Peugeot Satelis 500

By Kevin Ash

Pictures: Chris Pearson

It’s taken a while but Peugeot finally introduced a proper maxi-scooter at the end of 2007, the 500 which tops its Satelis executive range. The engine is the 492.7cc single-cylinder Master designed and built by Piaggio, with minor changes made by Peugeot to the intake and exhaust systems, and nothing wrong with that as it’s the best big capacity scooter single anyway. The more significant Peugeot difference is the replacement of the traditional scooter engine mounting – a single pivot point – with a three-point linkage system it calls DSL (Dual Swinging Linkage). In most scooters the engine and transmission pivot together within the frame, but having just the one mounting means there is plenty of scope for flex and unwanted movement in an important area, the swingarm. DSL allows the engine and transmission to pivot in the usual way but with much better support, so the swingarm (which is the engine and transmission together) is held more rigidly and the scooter’s frame benefits from some of the engine’s stiffness too.

Click on image for galleryA good theory and it works in practice, as the Satelis 500 is unusually stable even flat out on a motorway, where the speedo indicates around 100mph and the true top speed is 94mph. Many scooters at these speeds are worryingly vague, and while this is no motorcycle in how it feels, even trying to induce wobbles deliberately didn’t upset the Satelis. Cruise with most of the rest of the traffic, at 80 to 85mph, and you have enough in reserve still to overtake with plenty of stability to take you past the blast of air at the front of trucks. Point the Satelis at twistier roads and it turns in positively, with less understeer than most, while the suspension has a quality feel to it instead of the underdamped choppiness that’s typical in this class. It’s surprisingly accurate in fact and handles well enough to bring some fun to cornering, where most scooters are simply worrying.

The engine is well up to this sort of thing with plenty of torque and strong acceleration off the line. It’s also extremely smooth, with no irritating vibration at any speeds, and it responds crisply to the throttle. The transmission works well with it, picking up smoothly from stationary so you can trickle through traffic or make U-turns without having to dab your feet or concentrate on exactly when the drive will be taken up. While the power is down on some of the twin-cylinder maxi-scooters it’s only by a small margin, and unless you want the most outright performance you can get, this is plenty to keep up with the pace of typical traffic and is fine for long distance riding.

The braking is good without being outstanding, although we didn’t get a chance to try to the more expensive ABS model, which if it’s like other Peugeots will have a disconcertingly large amount of lever travel. But the power will be sufficient and of course the wheels won’t lock up.

Storage space is good beneath the remotely operated spring-up seat, and in the front panel you’ll also find a phone-charging socket in a lockable compartment and a deep cubby hole for a litre bottle of water. There’s even a small space in the centre of the bars for your iPod. More important for many riders is the relatively low seat height, usefully less than the equivalent Piaggio and several other rivals, yet for taller riders there’s still more space on board – Piaggio tends to position the seat too close to the bars and restrict leg room, but the Satelis is more spacious in these respects.

What comes across most though is the quality of the Satelis. Push the seat shut and it closes with a satisfying thunk more like an executive car door’s than a scooter, while the fit and finish generally are impressive. The level of equipment is high and the information on the dash is comprehensive, including a rev counter and various warnings, including seat open.

All of which makes the price more surprising: at £4,799 this is one of the cheapest machines in the class. The ABS version with some other extras such an integral lock costs extra, and if you add further accessories such as the capacious top box (which cleverly pivots back s you can still open the front-hinged seat) or sat nav, the price will climb. But with its performance and quality, that well-known badge and a two year warranty, the Satelis looks like the best buy in the class.

Other Scooters

• Piaggio X10
• BMW C600/C650
• Gilera GP800
• Lambretta LN125
• Vespa LX125
• Honda SH125i
• Peugeot Satelis 500
• Kymco Yager 125
• Vespa 300 GTS
• Honda DN-01