( click any green text for pictures and diagrams )

Here are my first impressions of the new MP3 400. The decision to buy this machine was based almost entirely on the unique engineering design of the front end. I find it astonishing that this hasn’t received more plaudits in press coverage. I suppose it just shows that journalists have very little appreciation of engineering.

It has long been recognized that the main handling weakness of a motorcycle is the compromise of the standard telescopic front fork. Combining steering, suspension and braking forces through a bicycle-type steering head means that suspension is non-existent when braking hard and steering head bearings always suffer from hammering in one position. Not to mention the difficulty of achieving the transfer of load through to the frame without undue flexing. Finally in the case of the scooter the front:rear weight distribution is usually very poor because of the large unsprung mass of engine and transmission.

Since the engine and entire rear end are standard X8 components lets concentrate for now on the unique front end design. Captured from a CAD prototype layout, this diagram of front end components is clearer than I can make a single photograph. Compare this to the diagram at the claimed maximum lean angle which gives some insight into the mechanism.

There is very little in common with a standard motorcycle or scooter telescopic fork. Firstly the load on the front wheel is not transferred to the frame via the steering head. The MP3 center steering stem exists only to support the handlebars and accordingly has only lightweight bearings through which a handlebar stem links to a track control arm responsible for turning the wheels. Suspension and braking loads are transferred to the frame by two pin joints which mount the upper and lower alloy beams which form the watts link. When this system is used in double-wishbone car suspension its function is to provide that the wheel always stays perpendicular to the ground as the suspension moves. But in this case the links have the opposite role. They articulate to provide the banking angle which is the key to a motorcycle's cornering potential, and they ensure that each front wheel stays parallel to the rear wheel at all times. Note that, apart from accommodating road camber, these transverse beams play no role in the suspension as such.

Moving on to the steering mechanism each wheel has a steering stem at the end of the transverse beams. This is somewhat similar to a kingpin arrangement which used to be found on cars before the adoption of front wheel drive. A track control arm links the wheels to set the amount of toe-in and at its centre connects via a ball joint and drop link to the handlebar stem. The wheels each have independent suspension provided by a leading link with a telescopic spring-shock absorber. See this photo.

In normal use the vehicle is no more stable when stationary than an ordinary scooter but the designers have taken advantage of the double front wheels to build in a clever parking system so that it is unnecessary to use a stand. When activated by a switch on the handlebars a hydraulic system is pressurised via a modified windscreen wiper motor attached to a master cylinder. Firstly this applies a brake to the transverse beams locking them in their current position. However this alone would not be stable because of the independent leading link suspension. So in addition the telescopic struts are locked by applying a mechanical clamp to a rod which is mounted parallel to each shock absorber. Presumably this was cheaper than having specially modified units with this capability built in. This means that the MP3 can be stabilized in a suitable position even on a severely cambered road or steep hill. Finally a hand brake locks the rear wheel and once the steering is locked the handbrake cannot be released.

Problem Areas (Well nothings ever perfect!)

One dark night I hit a large stone, or maybe it was a half brick. It made a hell of a bang and when I checked the MP3 I was surprised to find a large hole in the undershield. When I removed it it was obvious that it hadn't been fitted correctly. The front mount obviously didn't line up so instead of re-aligning the bracket some moron had created a new hole then fitted the screw without its usual sleeve. When tightened up this had cracked the plastic. The picture shows the original hole still with metal sleeve in place and the crack coming from the hole that was forced through.

I found the standard screen gave too little protection from road spray. I don't mind this on a motorcycle but a scooter has to provide enough protection for every day clothing so I have fitted a Fabbri screen and trimmed 40mm off the top. I ordered the screen from an Italian company called Carpimoto ( .com ), and I was very satisfied with their on-line service. Even with a significant charge for P&P it was still good value at around £73 all in.

I have also replaced all the capless bulbs with 5-element LED ones. To get them through the front reflectors I had to do a small amount of filing but nothing drastic. Apart from increased brightness the main reason for this is to reduce battery drain. Even at 5 watts 5 bulbs take more than 2 amps and as I do quite frequent short journeys this helps a bit. It would be nice to think that these bulbs will be less prone to failure but this is not my experience with earlier LEDs.

I have also re-routed the engine breather so that it doesn't go into the air filter housing but is taken through a large bore pipe to the rear of the vehicle. Recirculating breathers are a pet hate of mine and I am now free to try out some air-filter modifications if I choose to.

I have read that it is no different in feel to a normal 2 wheeler but I beg to differ. Above about 50 m.p.h. its true that cornering is normal but at lower speeds some slightly odd things happen. At walking pace or below I would say there is a bit more stability but there is also quite a lot of resistance from the steering. You definitely have to make positive inputs. No huge force is required but it is more than normal. Once confidence is gained you could probably balance feet up while stationary but this wouldn't be effortless. At speeds between about 10 and 30 m.ph. I was initially missing apexes and running wide on exits. I found that you have to throw the machine down with some commitment and if the throttle is opened don't expect any oversteer, the MP3 just runs wider as the front end pushes out. The general impression is that you need to lean more for a given cornering speed.

Notwithstanding the above the general level of grip available more than makes up for the unusual feel of the handling. On bad surfaces you have far more control and you can brake or change line at any time. We all know the feeling of finding the road edge dropping away on a right hander with an adverse camber, or suddenly hitting some gravel or leaves. In those situations the MP3 has no equal. I wouldn't dream of taking an ordinary 250Kg bike along a wet chalky and rutted unmade road on ordinary tyres but just as an experiment I have tried the MP3 and it copes brilliantly.

So far I have only needed to make one emergency stop. A dozy pedestrian wandered across my path and I slammed the brakes on stopping far quicker than I needed to with no drama. I have got some sintered front pads ready to fit because I would like to reduce the lever effort but this is really to improve the control finesse. The braking power is very adequate.

I must confess that I thought about removing all that tilt locking gubbins to save some weight. But I have found it so convenient that I don't think I could do without it. Rolling the bike into the garage or a parking space is just so convenient. Stop to post a letter - just hop straight off. Ride up on to a verge and get out the binoculars - no fuss. You don't need level ground and you don't have to worrry about the stand sinking in.

In my opinion a genuine step forward in scooter engineering. Only time will tell if the innovative engineering design is matched by quality and longevity.