The Typhoon 50 was sold in regular and special ‘Norman Haas’
edition (SE) trims for the first couple years. Both versions got you a great
Brembo disc brake up front, sporty styling and a peppy 2-stroke motor. The
Typhoon has a fairly nice dash setup with a tasteful palette of gauges including
a tachometer. On the downside, there is no glovebox so storage is limited to the
reasonably sized underseat area.
One unique aspect of the Typhoon’s design was the inverted front forks. These
forks minimize the unsprung wheel weight for better handling over choppy
pavement. They also look pretty cool like a high end sport bike.
The original Piaggio Typhoon used an air cooled 2-stroke “Hi-PER2” motor. This
engine is the same motor found in other 2-stroke 50cc models from the Piaggio
group, including Vespa’s ET2 50 and Piaggio’s 2-stroke Fly 50 scooter. In its
stock from, the Typhoon was capable of about 35-40mph, but it can be
unrestricted
fairly easily to achieve around 45mph. Being a 2-stroke, acceleration is quite
peppy which makes this scooter a good choice for heavier riders. There are also
a good selection of aftermarket parts available for this scooter, which is one
of the benefits of sharing a motor with other popular scooters.
With it’s sporty looks and fat tires, the Typhoon competed with scooters like
Yamaha’s Zuma/BWs 50 and Kymco’s Super 8 & Super 9 models. While not one of the
most popular scooters, the Typhoon seems to have sold moderately well. The only
real downsides to the Typhoon 50 are the lack of a glovebox and the normal
downsides that come with any 2-stroke scooter (gas milage, emissions, shorter
engine life). Overall, the Piaggio Typhoon 50 is a great scooter for anyone
looking for a peppy 2-stroke sports scooter and doesn’t want a Zuma / BWs 50
like everyone seems to buy.
Owner review:
Milage: 5000 - 10,000 Miles Likes: Stable, reliable, fast for a 50cc Dislikes: Original knobby tires, Mickey Mouse turn signals
Review: “I bought my 2005 in a USA model, which has great Halogen
Headlights that will blind riders in front of me in low beam. In high beam it
lights up the world! A lot better than the Euro model.
I replaced the Mickey Mouse turn signals with the Euro model, and it makes for a
nicer looking scoot. I also added a windscreen and it cuts most of the wind. I
did change the tires to the Pirelli SL26's, they make a lot nicer ride.
The speed, out of the box, top, was 43mph, with no restrictions of the US
market. At 3500 miles, I put in a 70cc Polini Corsa Kit in, derestricted the
17.5 Delorto Carb and changed the jets to size 78, and put on a Laser Pro X
exhaust, and top speed is now around 55mph. The varator nut and crank got
striped, and I put in another engine, that had a bad top end....and replaced the
rings at around 9000 miles. I recently added 4.0 gram Dr. Pulley sliders, and it
helped with acceleration.
Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated.