New 2008 MP3s

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but as I'm typing this, Mike is in the shop, setting up a brand new 2008 Piaggio MP3 400. It's graphite black and for the most part, looks the same as the MP3 250. The noticible changes are the new skid plate and shroud, engine shroud, larger 14" rear wheel, exhaust, and some other tech stuff.

For those of you who weren't in the know, the MP3 family gets two new models for '08: the MP3 400 and 500. The MP3 400 looks identical to the 250, but the 500 is drastically different in its modeling. The new 400 motor has only been used in one vehicle before, the BV400 (Europe only) and puts out almost the same power as the previous 500 cc motors used in the BV and X9 Evo. The new '08 500 motor is still a fuel-injected and watercooled mill, but it's displacement has gone up from 460 cc to 493 cc! That's a bump in the power depot for only 1 hp, but that's measured at the wheel and with the machine governed down to 89 mph, it's not an accurate representation of the engines true power numbers.

Just in case you were wondering, the MP3 400ie is only 1 mph slower than the 500, but is 10% weaker in the torque department so expect the crazy lookin' 500 to out-accelerate it. And pretty much out-accelerate everything else.. Speaking of which, the MP3 400 should smoke the Suzuki Burgman 400, and definitely will handle better. The 500 is in a class all by itself so it's kinda hard to compare sheet numbers. Oh well. Both bikes a tid porky at 538lbs, but anyone who has ridden the 450lb MP3 250 will tell ya that you don't notice it unless you're trying to push it across the garage or something.

As soon as we get the 400 put together I'll get some pics up here and share.