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Vespa range on show at EICMA 2014, with a wide range of models and versions to suit all tastes and needs. Here an overview of the main novelties.

BELLISSIMA VESPA 946, 2014 COLLECTION

Vespa 946, the model of extraordinary exclusivity which has already become legend, presents Bellissima, the outstanding Collection 2014. Two new colours, Grey and Blue mark the new collection as well as the strict colours Black and White – now off list and delivered to the Vespa history –marked the production in 2013. The 2014 Collection pays homage to the highest levels of Vespa tradition and Italian design with elegant shades of silvery grey and blue. Timeless colours that perfectly interpret the bold and modern lines of the Vespa 946.

NEW VESPA PRIMAVERA TOURING SPECIAL SERIES

Vespa Primavera interprets the youngest and most dynamic spirit of the most popular scooter in the world. With the introduction of the 125 and 150 engine capacity models, Primavera confirms its attention to safety and its constant technological evolution. The new Vespa Primavera Touring special series debuts at Eicma 2014. So now Vespa Primavera is enriched by a new special range of Touring with accessories and aesthetic features inspired to travelling that Vespa has always embodied throughout its lengthy history. Vespa Primavera Touring, as the other Vespa models in this special outfitting, is enriched by a front and rear luggage rack both of which chromed that, as testimonial to the most classic Vespa iconography, greatly increase load carrying capacity and prepare the world's most popular scooter to take on any adventure packed journey. Touring's outfitting also includes a brown saddle matched with the new Silk Grey tint, elegant top fairing and a dedicated nameplate. The Vespa Primavera Touring series in available with Primavera engine capacity throughout the range, which are 50 2-stroke, 50 4-stroke 4V, 125 4-stroke 3V and 150 4-stroke 3V.

NEW VESPA SPRINT 150 S

Lively, quick, agile and light. Vespa Sprint embodies the spirit of the “sporty Vespino”, the legend of entire generations of young people. Now all eyes go to the all-new, extremely sporty Vespa Sprint 150 S. Remembering that the Vespa Sprint 125, Sprint 125 S and Sprint 150 S versions are available with the ABS system. The all-new Vespa Sprint 150 S débuts at EICMA 2014, enhancing the already extremely sport spirit thanks to a decisive line and appearance that, even when parked, convey a strong dynamic feel to this Vespa. The livery of the Vespa Sprint 150 S version is simple and appealing, putting emphasis on clean and sober lines while maintaining a minimalist stance with its exclusive Titanium Grey colour that, thanks to a small body, brings to mind the most aggressive models of the 70s.
In perfect tune with the new tint are the dedicated graphics and the black seat, as are the large 12” wheel rims that in black add greater emphasis to its essential elegance. The S version is available with a 50cc 2-stroke, 125cc 3V and – for the first time ever on the Vespa Sprint – a brilliant 150cc 3V engine. Vespa Sprint 125 S and Vespa Sprint 150 S are available with the ABS system.

NEW VESPA PX TOURING SPECIAL SERIES

Forming the link between the history of the world's most famous scooter and its future, the Vespa PX is back with a choice of its most classic engine sizes. Incomparable style, an engine which respects the most severe emissions standards and the classic four gear transmission make Vespa PX unmistakable and unique. PX now comes in the new TOURING special series, as homage to the adventurous trail-blazing spirit that has always driven Vespa. Vespa PX TOURING débuts at EICMA 2014: To further emphasize the natural inclination for touring that has made Vespa a legend of on-road adventures, the Vespa PX offering is enriched by a new special series: the Vespa PX Touring. Available in 125cc and 150cc engine capacities the special outfitting is dedicated to the enthusiasts the are fascinated with the adventurous touring spirit of the Vespa PX. Vespa PX Touring is fitted with the standard feature chrome front and rear luggage rack that greatly increase the vehicles' load carrying capacity; accessories which strongly characterise the touring range of the Vespa legend. The top fairing, colour of the seat – which was conceived in brown exclusively for this series to perfectly match the silk grey tint of the vehicle – and the dedicated plate located in the leg shield back plate make this special series a tribute to all trail-blazers that have spread Vespa's distinct style across roads all over the world.

