TripAdvisor endorsement for Piaggio group motorcycle collection
Italy’s largest motorcycle museum, the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, has been entered into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, after receiving a certificate of excellence from the social travel network for the fifth successive year.
Based in the province of Pisa, the museum features a collection of over 250 motorcycles and light vehicles, such as the classic Piaggio Ape. The museum was built in 2010 and significantly extended and updated last year. It tells the story of all Piaggio’s brands from across the years, which means plenty of racing Gileras and Aprilias alongside the utilitarian Piaggios, stylish Vespas and classic Moto Guzzis.
Among the stars of the exhibition are the Aprilias ridden by Valentino Rossi in his early career. The Italian superstar won both the 125cc and 250cc world titles on the Noale machines before going on to win in the premier MotoGP class, firstly with Honda and then with Yamaha.
Fans of MotoGP will also enjoy seeing Aprilia’s RS Cube machine, which competed in the class for three seasons from 2002 to 2004. The three cylinder machine gained notoriety for its savage power delivery and unforgiving chassis which, despite having riders of the quality of Shane Byrne, Noriyuki Haga, Jeremy McWilliams and Colin Edwards on board, recorded a highest finish of sixth place.
Despite the Cube’s lack of success, the Piaggio brand has scored more than 104 motorcycle racing world titles, and their story is told at the museum through a blend of visual displays and the bikes themselves.
And while brands like Aprilia, Gilera and even Moto Guzzi built their reputations through racing, the success of the Piaggio parent company undoubtedly comes down to the small utilitarian machines that got Italy moving in the post war years.
The company had started out building locomotives and railway carriages in 1884, before moving into the military sector during World War I, making boats and aeroplanes. After the war, the company built a strong reputation for its planes and aeronautical engines, but it was after World War 2 that the company that the Piaggio we know today started to take shape. Recognising the need for simple and inexpensive transport for the masses, in 1946 Piaggio launched the Vespa – the iconic scooter brand which still exists today. Along with Piaggio’s own Ape, the scooter derived small commercial vehicle that appeared two years later, the Vespa got Italy moving again after the war. Like the later Fiat 500 car, the Piaggio products are held in the utmost esteem by the Italian public.
The whole story is told at the museum, so if you are in or around Pisa (Pontedera is around 30 minutes away) it’s well worth a visit. It’s usually open from 10am-6pm, Tuesday to Saturday, although it’s also open on the second and fourth Sunday of the month too.
to see if there are any restrictions around the time of your planned visit.