Liberty
Italian scooter Company Piaggio has introduced two new models in Milan 2015 – a new version of its best selling Liberty plus a completely new big wheel scoot, the Medley.
The Liberty, which is one of Piaggio’s biggest sellers with a Huge 900,000 sold over the last 18 years, has its third total revamp: updated styling, it’s slightly larger all-round with a bigger now 16-inch front wheel,theres loads more storage space, a new style clock and an all-new four-stroke, 125cc ‘iGet’ engine.
PIAGGIO MEDLEY
Piaggio Medley is the new easy scooter, fully loaded and technologically advanced, that combines the benefits of a lightweight high hell wheel with the comfort and and features of a superior class scooter.
Piaggio Medley is powered by the new IGET 125 and 150 cc engines, electronically fuel injected, liquid cooled and with 4 valve timing. A new family of single cylinder engines that raises the bar in terms of quality and reliability and emissions containment.
Start and stop ABS, Light Guide technology, record cargo capacity. Piaggio Medly was born to be a leader, embodying the values of quality, style and technology
The agility of a metropolitan vehicle combined with the dynamic character of a high wheel and the convenience and cargo capacity of a large GT scooter GT resulted in the Medley, the new Piaggio that combines ultra-modern values of rationality, technology and style. Medley blends practicality, technical innovation and beauty in the purest Italian style, fully comprehending the continuously evolving needs of a public in search of mobility solutions that go beyond the usual scooter formula. With Medley nothing is sacrificed.
Piaggio Medley skilfully combines the benefits of a chassis characterised by large diameter wheels, which guarantee superior rideability and road holding compared with smaller wheeled scooters, and the rationality of a classic scooter, its protection, its cargo capacity, the comfort of its large saddle when riding two-up.
The high wheel scooter has been very successful, divided up into lightweight and manoeuvrable vehicles characterised by an easy ride and economic operating costs, and more important vehicles with qualities such as sturdiness and performance. Piaggio, the European leader among major global scooter manufacturers, a company with a unique heritage as the creator of new forms of light mobility, has been a protagonist in the high wheel segment with both easy and lightweight scooters such as the Liberty, as well as with scooters that have spectacular performance and exclusive technical features such as the Beverly range.
Medley achieves the goal of creating a new class of Piaggio high wheel scooter that combines the benefits of an agile and lightweight scooter with those of a larger and higher performance high wheel.
Coming standard with the “Start & Stop” feature which, by managing engine switch-off and start-up during stops, contributes to containing fuel consumption and emissions as well as two-channel ABS, Piaggio Medley therefore boasts an equipment package that is normally reserved for superior class scooters.
Two 4-stroke engines are available – 125 and 150 cc – both liquid cooled with 4 valve timing and electronic fuel injection. These are engines designed and developed by Piaggio which boasts a scooter engine research and development centre, one of the most advanced in the world.
Frame and chassis: sturdy, easy to ride and lightweight
The bearing structure of the Piaggio Medley is based on a new “low cradle” type frame made of steel tubing reinforced with pressed steel that contributes to its overall sturdiness.
The front end is characterised by a fork with 33 mm stanchions in diameter, whereas a pair of double acting shock absorbers and coil springs with preload adjustable to 5 positions work at the rear axle. Thanks to this configuration, to the large wheel rims (16” on the front and 14” on the rear) made of aluminium alloy with an elegant six split spoke design and the tyres (100/80 front and 110/80 rear), Piaggio Medley guarantees riding comfort, road holding and stability worthy of higher class vehicles, while the contained weight, 138 kg kerb weight, allows the rider to maintain all the agility and manoeuvrability that are the strong points of lightweight scooters.
The powerful braking system handles active safety – made up of two 260 and 240 mm disc units with double piston floating callipers – with ABS as standard equipment. Each wheel has a sensor and a tone wheel to detect revolutions which instantly reads the speed and deceleration of the wheel with respect to that of the vehicle. The sensors dialogue with a 2-channel hydraulic control unit which activates the ABS system if one of the two wheels decelerates abruptly with respect to the vehicle, avoiding locking and ensuring stability and efficient braking even on road surfaces with a low friction coefficient.
Practical, dynamic, lightweight and stylish
As occurs in the automotive field, in the two wheel sector the combination of different vehicle architectures also leads to the birth of new lightweight mobility formulas.
Inspired by the important, modern and elegant lines of the bigger sibling Beverly, the new Piaggio Medley introduces concepts of light weight and dynamism that are ideal for city use of the vehicle.