The Electric Bike by Piaggio: connected to the world Piaggio Electric Bike Project goes beyond the concept of an assisted-pedal bicycle and approaches the market as a vehicle that interprets the most progressive mobility needs at 360 degrees, no longer intended simply as the ability to move about, but also as the presence and sharing of information over the most modern network and interaction forms with your vehicle.
Thanks to PMP (Piaggio Multimedia Platform) technology, Electric Bike Project has an ultra advanced man-mechanical vehicle interface and guarantees constant data sharing with the world, giving you with the opportunity to interact from any location and with any environment in its physical, social and experience dimension.
The Electric Bike Project Piaggio was shown, as world premiere, at the Eicma 2014 exhibition in Milan, and has attracted public and media.

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MADE IN PIAGGIO ELECTRIC HEART

The heart of the Piaggio Electric Bike is a 250W-350W electric power unit entirely designed, developed and built by the Piaggio Group. It is an ultra modern and extremely compact motor with a shape designed for perfect insertion in the elegant aesthetics of the Electric Bike. In fact, its axial-symmetric shape, in other words, designed around the pedal axle, allows it to include the entire electric motor hidden behind the sprocket in order to greatly reduce the aesthetic impact.
But it is the entire powertrain (the motor, battery and control display assembly) of the Electric Bike Project that stands out for the technology it uses and for the functions it provides.
The electric motor control system is completely innovative and was developed by Piaggio. It works thanks to sophisticated control algorithms which guarantee its reliability.
The latest generation display is “contactless” and automatically powered via NFC near the control unit. The USB connection serves the dual function of being a smartphone charger and software update port. Diagnostics are also possible via smartphone by the rider, whereas for the service centre operations are possible via tablet – thanks once again to Bluetooth technology – for a more complete check.
Piaggio Electric Bike Project, thanks to its technology, also stands out for its high level of safety: the dashboard control unit, batteries and electric motor are connected unequivocally. This means that the three units can operate only if they are connected and communicating with one another. For example, removing the display (which operates as an electronic key) when parking renders the Electric Bike effectively unusable.
A GPS/GSM module is housed in the battery which functions both as a satellite antitheft device and a data transmission element from/for the battery. This way the charge status can be checked with a smartphone and you can receive the alert status on your device in the event of a poor charge, for example after a long period of disuse. The 400 Wh ion and lithium battery is elegantly housed under the saddle in correspondence to the vertical pipe and provides particularly long range, on average between 60 and 120 kilometres depending on the mode of use and surrounding conditions. The battery guarantees the highest possible level of safety and, as with all of the powertrain components, it is completely waterproof (IP 65).
The Piaggio Electric Bike Project uses a belt drive combined with an advanced continuous variation automatic transmission, electronically assisted to always ensure the best possible ratio between an almost infinite choice of combination. This is technology that takes advantage of the Piaggio Group's extensive technical experience with this type of transmission.
As a tribute to active safety the powerful braking system is made up of two 180 mm discs on the front and 160 mm on the rear, gripped by hydraulic callipers.

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CONNECTED TO THE WORLD

Thanks to the PMP (Piaggio Multimedia Platform) technology, your smartphone integrates functionally with Electric Bike via Bluetooth. PMP allows constantly new functions to be developed from the fine tuning of "classic" services such as navigation up to any number of opportunities for personalisation of the powertrain operating modes over and above the base settings. In fact, conventional electrically pedal-assisted bicycles offer a limited and determined number of pedal assistance level settings with a contribution from the motor that always stays proportional to the energy applied by the cyclist once the operating mode is selected. The Piaggio Electric Bike Project, thanks to the exclusive DEA (Dynamic Engine Assistance) technology, allows the user to program the assistance level provided by the electric motor at a percentage that is always variable in ratio to the power provided by the cyclist.
Thanks to the possibility of varying the motor contribution, Piaggio Electric Bike is a true fitness machine where the cyclist can set his or her physical effort (for example, 100W of effort and a certain frequency of pedalling or maximum speed) leaving the motor free to increase or decrease its contribution based on the altimetric variations in order to comply with the set parameters which are consistent with the training program that the rider wants to achieve.
Also, through PMP you will be able to select predefined power output modes throughout the arc of use, real "motor mappings".
The PMP system, which can be controlled through your smartphone's screen, by buttons on the handlebar and with voice commands, is the base for virtually unlimited function developments. For example, the Smart Navigator calculates itineraries based on the routes recommended for cyclists (sourced from the web/communities), the altimetric profile of the route and the remaining battery consumption/range. It is therefore able to modulate on the route in order to obtain minimum battery consumption and to check motor power output to guarantee that you will arrive at your destination with the detected residual charge. Along the route the cyclist can report points of interest, road surface conditions, road work and any other type of information, thereby contributing to a web database that serves as a point of reference for the navigation software used by the riders in a community.
The “Back Home Alert” function notifies the cyclist when the remaining battery range is insufficient to return home or to any preset destination.
But the utilities PMS offer go far beyond this: it ranges from weather forecast information to functions connected to fitness and allows users to use the Electric Bike as a training tool in order to monitor health information and to achieve goals in terms of bodyweight, heart rate and calorie burning. The possibility to compare the stored data provides you with the opportunity to challenge yourself on various routes for the purpose of continuously monitoring the progress achieved in terms of performance and physical fitness.
Connectivity between the bike electronics and heart rate monitors, for example, allows you to manage the electric motor power output based on a heart rate goal (the lower this is the more the assistance provided by the motor will be). This way an athlete can load training programmes and manage his or her frequency on the route, in commuting you can choose not to exceed a maximum heart rate threshold for health reasons, or simply to keep from becoming overheated on your way to work.

