Always on the lookout for the next great thing in the scooter world, I decided to give the Honda ADV350 a test ride. Awesome Showa suspension they said, massive underseat storage they said, class leading performance they said. Honestly... They talk a lot of bollox.
A while back I upgraded the Irish Beverly 350 to some Dr Pulley sliders. The results were excellent. So of course, I had to try them in the Spanish Beverly 400. But this time, the goal was different, but the results the same: Big improvement.
Piaggio claims the Beverly 350 gets 65 MPG, but most real-world owners see the high 50s. I wanted better. Ditching the "butt dyno" for cold, hard data, I threw in some Dr. Pulley sliders, tweaked the aerodynamics, and made a counter-intuitive exhaust choice to push this old agricultural 330cc up to a massive 74.4 MPG.
I wanted my Beverly 350 to stop screaming at me on the motorway, so I swapped the stock rollers for Dr. Pulley sliders to see if they actually deliver a real-world "overdrive." I didn't rely on my gut; I plugged in the OBD2 kit and logged the data. Turns out, the numbers don't lie, and the difference at 70mph is anything but anecdotal.
The modern maxi-scooter market has splintered into three tribes: fake adventure bikes, overweight land yachts, and traditional step-thrus. I break down the marketing bollox of why people buy them versus what they actually use them for. Spoiler: the one that gets called a 'moped' might just be the best of the bunch.
Riding in Northern Ireland means freezing hands are a given. I finally fitted some Oxford heated grips to the Beverly 350, but I didn't want a bodge job wiring setup. Here is how I used the Oxford Junction Box to keep things tidy and stop the battery draining overnight.
I was ready to flog the Beverly 350. The noise was unbearable, and I assumed that was just how these older scooters were. But it turns out, it wasn't the bike's fault; it was the previous owner's obsession with "performance" upgrades. Here is how I stripped off the screaming Malossi kit, returned the bike to stock, and saved my ears (and a fortune on a new bike) in the process.
After a two-month wait, the warranty replacement for my Beverly 400 ignition switch finally arrived. But while the electrical fault is gone, the rattle remains. It turns out they replaced the switch but not the worn housing that caused the failure in the first place. Here is why I think this "fix" is doomed to fail.
I review the Tucano Urbano El'Fast open-face helmet. After finding a bargain on Vinted that perfectly fitted my weird 'egg-shaped' head, I was so impressed I bought a brand new one for Spain. It's quiet, comfy, and the customer service was top-notch. It has a few annoying niggles, but would I buy it again? Absolutely.
Tired of forum myths and marketing claims, I used a diagnostic scanner to get hard data on the Malossi exhaust. This post details the farcical, multi-attempt process of testing and finally answers the question: does it make my Beverly 350 run lean? I swapped opinions for data, and the results are in.
I'd fixed the part, so why was the bike's engine light still glaring at me with the burning intensity of a thousand suns? It turns out the BV350's computer has trust issues and a very long memory. Here's the tale of how I finally convinced it to let go of the past and turn that bloody light off for good.
A trip into Belfast highlighted a major flaw in my bike security. This post details the wake-up call that sent me searching for a better solution, the research journey with AI to find the perfect high-security chain, and the surprisingly flexible and secure setup I landed on involving two chains instead of one.
It's an online debate guaranteed to raise passions, and more than a little aggression: "My maxi-scooter is better than your motorbike." In this post, I give my take. And spoiler alert: my maxi-scooter IS better than your motorbike. (A healthy sense of humour is advised before reading.)
My Beverly 350 came with a full Malossi kit, but I immediately swapped the loud exhaust for the stock one. After a few thousand kilometres, I'm putting it back on to see if it's just a noisy can or the final piece of the performance puzzle.
Need to get access behind the front shield of your pre-2021 Piaggio Beverly 350? Forget the vague guides. This short video and step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to remove the nose cone in minutes, without removing any other trim.
The stock screen on my Piaggio Beverly caused wind buffeting. The big touring screen I bought amplified the engine noise to an unbearable level. This is the story of how a £20 Vinted bargain and a bit of DIY finally solved the problem.
Thinking of upgrading the rear shocks on your Piaggio Beverly? Forget the online guides that tell you to strip the entire bike down. Here’s my simple 20-minute hack that makes the job incredibly easy.
Is your Piaggio or Vespa engine cutting out? The problem might be a design flaw in the keyless ignition switch used on models like the Beverly 300/400 since 2020. Here's my story of diagnosing a rattling switch and a clever zip-tie bodge.
You've read the real-world story (previous post), now get the hard data. This is a on-paper showdown between the Piaggio Beverly 400, Honda ADV350, and Forza 350. I break down the crucial specs, from power-to-weight ratios to the all-important wheel size, to see which scooter wins the numbers game.
I've been asked a few times now "what's the best maxi-scooter for a tall rider". I get asked this because I'm tall, and have recently bought a one (actually, I've bought two!). So instead of saying the same thing over and over again I've made a blog post about it. I;ll not lie, there is a bit of artistic licence to make the article more interesting, but the facts remain the same!
After a £100 mechanic's bill for a simple sensor fault on my Beverly 350, I went on a hunt for a cheap diagnostic tool for my Piaggio scooters. This is the story of the FXTul M3: why it failed on my older 350 but worked perfectly on the new 400.
After falling in love with the Beverly 400 in Spain, I realised I needed a capable scooter for life in Northern Ireland. This is the story of buying a used, surprisingly high-spec 2017 Piaggio Beverly 350 and the first jobs I had to tackle.
A look back at my first scooter, a Piaggio Liberty 125 named Misty. This is a review of what makes a 125cc scooter brilliant for local life in Spain, what its limitations are, and why it was the perfect stepping stone to getting a full motorbike licence.
After riding a 125cc scooter in Spain on just my car licence, I decided to get a full UK motorbike licence. I've had a clean driving licence for 40 years, so I thought it would be simple. I was wrong. Here's my guide to the confusing, expensive, and frankly bonkers system.
At the age of 55, I've just bought my first motorbike. It's not a mid-life crisis, but a practical solution to a common problem: how to get around Spain without a car. This is the story of why I chose a Piaggio Liberty 125.
