Scooters enter the faster lane

Paul SMith

Bikers can say what they like, but with its underseat storage and Treasury-cheating fuel economy, the scooter has always been the best way to get about town. The problem has been getting from A to C. OK, you could do the longer trips - provided your destination was your monthly appointment at the chiropractor. Small wheels and primitive suspension turn potholes into spine-jarring craters, and a nifty sprint away from the lights takes its toll at the top end, making the open road a bit of a yawn.

But scooter design has turned a corner. Bigger wheels, better brakes, and serious suspension spell the end of the white-knuckle ride. And the engines just get bigger and better. The new Piaggio X9 has a single-cylinder 250cc Honda four-stroke engine, but is by no means the biggest, with Honda leading the way into bike territory with a 582cc scooter.

While it may not be the biggest scooter, the Piaggio X9 scores on style and safety, with a new level of standard equipment including twin lights front and rear and a big high-level centre brake light. It features a massive windscreen; huge rear-view mirrors; large double seat with a small but effective adjustable backrest for the driver; underseat storage (with air-strut-stayed lid and courtesy light), which is big enough for a briefcase or two helmets (one of them full-face); a 12v power socket to charge your office equipment; glove box; and lidded cubby holes for your keys and mobile phone. More importantly it is also the first scooter to boast a three-disc integrated braking system which cuts stopping distances and helps prevent skidding.

Out on the road, the Piaggio X9 comes close to handling like a bike. It's large (in mainstream scooter terms) 14in front wheel makes a big difference to the machine's ability to cope with poor roads, and sturdy front forks and double rear shockers also improve road holding. (Watch the sidestand, however, if you're pushing on.) The X9 looks good, too. As well as the speedo, rev counter, and fuel and temperature gauges, there's a separate all-singing and dancing multi-function analogue/digital dashboard with trip computer and ice-warning indicator. It even reminds you when it's due a service. Turn on the ignition and the hazard warning lights (another welcome innovation) and enjoy the light show.

The 20hp engine produces piles of torque on tap through a tight and responsive throttle and seamless automatic transmission.

Suddenly the trip between Glasgow and Edinburgh becomes a practical proposition - I know because I picked up the test bike from Piaggio/Kawasaki dealer C&J Wilson, just off the M8 at Uphall, near Broxburn (they also own Edinburgh Kawasaki) - and the X9, although weighing in at 169kg, is still nimble enough to weave through the queues when you get there.

Piaggio X9, 250cc scooter, #3699 OTR. Test bike supplied by C&J Wilson (Uphall) Ltd, West Main Street, Uphall, Broxburn. Tel 01506 856751.

n The Suzuki GSX-R750 now has a big brother breathing down its exhaust pipe, with the arrival, at the Munich Show last month, of the new GSX-R1000. Suzuki hopes the 160bhp fuel-injected 16-valve machine will outdo the class-leading Yamaha R1, which has 10bhp less.

In the sports-tourer class, Yamaha promises the FJR1300, with the emphasis on comfort, not speed. Its 16v dohc four-stroke in-line-four engine will produce 145bhp. Aprilia introduces the RST1000 Futura, powered by a 113bhp RSV-Mille-derived 996cc engine. A single underseat exhaust allows for bigger panniers, and satellite navigation is an option. German manufacturer MZ announces the launch of the strikingly styled 1000S parallel twin, which it claims will produce 125bhp and a top speed in excess of 150mph.

n Further evidence of the blurring of the distinction between scooters and bikes comes in the shape of Gilera's curiously named hybrid, the DNA. It looks like a bike but is powered by the manufacturer's proven 50cc twist-and-go scooter arrangement. The DNA will be available with 125cc and 180cc engine variants but the company is said to be planning a 600cc motorbike.