Piaggio Typhoon 125 (2011-current): Familiar design, totally revised
The scooter under test had just clocked 2184 Km. An improvement to the performance described should be expected.
Engine: The air-cooled single cylinder four-stroke engine carburettor-fed of 124 c.c. complies to Euro III emission specifications. The performance of the scooter due to the engine power output is rather …mild. Maximum power 9.6 bhp/8500 rpm and 8.2 Nm/7500 rpm torque, nominal values.
The scooter reaches the speed of 20 km / h instantly, its fast up to 40 km / h, good at 60 km / h, OK at 80 km / h and after some time it will reach the top speed of 95 km / h.
On downhill roads, top speed may reach the 120 km / h figure, while on slight uphill roads it will be decreased to 90 km / h. These speed figures are indications of the speedometer, while maximum rated speed is 94 Km/h.
When the throttle is turned off, engine is not disengaged, until speed is decreased to almost that of a walking man. Thus turning off the throttle results to serious deceleration of the scooter. When the engine is at idle, a slight vibration is noticed at the scooter.
Riding position: The seat height is relatively low. The width of the saddle is increased to the rear. As a result of the above, even short riders will step both firm feet on the ground.
The dimensions of the scooter are small. The weight of the Typhoon is little, 117 nominal Kg empty. Centre of gravity feels low. Rider is placed in and on the scooter, riding position is neutral.
Tyres are Vee Rubbers, dimensions for the front are 120-80/12 and 130-80-12 for the rear.
On the road: The firmness of the fork is moderate, a touch to the soft side. The single shock absorber is relatively soft.
On town rides the minimal external dimensions and the low weight of the scooter will be very helpful. It is a very agile and quite robust scooter. Urban street imperfections will be noticed by the rider.
Filtering is easy due to the compact dimensions of the scooter. However it should be noted that the height of the handlebar is the same with that of car mirrors, while the height of the scooter¢s mirrors is the same with that of SUV mirrors.
Steering lock is very good, helping traffic manoeuvring a lot.
On B-roads the scooter is very agile, stable and predictable. Feedback to the rider is relatively good while cornering confidence is pretty good.
Road imperfections are noticed as well as any stones on the tarmac during the bend, due to the small wheels.
At the fast pace feedback to the rider is diminished, rider will decrease riding speed. Close to the top speed, road surface imperfections will cause the handle bar to oscillate slightly back and forth.
On dirt roads the Typhoon is generally a comfortable scooter. On uphill soil roads, the rebound of the fork is stretched to the maximum, resulting in a light ram of the front end. This can be noticed on flat dirt roads as well.
At the end of the day, dirt road riding is inferior to the expected, solely because of the operation of the fork.
Braking is pretty good on asphalt roads.
Ïn high friction tarmac streets, braking is impressive.
On average friction factor streets, the wheels may be locked relatively easy, the rear wheel even at considerable speed.
The front disc brake featuring a twin piston calliper is relatively powerful, providing relatively good feedback. The rear drum brake is powerful providing average-soft feel.
On dirt roads brakes are more powerful than necessary.
Comments: The typhoon is an introductory - youthful bike to the two wheels experience. This is accomplished with a great style and low tag price.
The storage space under the seat will just accommodate a normal full face helmet. The feet floor is flat.
The design of the scooter is dynamic. Angles and edges compensate against the fleshy primary design which today is pointed out by the fat wheels and the curves of the muffler. Design is also youthful especially in some color schemes like the one at the bike tested. Some interesting design details include the headlamp and pillion handgrips.
The fork is the only part which degrades the generally good quality of the scooter. This has an impact only on dirt road riding. However due to the nature of the scooter this riding aspect should be also explored.
Concerning design and handling this totally new Typhoon version makes it a desirable scooter, despite the 18 year old career at the scooters field.
Price: 1.750 ¤
+ Price
+ User friendly
- Dirt road riding
More, specifications (U.K.)