The Piaggio Zip is a scooter manufactured by Piaggio. All Zip models have a CVT automatic transmission, sometimes called twist and go because it has no gears and uses an automatic centrifugal clutch, and they share several components with other models in the range.
Piaggio Zip at a glance
| Transmission | CVT automatic with a centrifugal clutch |
|---|---|
| First generation | 49 cc two-stroke only |
| Zip SP | water-cooled with single-sided front suspension |
| Fuel tank | 4 litres on the first generation |
| 2000 redesign | height-adjustable seat, lockable glove box, underseat space for a full-face helmet |
| Zip 125 | 124 cc four-stroke LEADER, two valves, air-cooled |
| Zip 50 4t | announced in late 2005 with the four-stroke Hi-Per4 |
| Zip 100 | 100 cc Hi-Per4 four-stroke, from March 2006 |
| 2018 model year | 50 cc I-Get air-cooled three-valve Euro 4 engine |
| 2021 | I-Get re-homologated to Euro 5 |
| End of production | late 2024, because of Euro 5+ |
The article is based on a single source, the English Wikipedia page on the Zip.
History of the Piaggio Zip
The first generation Zip was available only as a 49 cc two-stroke. The base Zip was air-cooled, with early models equipped with drum brakes at the front and rear, while the Zip SP was water-cooled and had single-sided front suspension. The fuel tank had a capacity of 4 litres. A 70 cc machine based on the Zip SP with a 16 bhp Malossi-equipped engine was raced by a young Leon Haslam to win the 1997 Gilera Scooter Championship title.
The 2000 redesign
In 2000 Piaggio introduced a redesigned Zip range, sometimes referred to as the Zip 2000 or Zip Cat models. It had a height-adjustable seat, a lockable glove box and underseat storage with room for a full-face helmet. The base 50 cc version was again a two-stroke, but the engine was now the updated Hi-Per2 unit, and the Zip SP had the water-cooled Hi-Per2 Pro engine with single-sided front suspension. In the UK the 50 cc models were sold in restricted form to comply with moped licence regulations, with a washer preventing the variator from using its full range and a blank pipe from the exhaust to reduce power. The Zip was the best-selling powered two-wheeler in the UK by registrations in 2001.
Four-strokes
In addition to the two-stroke variants, a four-stroke 124 cc model was made available. The Zip 125 had an air-cooled two-valve variant of the Piaggio group’s LEADER engine, along with side lights. In late 2005 a four-stroke Hi-Per4 49 cc Zip 50 4t was announced, restricted for some markets through electronics, a washer in the front transmission pulley and a smaller main jet, and in March 2006 a Hi-Per4 100 cc model, the Zip 100, became available in some markets.
I-Get and the end
In November 2017 the 2018 model year introduced the new Piaggio 50 I-Get air-cooled three-valve four-stroke engine, Euro 4 approved, in a range made of the basic Zip and the sporty Zip S, which differ in bodywork colours. In 2021 the I-Get engine was re-homologated to Euro 5, and production of the Zip ended in late 2024 because of the Euro 5+ anti-pollution regulations coming into effect in the European Union. Several companies such as Malossi, Polini and PM Tuning offer an extensive catalogue of tuning parts for the 50 and 125 cc models.
Design and features
- Twist and go: a CVT transmission with a centrifugal clutch and no gears.
- Small and light: a compact town scooter with a 4-litre tank on the first generation.
- Sporty SP: water cooling and single-sided front suspension.
- Easy to tune: a large aftermarket catalogue for the 50 and 125.
Piaggio Zip versions
- Zip first generation: 49 cc two-stroke, drum brakes and a 4-litre tank.
- Zip SP: water-cooled Hi-Per2 Pro with single-sided front suspension.
- Zip 2000 and Zip Cat: redesigned body with an adjustable seat and a glove box.
- Zip 50 4t: four-stroke Hi-Per4 from late 2005.
- Zip 100: Hi-Per4 four-stroke of 100 cc from 2006.
- Zip 125: air-cooled two-valve LEADER engine.
- Zip S: the sporty trim of the I-Get range.
The Zip was the smallest scooter of the range, below the Fly and the Liberty, and it shared the sporty spirit of the NRG. More models are in the Piaggio collection.
Sources
- Piaggio Zip, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, racing, end of production
