 years old, and I do all my shopping/local travel on this machine. At 80 mpg, why not? My minivan sits in the driveway waiting, as lonely as the Maytag repairman. I drive the scoot 10 months of the year. With machines like the 250, why do we need an energy crisis? I've tried it on the freeways with my wife as a passenger. No sweat to get it to roll at 70 MPH, but I find the buffeting from 18 wheelers a little unsettling, so I stick to secondary roads. Show less

Great scooter, comfortable, fast, steady on hwy and very manuverable, very balanced. Best investment I made. Show less

I had owned a smaller(125cc) scooter before the X9 and fell in love with the concept. But I felt the power was low and the balance did not fit me. I decided an upgrade was in order. The X9 fit the bill. It handles very well on stop and go secondary roads, while getting 45-52 mpg. It is solid on freeway at speed, and has enough left to pass semis decisively. It gets 60-65 mpg on the freeway. My wife and I have taken several enjoyable 2 hour trips. It seems unaffected by weather extremes, reliably turning over in temps from 25-100 F. The only times I use my four wheeler is when there is ice on the road or when cargo/dogs need to be carried. I give the X9 two thumbs up! Show less

I've had 22 bikes (everything from full-dress touring to sport-touring to cruisers to retro to 'nakeds'), and I have to say this is among the very best, if not THE best. Easy to maneuver around town and yet very adequate on the highway. Good acceleration. Outstanding comfort & wind protection. Stylish looks. Can park for free on sidewalks. Optional saddlebags & topcase, when combined with glove compartment, underseat storage, & bag holder swallow as much gear as my former Goldwing. Good on gas (4L/100km or about 70mpg). Did I mention comfortable? No heat onto rider from engine (a blessing in hot weather). Strong brakes are a bit stiff at the lever and difficult to modulate. Givi windscreen is awesome for total wind protection with very little buffetting, but you need to take it off in really hot weather or you'll cook with so little breeze. This bike is easy to overlook among 'real bikers' but that's a shame because it has a lot to offer. Works just as well 2-up as solo. Passengers enjoy the wide plush backrest on the optional topcase. Crashed the bike this past weekend (sand on pavement - went down at high speed). Bike was still running when we found it in the bushes/ditch. Surprisingly little damage, considering the impact (saddlebags were not broken; fairing was cracked but all lights still functional even though scraped). This is clearly a tougher bike than I had imagined! Design also allowed me to fall clear of the bike without getting impailed by the handlebars or riding up over the tank, as might have been the case on a conventional motorcycle. Impressive. Show less

I traded my 2005 Piaggio BV200 for this Piaggio BV500 and it was the greatest deal I have ever made. There is no comparison between these machines. The 500 is a tad longer but handling characeristics are exactly the same. I love it. Show less

What can I say? The wife and I rode over to San Francisco today from Oakland. The ride on the bridge was fine. I'm seeing more of the BV's on the road. More of the BV500cc though. But the 250cc are just great. If you are going to do a lot of freeway, (distance) and you're a big person, not height, the BV500 may work for you better. The BV250 is fine, believe me. I ride with the wife on the back as much as possible, it's good times. With the adjustable rear springs, just two clicks up and we are good to go. So far I have know regrets about the BV250. PS. Wife really injoys the riding with me. She is now thinking really hard about her own. We looked at the Piaggio MP3. Show less

This is my 5th scooter and it's the best all around scooter that I've owned. I've had Honda, Aprilia and Kymco and this is the winner. Very smooth ride and excellent handling. Very well built and good fit and finish. It's a blast to ride. Highly recommended! Show less

This is my third review. What can I say, so far so good. I have over 1100 miles on the BV250. I have no worries riding on the freeways. I've gone over 80mph on the freeway one night on the way home from work. Wanted to see how fast the BV250 would go :) I had my wife on the back for a ride and went up a steep hill to see how it would handle as far as power goes, the BV250 was fine. I tried to find some pipes for the BV250. The only one that I found was by LeoVince for the BV200 & BV500 nothing for the BV250. That sucked. Show less