Power to weight

[Mustang 64]

I'm rapidly falling in love with the BMW C400X .
I stumbled upon one this week in a dealership I wasn't aware of.
It is loaded with the technology like ABS, traction control, blue tooth , navigation ... Stuff like that , not normally associated with scooters.
Much to my surprise though the very high tech 400c c engine only produces 33 h.p . The scoot weight 450 pounds. With my weight added, that gives us a road weight of 650 pounds. A power to weight ratio of .05 hp / lb.
I am currently riding a BV 250 which produces 22 h.p. And weighs 350 pounds.including my weight that gives me a road weight of 550 pounds.
The power to weight ratio is .04 h.p./ Pound.
I haven't ridden it yet but I am expecting the performance to be not that different from the BV. I will let you know how it feels once I schedule a test ride. I am truly hoping to l love it, but won't make the leap unless it is substantially quicker than what I am currently on.
Any similar experiences to share?

[kz1000st]

It will probably feel different than the BV because it is different. The BV is more like a sport bike while the BMW is more like a car. What you have to decide is if you like the BMW on its merits alone.

You wouldn't compare a Ninja to a Sportster even though they're both motorcycles.

[NaturalFlavored]

Well first off what do you want out of it? Are you looking for speed? Top end or torque? A cruiser to get up to speed and how fast you get there?
It's a scooter, if you want something more read about the engine and see if there's upgrades for transmission wise. You can always squeeze out more power in a scooter but depending on the model there might not be as much as another.
So it all depends on what you want.
If your wanting one to have more power then the other I'd suggest reading about the two and seeing which one has more upgrades then the other.

[sc00ter]

I have a Piaggio Liberty 150 now, and my prior scooter was a Buddy 125. Im actually in the process of helping the guy who bought my old Buddy to get it legal again so I can do a side by side comparison. So far, the only real difference is wheel size. They perform so close in power. Then, before that, I had a SYM CityCom 300 that got replaced by a Burgman 200. Again, very close in power. Different wheel size. As long as you like the BMW and explore things like hidden expenses, I say go for it. I was on the fence about the Piaggio because I hear horror stories about part availability and the dealer is kinda far away, but the wife and I like the ergonomics and the style so we purchased it anyways. Nothing like a new scooter!

[Smaug]

If it's about power:weight, you need to be looking at motorcycles, not scooters. Several now by Honda and Yamaha are available with dual-clutch automatic transmissions and have power:weight that just blows away any scooter. Some of the Honda ones (CTX) didn't sell well and are now a couple years old, new, sitting in the dealerships, and marked down $3k.

To me, scooters are about convenience and utility, I've had Japanese scooters from 49cc to 582cc. Singles and twins, air and liquid-cooled.

Also, there's more to power:weight than HP. Torque is important too, esp. on something heavy for its engine size, like a scooter.

Lastly, don't buy BMW unless you want to be nickel-and-dimed to death with service and parts costs. Their build quality is good, but they need more maintenance than the Japanese bikes, and it is expensive maintenance.

Stick with your Piaggio BV; that's a GREAT bike. If anything, upgrade to a nice used BV350. They are very quick and have a better seat and windshield than the 250s.