Aprilia SR 150
In the land of bland, functional scooters, the Aprilia SR 150 is a breath of fresh air. The question remains, is it evolution or revolution?
DO YOU REMEMBER THE Italjet Dragster? That funky 2-stroke moto-scooter that, a decade ago, made bike journalists brought up on a diet of Yamaha RXs and Bullets go mental? I remember showing the story to my dad and telling him to start saving; even now the editor can vividly recall its riotous performance (when not shedding parts) and even more insane styling. Of course it was never launched in India. Kinetic did try, did send out bikes for road tests, but even with the best will in the world, they knew a race-inspired scooter would never work in India. Instead they focussed on the much larger Blaze, another Italjet scooter they’d bought the moulds for, and stuck in their own 165cc motor. That too didn’t work; there were no takers for a sporty scooter.
Times change and the options available to the biking enthusiast have gone through the proverbial roof. Manufacturers are getting out of their shell and dabbling in funky, innovative, niche products – the Honda Navi being the best example in recent times. And now a serious effort is being made to get into the sporty swing of things with the Aprilia SR 150.
Well, Aprilia had to make a sporty scooter, didn’t they? The Italian brand is synonymous with racing and, praise be to the lord, they’ve stuck to their roots with their first India-specific scooter. Well they do sell the SRV 850 scooter in India but it’s not like you've seen many of them on the road – any of them in fact. But, trust me, you will see a lot of SR 150s on our streets in the future.
The SR 150 is a minimalist moto-scooter and a take on the MotoGP paddock scooters that the likes of Lorenzo whack from track-side photographers to scurry back to the pits after an accident. This is essentially the SR Motard 125 that is sold in Europe and makes its India debut with the Vespa’s 150cc powerplant and a modified variator case to accommodate the longer wheelbase. Segment-wise, it is the first proper moto-scooter to debut here, the Dio was only a restyled Activa if you’re wondering.
The SR 150 carries an edgy and minimalist style and I like the way the rear foot pegs fold into the bodywork and the front disc reservoir sits flush in the handlebar – all very neat and clean. The standout element is definitely the big 14-inch wheels
Main: The wrapped with Thai-spec (sticky) tyres that will be
breadth of the offered on the first few lots ZX-10R’suntil Apriliatalent is ties up with an Indian tyre manufacturer astonishing (possibly MRF) for local rubber. While most of the bodywork remains
similar to the SR 125, India-specific changes include an increase in seat length to accommodate a pillion. The graphics are well designed keeping Aprilia’s trademark black, white and red theme while panel quality and fit/finish levels are quite good. The switchgear feels a class down on the Vespa though, or that’s just me nitpicking.
Similarities to its Vespa 150 cousin are limited to the powerplant. Unlike the scooter’s monocoque frame, the SR 150 employs a tubular underbone frame and weighs two kilos more than the Vespa. This is a surprise as it felt substantially lighter than the metal-bodied Vespa and this is probably a factor of better weight balance and the big tyres that certainly aid dynamics. The Vee Rubbers are of a softer compound and have a wide footprint, both in the front and back. This makes initial turn-in a bit heavy but the advantage is a grippy and stable front end. The suspension setup is a bit on the stiffer side but at high speeds, it offers excellent stability.