I vividly remember buying my first GTS and the feeling that somehow I was cheating on my two-stroke heritage. It was my first season working for the magazine and my trusty P2 was showing the strain of hurtling around the country to attend rallies and visit trade contacts. The honest truth is that I prefer to ride, it’s less expensive than driving a car and given the state of our road network, usually faster than getting stuck in congestion. Practical considerations aside, it’s also much more fun! Unfortunately, a 35 year old two-stroke isn’t the most reliable form of transport; particularly when it involves motorway riding and there’s an appointment to be kept. In my heart I knew that a GTS was the answer but I struggled to get past ‘surrendering’ to an auto. In the end I plumped for a used, bright orange GTS 300 Super with the Quasar engine that had only recently arrived in Ron Daley’s Barnsley showroom. It’s fair to say that my riding life was transformed, I still loved my two stroke but now I could use it without abusing it. Over the next couple of years the orange GTS and I travelled the length and breadth of the country, it never missed a beat and asked for nothing other than routine maintenance. It had its quirks but I was hooked.
When I attended the press launch for the HPE, I knew Piaggio had produced something special and when I say that I ordered one immediately, I mean that I literally dropped off my bags at home and went down to the showroom to order one. That machine took me much further afield, so far as Germany and along the Wild Atlantic Way. A satin grey Super Sport followed and then an RST. To say that I was looking forward to sampling the shop’s 310 demonstrator is a wild understatement.
A quick walk around
Visually, the 310 is no different to the RST, in effect that model was a crossover that combined the proven 310 HPE unit with a frame designed for the 310, however the latest machine is more than a RST with a fresh lump.
Walking around the 310 it’s obvious that a lot of thought has gone into this design. The demonstrator is a Super Sport and features plenty of satin black trim, notably around the switchgear which is very pleasing. In recent times, Piaggio’s designers have been on top of their game, choosing some stunning colours that are highlighted on the Super Sport with some very complimentary graphics. I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of keyless ignition, but the starting sequence is quickly mastered and the 310’s new starter motor quickly brings the unit to life.
Single life
The dirty secret of my riding career is that in the late 80s/early 90s I took a ten year gap from riding scooters, turning my affection instead to 500cc single-cylinder cafe racers. I mention this here because when the 310’s motor burst into life I was immediately transported back to those days. There may only be an extra 30cc or so under the panels, but the 310 feels like a large capacity single, much more so than the old 300 (which was actually a 278cc unit). We covered the reasons and science behind the 310 in a previous blog, but in short the 310 was created to deliver power whilst complying with increasingly strict emissions laws. One part of solving that conundrum was building an engine that delivers more power lower down the rev range and that’s unmistakable at tick-over when the scooter can be felt pulsing under the rider. The exhaust note is also very pleasant to the ear; it doesn’t scream ‘Thrash me’ but instead sends a well mannered invitation to ‘Come on then’.
Road runner
Because power is made lower down the rev range, this is a motor full of torque and if you’re not a technical person that means better acceleration. Grab a handful of the throttle and the 310 jumps away, snatch at it and the front end will lift easily. The suspension upgrades introduced on the RST remain, and strike a good balance for all road conditions. This means that the 310 is well planted on twisties, making back roads fun whilst also being comfortable on stretches of A road or motorway.
With more than a few HPE miles under my belt I’m all too familiar with the speed limiter fitted by Piaggio. In very simple terms, this exists to prevent over enthusiastic owners turning the inside of their engine into the outside of their engine. However, on the HPE it was set at an unnecessarily low speed, but thankfully that was easily (and safely) rectified by fitting a ‘speed ring’, which recalibrated the sensor. It’s an unnerving experience when the limiter kicks in for the first time, a feeling that two stroke riders will recognise as being similar to a soft seize (just resist the reflex action of pulling in the ‘clutch’, which on an auto is of course the rear brake. That was an interesting few seconds I wouldn’t choose to re-live in a hurry!)
On the 310, the limiter is set at a much more realistic figure, on the dyno this was recored as 87 mph and I’ll confess I never got it to kick in out on the road. Now, I’m a big lad, but even so I managed to cross the magic 80mph barrier on GPS (Honestly officer, that was on our specially selected test track).
Final score
The big question is whether or not it’s worth trading up to a 310 and I’m afraid that’s not a simple question to answer.
With prices starting at £6,515 it’s a purchase that few will decide to make on impulse. However, by any objective criteria, the 310 is a massive leap forward in terms of both technology and performance. With the engine pulling more power at lower revs, there’ll be less strain on the scooter over long distances and fuel economy should also be better. This is also a genuine 80mph scooter, and unless you do most of your riding on German Autobahns that’ll suffice for 99% of the situations most riders will (legally) find themselves in. Add to that the improved suspension, attention to design details and bragging rights associated with the large capacity engine, and then suddenly the 310 becomes a package worthy of serious consideration.
No doubt there are tuning houses ripping a 310 to pieces and working out how to make it go faster as you read these words. However, for me, the 310 offers everything required of a large capacity scooter straight out of the box.
Fortunately you don’t have to take my word for this, you too can book a test ride on the Ron Daley 310 demonstrator. Just call our sales team on 01226 203377 to make your appointment with the most powerful Vespa ever produced!
Images courtesy of Stan/Scootering Magazine
