Piaggio Bev 350

[gn2]

If there was widescale problems with the Bev, we would have heard about it, and how, on the discussion boards.

Errr... http://www.maxi-muppets.co.uk/forum/vie ... =5&t=13097" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[abitmad]

If there was widescale problems with the Bev, we would have heard about it, and how, on the discussion boards.

Errr... http://www.maxi-muppets.co.uk/forum/vie ... =5&t=13097" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Err, first of all there was no fault or problem with the bike giving trouble, he was just querying the cost and exactly what needed replacing at the service intervals after large mileages. Secondly it seems the OP got the service cost reduced in the end. Thirdly, the service intervals on the Bev are in any case far more infrequent than many other mid range scooters.

Your objection to this bike seems emotional and not based on any objective grounds. I repeat, my favourable opinion is not just my personal view as an owner, there are no common reported problems with this bike. Given the nature of online message boards it is certain that if there were common faults we would be hearing about it. That's how message boards work, you know that. People write up problems far more than if there are none. Perfectly good machines can give the impression sometimes of being rubbish because a few owners mention things, or have poor dealers, whilst the far greater number of satisfied owners say nothing.

One can argue about looks and features like storage, performance, handling etc. but this is quite obviously not a bike with any common unreliability problems. Steve D's experience was therefore wholly unrepresentative of this model and down to a lousy dealer. That clearly could have happened with any bike and tells us nothing about it.

If you don't like the Bev for emotional reasons, that's fine, most of us have those sorts of feelings about various bikes, but I think it is wrong to try and rationalise an emotional irrational feeling into an objective one by desperately trying to find something actually wrong with it on a wide scale when there is no such fault.

[anonstarter]

Good spot gn2! A 2010 SYM CITYCOM 300 with 1800miles for £1,350!!!

Save yourself a pile of cash: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/bikes ... GN-7591752" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And a pile of grief and anxiety! HOWEVER if you can't undo two bolts and replace 1.2 litres of oil every 3000km - which it will remind you to do - then it's not for you.

[gn2]

I don't object to the Bev at all, I think that Piaggio are to be congratulated for bringing the benefits of modern electronic traction control into the scooter ecosystem.
Long term we are yet to see if any reliability issues arise with the 350ST, daresay it will be similarly reliable as any other Piaggio scooter and they never have electrical or manufacturing quality control problems.

And I would point out that we're still waiting for a definitive response from Piaggio over the brake maintenance issue.

[abitmad]

I don't object to the Bev at all, I think that Piaggio are to be congratulated for bringing the benefits of modern electronic traction control into the scooter ecosystem.
Long term we are yet to see if any reliability issues arise with the 350ST, daresay it will be similarly reliable as any other Piaggio scooter and they never have electrical or manufacturing quality control problems.

And I would point out that we're still waiting for a definitive response from Piaggio over the brake maintenance issue.

It's a non-issue. If you look at the other thread, he was talking about whether those brake components needing replacing after 15,000km, which is about 10,000m. Even if you need all that doing, it's after a pretty high mileage for most riders I'd guess and from a total service cost angle, assuming one uses a dealer for servicing, would need to be weighed against the much longer service intervals on the Bev.

And also the sarcastic comments about Piaggio are probably based on the past and no longer true. Things change. I've owned many bikes including Italians like Ducati and Guzzi which is owned by Piaggio. You still here that old stuff from some bikers living in the past about poor Italian electrics etc. Even if it may once have been true it hasn't been for a long time now. These old beliefs die hard. Another one I've heard is from some riders who knock modern Triumph by claiming that Brit bikes leak oil. Wholly out of date because they don't, even if they did in the old days.

Essential to all this is a good dealer and they are not always easy to find. Not being much of a spannerhead, I always try to ensure that I've found a good dealer by checking out their reputation with other riders. I'd rather buy the same new bike from a dealer much further away than a nearer one if the former had a much better reputation.

[gn2]

Vespa GTS fuel pump...?
Wasn't all that long ago.
10,000 miles is just a bit more than a year's use for me.
I wouldn't want to have to shell out for "brake pumps" after such a short time.
When you say it's a non-issue, I think you have gone into ostrich mode.

[Data]

Given that the Bev350 only needs a major service every 12500 miles it's a fairly easy ride from what I hear and from what I've read. Again, it's an incredibly simple bike to service and whether the pumps need replacing or not at that mileage is no big deal I wouldn't have thought. The only guy I know who has one has only just cover 5k miles in the last 6 months, but he hasn't had any bother at all from it and seems pleased with it. The Vespa fuel pump issue was a manufacturing fault, sorted easily enough, and not something intrinsically wrong with the bike. All manufacturers get something from time to time. Suzuki had the rectifier problem a couple of years ago, Honda have had all sorts too. Just life!

[gn2]

the Bev350 only needs a major service every 12500 miles

Drive belt replacement is at 20,000km intervals, the service interval is 10,000km but the brake pump replacement is out of sync at 15,000km.
Good news: the first valve clearance check is at 40,000km
Bad news: shims
To follow the service schedule properly it needs to go to the dealers at 1,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 30,000. 40,000, 45,000, 50,000 etc.

Source: Page 44

[Dave Weller]

What's a brake pump? If it's what I know as a master cylinder, usually it's a fluid change every 2 years, some manufacturers may advise new seals if they are being very cautious.

[StephenC]

What's a brake pump? If it's what I know as a master cylinder, usually it's a fluid change every 2 years, some manufacturers may advise new seals if they are being very cautious.

That was the main question on the other thread. Oddly, the X10-350 service schedule has no mention of this anyway.

Personally, I think it's a "lost-in-translation" situation.