Peugeot Speedfight

It's the bike of the week!

• BikeOfTheWeek
• Peugeot

The Peugeot Speedfight a little gem ... and here are a few words from an erstwhile owner:
"I remember when the Speedfight came out, it was the first scooter to be aimed at motorcyclists or people who actually wanted their commuter machine to look a bit tough - for a scooter, it looked spiky and aggressive.
The designer was clearly into sci-fi giant insects, and this look has spread all over motorcycling in the last 15 years. It spelt the end of curves, unfortunately. Almost all sporty scooters still take their design cues from that first Speedfight.
For a moped, it was insanely well engineered with the single sided front suspension being super futuristic and daring.
MCN had it as the small bike of the year and sales rocketed. It was the first crossover bike which “proper” motorcyclists and style conscious teenagers wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen on. It worked for me, it was the first scooter I'd ever bought or ridden - I had the air cooled 100cc version to ride to work, and it was a nice reliable bike.
The only problems I had with it were that the local youths seemed unable to walk past it without trying it on for size, resulting in a tumble, and that the immobiliser (essential on something that makes teenage tearaways fancy it) was a pain every time I took the battery out to charge it. Lose the special red key and you had big problems, which are now addressed by special electronic units that can be mounted on the bike, thus bypassing it.
I found the angled footboard a bit uncomfortable, and the next scooter I had was a Yamaha Neos 100, which I chose because it had a flat floor - I kept that for 5 years, the longest I've ever owned a bike!
With a topbox, I once carried 8 carrier bags full of grub home from the shops. Since the Speedfight, I have renewed respect for scooters and tiddlers in general, and have owned a series of mopeds and scooters as second bikes- so it must have been decent.
I think I'm right in saying it was the most stolen bike for a few years, fields next to estates being littered with their remains so thick you could walk from one side to the other without getting your feet muddy."

Well what can I say, there we have it from the horses mouth - the Speedfight was a very influential auto scooter which held a favoured place in the scooter boom of the 1990s, beginning its evolution as a 50cc sports scooter and graduating to 100cc later.  
Over half a million Speedfights have been sold  – quite an impressive number considering that Peugeot didn’t even make the 125 version at the start.
Last year the UK scooter market grew by 50% - a happy event for all who appreciate two wheels, and Peugeot are still near or at the top of the food chain.
So let us take a few minutes to look at the newest edition to the family the Speedfight 3 125cc AC.  Well you might say that the 125 is just a super duper big version of the 2008 Speedfight 3 50cc with its upside down forks.  The engine is air cooled and not fuel injected – both of which keep things cheaper and simpler.  In fact it doesn’t look much, if any, different from the 2008 version but retains its sharp styling and sporty good looks..and it’s target? Well watch out all you 20 – 30 somethings the Speedfight is coming for YOU!
And if you don’t feel like being one of the happy plain Speedfight pack you can opt for the upgraded Iceblade or DarkSide versions for a mere £100 more.

Styling wise the instruments are mainly digital, clear and readable with nice user friendly design.  It has ample underseat storage as well which will take the average helmet without too many problems.  There’s a 12v socket under the seat too which is always a  useful addition.

The four stroke engine is sturdy and can not only do the job but can get up to fast quickly which is handy for the open road (70 on the flat!) and for getting through traffic in town where that little burst of speed may sometimes be necessary  to get out of a sticky situation.  And to match the speed the brakes are good enough to stop it on a sixpence (or should that be a five p these days?) with its wavy disc at the front and twin piston rear disc.

As far as balance goes it is a stable scooter partly due to the fact that the petrol tank is located under the rider’s feet to take the centre of gravity lower – all of which means that it moves and turns well when you are going slowly – maneouvreability is always useful when you are using a bike regularly. ...And it only weighs in at 114kg so it is not a heavy weight either.
All in all this is a good personable and able scooter with the necessary power to do the job and aquiline, slightly Manga good looks to keep its riders happy.  It looks as though for the time being at least, the Speedfight will keep it’s position at the head of the queue with the new 125.
Have you ever owned one of these scooters - either back in the day or do you have one now?  If so what do you think of it? Send us a picture if you have one.
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