Piaggio Hexagon
The Piaggio Hexagon is a large scooter that the Italian vehicle manufacturer Piaggio built between 1994 and 2003.
prehistory
The Vespa models built up to 1990 with the typical sheet metal body had cult status, but sales figures continued to decline so that Piaggio launched its first scooter with a tubular steel frame and plastic body in 1990, the Piaggio Sfera . In response to the successful Honda CN 250 Helix , which appeared in 1985, Piaggio presented the Hexagon in 1994, the body of which was built on the same principle. Because of the wide bench and the relaxed seating position, scooters based on this construction principle are jokingly referred to as sofa scooters. The scooter was available with water-cooled single-cylinder two- and four-stroke engines with displacements between 125 cm³ and 250 cm³. An air-cooled 125 cc four-stroke model was also offered. The models initially had 10-inch wheels, which made them very manoeuvrable despite their size. Models from 1998 onwards had a chassis with 11-inch wheels, models from 2002 onwards had gradually received a chassis with 12-inch wheels.
Model history
The first models were the Hexagon EX 150 and two years later the Hexagon EX 125, which were replaced by the modified LX 125 and LXT 180 models. Later came the LX4 and GT models with single-cylinder four-stroke engines and 125 cm³ or 250 cm³ displacement, the 250 cm³ engine from Honda (from the Honda Helix large scooter). From 2000 the Hexagon was delivered with 125 and 180 cm³ Leader engines . With the model name Super Hexagon GTX, the 250 model finally got a disc brake as well as a visually different (cockpit) speedometer and a multi-function display (instead of the somewhat weak rear drum brake).
Model overview
- Hexagon EX 150, 11.5 kW (15.6 PS), 1994–1998 (two-stroke type EXV)
- Hexagon EX 125, 10.5 kW (14.3 hp), 1996–1998 (two-stroke type EXS)
- Hexagon LX 125, 10.2 kW (13.9 PS), 1998–2000 (two-stroke type ZAPM05), with 11-inch wheel
- Hexagon LXT 180, 15.0 kW (20.4 PS), 1998–2000 (two-stroke type ZAPM06), with 11-inch wheel
- Hexagon LX4 125, 7.6 kW (10.3 PS), 1998-2000 (air-cooled four-stroke engine, type ZAPM15)
- Hexagon 180 GTX, 14 kW (19 PS), 2000–2001 (Leader four-stroke engine, 4 valves, type ZAPM20) 11 "chassis
- Hexagon 250 GT, 12 kW (16.4 PS), 1997–1999 (Honda four-stroke engine, type ZAPM1400x), 2 valves, 1 cylinder water-cooled, front disc brake, rear drum brake
- Super Hexagon 125 GTX, 11 kW (15 HP), 2000–2002 (Leader four-stroke engine, 4 valves, type ZAPM20), from June 28, 2002 with 12-inch wheels and telescopic fork, no "Super" added to the type designation
- Super Hexagon 180 GTX, 14 kW (19 PS), 2000–2002 (Leader four-stroke engine, 4 valves, type ZAPM20), from June 28, 2002 with 12-inch wheels and telescopic fork, no "Super" added to the type designation
- Super Hexagon 250 GTX, 14 kW (19.4 PS), 2000–2002 (Honda four-stroke engine, type ZAPM14000x), 2 valves, 1 cylinder water-cooled, disc brakes front + rear
technology
A drive unit swing arm was used for the drive unit, i.e. the spring-loaded rear swing arm contains the entire drive with motor, clutch, continuously variable V-belt drive and final drive. The engines were water-cooled single-cylinder two-stroke and four-stroke engines with displacements between 125 cm³ and 250 cm³. Only the LX4 type had an air-cooled 4-stroke engine.
The automatic stepless belt transmission transfers the power to the rear wheel. Since it doesn't have to be switched and the centrifugal clutch works automatically, the scooter was very easy and comfortable to move.
The chassis of all 2-stroke engines had the above-mentioned drive unit swing arm with a single shock absorber, which, like all drive unit swing arms, had the disadvantage of a relatively large unsprung mass and was therefore not particularly comfortable. As with the Vespa, the front wheel was suspended with a drawn swing arm and a single shock absorber. The models had 10-inch wheels until 1998. For reasons of stability and comfort, the models were fitted with a chassis with 11-inch wheels from 1998, the last models of the Hexagon were delivered with a telescopic fork at the front and 12-inch wheels. The 4-stroke models also had a drive train swing arm, but an auxiliary swing arm and two shock absorbers instead of the single shock absorber were also installed on the right rear wheel for better stabilization and more precise handling.
The Hexagon had a hydraulically operated disc brake at the front, the models before 1998 with a fixed 2-piston caliper and a disc diameter of 175 mm, after 1998 a floating 2-piston caliper with a disc diameter of 200 mm. The rear wheel brake operated by a Bowden cable until 1998 was a drum brake with a drum diameter of 110 mm, after 1998 with a drum diameter of 140 mm. The 4-stroke GTX models also had a hydraulically operated disc brake at the rear.
The electrical system of the 2-stroke consists of a capacitor ignition system (CDI = Capacitor Discharge Ignition) that is independent of the battery supply and a generator system with a controller that charges a lead-acid battery when the engine is running and supplies all other consumers (except for the ignition). The models up to 1998 had a single headlight with H4 light, the models from 1998 onwards had a double headlight with H7 / H1 light.
literature
- Piaggio Hexagon LXT 180 user manual.Piaggio VESpA, Pontedera Italy 1998.
- Repair instructions , Piaggio Hexagon from 1996. Bucheli publishing house, Zug, ISBN 3-7168-1959-X .
- Maintenance and repair, automatic scooters. Delius Klasing Verlag, Bielefeld, ISBN 978-3-7688-5218-0 .
- Piaggio-Vespa Scooters Service and Repair Manual. Haynes Publishing, ISBN 1-85960-492-7 .
- Merry Christmas. In: The motorcycle. Issue 1/2010.
- Ice-hurrying. In: The motorcycle. Issue 24/2010.
- Get in well and cheaply. In: 2wheels. Issue 8/2009.
- Good Trip. In: 2wheels. Issue 5/2010.