The Piaggio NRG is a scooter made by Piaggio from 1994 to 2020. The name is an acronym for eNeRGy, and the model ran through a long line of small sporty scooters with two-stroke engines.
Piaggio NRG at a glance
| Production | 1994–2020 |
|---|---|
| Name | acronym for eNeRGy |
| NRG mc1 (1994–1996) | liquid-cooled two-stroke engine |
| NRG mc2 (1996–1998) | visually different from the mc1 |
| From 1998 | optional air cooling and rear disc brakes with the Hi-Per2 engine |
| NRG mc3 | rev counter, Hi-Per 2 engine, optional air cooling, rear disc and direct injection |
| NRG Power (from 2005) | a drastic change from the three earlier models |
| DT versions | air-cooled with rear drum brakes |
| DD versions | liquid-cooled with rear disc brakes, DD meaning double disc |
| PureJet versions | direct fuel injection |
The article is based on a single source, the English Wikipedia page on the NRG, and is shorter than usual for that reason.
History of the Piaggio NRG
The first NRG, the mc1, used a liquid-cooled two-stroke engine. The mc2 differed from the mc1 only visually, and later models, from 1998, had optional air cooling and rear disc brakes with the Hi-Per2 engine. The mc3 added further visual improvements together with a rev counter, the new Hi-Per 2 engine, optional air cooling, optional rear disc brakes and optional direct fuel injection.
The NRG Power
The NRG Power, introduced in 2005, changed drastically from the fairly similar three previous models. Both the NRG Power and the mc3 were supplied in three versions: the DT, air-cooled with rear drum brakes; the DD, liquid-cooled with rear disc brakes, where DD stands for double disc; and the PureJet, with direct fuel injection.
Models
The line ran from the NRG mc1 of 1994–1996 and the mc2 of 1996–1998 through the mc2 DD and mc2 extreme of 1998–2000, then the mc3 DD, DT and PureJet and the NRG Power DD, DT and PureJet from 2005, to the mc4. The production ended in 2020, after twenty-six years of small sporty scooters.
Relatives
Piaggio and Gilera produced several models similar to the mc1: the NTT, with 10-inch rims and a front splitter; the Piaggio Typhoon and Gilera Typhoon, with 10-inch rims, a different front body and air cooling; and the Piaggio Storm and Gilera Storm, with 13-inch rims, the Typhoon front body and air cooling.
Design and features
- Two-stroke sportiness: small, light and easy to tune, from the mc1 to the Power.
- Three trims: DT with air cooling, DD with liquid cooling and a rear disc, PureJet with direct injection.
- Long life: produced from 1994 to 2020 through four model codes.
- Group relatives: the same recipe was sold as Gilera and as the Typhoon and Storm.
Piaggio NRG versions
- NRG mc1 (1994–1996): liquid-cooled two-stroke.
- NRG mc2 (1996–1998): new looks, then air cooling and a rear disc from 1998.
- NRG mc3: rev counter, Hi-Per 2 engine and optional direct injection.
- NRG Power (2005): new body and the DT, DD and PureJet range.
- NRG mc4: the last of the line.
The NRG shared its body parts with the Typhoon and was the sporty small scooter of the range alongside the Zip. More models are in the Piaggio collection.
Sources
- Piaggio NRG, English Wikipedia: models, versions, engines, relatives
