Piaggio Beverly - 2005

Available in 500, 250 and 125cc versions, the Piaggio Beverly has revolutionised the scooter market, rapidly becoming the top seller in the competitive medium and large displacement high wheel-scooter segment. These vehicles, which are very close to being automatic motorcycles, offer safe, precise running as a result of their large wheels and motorcycle-style ride experience, with all the comfort and practicality of a scooter.

With over 30,000 units sold so far, the Piaggio Beverly 500 is a clear hit with customers, and leads over-250cc maxi scooter sales in Europe. The Beverly 500 is perfect for today's mobility needs as it combines agility with comfort for both rider and passenger and has a high-performance 500cc engine perfectly managed by cycle parts that guarantee precise, safe steering. This innovative scooter is extremely versatile; ideal for town use, it handles impeccably on longer trips as well.

The medium displacements have been just as successful. Agile and safe in traffic, elegant and noticeable around town, the Piaggio Beverly 250 and 125cc high-wheel scooters are extremely easy to ride.

A new design and a powerful new 250cc engine add to a vehicle that has won accolades from scooter riders ever since it was launched. The new versions of the Piaggio Beverly 125 and 250, launched in the spring of 2004, are the natural evolution of the first and extremely successful series that has sold over 75,000 units since its launch in 2001. This popular product has since renewed itself with additional design and performance features.

PIAGGIO BEVERLY 500

The Beverly 500 marked the birth of a new maxi scooter concept that has all the agility of the perfect town vehicle but a marked "tourer" character as well. Proof of this concept being a hit: the Beverly 500 is the top selling over-250 scooter.

The Piaggio Beverly 500 takes the high-wheel scooter into a totally new dimension. In fact, Piaggio's new GT scooter creates a standard that is close to tourer motorcycles.

Equipped with the evolved 500cc Piaggio Master engine, powerful and Euro2 compatible hence environmentally friendly, the Beverly 500 is a synthesis of the high-wheel scooter and the motorcycle. Agility and comfort for both rider and passenger are enhanced by the performance of a powerful 500cc engine controlled by cycle parts that guarantee safety and total control of the vehicle.

Personality and comfort

The Beverly 500 has had a makeover in 2004, with new colours and the inside front shield in the same colour as the vehicle for a touch of overall elegance. The central headlamp is a key element of the Beverly 500, situated on a fully painted handlebar with two chrome mirrors. Chrome elements on the frontal and sides add a classic touch.

The new anti-skid footrest is bigger than before. At the rear of the vehicle, the mechanical parts and the splashguard are also larger. The totally new catalyst-equipped exhaust, made of polished stainless steel, is lighter, with a large heat-protection shield. The new aluminium crankcase transmission holder with a plastic soundproof cover also makes a marked visual impact.

The seat is now bigger and gives the feeling of being in absolute control of the vehicle. At 775 mm, it suits riders of all sizes. Two practical handles run along the sides of the seat to an elegant rear luggage rack holder.

Designed for safety

Each detail of the shape, size and technical aspects of the Beverly 500 was designed around the powerful new 500cc engine to provide exceptional performance. During the styling of the Beverly 500, special attention was paid to rider safety.

Frame - The Beverly 500's high-tensile steel frame was studied and tested with mathematical simulation as well as long test sessions in extreme conditions to offer the most precise riding even at high speeds.

Brakes - The Beverly 500 has an integral braking system that ensures reduced stopping space and consistently safe, powerful braking. The three disk brakes measure 260 mm (the two front disks) and 240 mm (the rear disk) respectively.

The brake callipers are Brembo. The integral braking is commanded by the left brake lever (that simultaneously actions the left front brake and rear disk), and maximum braking power is obtained by using both the integral brake lever as well as that of the second front disk.

Wheels and tyres - The wheels have an elegant ten-spoke design. The tyres measure 150/70-14'' and 110/70-16" respectively. Suspensions - The front suspension has a big Kayaba hydraulic fork with large diameter (41 mm) shafts and new chrome covers. The rear suspension is composed of a double effect hydraulic damper and chrome coil spring adjustable to four positions.

Lights - The big front lamp has a dual-filament 55-watt halogen bulb and its wide surface ensures uniform lighting and excellent visibility in any sort of weather and light conditions. The front direction indicators are white and form part of the front handlebar cover. The rear direction indicators, quick to spot, are yellow and integrated into the rear lights.

