Man, the instrument gauges and cluster are such a great quality on this BV. Piaggio’s fit and finish in general are not talked about enough . I wish Yamaha and Suzuki would start taking note. Great presentation
This is much more than a walkthrough. It is actually a detailed and honest review, which does not hide the (few) negative points. So well thought through scoot but that with the fuel door is strange.
@ David RF The answer is Japanese monopoly illegal activity. If you sell one Japanese brand bike they do NOT allow you to sell a Piaggio because it's in competition. Honda and Yamaha scooters are ugly and too big, exception is for the Honda SH300-350i which unfortunately are NOT imported to Australia.
I had this scoot for about 5 months. Sold it to a buddy. It’s a great scooter, but I’m just too cramped. I now have the Burgman 400. It’s got very similar power. But now I can stretch out and have different feet locations. The Suzuki has storage with real glove boxes. Both great scoots. But I feel like the BV was made for smaller people /women.
It's so weird. In Europe the locking mechanism for the tank is in the plug itself. While in America you have that strange plastic cover with the key on it
What happened to the BV 500? I bet that thing was crazy. I have an older MP3 500 and it moves really well... but that seat. Frustratingly forward. It frustrated me on my trip down the California coast, a trip which it handled extremely well, by the way. The seat on this BV looks a little better. I have made my 62 mile commute from Salem to Springfield ( I -5 ) on my MP3 and my Vespa 300GTS.. Both do it quite comfortably but if I ever have to replace my MP3... I would give this BV350 a try... it looks very capable.
I noticed that the top case with the bracket .I was informed that it was $500 with a 15% discount.Seems like a lot of money for a top case.I rather get the Akrapovic Slip on.Cause it costs about $500.And people can hear me if they don't see me.Hooah!\m/\m/
We can’t hear you! We are sitting in our cars with the radio on. Also, the fan/aircon is on. If you are coming from behind, we won’t hear you until we can see you anyway… meaning at the point in time where you have overtaken us, we can both see and hear you at the same time. But we can’t hear you coming. Putting on a slip-on exhaust is merely noise pollution that is terrible for the people that lives next to the streets where you drive. Don’t do that. We can’t hear your motorcycle coming!
Im debateing between the BV350 and the Yamaha XMax 300. One the reasons I may go with the Yamaha is....dealer network. There are Yamaha dealers everywhere but Piaggio dealer far apart. I want the Piaggio so its going to be a hard decision.
You’re down in the Bay Area, right? There’s some good Piaggio dealers around there! Get that BV and slap that RAM mount you ordered from us awhile back on it!
@@VespaPortland Piaggio is in San Fran....a BIG PAIN to get into...no way I would drive a scooter across the Bay Bridge with those crazy drivers....we also have a dealership in Berkeley/ Oakland border which is closer...but I have had a couple of bad experiences with them and Im Leary of dealing with them again. Also down in San Jose but thats WAY to far away. I so wish we had a dealer like you or VespaMotorsport up my way.
I love my '16 BV350, and though YMMV, I've never needed a dealership once in my four years of ownership. Oil, rearend and coolant changes are pretty simple. It's a great bike, with power and style to spare. Brakes were a touch wooden when new, but now I don't seems to notice that much.
Xmax is a tugboat of a scooter. The BV is way more precise and steady. Also, it may be sound strange but Piaggio motors are better than Yamaha motors. Way more reliable.
We know one guy who is around that height (maybe a touch taller, actually) who rides one every day. I’d say go sit on one at your local dealer to see if it’s right. If it doesn’t fit, next best bet in the Piaggio/Vespa line is probably the Vespa GTS since the seat is flat and you can sit back a bit if needed.
Hey Huucho....I'm 6'4", 250lbs. My '18 BV350 takes me anywhere I want to go. Do I wish there was an aftermarket seat? Yes I do, but for no other reason than wanting one. I find that this scoot makes you sit properly upright and actually allows more miles in comfort. I've owned a Burgman 650 and actually found this a better ride. The Burgman sent every bump right up your spine. The BV is more of a feat under type ride and is actually better than you would expect once you give it a chance. My wife rides a Vespa and they are very comfortable but I too like the larger wheel. There are many "toys" available for the BV and I will admit that I have many of them BUT it really is a great scoot right out of the box. The mods do very little except hurt your wallet. Hope this helps.
David Andryshak thanks so much, appreciate it. I’ll be using the scooter for commutes, city driving but also would love to do longer trips along the coast where I live. So I’m looking for something that is both nimble / agile as well powerful enough for all of it. How would you rate the BV on this? I’ve actually got my eyes on a 2018 model that is for sale in my area. It’s got 10,000 km and looks very good still, also has a top box. Pretty much all I need.
