GILERA FUOCO (2007 - on) Review

There are motorcyclists out there who will cheerfully denounce the Fuoco as a car with a wheel missing. Ok so the Fuoco does have three wheels but in every other way it is a bike; it leans, stoppies has handlebars and so on. More to the point it is fun, practical and safe. No, seriously it is. MCN originally tested the Fuoco through winter without any mishaps – you can’t get any safer by having two front wheels. Commuting or city riding is it’s forte but can cover distance and more. Check out MCN’s online video of the Fuoco for proof - click here.

Take a test ride and be amazed at what you can do with the Fuoco – that is after you get your head around the way you lean as normal through the bends although there are two wheels ahead of you! Those wheels are both braked to make emergency stops panic-free affairs. You’d have to be a complete muppet to crash a Fuoco – there’s enough grip from the front to lean as far as the exhaust and stand will allow. Cantilevered front suspension (independent tilting wheels) works on four aluminium arms supporting two steering tubes and keeps the front glued to the road. The rear end is equally as well damped. 

A simple twist and go CVT auto-transmission with extra twist in the form of a punchy 492.7cc four-stroke single. Not a cheap Chinese effort but a modern 4-valve, liquid-cooled emissions compliant unit. To be honest the steel tubular frame and running gear is a lot to pull and acceleration isn’t the best when faced with a hill. But from the lights it’ll leave cars standing and go on to sit at 70mph all day every day.     

Price and the fear of the unknown (we Brits aren’t as adventurous as our Euro counterparts who love a bit of three-wheel, large capacity action) mean sales of Fuoco haven’t been huge in the UK. So far no major problems have been reported. Bear in mind the engine is a proven unit and used in other Gilera machines so reliability is good.

Doubters will shout that £5900 for a scooter is a lot of money. Our answer is go check out Suzuki’s Burgman 650 Executive at £7799. When you way up the technology and engineering that are instilled in the Fuoco, the price isn’t so bad. And don’t forget it has an extra wheel for that price… Find a Gilera Fuoco for sale.

Styled to surprise, the twin-headlight front end looks every bit mad as a quad special. Underseat storage is huge, enough to get a six-place Chinese take-away in their let alone waterproofs and helmet. There are also fancy electronics which lock the bike upright when at standstill (if you want to) and releases when accelerating from standstill. Add to this quality tyres, brakes and suspension and you have a superb package. Compare and buy parts for the Fuoco in the MCN Shop.