If you want a maxi-scooter, there are tons of great options available now. Several Japanese and European brands offer motorcycles with great performance, efficiency, and reliability. While these traits are important for sensible people, some put a premium on being different.
There’s a reason why car and motorcycle accessory shops here thrive. We Filipinos love our sense of individuality. Looking around would remind you how we like to be different, down to our beloved steeds. But if being different off the bat is your thing, the Peugeot Metropolis Allure Station Wagon might just be the maxi-scooter for you.
It’s a mouthful for a name, but believe me, we’re barely scratching the surface of just how quirky this French maxi-scooter is.
Let’s start with the obvious—the looks. The front end of the bike has the biggest party piece of the Metropolis, both in the styling and technical fronts.
This is a three-wheeled motorcycle that has two wheels up front. But we’ve seen that in the smaller-displacement Yamaha Tricity before, you may say. While true, the Metropolis has something even more special up its sleeve. The front suspension system doesn’t just allow the bike to sway in turns, it also can be locked, helping keep the bike upright at speeds below 10km/h.
The sides resemble a normal scooter. The rear end’s taillight design is one of the best style elements, as it follows Peugeot’s iconic fanged LED lights. The two 13-inch front wheels are wrapped in 110/70 rubber, and the solitary 14-inch rear rim comes with a 140/70 tire.
The top box may seem small, but it is another party trick for the Metropolis. Open it up and it can gobble up a full-size helmet.
Put away the shallow tray, and you’d be able to fit two full-size helmets for your back rider. The cavernous underseat compartment has an opening that stretches out to the box, hence the “station wagon” in the variant’s name.
While the unique suspension setup might not seem a big deal, you’ll realize how important this is once you’re on it. This maxi-scoot is quite heavy at 258kg, where the locking mechanism becomes helpful.
The Metropolis won’t be as athletic as the pint-size Django that Peugeot also offers. But given its weight, length, and girth, the former is nimble enough to be comfortably used in the, um, metro.
Just to give you an idea, the bike is over 2m long and a quarter of a meter wide. Because of this, you won’t be able to weave through city traffic. Lane-filtering is still illegal in the country after all. But because of the suspension setup, it won’t be as hard to ride it on tight city roads. Just don’t expect to do a full U-turn in one go.
The biggest benefit of this tech, though, is when you’re out on the open road. On my short ride to Malolos in Bulacan, I was able to cruise past heavy trucks at speed with stability. I was able to push it to 100km/h with the ride remaining quite smooth.
Speaking of smoothness, the 400cc four-valve single-cylinder engine isn’t the most powerful of maxi-scooters, but it is paired with a CVT, which offers one of the most comfortable rides one can hope for.
Modulate the accelerator well and you will get this hulking scooter up to speed in no time. Twist the throttle hard and you’ll feel all of its 35hp and 38.1Nm. Thankfully, the disc brakes on the three wheels provide assuring stopping power.
But all of that power and smoothness come with great responsibility—and that is to fill up its huge, 13L fuel tank with only 95-octane gasoline. It won’t win fuel-sipping contests, but its claimed 25km/L consumption isn’t that bad either.
The Metropolis does a great job of ironing out road imperfections thanks to its mono-hydraulic shock absorber up front and two adjustable ones at the back.
The Peugeot Metropolis has its fair share of quirks and complexities. Owning and riding one will have you seeing other riders scratching their heads over the eccentricity of your choice.
But little do they know that this different-looking motorcycle rewards you with such a great riding experience that can be enjoyed in style.
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