On the road Derbi GP1 250 We have covered well over 1,000kms on the Derbi GP1 250 over a broad range of conditions Brendon We have covered well over 1,000kms on the Derbi GP1 250 over a broad range of conditions including track work, commuting, two up, rain, wind, country roads, highway, around town & a couple of scooter runs so we are well positioned to provide a road test.
Visually the GP1 is a stunning scooter, comments from viewers comments ranging from "It's scooter art" to " the scootering equivalent of a Ducati or Lamborghini". It has a presence which pictures do not capture, its sharp angular lines flow from front to rear and it looks exotic viewed from any position.
Underneath the panelwork sits a high quality alloy double beam frame, suspension up front consists of 35mm upside down forks with 90mm of travel connecting to a 245mm front disc with a twin opposing piston (4 pistons in total) AJP radially mounted front brake caliper. Rear suspension is an Olle twin gas shock arrangement with 75mm of travel complemented with a 220mm single opposing piston (2 pistons) AJP rear caliper. Top shelf Continental Twist Sport soft compound tyres in 120/70/14 front & 140/60/13 rear wrap around the lightweight alloy rims providing the GP1 with superb levels or grip.
The engine is the excellent Euro 3 emmission compliant "Quasar 250", a liquid cooled 4 valve, four stroke, fuel injected engine used in a number of Piaggio Group scooter brands like Vespa, Aprilia & Derbi. The beauty of the engine being shared by a number of models is the reduced cost of manufacture and better parts backup with dealers of each respective brand being a source of parts. Service intervals are every 6,000kms with first service due at 1,000kms.
The GP1 is fitted with a small glove box suitable for holding phone, keys & small items, a reasonable sized underseat storage compartment opened from the ignition takes either of my full or open face helmets. It must be noted not all helmets are the same size and its best to check to see if yours will fit. In addition to these two fairly common storage areas the GP1 also has two small compartments located just infront of your knees which are great for carrying small items like loose change for tolls, I use these compartments to hold my MP3 player, very handy. They are not lockable but are covered by little rubber doors with a small drain hole to deal with any water that gets in.
The instruments feature a large analogue tacho plus a digital display that provides fuel level, Speedo, Odometer, trip meter, service indicator & clock. An interesting & useful bonus which is when the fuel hits the reserve level another trip meter is activated which shows the number of kilometers travelled since hitting reserve.
The only let down with the GP1 are the rear view mirrors which do an excellent job of providing the rider a clear view of what is behind but lack the style and quality of the rest of the scoot, there are quite a few aftermaket mirrors available so its no big issue if it bothers you. The other is the silent indicators which don't make any noise when you use them. I always cancel the indicators after a turn on any scoot but its nice to have a noise just in case you have forgotten, its something you get used to though.
Mount the GP1 and you get the feeling you are connecting with rather than sitting on the scoot, the seat places you in a comfortable riding position with all controls at your fingertips, legs tucked behind the panelwork & the perimiter frame can be gripped with the legs similar to a motorcycle. The seating position feels high & provides a clear view over most cars.
Turn the key on the GP1 & the instruments light up with the ECU testing itself with the tacho needle doing a practice run to redline and settling back to Zero indicating to the rider the engine is ready to be fired into action. Being fuel injected you only need to press the electric start button and the scoot fires up, the system holding the revs high until the engine reaches optimum operating temperature where it then settles down to a rythmic single cylinder idle.
On the track the package proved itself, control is excellent, the brakes do a superb job of wiping speed of the 139kg GP1 on demand. The stopping power is brilliant with no fade evident even with repeated hard applications that were lifting the rear wheel. The brakes provide the rider with excellent feedback and are very responsive to touch. The Grip is awesome and ground clearance good, we did scrape the lower pody panel once or twice on the track when really pushing hard which was easily avoided by hanging off the scoot using a bit of "body english".
Head onto the road the Derbi instills the rider with a feeling of stability and certainty which equates to confidence in all conditions, doesn't matter of its raining, blowing a gale, navigating pot holed roads or on the smoothest bitumen the GP1 goes exactly where you want it to. This feeling is directly attributable to the high end suspension & chassis setup. While being stable in a straight line the GP1 is also extremely nimble & responsive to the riders input. Around town the narrow GP1 is able to easily filter gridlocked traffic like a 125, roundabouts and turns become a pleasure rather than an another intersection & on the open road or mountain twisties the handling really comes into its own. This makes the daily commute a much more enjoyable proposition. You may find yourself taking detours just to get a few extra corners in.
A recent trip up Springbrook mountain which has plenty of twisty corners the GP1 was an absolute delight. Those who have ridden it often draw comparisons with small hi performance sports bikes like RS125's & 250's. The comparisons are not so much in terms of direct performance but more in relation to the feeling of excitement they provide. Not surprising considering Derbi's 85 year heritage in small capacity hi performance motorcycles, scooters, an extensive background in Grand Prix motorcycle racing & European scooter racing. If you look at Derbi's range of Motorcycles & Scooters the brands DNA is readily apparent.
Being a 250 the GP1 jumps off the mark easily able to gap the most determined tin tops. Cruise at 60, 80 or 100 the Quasar engine lopes along without strain, wind on the throttle from any of these speeds and the GP1 is propelled forward without fuss with plenty in reserve to get you out of trouble or into mischief depending on the road. The throttle like the brakes has an excellent feel and minimal input is required from the rider. Fuel consumption is great with 8.6 ltrs getting 192 km on a hard ride and 9.2 ltrs returning 250 km on a more sedate ride. This will improve as the engine loosens up with a few more K's & with someone else riding it.
Like most exotic performance vehicles the GP1 stirs emotions, problem with most exotics is they are an absolute nightmare to live with on a day to day basis. Unlike the impractical exotics the GP1 gets better and makes more sense every time you ride it. published 18/04/2008 |