PIAGGIO MP3 125 YOURBAN (2011 - on) Review

The Yourban 125 is certainly not cheap, but you can't put a price on confidenc, which is exactly what the extra front wheel gives. The 300cc version is less than £1000 more expensive, has more power and can be ridden on a car licence.

The heavy front end doesn't give much feedback, but you know it will grip, and it does. The extra contact patch means more stability over pot holes and in poor conditions. You can lock the front suspension when coming to a stop, so you don't need to put your feet down or use the stand when you park it up, which takes a while to get used to and to trust fully!

The four-valve, 124cc engine is a well proven engine which works well in other Piaggio group scooters, but the added weight of an extra front wheel means it struggles to pull this particular model along at a decent pace. Even getting up to 30mph, there is a noticable difference against conventional scooters. The 300cc engine of the Yourban 300ie copes better with the added weight.

The Yourban feels well put together, but only time will tell if it can cope well with a British winter.

£4,820 OTR is a lot of money for a scooter, even if it does have an extra wheel. For over £1000 less you could have a Honda CBR250R or a BMW G650GS for just over £300 more.

Trip computer, fuel gauge, voltmeter and temperature gauge are all available on the dash. The handbrake and the front suspension lock buttono are well placed and simple to use. The little screen does little to keep the weather and wind off the rider, but you'll struggle to reach speeds where these are a problem. A cavernous boot and carrier bag hook take care of storage duties.