Piaggio Ape TM 703

• Video

Monkey! A small three-wheeled truck that traveled on the roads with a Vespa motorcycle back in 1948 and has not yet undergone major technical and design changes. It's like the eternal Land Rover Defender - outwardly outdated, but as it should be. So don't even sit in it thinking it's a new product. Some technical solutions, such as the mechanism for opening windows or adjusting the heating, are at the level of the first Fičks, as well as the final production.

The color is orange in places, as if Apeja was repairing a local painter, the plastic contacts with metal parts are so precise that you can stick your finger in a crack in places, and there are only three materials inside. booth: sheet metal, hard plastic and cloth. Bench is installed on the bench. Yes, two passengers can sit on a bench that cannot be adjusted in longitudinal direction or in the angle of the backrest, which is completely set at right angles. Don't expect comfort.

My head, at 182 inches, when sitting upright, was touching the ceiling, which can be uncomfortable when driving on a bad road or over lying cops. Your knees are touching the dashboard and you might accidentally turn on the wipers with your foot. One janitor, to be precise. Which wipes the windshield in the middle, but not in front of the driver's head.

The place in the cabin is designed for two, and if we are talking about two grandfathers of normal build, then it quickly becomes crowded. A few inches can be gained in warm weather if you open the windows at the same time and rest your elbows on the window in a cool place. In cold weather, you can heat the cabin by pulling the red lever, and with another lever hidden under the seats, we indicate where the air should blow - on the windshield or under your feet.

After a few kilometers, the cabin heats up quite solidly, but don't expect a sauna. Poor ventilation is especially noticeable when two people are driving in bad weather, and then it is better to have a rag to wipe the fogged up front and side windows. There are surprisingly many storage boxes, missing only a non-slip stand to keep keys, cell phone, and coins from rolling back and forth on a wild, winding stroll through city streets.

Inside, in addition to the general odometer, speed indicator, main switches and lights, we also find an ashtray and a cigarette lighter. By the way, when the fuel or lubricating oil light starts to light up for a short time, both will last for at least another 50 kilometers, so don't panic.

The Apeja is powered by a single-stroke two-stroke engine, just like the one that once served in the legendary Vespa. Has a separate lube oil pump, electric starter and manual choke. Once we get used to when to turn it on and how much gas to add, the engine will light up smoothly, even when the temperature drops below freezing.

With the four-speed gearbox we operate the gear lever just like in a car, only the first impression of the gear change is, hey, unusual. Commands are transmitted through the braids, so the feel is very elastic and imprecise. But we got used to it too, and after a few days of driving we forgot that we had ever bothered about it at all.

Oh trip. This is one and a half experience.

In central Slovenia, where there are not so many of these three-wheeled motorcycles (there are more of them in Primorsk, so it is not so conspicuous), you will surely be more visible than with the most modern supersport motorcycle. People turn, laugh, some even hum and blink lights.

The latter are sometimes also done in a bad mood, since the green beast moves along the plain about 65 kilometers per hour, which is quite enough in the city, and a column soon gathers behind it on the highway. It's not really a racing car, and to be honest, even driving much faster is unsafe. At least the feeling is not the best. For 100 kilometers, a small truck needs about 7 liters, to which you need to add a little oil for two-stroke engines.

The first three gears are very short, so when the body is empty, we can easily start the second one. The fourth is “moving”, so the third must be rotated at higher speeds so that the engine smoothly accelerates to maximum speed. Do you know what passers-by asked us most often? “Does it turn upside down? They were interested.

Driving performance is not at all as disastrous as you might have estimated at first glance? The fact that the centrifugal force on the car in a corner is too great is first warned by turning the inner drive wheel to neutral, and then the Ape can be placed on two wheels and, in case of exaggeration, also on the side, but fortunately we could not verify this is.

We have not yet said anything about its original purpose, that is, about the transportation of goods. In this respect, Ape is useful and very practical, especially when it is necessary to carry several boxes of fruits, vegetables, perhaps sand or just chopped beech through the narrow streets. The body is larger than that of a pickup with an extended cab, and the permissible load is as much as 700 kilograms.

Slovenian cities and roads are not specific enough to transport people in large quantities on these trucks. However, the Ape can be a very useful two-wheeled vehicle for those who do not want or cannot afford a car and do not want to drive apples to market in a wheelbarrow. And another idea came to my mind. Given its visibility on the road, it is ideal for advertisers taking an increasingly unusual approach. Can you imagine a flock of Apeans with big XXX inscriptions driving through Ljubljana every day? Success is guaranteed.

Face to face

Matei Memedovich: For some it is a funny car, for others, on the contrary, a nice and, above all, a very useful car.

For those of you who choose urban delivery, maybe starting your own landscaping and gardening business or owning a farm, you probably won't have to think long and hard about whether Ape is really up to the task. First of all, it will pleasantly surprise you.

Marko Vovk: When I first saw him in the backyard in front of the editorial office, I laughed at him heartily. Three wheels, large body, two-stroke. You won't see anything like it every day. It is true that this is a very useful thing, but we cannot talk about the comfort and speed of the Monkey. It is designed for the transport of goods and perfectly fulfills this function.

Test car price: 6.130 EUR

engine: single-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled, 218 cm? , carburetor.

Maximum power: 7 kW (9 km) at 5 rpm

Maximum torque: np

Power transmission: Transmission 4-speed, axles.

brakes: drummed.

Fuel tank: 15 l.

Capacity: 700 kg.

Representative: Trgoavto Koper, 05 663 60 00, www.trgoavto.si.

We praise and reproach

+ visibility

+ usability, agility

+ low registration costs

- quality

– accumulation in the cockpit

- fuel consumption

– price

Matevž Gribar, photo: Sasha Kapetanovich, Matei Memedovich

• Basic data

  Test model cost: € 6.130 XNUMX €

• Technical information

  engine: single-cylinder, two-stroke, air-cooled, 218 cm³, carburetor.

  Torque: np

  Energy transfer: Transmission 4-speed, axles.

We praise and reproach

low registration costs

usability, agility

visibility

qualitative

congestion in the cabin

fuel consumption

price