PURE ITALIAN DESIGN

The elegantly sport design of the Electric Bike Project is the result of the Piaggio style centre which worked to combine the best and most distinctive Italian design with functionality and operating convenience. Modern style, refined solutions and simplicity are the keywords that inspired the Piaggio Group designers in their work.
The result comes together in a frame made entirely in aluminium with a clearly sport look (diamond shape) that mounts a shock absorbed fork, also made in aluminium and which is available in various versions of Electric Bike Project starting from the classic male and unisex duo.
From a stylistic point of view the challenge of seamlessly inserting the powertrain parts (electric motor, transmission and battery) into the frame was particularly successful, leaving the bicycle's lines rationally clean and undisturbed.
In fact, the motor, designed around the pedal axle, remains hidden by the sprocket and the battery, which can be easily removed, is housed under the saddle on the horizontal pipe. And so the Electric Bike Project 's attention to simplicity and user-friendliness substantiates in shapes which have been conceived with functionality in mind and as a tribute to the elegance of Italian design.

EICMA 2014 was also an opportunity for the Piaggio Group to show the results of its continuing focus on research for the development of new forms of mobility and systems providing ever-greater integration between user and mechanical vehicle, and between the vehicle and the environment. All the new entries are presented in the Product and Technology columns of this issue of Wide. Here, we look at the highlights that will be fascinating the two-wheeler world next season.

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Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 (RR and Factory versions): Aprilia’s supernaked has been completely revamped: not only is it more powerful and faster, above all it is more fun and easier to use on the road. Aprilia RSV4 RR: the new Aprilia RSV4 generation, the winner of seven WSBK championship titles in five years. V4-MP Multimedia Platform: available for the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 and Aprilia RSV4 RR, this new evolution of the Multimedia Platform allows you to connect your smartphone to the bike and program the electronic controls bend by bend on the circuit. Skully HUD Helmet: thanks to Piaggio Group cooperation with Skully (an American Heads-up display helmet manufacturer), full integration will be possible between the functions of the Piaggio Multimedia Platform and the most advanced heads-up display technology. Moto Guzzi Eldorado: the modern luxurious interpretation of the unforgettable 850 that made its fortune in the States in the late 1960s. Moto Guzzi Audace: ostentatious, muscular and fierce, this bike is immediately distinguished by its front end: a circular headlamp unit and carbon mudguard. Moto Guzzi California 1400 Touring S.E.: new two-tone graphics, built-in passenger backrest and grab handle. Piaggio Electric Bike Project: this vehicle moves beyond the concept of a pedal-assisted bicycle to interpret the most progressive mobility requirements. Its core is a 250W-350W electric motor designed entirely by the Piaggio Group. Its anti-theft security system is exceptional, as is the reliability of the on-board systems and the lithium ion battery. And with the new Piaggio Multimedia Platform, the opportunities for interaction with the vehicle multiply.

MOTOPLEX…AT THE EXHIBITION

EICMA, the world’s top motorcycle show, also hosted Motoplex, the first concept store to showcase experience. Two key events were organised on the Piaggio Group stand: on 7 November, the Motoplex Friday Night Party, with the DJ set of Kris Reichert and Mirko De Crescenzo; all rhythm, fun and energy; on 8 November, Piaggio Motoplex was transformed into a TV studio, whose maxi screens broadcast a live presentation compered by Federico Russo, of the cast of the future Aprilia Ombrelline (or Paddock Girls) for MotoGP 2015.