The 16” front wheel gives the vehicle stability, safety and comfort, vertically streamlining the entire front end. The wheel rims are aluminium and boast an elegant six split spoke design. The front shield has a spacious glove compartment that can be easily accessed from the rider’s seating position. The front view stands out from the classic high wheel scooter look. The surfaces are more extended, all to the advantage of aerodynamic protection and therefore riding comfort, although Medley maintains a clear lightweight look which, combined with the most classic Piaggio style re-interpreted in a modern key, gives the vehicle a unique and distinctive personality.
The metallic vertical element (the “tie”) stands out in the centre of the front shield, thereby accentuating a certain family feeling with recent Piaggio production. Also, the innovative daylight running lights – which include light guides that are illuminated by fine white LEDs – and the main headlight that are adopted become true somatic distinctive traits.
The handlebar, shaped to guarantee protection of the rider, houses a refined instrument cluster with a chromium frame. The digital display makes all the necessary information available, while the complete arrangement of warning lights keeps tabs on all the functions, starting with the “Start & Stop” feature and then moving along with the classic “injection check”, oil pressure, ABS and Immobilizer activation indicators.
The saddle, large and comfortable even on the passenger section, has an electric opening latch controlled from a button on the handlebar as well as the traditional mechanical latch located in the leg shield back plate glove compartment. The style of the glove compartment is coordinated with the rear part of the handlebar and the saddle, recreating an area similar to a car dashboard. Along the entire body of the Medley the alternating concave and convex surfaces, guided by decisive and arched lines, gives the vehicle a dynamic, but compact look. A rear light cluster with daylight running lights achieved with light guides illuminated by red LEDs brings the shape of the vehicle to an original end. In night riding conditions also, as with the front daylight running lights, the guided light in classic Piaggio style makes the vehicle unique and recognisable. The rear end, particularly sleek, maintains contained dimensions despite the large helmet compartment with an amazing 36.2 litres of space, enough to hold a flip up helmet and a full jet, truly exceptional for a high wheel. This result is obtained thanks to the well designed shape of the tail and the repositioning of the fuel tank at the centre of the footboard. It is a solution that increased cargo capacity in the helmet compartment, providing further benefits such as the possibility of refuelling without dismounting and better rideability on the road because of the improved weight distribution, now more centralised.
Engines: the new Piaggio iGet generation
Piaggio Group motoring technology has always aimed to create increasingly more advanced powerplants in terms of low fuel consumption and emissions (including noise), as well as increasing service intervals. Armed with the most important engine and scooter research and development centre in Europe, and one of the best in the world, Piaggio has developed unique technologies and skills in house that contribute to the construction of engines today which are in line with the strictest standards in the world.
On Piaggio Medley a new family of engines called iGet make their first appearance, introduced here in the 125 and 150 cc engine capacities and in the more refined version equipped with the “Start & Stop” system, electronic fuel injection, four valve timing and liquid cooling. These are engines at the top of their respective categories in terms of performance and environmental friendliness, approved in compliance with the Euro 4 standard.
The new Piaggio iGet powerplants are the result of a design philosophy that sets new and more advanced quality and reliability levels as its primary objectives. Every aspect of the design was aimed at optimising the efficiency of each individual part in order to contribute to maximising performance. In the initial testing phases alone more than one million kilometres were logged in the intense search for reliability. Each and every one of the new engines’ components, from the exhaust to the internal design of the gearbox cover, all the way to the new air filter, has been designed to make the ride smoother, quieter and more comfortable, and to increase the life of the engine.
A large portion of the Piaggio technical work had to do with the maniacal attention to reducing friction through the introduction of bearings on every rotating part, in the timing and in the crank gear geometry, with the cylinder axis shifted to minimise losses due to friction on the piston. The mechanical noise of the new iGet engines is also extremely low thanks to a reduction in play and an optimisation of the materials and shapes.
There are many completely new engine parts on the Medley:
– thermodynamics (head, cylinder, piston, rocker timing with rollers); also, all of the parts in motion have been optimised to reduce weight and operating friction.
– the crankshaft, for a clear reduction in vibrations;
– starter: no longer the classic gear drive starter motor, but now an electric “direct mount” type “brushless” motor on the crankshaft. The result is the total absence of friction in order to obtain a quiet, durable and reliable starter.
– cooling system, with radiator built into the engine: this reduced the overall weight of the vehicle and the warm-up times (thermal management), with clear benefits in terms of consumption and emissions.
– the gearbox cover, to reduce the noise even more.
– the latest generation double toothed belt to minimise passive losses, once again all to the advantage of consumption and emissions.
