Piaggio Zip
The Zip is a scooter built by Piaggio in the 50 cc displacement class .
1st generation Piaggio Zip
The Zip was brought onto the market by Piaggio in the early 1990s and rounded off the Piaggio model range downwards, also serving the part of the market that until then had consisted of cheap Far East models.
The equipment of the scooter was correspondingly sparse: in the instrument unit on the handlebar there was only a speedometer and odometer, control lights for lights, indicators, oil tank and petrol tank; at least the scooter had a helmet compartment under the seat and an electric starter.
The basis of the scooter is a 50 cm³ 2-stroke drive block with automatic V-belt, as it was used almost identically in the Piaggio TPH and in a similar form in the Piaggio Sfera - the so-called "short block". The air-cooled 2-stroke engine with separate lubrication has an output of up to 3 kW (4 HP) in the most powerful (special) models. Because of its simple structure, the vehicle is popular for (illegal) scooter tuning; there is also its own racing series. Together with the low weight of the scooter, it enables relatively sporty driving performance.
The Zip has proven to be an extremely reliable vehicle over the years; Mileage of the engine of more than 50,000 km is possible with good vehicle care; the spare parts situation in 2009 was excellent, apart from a few parts from special models. Many parts of the Zip of the first generation can also be found the same or similar on many other scooters. The front plastic cladding is borrowed from the Piaggio Skipper , for example .
The oil tank holds 1.1 l (of which 0.5 l reserve, API-TC quality), which is enough for about 1000 km without refilling Zeitakt oil. The petrol tank (Super / 95), on the other hand, only holds 4 l (of which 0.8 l reserve), which gives a range of just over 100 km. In combination with the minimalist fuel gauge in the form of an indicator light and a reserve of only 0.8 l, the small radius of action is very limited, especially in rural regions with few petrol stations.
Over the years some special models and model variants of the Zip have been brought onto the market, so there are also Zips with disc brakes, occasionally with water cooling (Zip SP, H 2 O), with single-sided swing arm instead of telescopic fork (Zip FastRider) and high beam. In addition, all Zips can be provided with a throttle to 25 km / h. 25 km / h moped scooter models can be recognized by the single seat bench and the lack of footrests for the pillion passenger. In addition, modified cylinders with smaller exhaust cross-sections and smaller carburettors were built into these models.
The increasingly stricter emissions regulations put an end to the era of the first generation Zip at the end of the 1990s, as its 2-stroke engine emitted more than the permitted emissions, even with a catalytic converter. The successor is the Zip2.
Piaggio Zip 2 Cat II
Production of the Piaggio Zip 2 Cat (II) began in 1999. Like its predecessor, this scooter is also very small and agile. In 2019 it cost around 1900 euros and the top speed is only 45 km / h according to the new EU legal requirements. The very "curved" indicators are noticeable.
There is the moped version with a reduced ratio and a throttled cylinder. The standard exhaust is also throttled by a secondary pipe.
The Zip 2 is available in two displacement variants: with 50 or 125 m³. After it was initially only available with two-stroke engines, it has also been available with four- stroke engines since 2001 . Both engines are air-cooled . Since 2006, however, this scooter has been increasingly built with four-stroke engines.
The Zip 2 Cat II is also popular in the two-stroke version for scooter tuning , because this scooter is light. A high acceleration can be expected by “hairdressing”, as the gearbox has a very short gear ratio . The Piaggio Zip 2 Cat II was also sold as an SP variant (sport, water cooling, etc.) with a modified front and chassis. However, this is less common in Germany. The SP version had two-piece rims for a short time, but they were saved and replaced with the wheels from the Vespa.