Piaggio Beverley 350 Anything to look for?

[Bingo]

I am going to look at and test ride a BV350 on Tuesday. I have high hopes for this scooter as I love the look of it. Just hope its powerful enough.

I dont know much about the mechanical side of things at all really but is there anything specific I should look for or ask about? Its a 2014 model with 8600 miles on the clock. Described by the dealer as immaculate with two owners and three stamps in the service book. I do know from the MOT history its MOT expired in August 2018 so I guess its been off the road a while. I guess as long as its serviced it should be ok which I think the dealer will do.

Any advice appreciated.

[MrGrumpy]

Mine had several complex service recalls when I owned it: it might be interesting to find out if these were done - it'd give an indication of whether the servicing was up to date. I think they are prone to water leaks from the engine, though checking this on casual inspection isn't easy. Even the overflow bottle needs a screwdriver to open its cover! But check for any signs of water coming out after your ride.

[Bingo]

Thanks. Will check that. Is there any need to be concerned about it clearly not being used for some time if its not been tested since 2018?

[DTO]

Should have coolant changed every 2 years as there prone to rotting the core plug near exhaust manifold ( and head gasket ) I hated the seat with its hard bolster digging in to bottom of spine .
But they are very fast for a scooter and surprise most sports bike riders.

[blackmoon181]

I owned and ran a 2013 version for 4 years & 35k before getting rid of it. for the engine size, you'll struggle to get a quicker scooter. you'll have the euro 3 version in that year which means all the power! That engine was an new design back then. make no mistake its a quick bike, i regularly scared sleeping sportsbike riders in the technical twisties. its no t-max though, all that unsprung weight on the rear wheel.

I had problems with my head gasket which was repaired under warranty but the bike was never the same again... Given the age and mileage its likely to have been babied which is no bad thing.

Key issues with my experience to look out for.

- Double check if its been ran in winter and more importantly in salt. i ran mine all year and had a few electrical issues which most likely was a result of the corrosive stuff. the main connector to the voltage regulator is to the left of the radiator, in prime place for road spray.

- if memory serves me correct the belt interval is 10-12k. if not done work that into your running costs.
- presume the dealer has a good rep?
- i'd spin the rear wheel when up on the centre stand and make sure the belt is disengaged fully. its a oil immersed clutch which is uncommon for scooters. test ride should reveal if all working smoothly.
- if i recall its a little snatchy at low speeds, fuelling ??

Dip into the modernvespa forum. there is a strong BV community there. will give you a flavour from a mostly american perspective.

Cheers

[MrGrumpy]

I should have said, Yes, you WILL find its powerful enough!!!! They are mental!!! Try and go for a decent length ride though. I found mine gave me excrutiating shoulder ache after around 15 minutes. However, as always, these things are personal. The previous owner of mine had toured Spain on it, so he obviously had no comfort problems!!!

[blackmoon181]

yeah i toured mine into Scandinavia 2-up for 2 weeks. no camping mind!! had a blast. think the WOT on the autobahn through germany didn't help

[scootabout]

I'd recommend fitting the Givi larger screen, as the fly screen seemed to be noisy and do little (possibly contributing to MrGrumpy's shoulder ache?).

The faster you go, the better it seems, whereas trying to keep a constant 30mph seemed to take real effort. Decent tank range, loads of storage, but feels heavier than it should. Running costs were a little higher than I expected too. Handles quite well, but I wasn't keen on the feel of the Michelins.

[MrGrumpy]

No, the previous owner had managed to fit a Givi Airflow screen (not officially available), which was pretty effective. My problem was something to do with my arm position on the bike - it'd feel OK, then my shoulders would ache. I'd keep telling myself to relax my arms, which would help for a little while, until I returned to my normal position, when the ache got worse.

Handling - really hated the handling. I found it really difficult to ride, especially corner entry. I'd brake, then when you released the brake there'd be this weird out of control about to crash feeling (or lack of feeling), until you got the power back on, when it all felt OK. And I couldn't feel anything in the wet at all... I suspect that there was some sort of fault somewhere, but it was never diagnosed.

[Bingo]

Thanks folks. Never got any notifications so didnt realise there had been so many replies. Anyway, Ive bought it!

Dealer seems to have a good rep and they seemed like a professional outfit. Went down from Richmond to Leeds area this morning. Was there ages. Had a good long test ride for about 40 minutes and absolutely loved it. The Leo Vince exhaust was just the icing on the cake. Sounded great! The bike was owned by on older gentleman who had a collection of bikes that got too much for him so he traded this and a cruiser in for an electric bike apparently. I took a check list with me but I dont have a clue what I am looking for really but it was absolutely in immaculate mint condition and rode extremely well. After trying all sorts from a Silverwing to a Duke 390 and a Honda SH300 none of which I / we liked this ticked all the boxes for me. Felt comfy, the wife liked it and the short screen I found was ideal. I dont wear a full face helmet but with the visor down it was perfect, no wind under the helmet but not so good with my visor up.

All I wanted was something to propel me up and down the Dales here and maybe over for a day in the Lake district that had enough power to put a grin on my face and it seemed perfect. The grunt low down up to about 65 was just right.

Its getting delivered next week all being well.

Thanks again