Filed under: On Two Wheels
Gilera GP800: the world's fastest, most powerful scooter
Today we bring news which does not register very far up on our green meter, but we'll fit it in nonetheless. Piaggio has recently made headlines on our site by indicating that they might offer up their hybrid scooters in the U.S. in a few years time. Now, they go and partially undo that good news with this, the Gilera GP800. Now, I am not saying that the scooter is a bad product, what I am saying is that I wish that the push for ever larger engines in scooters would come to an end. Don't get me wrong, I love scooters. But, I personally think that the scooter market is better served with machines which focus on frugality rather than outright speed. A 500cc engine with a CVT transmission is plenty large enough to get well ahead of traffic when the light turns green, and can cruise comfortably above any speed limit in America or (Autobahn aside) the rest of the world. So, why go bigger? And, if you are gonna go bigger, why not cater to the market that really seems to want to go bigger - motorcycles. Oh well, we'll all just have to wait and see, if the GP800 indeed does go into production, how well it sells. Maybe I'm wrong and scooter riders do want bigger and more powerful.
Another interesting tidbit from another source: "Piaggio is building a version of the 3-wheel MP3/Fuoco with the 839.3cc engine and CVT plus final-chain-drive from the 850Mana/GP800 which will be sold as a Moto Guzzi." Really? That would be interesting, and there might be more of a market for the three-wheeler than the two.
[Source: The Scooter Scoop and Motoblog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Don 5:24PM (8/23/2007)
Shouldn't it STILL get great mileage?
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Joseph 7:38PM (8/23/2007)
What's the difference between a scooter and a motorcycle, if the "scooter" is so powerful?
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Jeremy Korzeniewski 9:13PM (8/23/2007)
Don - compared to an automobile, yes it will get excellent mileage. But, the larger the displacement engine will likely get worse mileage than a smaller powerplant.
Joseph - the line between the scooter and the motorcycle are blurring rapidly. I am a fan of both machines. A scooter usually has a "step-through" design, where you keep your legs together behind the front of the machine. A motorcycle forces you to straddle the bike. Also, many consider the automatic transmission essential to the scooter, although older scooters often are manually shifted. So, what is the difference, really? Just perception. And I perceive that most would rather have a larger engined motorcycle and a smaller engined scooter. Just my .02.
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Alex 9:10AM (8/24/2007)
still a scooter...
/motorcycle elitist snob
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bella 5:22PM (11/15/2008)
hi alex! i bet you in a race i could beat you with my new gp800!
life is too short to be a snob! please get over it!! as someone else stated, these super scooters are to be taken for real! I may not have to change gears, but I still have the skill to ride well in all weather conditions/and just stay alive!
take care/ bella.
G-Man 11:37PM (9/18/2007)
Just a little different perspective...
I have ridden my 650cc scoot pretty much every day since I bought it. My GMC Sierra hasnt gotten so much as a single full tank of gas and I havent used as much gas in 4 months as I would have with 1 complete fill-up. Thats with my 650.
Would I get better with a 250cc? SURE! but then...I wouldnt be riding it as much. Ive ridden a 250 on the freeway. No thanks...I wont go with less that the 650 and I would definitely seriously consider the 839cc...still great gas mileage and less drain/strain on the engine, more stable ride...adds up to more 2 wheel riders and less gas hogs on the road.
As fir the scoot vs motorcycle debate...call it what you want. Ive ridden both...I wont go back.
Just curious though...are automatic transmission vehicles not REALLY cars because you dont shift gears manually?
Or in other words...next rally...see if you can keep up! And if you can, at the next resting point, stop by, say hi...I'll toss you a cold drink from my cooler in the trunk. ;-)
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bella 5:21PM (11/15/2008)
hi G-man!
i have to tell you that your coments about automatic car/verses scooters are so right!! i've often said that. i've got the new gliera gp800 super scooter/and i will never go back!!
i can take a fair few motorcycles on the road!/but it still takes skill to ride safely on one./so i'm a lesser rider than one who has to change gears?? i don't think so!!
safe riding to you, bella./hampshire-England.
Bhadra Walker 1:38PM (10/11/2007)
Hey I think an 800cc is a welcome addition to the scooter line up. I have a 400cc Majesty and when cruising with my wife it definitely seems to be straining on the southern California freeways at 70. Maybe it's because I am 260 and the wife 120 which makes only 52 lbs less then the maximum carry limit. Anyway an 800 would give you the range and not feel like you are straining the motor.
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Steve Green 3:31AM (10/30/2007)
I've been riding a Piaggio X9 250 Evo for a bit over a year now. I consider this engine size just about ideal for riding around our city (Canberra, Australia) that has many roads with a speed limit of 100km/hr. I've ridden smaller capacity scooters and they just don't cut it on the freeways.
800cc is serious overkill. It'd be fun sure, and great if you do a lot of touring. But for around the city? Smashing a walnut with a sledgehammer!
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Robert Grand 1:45PM (3/06/2008)
Thinking of changing from Motorbike to a scooter for comfort with back problem needing feet in a natural seating position. So for me to change I need something with power to ride with 2 up and comfort, tried smaller scooters to small, tried T-max brill will try the GP 800. So my point is if it get more people on 2 wheels thats better.
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noah 6:44AM (9/27/2008)
so its like the Hayabusa of the scooter world! no way...
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Michael 5:26AM (1/23/2009)
I have never driven anything with less than four wheels, so I am certainly no expert on motorcycles or scooters. However, in 2006, I bought the Piaggio BV-500. I had wanted a motorcycle but I was working at time and couldn't take the time off for licence certification and learning gear shift patterns. With the BV-500, there is no special licencing or certifications to operate, only a standard operators licence .
The BV-500 is far and away one of the most easy to operate and has many engineering and craftsmanship features inherit to fine Italian tradition. Whether a novice or experienced cyclist, the driver cannot help being impressed with the power and performance even at highway speeds of 70 mph or better. The BV-500 is comfortable and very stable at speeds over 110 mph even though the advertized top speed is 96 mph. I topped it out at 115 mph and still had some throttle slack. I look forward to the Gilera GP-800 twin will be available soon to US markets
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