State-of-the-art performance

At the heart of the Beverly 500 is the four stroke Piaggio MASTER (Multi-valve Advanced Super Torque Engine Range), which uses advanced technology to produce high power and torque.

In developing this engine the choice of a single cylinder was critical in containing size and weight, with major advantages in terms of overall manageability and ergonomics.

The Beverly 500 engine was tuned keeping the vehicle concept in mind, emphasising flexible and fluid running while maintaining excellent pick-up. The Beverly 500 engine has a new transmission cover built of aluminium with soundproofing elements sandwiched in to further reduce noise. The cylinder head cover is now isolated to muffle distribution noise, giving the engine a very attractive timbre.

A new exhaust system developed around this engine permits injection/start mapping and improved power output. The Beverly 500 engine's specific characteristics are liquid cooling, four-valve SOHC distribution and a counter-rotating shaft to drastically reduce vibration, thereby ensuring a more comfortable ride. The engine produces 29 kW (39 hp) at 7,500 rpm and reaches a top speed of about 160 km per hour (just over 99 mph). Maximum torque of 43 Nm is reached at a moderate 5,500 rpm.

The catalysed MASTER engine on the Beverly 500 was created to maximise environment protection. The electronic control system and catalytic converter cuts emissions sharply, bringing the engine into line with Euro2 limits.

Tourer standard equipment

The Beverly 500's wide range of standard equipment and optional accessories is perfect for a GT (Gran Turismo) vehicle. Suited to any kind of use, this equipment is on par with the highest standards in the industry.

A new, extremely easy to read instrument panel with new graphics and analogue instrumentation includes an odometer with dual km/mile display, partial and total mileage, a digital clock and fuel level and cooling liquid temperature indicator. There is an injection check as well as indicators for insufficient oil pressure, fuel reserve, low and high beam on and the immobiliser system LED.

The Beverly 500 has a standard anti-start electronic immobiliser for protection against theft. The system blocks the vehicle when a key different to the original is inserted in the ignition. Other standard anti-theft measures are a steering wheel lock and solid steel ring welded to the frame.

The large under-seat space on the Beverly 500 holds various objects as well as a jet helmet. The seat unlocks electrically by pressing a button on the inside front shield and stays open via a piston that actions a lifting system. Standard equipment includes a pullout seat cover for use when it rains and a 12V socket to recharge a cellular phone inside the under-seat space. The Beverly 500 also has storage space inside the front shield for documents, a cellular phone, gloves, toll tickets etc.

This space contains a car-style lever to unlock the fuel cap as well as the seat-opening lever, without recourse to the electrical system. The inside of the shield also has a practical bag hook. Finally, for parking ease the Beverly has a standard central stand as well as a side stand (which cannot be used when the scooter is running, for safety reasons).

Colours

A four-colour range composed of metallic shades - Graphite Black, Cherry, Excalibur Grey and Cashmere - enhances the Beverly's elegant shape.

PIAGGIO BEVERLY 250 and 125

The new medium displacement versions of the Piaggio Beverly emphasise the features that made the earlier version a success - safety guaranteed by the large-diameter wheels with generous tyres and cycle parts featuring an exceptional frame, suspensions and brakes. The unmistakable design of the Beverly has some new features to enhance its elegant, sporty look.

Design

The windscreen is totally new and is now fitted on the handlebar. Offering greater protection, it has gone through wind tunnel tests and is shaped to make the vehicle stable at high speed.

The front shield, which includes the powerful headlamp set, hence offers increased protection.

There is a new handlebar and a new instrument panel that recalls the style of the earlier one but is now more car-inspired. The contrast of chrome on black and the round shapes inserted into the elegant anti-glare panel rim resemble the dashboards on 1960s sport convertibles. The instrument panel includes an odometer, speedometer and fuel level and radiator temperature indicators. The two round inserts also have a series of other indicators (fuel reserve, oil pressure, direction indicators, high and low beam) as well as the Immobiliser system LED and a digital clock.

The electric commands and rear view mirrors - chrome on the new Piaggio Beverly - also use an element of contrast.

Other new design elements include the instrument panel colour, painted the same shade as the scooter; careful embossing; the seat, the chrome details and new graphics and the front lamps with transparent covers.

