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Although it is far too early to call, there are some initial observations that can be noted. Although this is not a scooter that might tickle the tastes of many, I choose to believe that most enthusiasts aren't at least a tad interested in some of the R&D properties invested with this design. 

Rating so far: 8.65/10 -- Marked down for o/a weight in the 150 class; a rigid ride (claimed to be a resultant property of the front folks design); and on a petty note the very average mirrors.

Positives are: a grunty 11.1kw powerplant down low - ideal for the urban assault; no drive lag (it almost jumped strait in to traffic as I was expecting a need to build revs. Equally, say if you are trickling along downhill the clutch does not disengage until almost stopped. So if you need to power-on, there is no snatch when the clutch re-engages. Comfortable for many traffic situations; the weight (yes, there is an upside) - lane changing at speed, for a 150 class, coupled with the additional stability offered by the front wheel configuation, is wonderfully reassuring; I say five stars for value - all that R&D.

Once aboard, you (me) are not aware that what is being ridden is anything other than a traditional two wheel vehicle. You will need to put your feet down, though. Eventually.

Let's see from here ....

Interesting, Asps...bit weird about the ordinary mirrors.

good to hear the ride "feels" familiar..

.... @ 250 ks: I am enjoying this scooter more as the ks build. Independant of the unique physical properties of this scoot I am enjoying a ride with greater road presence and increased power (a mini maxi). That should be stated.

* the seat is hard, but I'm possibly not the ideal person to critic seat comfort - * Good room in the footwell over the previous model. I wear a size 43 shoe -   * at 5'10" or 178cm if feel I am at the maximum for optimum comfort; reach to controls, seat height, room to move in the cockpit etc (and it does feel like a cockpit) -  * love that spacious flat floor. My Harris Farm Market shopping bill is set to increase. My preference is for a flat floor for anything under 250cc - * not cavenous, but reasonable under seat storage with complimentary light. I won't be adding a top box at this stage.

* If there is an unavoidable road hollow, or surface irregularity, it is best struck with one of the leading wheels. The scooter will remain composed and there will be little registration of impact. However, allowing the rear wheel to strike quickly reminds you of a rigid rear suspension. The scooter might be worthy of a rear suspension upgrade - * the simple digital dash sets things out clearly and is an easy reference, as are the switches and controls - * the brakes seem very good, but as yet are untested for emergency stopping. They do need a good squeeze though.

I ordered, which arrived within 4 days, an aftermaket replacement windscreen (amazing). This was from Webike (Japan) - world walk high screen. It is not a tall screen, sitting at about the height of the top of the mirrors, but it does offer some additional wind protection at speed. But the big thing, to me, is that it offers the scooter a much better look; it looks better balanced. So delighted was I that I ordered a second in the smoke, the first being clear. This is a six minute swap out. Really. Too easy.

.......

... the second smoke screen was ordered just before 10am on Saturday morning and there was a knock on my door Tuesday morning at 8 am by the local parcel courier. All the way from Japan in that time frame. Unbelievable. It has tranformed the look of the scooter, which no longer looks 'squat' at the front and assumes a look of being more purposeful.

Been for a ride in the wet yet? That extra wheel up front will make a difference. Counter steering should be a whole lotta fun.😀

Thanks, but no wet weather as yet. Time poor, I'm struggling to find the opportunities to use the Tricity 155. I have only racked up 330ks in the weeks I have owned it. It is just a hobby scoot I will play with and evaluate. What I did do, that I said I wouldn't, was sell my Dio. I loved that little scooter - but 'little' seemed diminutive, comparatively, and I quickly realized that this scooter would sit through the winter. The preference was going to be for the scooter with an improved road presence signiture - and a greater feedback of security. I can't impress sufficiently how much I loved that Dio. I mentioned it to an acquaintence at 10 in the morning and he had the money wired to my account by mid afternoon.

... yep, got caught in the rain this morning. Good protection from the front apron when underway. Hard to let go of a lifetime of two wheel wet weather caution.

Webike Japan is great.  Ive used them for about 6 years now.

... I don't buy much stuff through the net, so was astounded at how quickly my orders arrived. And typical of the Japanese the product(s) were well wrapped and boxed to defend against potential damage

I haven't built sufficiently on the mileage to make any meaningful further comment - but some small points:

The seat height is good at 780. You are both on and in the scooter. This perception is helped by the taller screen, although called a high screen, sits marginally taller than the mirrors. It transformed the look of the scooter

The under seat courtesy light is effective, but you must ensure that the seat secure is pressed home, when stored, otherwise you might return to a flat battery

I like that it is different. I did not set out to 'be' different, but this uniqueness is starting to sit well with me

Interesting that there is an abundance of stability at very low speed, but you need to be careful in a very tight very low speed manoeuvering turn that the scooter does not just - fall in - as a consequence of the extra weight for the front arrangement 

The 155 starts instantly and there is a real sense of purpose grumble to the exhaust note

Old ladies seem to stare. Are they thinking - I could do that, public transport sucks?

