2011 Gilera Scooter

The whole notion of scooters being docile little excuses for two-wheel transportation, with only vague resemblance to a full fledge motorcycle, has been gradually undone over the past decade.

Increasingly, manufacturers have begun offering a wider array of models to garner market share. And nothing quite grabs attention like size and claims to being the most powerful and fastest.

In keeping with this theme, Gilera boasts having the world's fastest and most powerful scooter, the GP 800. That's right, 839cc of muscle hiding beneath a shapely veneer of Italian bodywork.

Gilera is positioning the GP 800 as having all the benefits of a traffic savvy scooter for inner city commuting but with enough spirit to take to the open highway, allowing the owner to feel like a legitimate part of the motorcycle clan.

At the heart of the scooter is a liquid-cooled, V-twin engine with four valves per cylinder and electronic ignition. The result: 75 horsepower, which earns the GP 800 status as the fastest, most powerful scooter available.

An automatic transmission makes the Gilera easy to master while ergonomics are suited to all day comfort, making the scooter an actual candidate for medium to long-range touring.

The new double cradle steel tube frame provides the GP 800 with open road stability without compromising inner city maneuverability. The Piaggio-developed V-twin was designed for performance with reliability but within the company's self-imposed mandates at being an industry leader with respect for the environment.

Performance is one aspect, design flow is another. Gilera culls from a rich Italian heritage, infusing the GP 800 with an attractive design flow of bodywork lines and wedged aerodynamics. Hollow five spoke aluminum alloy wheels (16" front/15" rear) help reduce un-sprung weight, aiding suspension response and improving handling.

Dual 300mm discs mated to Brembo calipers on the front and a single 280mm disc on the back work in concert with the V-twin's available engine braking to provide exceptional stopping performance.

The Gilera GP 800, redefining exactly where a scooter ends and a motorcycle begins.

GILERA GP 800: Specifications