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.

2021 Piaggio MP3 400 hpe Design

Piaggio borrowed from the automobile world with a car-like grille on the MP3 400 hpe that leads the way with the blue-and-white brand badge. The way it fits with the look of the forward bodywork below recessed headlights that, honestly, does look like the front end of a car that someone left in the dryer a little too long. It really is a nice look.

LED projectors make up the headlights that sport DRLs for improved daytime safety, but it's too bad the LED front turn signals aren't as smoothly integrated instead of the standoff-style blinkers, but perhaps the factory was forced to do so in order to meet the separation requirements. There's always the mirrors guys, just sayin'.

A tall windshield punches a hole in the weather for the rider's comfort, and since it is well vented, the wearisome head-buffet effect is largely mitigated. Down low, the screen widens out to provide some protection for your hamburger shovels, not quite as well as proper handguards, but better than nothing to be sure and part of the comfort package. The instrumentation is a bit of a letdown with its dated LCD technology, but it does come with a Bluetooth connection that pulls your phone into the network through Piaggio's MIA app.

The step-through is fairly open though it isn't dead flat. A short tunnel makes for a short step-over ahead of the large under-seat storage compartment. Capable of holding two full-face helmets or a computer bag, the flip-up seat covers it and comes stock with remote opening as part of the Bike Finder feature package. The pilot's seat rides at 31.1 inches off the deck, fairly average for the genre, but the pillion pad comes full width with a short butt-stop to keep you from driving out from under your riding partner.

An LED taillight and turn signals finish the rearward lighting over the rear mudguard that doubles as a tag mount. All-in-all, I find this to be a very mature design that is definitely targeting the young urban professionals and perhaps even college students looking for affordable fun transportation.

2021 Piaggio MP3 400 hpe Chassis

High-strength tubular-steel members make up the the double-cradle underbones, and naturally, the MP3 relies on the standard drivetrain arrangement with engine and transmission as stressed members that make up the swing-mount unit to finish the structure. Dual coil-over shocks float the rear end with a quartet of preload settings that'll let you dial in for changing passenger and cargo loads on four inches of travel, but the real magic is at the other end.

An articulated quadrilateral arrangement up front delivers the lean that sets this machine apart from run-of-the-mill, standard non-leaning trikes. The genius of the two-wheel front end delivers double the usual contact surface for greater safety and comfort on irregular surfaces. It's just this detail that makes the MP3 so popular in Paris and other old European cities where it isn't out of the ordinary to find yourself on ancient brick or cobblestone roads.

The front forks come with 3.34 inches of travel, and while it runs sans adjustability, it does have an electronic-hydraulic lockout the keeps the MP3 from sagging to one side or another when parked. A pair of 13-inch hoops lead the way ahead of a 14-inch rear tire with dual, 258 mm discs up front, a 240 mm disc out back and stock ABS protection all around.

2021 Piaggio MP3 400 hpe Drivetrain

Power for the MP3 400 hpe comes from a newly-retuned, four-stroke thumper to the tune of 35.4 horsepower at 7,000 rpm backed up by 27.8 pound-feet of torque that comes on fully at 5,500 rpm with a top speed around 88 mph so it's fully capable of interstate travel with plenty of top end over the 70 mph speed limit.

An 84 mm bore and 72 mm stroke gives it a 399 cc displacement. Induction is managed by an injection CPU that operates with feedback from the Lambda probe in the exhaust to help meet the spanky new EU-5 emissions rating. It comes stock with an electronic immobilizer that acts as a dead-man's switch to kill the fuel pump, hence the engine, if you manage to somehow lay the thing down.

The top end is kept simple with a single over-head cam timimg the quartet of poppet valves that really open up the combustion chamber for effective exhaust-gas scavenging and a high volumetric efficiency. Perhaps the most interesting feature in the drivetrain is Piaggio's Acceleration Slip Regulator (ASR), a fancy name for traction control. Needless to say this puts the MP3 in rare company indeed as we don't often see such technology on scooters, or even small motorcycles for that matter, but this does play into the reputation for safety and stability the MP3 has established for itself.

This engine also comes equipped with a pair of fan blades that are part of the Positive Crankcase Ventilation system that helps to mitigate pumping losses to does}. Power flows from the engine to the CVT gearbox via a proper wet clutch pack that delivers smoother engagement and transitions a proper wet clutch pack that delivers smoother engagement and transitions}}. It also sports a new high-pressure injector for effective fuel atomization, and runs with less-viscous engine oil to wrap up the performance tweaks for this year.

2021 Piaggio MP3 400 hpe Price

This is a lot of scooter to be sure, and as such, it fetches a premium price. The MP3 400 hpe rolls for $10,994 in a choice between two colors with Nero Lucido (black) and Grigio Materia (gray) on the palette. The “Sport” variant adds its own hues to the mix with Nero Meteora (black), Bianco Luna (white), Argento Cometa (silver), and Blu Zaffiro (blue) up for grabs for $11,238 MSRP.

2021 Piaggio MP3 400 hpe Competitors

Leany Delta-trike scooters are still a rare thing under the sun, even as they gain popularity with the metro-commute crowd, but the Piaggio MP3 is not unique, enter the Tricity 300 from Yamaha.

Yamaha Tricity

The Tuning Fork Company floats their model on a quartet of hydraulic forks much like its full-size Delta-trike sportbike the Niken (literally 'two swords') rather than the quadrilateral scissors that makes the MP3 work. Yamaha hits many of the same tech points with ABS and traction control as part of the standard equipment package to break even in rider safety, plus it rocks a Standing Assist feature to keep the thing from sagging in the parking lot or falling over on you at a light, same as the suspension blocking mechanism on the MP3.

The wheels are a skosh bigger up front with 14-inchers all around, and the front end is wider for the rider protection it affords. Unfortunately for Yamaha, a 292 cc lump is the biggest engine Yammy has to offer in its Tricity, and that brings with it a concurrent drop in performance with 27.6 horsepower and 21.3 pound-feet of torque against 35.4/27.8, respectively. In spite of that displacement difference, the Tricity still claims a top speed around 85 mph, so its just as capable on the interstate. The difference will be felt in the acceleration where the Piaggio's snappier punch will get you going a bit quicker, to be sure. Yamaha gets some back at the checkout with its $7,399 starting MSRP.

He Said

“Just wow. I'm typically not very impressed by scooters in general, but in this case, it's apparent that not all scooters are created equal. The safety of a trike with the same sensation of flight that makes two-wheelers so much fun plus ABS and traction control features ABS and traction control features}} that put this model on the top shelf. If there's a downside, it's the price. Piaggio typically doesn't use the sticker as a selling point, and it shows. However, when you buy a Piaggio, you're paying for the name as much as the machine, not entirely unlike Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle in the U.S. market.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “All things considered, I like the leany-trike scooters, but if you're a scooter person looking at one of these, there are differences to consider. Yes, you have the convenience of the CVT twist-and-go capabilities, but you lose the city maneuverability of a scooter. Filtering traffic isn't going to be as easy because of the size. You are basically stepping up to a motorcycle in size, but you have the stability of two front wheels. Fuel economy is attractive if you are moving down from a motorcycle or a car, but in the scooter world, the fuel economy on the MP3 400 hpe isn't going to impress you all that much. Still, it is a blast to ride, let's not ignore that.”

2021 Piaggio MP3 400 hpe Specifications

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