– the gearbox setting that improves rideability, performance and consumption.
– the air filter, which improves filtering action to reduce intake noise.
– new built-in engine electronic control unit with the S&S management part (Alternator, S&S Inverter, RISS), entirely developed by Piaggio.
The eighth-litre version is credited with power of 9 kW at 8,250 rpm, whereas the quick 150 cc puts out 11 kW at 7,750 rpm. These are numbers that translate into quick engines on the road, specifically designed and built bearing in mind the needs of the rider for daily use in city and metropolitan environments. These are riding conditions characterised by frequent starts and stops which require elasticity, quick acceleration and a smooth ride. These characteristics are ensured by excellent torque (11.5 Nm at 6,500 rpm for the 125 cc and 14.4 Nm at 6,400 rpm for the 150 cc) which provide Medley with excellent acceleration both from a stop and in motion, partially to the credit of the truly low overall weight.
Overall fuel consumption benefits from the optimisation of each and every component: mileage on the WMTC cycle reaches 47.5 km/l for the Medley 125 cc and 45.9 km/l for the 150 cc.
ACCESSORIES
The line of accessories for Piaggio Medley is born under the sign of technology at the service of functionality. It is a complete line of accessories designed for the Piaggio Medley which increase comfort and potential uses.
The lines, materials and refinement of the windshield give the new Piaggio scooter the best possible protection against the weather, also accentuating the elegance of its shape. The smaller top fairing highlights the spirit and sporty character of the Medley.
Great attention was given to cargo capacity. To match the spacious helmet compartment, Piaggio offers the classic 30 litre top box and the brand new 37 litre top box that further extends the maximum cargo capacity. Both of the top boxes are naturally available colour coded to match the vehicle.
Ideal for those who take rather long and frequent trips, the comfort saddle supports your weight softly and stably, especially in combination with the anti-slip mat.
The dedicated leg cover is the ideal completion for those who ride year round. On the other hand, for those who do not use the scooter in the winter, a waterproof vehicle cover is available, dedicated and personalised with the logo, which has specific openings for the windshield and the optional top box.
The line of accessories does not neglect the theme of vehicle security: the mechanical saddle-handlebar anti-theft system available for Medley is convenient and simple to use. The innovative electronic anti-theft system, which is self powered and characterised by the lowest power absorption on the market, adds the immobilizer deterrent and a powerful siren to combat any attempt at tampering.
On Medley you can have several technologically advanced systems installed simultaneously such as the bike finder (to quickly locate your vehicle in a crowded area send commands from the saddle opening remote control), the Piaggio Multimedia Platform (which provides all of your trip and vehicle operating status information by communicating with your smartphone, as well as providing a convenient geolocalisation system that helps you find the scooter in the most chaotic areas of the city) and the Piaggio Sound System (sound system that plays back information, trip directions and music by using the vehicle body as a speaker). No other vehicle currently on the market can be equipped with the same technological features guaranteed by the Piaggio Accessories range.
Piaggio Medley 125 / 150 – Technical Specifications |
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Motor |
Single cylinder, 4-stroke Piaggio iGet with “Start & Stop” system |
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Displacement |
124.5 cc |
154.8 cc |
Bore x stroke |
52 mm / 58.6 mm |
58 mm / 58.6 mm |
Max power |
9 kW / 8250 rpm |
11 kW / 7750 rpm |
MAX Torque |
11.5 Nm / 6500 rpm |
14.4 Nm/ 6500rpm |
Distribution |
Single overhead camshaft (SOHC) – 4 valves |
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Cooling system |
Liquid |
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Fuel system |
Electronic injection |
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Lubrication |
Wet sump |
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Starting |
Electrical |
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Change |
Automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) with torque server |
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Clutch |
Automatic centrifugal dry clutch |
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Frame |
Single cradle structure in tubular steel with pressed reinforcements |
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Front suspension |
Telescopic hydraulic fork, 88 mm stroke |
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Rear suspension |
Hydraulic dual action shock absorber, 5-position spring preload adjustment, 76 mm stroke |
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Braking system |
Two-channel ABS |
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Front Brake |
Ø 260mm brake disc served by Ø 25.4 mm dual piston floating calliper |
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Rear Brake |
Ø 240mm brake disc served by Ø 22 mm dual piston floating calliper |
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Front tyre |
Tubeless 100/80-16” |
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Rear tyre | ||
Saddle height |
787 mm |
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Step |
1396 mm |
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Fuel tank capacity |
7 litres (including 1.5 litre reserve) |
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Emissions compliance |
4 Euro |