Jay Leno And The Piaggio MP3 Decopods – Video

Regardless where you stand on the late night TV talk show wars, there’s no denying Jay Leno loves his cars and motorcycles. In fact, he even has his own channel on YouTube, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” where he dedicates shows to vehicles in his collection. Jay is known for owning some exotic machinery, but this is something else. Presenting the Decopod, built by Leno’s friend Randy Grubb.

Grubb identifies as an artist and gearhead, and when he got his hands on a Piaggio MP3 250, the wheels started turning — literally and figuratively. Inspired to be a “Flash Gordon personal mobility device,” Grubb hand formed all the aluminum panels himself. After yanking off about 25 lbs. of plastic, he estimates the new aluminum bodywork only weighs 45 lbs.

From there, the seat is lowered, and the bars lowered to match. The MP3 still retains its ability to lean, though we imagine hard parts will touch the ground much sooner than before. Grubb says he retained all the functionality of the original MP3, and even claims these Decopods don’t suffer from the crosswind effect that was a major problem for old racing motorcycles with “dustbin” fairings. Go to www.randygrubb.com to see more of Grubb’s wild creations. And to see more of the Decopods, watch this episode of Jay Leno’s Garage below.

By Troy Siahaan