Scooters Motorcycles

When a manufacturer known for its screaming three- and four-cylinder engines and multiple Grand Prix World Championships makes a big thing out of a launch of an e-Scooter, then you know things will never be the same again.

’City Adventure’ concept turned into the X-ADV, with the 750cc engine from the NC750. It hasn’t made it to the U.S. but the ADV150 did. Now, the ADV300 is looking likely to land on American soil.

Yamaha brought the XMAX to the U.S. market with a 27.6-horsepower mill that promises enough speed to be safe, even comfortable, at highway velocities, and that’s muy importante in the American market. This performance comes bundled with a decidedly modern and mature look that just screams metro-commuter.

Piaggio comes out swinging in 2021 with its largest, and most advanced, MP3 model. Built on its proven leaning-Delta trike chassis, the MP3 500 hpe Sport Advanced carries the largest mill found to date in an MP3 platform, and it comes with advanced electronics that remain a rarity within the realms of scooter-dom. The addition of a reverse gear moves the “500” from rare to unique as the only three-wheel production scooter to claim such a feature.

Yamaha bills its Tricity 300 as an all-new model that accommodates a wide range of riders, including those who are clawing their way through the tiered-license nightmare found in places like GB and the EU. In the Tricity, find comfort in the stability inherent in three-wheel rides while retaining that feeling of flight we get when we lean into a corner. Best of all, the cleaner engine meets Euro-5 emissions requirements and turns out a top speed that should accommodate travel on any and all public roads, plus it can be driven with a full B car license.

Until the advent of the G310, BMW was sorely lacking in beginner-enticing models and even that model hasn’t quite hit the spot with young buyers. Now BMW has revealed the CE02 Concept, which is an electric bike aimed squarely at the youth market. It even comes with a built-in skateboard!

Piaggio celebrates the 20-year anniversary of its very own urban legend, the Beverly scooter family. Billed as a crossover unit between the Urban Mobility and Gran Turismo categories, the new Beverly comes in a “300” and “400” model with new bodywork, updated suspension, all-around LED lighting, new saddle, and new hand controls. Both displacement sizes roll with new High Performance Engines (hpe) that sport a Euro-5 emissions rating and a keyless ignition feature.

Piaggio’s littlest MP3 – the 300 hpe Euro 5 – serves as the entry-level model for its groundbreaking leaning-trike scooter family. Able to be driven with a B license, the “300” brings all of the stability and safety of the larger models to the table in a compact package that’s all about urban mobility. Practical and relatively safe compared to two-wheeled machines, the MP3 carries itself with dignity and grace with a business-like mien that is sure to appeal to urban professionals and students alike.

Yamaha’s latest corporate strategy document shows that the Japanese company aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. However, it also projects that only 20% of its motorcycles will be electric by 2035, the deadline for banning of sales of ICE-powered vehicles in many countries. Yamaha’s vision of future personal urban mobility might not be what the consumer is envisioning.

Piaggio significantly expanded its renowned MP3 range upwards for MY2021 to include the new MP3 400 hpe and 400 hpe Sport. The new engine boasts a clean, Euro-5 emissions rating and comes with some comfort-enhancing elements along with mobile-phone connectivity to bring the lump into new territory. Like it’s predecessor, the MP3 400 siblings are configured as a Delta-trike with two front wheels that lean into the corners to deliver a rare combination of safety and fun.

BMW has toyed with electricity as a motive force for its bikes before, with the C-Evolution maxi scooter which ended production in 2020. Now BMW Motorrad is renewing its commitment to electric motive power with what promises to be the first in an extensive line of electric bikes. The CE.04 picks up where the C-Evolution left off and takes the company in a new and striking visual design direction.

Yamaha tweaks its Zuma 125 scooter platform ahead of MY2022 with a handful of improvements across the board. Fuel-efficient power comes from a new “Blue Core” engine sporting some pretty fancy fandanglery in the valvetrain. Rugged new bodywork and a re-imagined headlight area seal the deal to further separate this newest-generation adventure scooter from its predecessors and peers.

The Bayerische Motoren Werke Motorrad USA has taken the next step in its journey into electric urban-mobility territory with the announcement of its new CE 04 model. This all-electric scooter has the range, speed and charging options you need for convenience and practicality, plus it rocks an electronics suite with an infotainment package that together have the potential to embarrass much pricier machines.

Simpler and, therefore, cheaper than the outgoing C-Evolution, expect it to be released in summer.