The Piaggio Fly is a scooter produced by the Italian manufacturer Piaggio from 2004 to 2017 to replace the Sfera and Skipper models. It was also sold by the Spanish company Derbi, controlled by the Piaggio group, under the name Derbi Boulevard.
Piaggio Fly at a glance
| Production | 2004–2017 |
|---|---|
| Replaced | Piaggio Sfera and Skipper |
| Launched | November 2004 |
| Built in | Pontedera for Europe and North America; Zongshen-Piaggio Foshan in China; Vinh Phuc in Vietnam from 2009 |
| Length | 1870 mm |
| Saddle height | 795 mm on the first series, 760 mm on the second |
| Wheels | 12-inch |
| Brakes | 200 mm front disc with a two-piston caliper, 140 mm rear drum |
| Engines at launch | 50 cc two-stroke Hi-PER2 or four-stroke Hi-PER4, 100, 125 and 150 cc |
| Second series | from March 2012 |
| Derbi version | Derbi Boulevard, from 2009 |
| Chinese name today | Piaggio City Fly |
The article is based on a single source, the English Wikipedia page on the Fly.
History of the Piaggio Fly
Launched in November 2004, the Fly is a compact low-wheeled scooter developed by Piaggio to be sold globally. Production took place in the Pontedera plants for the European and North American markets, while from the following year it was also built in China at the Zongshen-Piaggio Foshan plant for Asia. Extremely compact at 1870 mm long, it was positioned in price between the small Zip and the larger Beverly. Its style was inspired by the Zip, but with the large light on the handlebar and the indicators taken from the Beverly. The saddle was 795 mm from the ground and the wheels were 12-inch, with a large compartment under the saddle. The frame was a single-cradle steel type with a 32 mm fork, a single rear shock absorber adjustable for spring preload in four positions, and brakes made of a 200 mm front disc with a two-piston caliper and a 140 mm rear drum.
Engines and the Chinese and Vietnamese plants
At its debut the Fly was available in four displacements, 50, 100, 125 and 150 cm3, all homologated to Euro 2. The 50 came with either the two-stroke Hi-PER2 air-cooled engine with a two-stage catalytic converter and Secondary Air System, or the four-stroke Hi-PER4; the 125 and 150 used the Piaggio Leader four-stroke engine. In April 2006 the whole range was re-homologated to Euro 3 and the 100 cm3 four-stroke with forced air cooling also entered production. The 100 went out of production in 2009 because of low demand. In Asia the Fly proved a great success, and Piaggio also started production in Vietnam at the Vinh Phuc plant to meet demand.
Derbi Boulevard
Since 2009 the Fly was also marketed by the Spanish company Derbi as the Derbi Boulevard. That version is aesthetically the same as the Fly, and the differences are concentrated in the front shield, with the air intake in raw plastic instead of painted, and in the specific colour range. Its engines were the 50 cm3 two-stroke air-cooled and the 125 cm3 four-stroke air-cooled units.
Second series (2012–2017)
The second series debuted in March 2012 with a totally renewed style: a more streamlined and aerodynamic design, new headlights and a new grille recalling the contemporary Liberty and Beverly. Besides Italian production, the renewed Fly was also built in Vietnam for South-East Asia. The frame was redesigned, still single-cradle with a hydraulic telescopic fork with 32 mm stems, while the engine acts as the swingarm at the rear; the tank moved under the footboard to free a compartment that can take two demi-jet helmets with visors. The saddle came down to 760 mm and the brakes stayed as before. In Europe the only engine at launch was the 50 cc four-stroke four-valve of 3.2 kW at 8250 rpm, joined the following year by the three-valve 125; in Asia the Vietnamese cars also received the three-valve 150. The production of the first series ended in 2012 in Italy and Vietnam, but continued in China in the 150 version, which was updated in November 2019 and renamed Piaggio City Fly. The second series went out of production in 2017 without an heir, leaving the low-wheeled segment to the Vespa brand.
Design and features
- Global scooter: one design built in Italy, China and Vietnam for different markets.
- Compact size: 1870 mm long, between the Zip and the Beverly in the range.
- Practical details: 12-inch wheels and a large compartment under the saddle.
- Group sharing: the same scooter sold as the Derbi Boulevard.
Piaggio Fly versions
- Fly 50 two-stroke: Hi-PER2 engine with a two-stage catalyst and Secondary Air System.
- Fly 50 four-stroke: Hi-PER4 engine.
- Fly 100: four-stroke with forced air cooling, dropped in 2009.
- Fly 125 and 150: Piaggio Leader four-stroke engines.
- Derbi Boulevard: the Spanish version from 2009.
- City Fly: the Chinese 150, renamed in 2019.
The Fly replaced the Sfera and was the smaller brother of the Liberty, sitting above the Zip in the range. More scooters are in the Piaggio collection.
Sources
- Piaggio Fly, English Wikipedia: series, factories, engines, Derbi version