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TESTER FOR A DAY

Piaggio Commercial Vehicles was an exhibitor at “Ecomondo 2014”, the international tradeshow devoted to green solutions: materials recovery, renewable energy, sustainable development. The exhibition was subdivided into different sections: waste treatment, materials recycling and related services, collection and transportation, recovery and treatment of inert waste, remediation, water and air.

Ecomondo 2014 - Piaggio Commercial Vehicles A date not to be missed for producers, industry players, public and private operators. Operators like Piaggio Commercial Vehicles: its stand included a Porter Electric Tipper, DRL version, equipped with a Road-scan camera for road safety (a sort of on-board “electronic eye”, fitted with an accelerometer and GPS tracker).

Piaggio Commercial Vehicles offers a broad versatile range of Porter vehicles (also in electric and bi-fuel versions) for every sort of business transport need, including versions fitted out specifically for waste collection and urban hygiene. The Ape range is equally broad and versatile, with an evergreen selection of hard-working vehicles.
INFO. www.piaggioveicolicommerciali.it

The “ECO BEE” ELECTRIC APE OF THE PRETTO GROUP

The Piaggio stand at Ecomondo was “twinned” with the stand of the Pretto Group (from Ponsacco, in the province of Pisa), a Piaggio Commercial Vehicles dealer for the electric Porter, which specialises in electric vehicles.Pretto displayed vehicles from its new “Eco Bee” range, the electric vehicle based on the Piaggio Ape, available in short or long pick-up, van and cross-country versions. A compact, versatile and efficient working companion, with zero emissions. A true friend of the environment.

Ecomondo 2014 - Pretto Group

INFO. www.gruppopretto.it

VESPA 946 “RICORDO ITALIANO”

The Vespa 946 was entered for the 2014 ADI DESIGN INDEX competition, in the new section “Design for Mobility”, and has been selected as one of the best design objects of the year. The ADI Design Index is an annual publication of the Italian Association for Industrial Design (ADI), which, year after year, brings together the best of Italian design put into production. The selection was made by the ADI Design permanent observatory, consisting of 150 independent experts, who identified the best results of contemporary Italian design after examining more than 600 applications. The selection included products or product systems, assessed in the various categories, together with the related theoretical, historical and critical research and process or company research. This year, some of the index categories have been changed to reflect the new physiognomy of Italian design: two new categories have been introduced, Design for Mobility and Design for Communication (to focus specifically on areas previously included in other categories), while the central Design for Living category has been partially reorganised to include urban décor and outdoor furniture. The importance of the categories for Social Design and Services Design is growing.
Selection and inclusion in the ADI Design Index constitutes a pre-selection for participation for the ADI Compasso d’Oro award, assigned every three years by a jury appointed by the ADI and the ADI Foundation on the basis of the selection published in the annual ADI Design Index. The continuous quality assessment method used by the observatory in the selection process for the Compasso d’Oro award is unique in Italy and on the international stage.

EXHIBITIONS IN MILAN AND ROME

VESPA 946 “RICORDO ITALIANO”

The Vespa 946 is one of the products selected for 2014; altogether, 10 products have been “showcased” in the Design for Mobility category. Beginning this year, the ADI is promoting special exhibitions to maximise visibility for the selected companies and products. At the end of October, an itinerant exhibition left Milan (where it had been held at the Spazio ex Ansaldo) for a showing in Rome in November seen by a large international public (at the “Ex Cartiera Latina” in Via Appia Antica). Luigi Coppola reports on the Milan and Rome exhibitions in these video clips.

• ADI Design Milano
• ADI Design Roma

A presentation of the ADI Design Index exhibition in the capital was held on 12 November at the Farnesina, the government building that houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation: the audience included members of the diplomatic corps (trade and cultural attachés), members of the international academies and cultural institutions located in Rome, and a large press turnout.

Design italiano: tecnica, estetica e innovazione INFO:
www.adi-design.org
www.adidesignindex.com

Eagerly awaited by Chinese consumers, the Vespa has officially landed in China. On 25 July, in the impressive setting of the Beijing 798 Art Zone (the capital’s arts and culture district), the launch event was attended by dealers, VIPs and the media, together with members of the Vespa Beijing Club and Vesparadoes. It was an “historic moment”, said the senior executives of Piaggio China and Asia Pacific 2 Wheeler, a milestone in the Piaggio Group’s business development on the Chinese market.

