The 'no' bits come next. It’s awfully sad to see what once was great become less great. See the Runner was always the badass scooter for riders who, like me, wanted to hoon around like mad people. The new bike is no longer the king. It’s not even the queen…I think it may even be a jack. First off the older 180SP is faster, yep, read it and weep. Even an older well used 180SP from 1999 will whip the new Runner in a drag race. The new Honda SH300 will certainly be quicker too. The real let down though is the sound. The engine sounds like a bland piece of wood being beaten on an even blander concrete box by a very bland guy named Bob.

Now it must be said, I did hear a modified Gilera Runner VXR 200 recently and it sounded awesome. The owner had thrown away the horribly restrictive standard exhaust and replaced the air box with a foam K&N filter. With those simple mods the bike took on a whole new feeling. It also seems the brilliance of the CVT transmission and smooth torque curve of the engine combine to make the Runner simply ‘feel slow’. When I did time the bike I found it wasn’t quite as slow as I thought. I guess it’s all just a bit too 'nice' for me.

Summing up the Gilera Runner VXR 200. The Runner really is a fantastic bike; it very much deserves a test ride from anybody who wants a fast reliable scooter that will eat B-roads and motorways for breakfast. Sadly for old fans of the two stroke Runner the new bike is just a bit soft. It’s like the new BMW 3 series models. Each new model is bigger, heavier and even blander than the last. Better cars, but not more fun to drive. The latest 08 Runner has a few styling updates from the model tested but is basically the same bike. Still, it’s certainly very much worth a look as it’s cheaper than a Vespa GTS 250 and much more fun to ride.

Now what are Gilera going to do? Are they just going to hand the performance scooter mantle onto Honda or somebody else? Piaggio Group who own Gilera have a new 300cc engine that happens to be a total and utter waste of time. First it’s actually only 278cc and basically makes the same power as the 250cc it replaces. Gilera have already added it to the Nexus and I imagine it’ll slot into the Runner soon enough. Now if Gilera think they can compete with Honda’s SH300 (which makes 27hp) they’ll either need a new engine or at least tune their new motor to the same power…otherwise they’ll stay a jack when they could be king

Price NZ $6495 UK £2,799

0-50km/h	4.1 Seconds
0-100km/h	14.5 Seconds
50-80km/h	5.3 Seconds
Fuel Economy	4.5L/100kms - 52MPG
Speedo Accuracy	50kph displayed = 43kph actual - 100kph displayed = 93 actual
Pros:	Awesome styling, solid build quality,
Cons:	Engine is well overdue for a makeover
Handling
Performance
Fuel Consumption
Value for money
Ease of use
Styling
Build quality
Overall Score	79%

Comments (4)

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written by martin , November 30, 2009

What tire pressure should I put on ythe runner vxr on race day? I weigh about 155lbs

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written by Stu , January 01, 2009

Lots of go faster and parts for these scoots, even adjustable front forks.
Have a look at- http://www.malossi.com/Catalog...rt=6711860
Its an expensive 200cc transport machine standard but a lot of fun.

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written by vincel , July 10, 2008

Yeah the old 180's were good fun... when they were going haha. You are right about the seat on the VXR she is pretty tall.

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written by Mark , July 08, 2008

I rode the SP180 a couple years back and it was insane, pity they stopped making them. The only thing I hate about the Runner is how high the seat is, my boss has a new VXR one and hes only a bit taller than I am -only the tallest people will find it comfy.

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