Piaggio Beverly 500, Piaggio X9 Evolution, Gilera Nexus 500

So you're wondering what makes them different from each other, after all, they're just scooters, and are they just places to ride anyway? Well, that's the first mistake. It is true that they are not alike at all, but these are by no means city scooters.

For example, the Piaggio Beverly 500 has big wheels. The front is 16 inches and the rear is 14 inches, which allows you to ride the bike without the worries (which is actually more of a prejudice) that people experience when looking at the small wheels of a scooter. In Europe, the Beverly is the best-selling maxi scooter with big wheels.

Its somewhat classic (even retro) style is popular with both men and women, and it nicely refreshes the stream of very similar maxi scooters. The second Piaggio, the X9, is a well-established success in this segment, it has everything that big touring bikes have, while at the same time maintaining the convenience of scooter use in the city. The shape of the Gilera Nexus indicates what kind of scooter it is.

Sporting wedge-shaped aerodynamic armor inspired by the Honda Fireblade, a motorcycle-like center console that hides the fuel filler flap, and it even has an adjustable rear shock absorber. These trios have nothing in common even when looking at the dashboard, which would be the envy of many motorcycles. Beverly is a classic, round pickups with chrome inserts are just great, on the X9 they are equipped with digitized high technology, where we even find a frequency display and radio control. Like big touring bikes. On the other hand, Nexus devices are sporty to the end. White (round) tachometer in carbon look with a red arrow on the lower speed counter.

Each also offers a different degree of comfort. The sporty Nexus, for example, doesn't have a lot of space behind the wheel, otherwise that doesn't mean it's cramped. But the handlebars are closest to the knee compared to the other two. Thus, there are no problems with sporty cornering, where, on good asphalt and warm weather, you can drive such an incline that the knee slider rumbles on the asphalt. Sitting on the seat is still comfortable, despite the sportiness, and the wind protection is sufficient to prevent problems even at a speed of 160 km / h.

X9 is the exact opposite. We got a feel for its size as we sat down in the extremely comfortable seat that used to be called a chair. The steering wheel is carried far enough forward and high, so that even those who are about two meters tall will not feel cramped on them. There's plenty of leg and knee room, and the wind protection (height-adjustable windshield) is impeccable.

It feels a lot like riding big touring bikes because of these nice facts, of course, given the fact that it's still a scooter. But we cannot find a better comparison. Beverly falls somewhere in between the other two in terms of seating comfort while driving. Therefore, women will also sit very well on it (it's no secret that Piagg also took this into account when designing this scooter).

However, there is little wind protection in this version. Therefore, we recommend using a jet helmet with a visor rather than a fully open helmet. Of course, you also get an enlarged windshield from the rich assortment of accessories if you think the scooter needs it.

A few more words about the characteristics: in all three cases the acceleration is good, it is quite enough for active participation in road traffic and so that no incline is too steep.

At a maximum speed of 160 km / h, they move fast enough that with each of them you can go on a pleasant motorcycle trip for two! When braking, the Nexus stops the fastest, which is also the only correct one given its sporty character. The X9 also has powerful brakes (with ABS at an extra cost), while in Beverly we lacked a bit more sharpness. However, it is also true that the Beverly is not an athlete by nature, and the slightly softer brakes are arguably more suited to the wide range of riders it is designed for.

If the title was somewhat ambiguous, the conclusion and final conclusion are clear. Each of the three scooters is an excellent representative of its kind for three groups of people: for athletes (Nexus), elegant businessmen (otherwise driving a Mercedes, Audi or BMW…) with a style that appreciates comfort (X9), and a romantic nostalgia, and the women who would love Beverly the most.

Price of the test car Beverly 500: 1.339.346 seats

Test car price X9: 1.569.012 seats

Nexus 500 test car cost: 1.637.344 seats

Technical information

engine: 4-stroke, 460 cc, 3-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 1 hp at 40 rpm, electronic fuel injection, automatic transmission

Frame: tubular steel, wheelbase 1.550; 1.530 hours; 1.515 mm

Seat height from ground: 775; 780; 780mm

Suspension: front 41mm telescopic fork, rear double shock; single adjustable damper

brakes: front 2 discs ø 260 mm, rear 1 disc ø 240 mm

Tires: before 110/70 R 16, back 150/70 R 14; 120/70 R 14, 150/70 R 14; 120/70 right 15, 160/60 right 14

Fuel tank: 13, 2; 15; 15 liters

Dry weight: 189; 206; 195kg

Sales: PVG, doo, Vangelanska cesta 14, Koper, tel .: [phone]

Petr Kavčič, photo: Aleš Pavletič

• Technical information

  engine: 4-stroke, 460 cc, 3-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 1 hp at 40 rpm, electronic fuel injection, automatic transmission

  Frame: tubular steel, wheelbase 1.550; 1.530 hours; 1.515 mm

  brakes: front 2 discs ø 260 mm, rear 1 disc ø 240 mm

  Suspension: front 41mm telescopic fork, rear double shock; single adjustable damper

  Fuel tank: 13,2; 15; 15 liters