Available in three colour choices, (Bianco, Grigio Titanio Matt and Blu Met) the Medley offers comfort, style, practicality, technology and safety all rolled together in a neat package. The fuel-injected, 4-valve i-GET four stroke engine offers 9kw of power with a useful 11.5nm of torque. Weighing in at only 132kg ready to ride, this makes for a very manageable and manoeuvrable machine. The large 16 inch front and 14 inch rear wheels offer a smooth ride on bumpy city streets and give the medley a really surefooted feel with confidence inspiring handling.
It's an economical scooter too, offering 42.7 miles per litre (that's approx.135 mpg in old money) and with a 7 litre tank it should keep you away from the petrol station for quite some time. One reason for this fuel frugalness is a little trick the Medley has up its sleeve in the form of Start Stop technology. RISS or ‘Regulator Inverter Start Stop’ is designed to automatically turn off the engine after the scooter has stopped for around 3- 7 seconds, when it's time to move again, a gentle twist on the throttle and it kicks back into life. It’s such a seamless process that you will cease to notice it happening after a short time riding, and it's perfect for negotiating busy city traffic. The Medley also has a tilt sensor, so if the worst happens and the medley topples over, the engine is immediately cut.
More safety features include a 2 channel ABS braking system. The dual piston floating calipers grab 260mm (front) and 240mm (rear) discs respectively and bring the scooter to a quick and controlled stop. Not only that but the display has a ‘Danger of Ice’ warning for those hardy all year round commuters. This warning is displayed on a digital display which also includes information such as an odometer for both trip and total mileage, an outside temperature display, battery status indicator, service icon and digital clock. This is supplemented by a more traditional ‘analogue’ speedometer and fuel gauge, which integrate nicely into the instrument cluster.
Storage is another strong point for the Medley with space to fit two full face helmets in the under seat compartment. There is a very handy retractable bag hook too, as well as a spacious glove box which includes a USB port for charging your phone on the go. Whilst it’s not the most ‘avant garde’ scooter on the market in terms of design, it is slick and well put together. The finish is attractive, particularly the white model (sorry Bianco!) With its contrasting brown seat and inner leg shield. As it’s what you may call a utility scooter, you’ll probably be much more interested in its practicality and reliability? but that's not to say it's not a good looking machine. At £2999 it is priced well. You will of course be able to find cheaper machines coming out of China, but if you take into account a better resale value and long 6500 mile service intervals, then we’d consider it money well spent.
On the road it’s smooth, well balanced and comfortable. It’s certainly not the fastest accelerating scooter on the market, it delivers its power in a very relaxed manner. But there is no snatchy throttle to worry about and the whole riding experience is as smooth as silk. It’s equally at home in the tight congested city centre streets as it is in the leafy suburbs. But wherever you ride, the Piaggio Medley 125 is a classy form of transport that will offer you style, practicality and reliability. Isn’t that what you really want from a scooter?
Model year reviewed: 2019
