Piaggio has manufactured in excess of 150,000 MP3 scooters since the introduction in 2006. That’s a large enough install base to warrant an article about Piaggio MP3 mounts for cell phones and GPS devices.
The number of locations for mounting a cell phone or GPS to a Paggio MP3 scooter is much more limited than a typical motorcycle. It’s a way different design from a conventional motorcycle such as a Harley-Davison or Suzuki, mainly because there’s no handlebar real estate to attach anything to. This isn’t uncommon for a scooter. Fortunately we identified some alternative mounts that will fit a Piaggio MP3 scooter quite well.
Although you might be tempted to use a suction cup somewhere on your scooter, we don’t recommend it. Suction cups in high vibration environments can become loose and fall off so we suggest using one of the three methods outlined below. Mounts for a Piaggio MP3 Scooter are hard to come by because, well, it’s not a motorcycle, it’s a scooter and this makes a big difference. There are dozens of manufacturers that make handlebar mounts for traditional motorcycles, but since the Piaggio MP3 Scooter doesn’t have a traditional handlebar, the options are limited – so limited that we are only familiar with a single manufacturer that has mounts that fit a Piaggio MP3 Scooter. Fortunately it’s a leading manufacturer that has been around for a long time called RAM Mounts.
Our phone recommendations below all feature the RAM X-Grip cradle which is an expandable universal holder. We wrote a very detailed article on the X-Grip cradle which you can read here. I highly suggest using a good case for your phone when mounting to your scooter. Rock chips, insects, other road debris are sure to hit your phone. Protect it with a good case like an Otterbox Defender, which is my favorite for this purpose and the one that I use. We always recommend tethering your device for added security. RAM recently added a tether to these X-Grip cradles at no additional charge, so be sure to buy one from recent stock or add a tether.
All the mounts that we recommend for a Piaggio MP3 Scooter are based around the mirror stem. I’m not sure of where else you could put a mount on this vehicle. There are a few locations around the mirror stem that we’ll discuss. Some will require removal of themirror stem, some can attach to the stem itself.
I think the best location for a Stella is the mirror stem base. This is the hole where your mirror is installed. To install these, you will need to remove the mirror stem, place the stem through the hole at the base of the mount, add a washer, then reinstall the mirror stem. It’s not difficult and the install may look a little cleaner than attaching directly to the mirror stem as outlined in the prior paragraph.
Consider the RAM Mirror Stem Base features an 11mm holes which will fit most mirror stems. If using the mount for a phone, go with the RAM Mirror Hole Mount with X-Grip IV Cradle
Another popular location for mounts is the mirror stem itself. Admittedly I’m not as fond of this location because it’s susceptible to more vibration than attaching to the base of the stem. If selecting this location, mount it as low as possible on the stem to minimize the effects of vibration.
For smartphones, consider the RAM X-Grip IV U-Bolt Mount. These mounts feature the same expandable X-Grip IV cradle which we just discussed previously and open to 4.5 inches which is large enough for almost all cases. This mount includes a plastic insert that gets the mount down to .5 inches diameter. You will need to use that insert on a mirror stem. This mount has a ball and socket design so it’s easily adjustable. Like the mirror base previously discussed, the cradle can also be used for many GPS units and you can add a camera adapter if you would like.
Any of these mounts can be turned into a camera mount by adding the RAM Tripod Base with 1″ Ball. This part has a 1″ ball that takes the place of the phone cradle. The adapter has a standard 1/4″ – 20 threaded tripod screw that attaches to any camera that has a tripod screw hole on the bottom.
All of the RAM Mounts we discussed above include a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer. That’s unusual in the mount business. Most of the components are made of marine grade powder coated metal. These mounts hold up extremely well to the elements and should last a long time.