>>Peugeot Speedfight 3

If you ask anybody aged under forty to name a modern scooter, the Peugeot Speedfight will more than likely be one of the first names to crop up – not surprising really as the model has been around since 1997 and has sold a staggering half a million units around the world.

The Speedfight has undergone a few changes along the way; the most significant happened eight years ago when it was relaunched as the Speedfight 2. But it’s also seen its fair share of special edition models, starting with the Prost Grand Prix replicas and evolving into the stunning 206 WRC reps. In total we’ve been treated to 15 different variations on the Speedfight theme; a practice which has undoubtedly helped to keep the scooter selling well across Europe.

Eight years is long enough for most models to go relatively unchanged (no matter how well they sell), so for 2009 Peugeot have culled the Speedfight 2 and there we were at the press launch to witness the birth of the all-new Speedfight 3.

This isn’t just a tweak of the popular machine by any stretch of the imagination. Peugeot have redesigned the iconic sports scooter from the ground up, bringing it firmly into the 21st century. The all-new Speedfight 3 features a new seating position to make it roomier; its fuel tank has been repositioned (to lower the centre of gravity and help gain storage space). Peugeot have also ditched the old trademark single-sided front fork, and the instruments are all-new and very stylish too.

Aesthetically the scooter still looks like a Speedfight, but the panels have been tweaked just enough to give the machine a crisp modern look. The lights have been redeveloped and the front flush mounted indicators house a row of micro bulbs (expect to see LED front indicators before too long).

To show off the new scooter's sporting credentials Peugeot chose to launch the machine at a superb kart track just north of Paris; the 1200 metre long track was quite technical and ideally suited to a grid full of small capacity scooters.

Seeing the full line-up of Speedfight 3s in the flesh for the first time gave us time to appreciate the work that has gone into the winter makeover. Initially the styling looks very similar to the Speedfight we know and love, but look a little closer and you soon realise that the scoot has been brought bang up to date in every way.

The old chassis left taller riders feeling cramped, so the designers have addressed the problem by adding a whopping 12cm to the overall length – not that you’d know just by looking at it. They’ve also added 3cm to the wheelbase, altered the floorboards and sculptured the legshields. Seat height remains the same at a comfortable 800mm, but the seat has been improved – as has the storage area beneath which can now accommodate a full face lid or (more importantly if you’re a youngster) the optional Peugeot stereo system which plugs into the 12v socket and includes an iPod dock, sub and amp. The speakers mount behind the dummy air intakes on the side of the rear panels. It also has handlebar mounted controls to enable the rider to turn your tunes up or swap tracks on the move. It’ll cost around £200 as an aftermarket accessory, but it produces a fantastic sound and will make you the coolest kid in town when you’re parked up at the local skate park.



On the track we quickly got to grips with the three variants on offer. For starters we sampled the air-cooled model (it should be in the shops in early July) with a drum rear brake and ordinary rear shock. We also got to play on the liquid-cooled model which has front and rear discs and a rear remote gas shock. As we know, Peugeot like to produce the odd special edition and their recent RS models have been subtle yet stylish and they’ve done it again with the Speedfight 3 RS. The black machine features polished rims, red calipers, plus extra styling details. It rides as well as it looks and should be a big seller when it arrives in the UK, although you’ll have to wait until winter for that one I’m afraid.

The Speedfight 3 has larger wheels than its predecessor; the smart 13-inch 10-spoke alloys look the part and help to improve the scooters roadholding, as do the new 32mm forks which are an instant improvement over the awkward and heavy single sided front arm. The brakes are stonking too; with a Superbike style radial front brake and wavy disc, it’s no surprise they’ll stand the scoot on its nose if you grab a handful.

Even the air-cooled scoot with a drum rear brake was more than adequate on the track. The de-restricted Euro 3 compliant two-stroke engines felt fairly nippy, although I have to admit to preferring the liquid-cooled machine. It sounded just how a two-stroke should; crisp, clean and responsive and would produce another 500rpm over its air-cooled (but more economical) stable mate. The extra power was just enough to pull out a steady lead, essential extra power on a fifty.

The Speedfight 2 may be dead, but long live the Speedfight 3. I suggest you nip down to your local Peugeot dealer and put a deposit down now.

Iggy

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