We just received Vespa's brand new line of Jet helmets this week! They're available in five colors -- Titanium, Satin Black, Dragon Red, Italia (red, white and green) and USA (red, white and blue). The solid colors feature 3 snaps on the front, which will accommodate universal visors and shields. The best part? Instead of the $300 - $350 price tag that most Vespa helmets carry, these are only $159.95!

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of being one of the first people in the U.S. to ride the brand new Piaggio BV 350, set to ship to U.S. dealers in April 2012. On paper, the bike is impressive to say the least. The 330cc engine puts out an astonishing 33.3 HP at 8250 RPM, which is 11 more horsepower than the Vespa GTS 300. The bike only weights 60 lbs more than the 300, but has the power output of the 540 lb Piaggio MP3 400. Piaggio's goal with the BV 350 was to get the weight and fuel efficiency of a 300 with the power of a 400. With a rating of 72 MPG based on the specs, I'd say they succeeded, but specs won't tell you everything.
When I got on the 350, the first thing I noticed was the redesigned body. Cleaner, sportier lines coupled with LED's in the front turn signals already tell you that Piaggio is moving toward a more modern, technologically advanced scooter than we've seen from them before. The 16" front and 14" rear wheels are outfitted with the new-ish Michelin City Grips, my preferred tire for any scooter. The next thing I noticed, when I sat on the bike, is that the seat is narrower and more comfortable than the previous BV's and the Vespa GTS. Being 5'1, the narrower width means the difference between being able to ride the scooter stock and having to shave down the seat to get my feet to the ground.
The throttle is very responsive, but not at all jerky. The smooth acceleration can be attributed to the all new, still automatic, transmission with a multi-disc wet clutch. A freeway onramp is no problem, as the scoot gets up to 75 with ease. Coming off the highway, the linked breaking system makes slowing down as smooth as speeding up. Coming from 12" wheels on my GT, I can definitely feel a huge difference in handling, both during high speed straightaways and tight, low-speed turns.
In terms of maintenance, Piaggio still recommends the break-in service to be performed at 625 miles, but after that, the regular service intervals are set at every 6,000 miles! The life of the belt was extended to 12,000 miles and the valves are set to be adjusted every 24,000! All that being said, personally, I'd recommend service every 5k, the belt every 10k and the valves every 20k. Either way, service intervals would still be farther apart than both the Honda SH 300 and the Kymco People GTi 300.
For the U.S., color offerings will be Matte Silver and Shiny Black, both with the red accents and red seat.