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On 26 July, the day after the launch, the first Vespa Store opened in Beijing, marking the start of Piaggio Group direct sales operations in China to gain a positioning in the premium segment of the republic’s two-wheeler market. In the spacious store, clients have the opportunity to take a close look at the Vespa range distributed in China – five models are currently available, LX 150, LXV 150, S 150, GTS 300 and the top-end Vespa 946 – and book test rides. A worldwide scooter icon, with its distinctive design and cutting-edge technology, a symbol of Italian style, the Vespa has always stood for freedom and elegance. It is no surprise that Chinese brand devotees are looking forward to experiencing the unique sensation of riding a Vespa, on the daily commute and in their leisure time. Innovative technology and a strong cosmopolitan personality, the expression of a unique lifestyle for nearly 70 years, the Vespa scooter has successfully come through changing times and fashions with numerous models and versions (150 since it made its debut in Italy in 1946), but has always stayed true to itself: now the Vespa is ready to charm Chinese consumers. As one of the few products in the world where use of the word “icon” is no exaggeration, the scooter has been welcomed with immense enthusiasm and passion.



The Vespa has won global recognition from the worlds of fashion, design and art, as well as the movies, starring in many box-office hits. In the fashion industry, famous names such as Bulgari, Vogue, D&G and many others have cooperated with Vespa on product placement projects in boutiques in world capitals and on customisation projects to create unique versions of the scooter.
Style and ease of use combined with riding comfort, the Vespa is manufactured following strict international quality and safety standards. Engineered entirely in Italy, the Vespa fuel injection engines are at the technological cutting edge, setting international standards for emissions and consumption. Each model and version is designed for specific requirements and “personalities”, and the scooters for the Chinese are among the best-selling models, with a wide range of colours. In Beijing too, there are endless reasons to choose a Vespa.

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EuroVespa: Simone Sciutteri Protagonist Simone Sciutteri (from Albisola Superiore, in the Italian province of Savona, Liguria) tells Moto.it how the idea for the trip came to him: “It was spring 2010: my poor old scooter, exhausted by the adolescent forays of my younger brother, leaves me stranded. I’m on foot and urgently need a two-wheeler to get to work. A friend offers me his Vespa PK 50 from 1986: ‘It’s a bit old, it needs a service, but it’s roadworthy,’ he tells me. ‘It’s yours for 150 euro, I don’t use it anymore.’ I had never ridden a two-wheeler with gears; in fact, I’ve never been a biker and I got my first scooter at 18, when I got my driving licence. But I liked the Vespa, and needed a scooter, so I accepted his offer immediately.” Add to this a passion for travel, dreams of a thousand itineraries: “So, last year I came up with Eurovespa… I started thinking seriously about the idea of travelling to all the EU countries and all the acceding countries and EU-approved candidates. No barriers, customs, visas. A way to discover Europe, without politics and bureaucracy. A slow trip, along B roads and through villages.”
An old-style journey, says Simone, in honour of the late great Vesparado Giorgio Bettinelli: “A solo trip, without GPS; using maps and asking passers-by for information. A tent and a sleeping bag to use whenever possible. To discover, understand, experience. From Italy to Turkey, through the Balkans and from there northward to Finland, Sweden and back down to Denmark. Then eastward to the British Isles and down to the Iberian peninsula and Portugal, and finally back to Italy, after thousands of kilometres and weeks on the road. That’s the plan, the theory, the route plotted on the map … More than 16,000 kilometres, and if I achieve my objective, I will have set a new Guinness record in the category Longest Journey on a 50cc.”

What equipment has Simone taken with him? “The bare minimum of luggage, plus maps, some spare parts, some exercise books to use as a Log Book for the Guinness Book of Records (plus a Spot GPS device, which will track my route without my being able to see it), a notebook for my updates to Moto.it, a camera of course, and an awareness that it will be a tiring and perhaps sometimes tricky journey. On the other hand, they call it an adventure don’t they?” Peyton is the name Simone has given to his Vespa, as he explains in Moto.it: “It’s for Peyton Manning, a US football champion; a few years ago, he had to have an operation on his neck, and everyone thought he was finished, his old team dumped him. But he returned and became the champion he had always been…dear old Vespa, everyone thought you were finished, yet here we are: ready for the road, and who knows, perhaps we too will manage to set a new record.” Have a good trip Simone, and good luck Peyton!

The EuroVespa trip report is published on:
www.moto.it/viaggi/eurovespa-50-il-racconto-tappa-per-tappa.html

And on the Eurovespa 2014 Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/eurovespa2014