The sides and rear are as sleek as before, a factor that has made the Piaggio Beverly the town vehicle par excellence. Light, slender lines contribute to the Beverly's sporty look. The minimalist shape increases manoeuvrability and makes it easy to hook on side panniers for extra storage. The rear section now has the side trim in chrome as on the Beverly 500. Overall comfort on the Beverly 125 and 250 improves with a new, wide seat that is two centimetres lower than the earlier version.

Cycle parts

The Piaggio Beverly is an extremely safe ride even for those using a scooter for the first time.

The double cradle frame is made of high-tensile steel tubes. This light but hardy structure guarantees optimal flexural and torsional rigidity, a pre-requisite for safe, precise steering.

The frame is linked in front to a telescopic hydraulic fork with 35 mm shafts. Two dual effect hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear with spring preload adjustable to four positions allow the alignment of the vehicle to be modified to riders' individual requirements.

The Beverly has 16" wheels and wide-section tyres (110/70 in front and 140/70 at the rear). This choice substantially increases the Beverly's safety and road grip besides making it easy to ride.

The braking system is composed of two 260 mm steel discs on the front and rear wheels and floating callipers with two 25 mm pistons.

Engines

The major change as regards the new version of the Beverly is the new Quasar 250 engine, the latest in the Piaggio series of four stroke, four valve liquid cooled engines.

The name - an acronym for QUArter liter-Smooth torque-Augmented Range - makes it clear that this is not simply a glorified version of the Leader engine that equipped the earlier Beverly 200cc, but rather a radically new engine, which draws inspiration from the MASTER 500 that equips all the European GT maxi scooters.

The result is crankshaft power output of 22 hp and torque of over 20 Nm at 6,500 rpm, with maximum speed of up to 125 km/h (78 mph) and pick-up levels that top the category. The Beverly 250 is hence extremely comfortable to ride as well as ensuring fluid running in town as well as on longer runs.

The free wheel electric start in a wet sump ensures silent running, while the belt transmission with a new transmission cover and forced air-cooling improves output. The clutch has also been reworked to adapt it to the higher performance on the 250 and offer flexible running at any engine speed. Emissions and fuel consumption have been reduced to a consistent minimum, making the Beverly 250 an extremely eco-friendly vehicle. The scooter is well within Euro 2 limits with its two-way catalytic converter and secondary air system.

The Beverly 125 offers excellent power and torque levels (15 hp power output, the legal limit for vehicles ridden with a car licence) and 12 Nm torque; car drivers do not in fact require a motorcycle license to ride the Beverly 125. This lower displacement of the Beverly is also environment-friendly, as it is in line with Euro 2 limits.

Equipment

Storage capacity is provided by the under seat space, opened via a switch or a lever on the inside front shield. The space holds a jet helmet. The inside front shield space holds small objects and a lever to open the 10-litre fuel tank. A practical bag hook under the handlebar makes full use of the ample footrest panel. The 125 and 250cc versions of the Beverly have a side stand that goes up automatically when the scooter is started.

Colours

The stylish Beverly 125 and 250 are available in a new colour range composed of four metallic colours - Excalibur Grey, Karkadé Red, Imperial Blue and Graphite Black.

Optionals for unlimited use on the entire Beverly range

The ideal town vehicle, the Beverly offers a series of accessories, some specifically intended for this scooter, on the 500, 250 and 125cc versions to enhance comfort and versatility.

The Beverly 500 takes a large additional windscreen that can be placed on the front shield for better cold-weather protection. Tested in the wind tunnel, it derives from the need to maintain the vehicle's perfect aerodynamicity even at high speed.

Rather than being mounted on the handlebar, the optional windscreen on the Beverly 500 has two chrome inserts that go into the front shield. Fixing of this type ensures manoeuvrability and easy riding.

The Beverly 125 and 250 have a traditional windscreen with hand covers. The entire Beverly range can be equipped with a 36-litre top case and side panniers for trips out of town. The rigid colour co-ordinated side panniers are easy to mount and have a personalised opening and locking system, making a key unnecessary.

Other accessories include an E-Power alarm on the Beverly 500 (E-Lux and E-1 on the 250 and 125cc), a mechanical anti-theft device, a Beverly jet helmet, a leg cover and vehicle cover.

PIAGGIO BEVERLY 500*: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

* The Piaggio Beverly 500 is sold under the name Piaggio B500 in the UK market.

PIAGGIO BEVERLY 250/125: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS