You can lock and unlock the front suspension when stopped by pushing a button on the right grip, and a handbrake keeps the 500 stationary when parked on an incline.

The excellent front end assembly, with the wide-spaced mirrors - to see who is catching up to you... (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)

More smart safety features cut the engine if you open the throttle when not actually in the saddle, and release the front suspension lock when you open the throttle.

Comfortable ergonomics
Lets talk about the good stuff first, like the wide front that effectively protects your legs from the elements, two generous saddles, widely spaced rear-view mirrors, remote control opening for the under-seat storage, and a 12v outlet to reload your toys.

Other features include steel tubing at the front and on the side to offer some form of protection - I guess, and somewhat limited under-seat storage for such a major machine. No way to get even one full sized helmet in there! You can add a Top Case at the back or strap on a little bit of kit behind the rear seat. And like our other test riders, I found the red-on-a-black-background analog rev counter and speedo hard to read – too much creativity here from the designers. Piaggio could use the same approach as on the Vespa GTV 300 - nice and simple black on white!

Moving right along…
I loved the performance and responsiveness of the 500, taking guilty pleasure from the surprised looks of box drivers as I scooted away from traffic lights, or flew past them at highway speed. Some would accelerate to keep me behind, but a generous crack of the throttle would let me keep up, much to their surprise.

The extra stability from the front end, added to the lesser impact from bumps on corners, give one a great feeling of security. The twin front and large rear discs bring the whole assembly down in a hurry from any speed, adding to the feeling of security, especially when compared to ordinary scooters with only a small overloaded weenie and under dampened front suspension to keep you upright.

The MP3 500 Sport feels rock solid at the front when attacking corners - we kinda' expected that - but also at the rear, enough to have a lot of fun on twisty roads. (Photo: Piaggio)