Gilera DNA.org

MCN have done a nice video of the Fuoco doing interesting things in the English countryside. He makes it look easier to live with than I think it probably is. The YouTubers seem to be getting het up over the perceived ground clearance of the bike but none of the appear to be scooteristi so I suspect it’s just the usual ’scooters aren’t proper bikes’ prejudice. Bike testers always do that ground scraping thing, it’s what they do, just like the way they always wear full bike leathers on a moped!

Technorati Tags: Gilera,Fuoco,MCN,YouTube

This photo for me sums up Piaggio’s approach to this vehicle: Land Rover headlamps, bull bars, serious off road riding.

Sadly this is all fantasy because:

1. It still only has one driving wheel so it’s going to get stuck.
2. It’s too heavy, 238Kg.
3. It’s too expensive.
4. It looks ridiculous.
5. Everyone will stare at it (for the wrong reasons.)
6. He’s going to break it.

This is the Gilera GP 800. It succeeds where the Fuoco fails because

1. It has an 850cc engine, the biggest in it’s class with rumors of an 1050cc engine to follow.
2. It weighs less than the Gilera Fuoco, 235Kg against 238Kg.
3. No one will try and take this off road!
4. People will stare at this for the right reasons.
5. BMW drivers will give this a bit of respect.
6. You can reasonably traverse countries on this.

Piaggio can be really stupid (remember they cancelled the DNA’s with the decent size engines after only a couple of years) but we forgive them because they can bring out really great bikes as well.

Technorati tags: Gilera Fuoco, Gilera GP 800, Scooters, Piaggio