If I had not purchased this scooter I would have always wondered if an opportunity had been lost to try something different

When I test rode Piaggio MP3 my impression was that steering felt conventional ok, but very heavy and kind of sloppy... I didn't like it very much. Does this one feel natural to you?

What about weight of this scoot - is there much weight penalty compared to a regular 150cc class?

I have owned a considerable range of machines going back more than 50 years. These include large heavy motorcycles and more recently smaller scooters. I have just come from a low base (in terms of physics only) with the Honda Dio @102kg. So I can say that there feels no real discernable difference with the dual wheel set-up (on the Tricity). I was advised that I might need to push-it-in, a little, but I haven't discerned this. The 'feeling' is natural. What has been an initial adjustment is the o/a weight, comparatively. I just make the point that the lean angle, at speed, can be achieved confidently, but conversely, at trickle speed, with tight manouvering, the scooter needs to be held upright as the additional front weight promotes the sensation of wanting to fall-in.

The o/a weight, for a 150 class, would place this scooter near or at the top of any list. There appears no reticence to faithfully promote the wet weight of this scooter, fully fuelled at 165kg. But in terms of performance, thus far established, the scooter gearing is set to compensate for this additional class weight, where it counts, for city and metro use. I am more than satisfied with the performance so far, with the scooter still being almost new @ 450ks and running the heavy break-in mineral oil. It can only inprove from here. I like owning this scooter.

The real question for me now, if I live with this scooter while the ks build, which I fully intend to do, is how it will feel going back to a traditional format in time, which is indended for a hobby scooter. Actually, they are all only hobby scooters, with some convenience factor thrown in.

Thanks for that, it seems this might be a step forward compared to MP3. And what about the open road, have you taken it outside of the city yet? I'm sure it will corner just fine, I'm more curious about the realistic cruising speed and fuel consumption...

It will be a while before I can come back to you with cruising speed capability. The manual advises against sustained high speed running until 1600 ks are on the odometer. Extensive prior reading informs me that top speed is indicated @110kph, but true top speed is really105kph. Because of the engine cooling efficiencies, I have further read, sustained speeds between 80 - 90kph are comfortably within the scope of this scooter. But I must go hunting for these speed zones from where I live.

I will never come back to you with fuel efficiencies. This is not my focus for scooter evaluation. But it is understood that it could be important to others.  However, it would be annoying to be required to fuel the scooter at short intervals. The engine design/performance is claimed to be Euro 4 spec., so I expect, weight and an additional wheel considered, it will be latest generation efficient. To date consumption seems marginally high, but this is hoped to be related to inital tight engine tolerance etc.

I'm no engineer, but I have developed a real facination for design and performance characteristics for sub 300cc engines/machines.

I am nudging the first service at 1k so time for a short post. Cold weather and obligations have kept the mileage down, but the scooter continues to impress.  Referencing the original test crew reviews of the 125, following its release, I see that it was Pete Gailey who posted the most approval stars for this ride, with 9.5 (shooting stars). Interesting also that Pete, from what I can determine, was also the rider whose butt was in the saddle the longest logging the highest mileage over a week of general use.

So this is what I can report also. I started out thinking the 155 variant was ok, happy with this. This then morphed into - I really like this scooter. Now, I absolutely love it. The scooter has softened, over time, including the seat. A rigid ride has become a firm ride, not too unpleasant. No scooter is flawless as one scooter can't be all things to many applications, but this scooter does a lot of metro and surround duties very well. 

Those 15 ponies are starting to wake up and I can report a grunty, feisty little power plant. Love that parking brake and its ease of use also. The substantial flat floor, which is my preference for any scooter under 224cc, is a gem for carrying requirements. It offers reasonable under seat storage. It's fun. The whole design package offers a secure ride.

Penalties are (to me): weight, but I adjusted to this quickly. The gearing is configured to compensate for the additional class weight under metro use. Fortunately I am a fly weight so you can knock 10kg off the package, comparatively. And no top box is really required as a result of scooter design features, offering a further weight saving. So now we are getting compeditive. But the front end weight carried high as part of the dual steering mechanism requires a different riding technique with very slow tight cornering. The opposite is true once you apply speed to cornering, offering a secure 'planted' feeling. With the mid-size screen I added and the substantial apron you are also rewarded with protection, within reason, from the elements.

...to be continued