As the line between scooter and motorcycle continues to blur, enter the new Aprilia SRV 850 . Although we do not have full details (those should be available at EICMA in a few weeks), Aprilia states the SRV 850 will have an 850cc v-twin engine putting out 75 hp and 56 foot-pounds of torque. With what we can see of the chassis (particularly, the swingarm and front end), this appears to be a development of the Gilera GP 800 introduced several years ago, but not available in the U.S. market. The SRV 850 appears to have a slightly larger motor, together with small bumps in horsepower and torque, as well as much more attractive bodywork.
If the GP 800 chassis specs are anything to go by, the SRV 850 will feature a 16″ front wheel and 15″ rear. Beefy 300 mm dual front disc brakes should haul down this extremely fast (by scooter standards) machine. The transmission will likely be a CVT.
The Aprilia SRV 850 is more likely to be imported to the U.S. given its branding, but we have no official word on that at this point.
First a silver wing now a Bergman 650 with 13k trouble free miles and waiting for the next big fast scooter. Hope this comes to the USA. It will be my first Aprilla.
Looks like a jetski with wheels !
Used to be that “scooters” were all about economy and underseat storage space. Speed and handling were not the most focused on attributes as the environment where scooters were mostly operated is in the city for short hops. I see now that this Aprilia “scooter” with 75hp and 56#’s of torque will outclass many pure motorcycles in the performance department. I would think that an 1800cc scooter can’t be to far off in the future. In the meantime you could just buy a Honda Goldwing and be ahead of the game, because that’s where scooters are headed!
This I like. Call it what you want but I can see myself with one of these along with my other bikes, and they wouldn’t be offended.
Yep, I’m all jacked up about this new scoot from Aprilia! 77 horses! DCT may have been a better trans route to go over CVT, but the new CVT’s are mighty impressive. I’m on a Triumph Rocket III right now, but am so impressed by the new maxi-scooters that a trade may be in the future. I’ve found cornering to be a lot more fast and fun with a CVT or DCT than a manual transmission. You’re ALWAYS in the right gear. At some point we may see the manual clutch lever go the way of the kick start lever. Don’t laugh… remember when you said you’d never own a bike with an electric starter???
With all this big scooter chat, isn’t it about time Dirk gave us a look at whatever it is that BMW are going to offer so we can compare and dismember it also.
Ian Danby(OntarIAN)
wow, the V4 of scooters. but then again aprilia has never been a slouch in this department.
Attention Honda: your Integra 700 maxi-scooter has just become obsolete.
Attention Aprilia: send one SRV 850 asap please. I’m ready for my super scoot.
These things are staring to remind me of Dan Gurney’s alligator bike: http://www.allamericanracers.com/alligator/alligator_home.html
Wow, If you are going to ride a scooter, this thing is awesome. In fact, I would consider one to fill the spare slot in my garage right after the Piaggio MP3 500..
One big advantage of big scooters is the big storage space. The Burgman 650 has the greatest amount, that will hold two full helmets and a jacket stuffed in on the side. One of the disadvantages of stooters is all of the plastic. The plastic breaks over time on rough city streets.
Sportbike bodywork, tires, 850cc, chain drive. Isn’t this just a motorcycle with a low seat? In 30 years of roadriding I’ve never thought once about owning a “scooter” before I saw this one. Now I’m thinking about how fun it would be!
Funny thing is, now even a scooter will bet a harley *
I don’t think the motor swings up and down on this one.
My hunch is that it will sell for less than the Mana which sells for $9899 without ABS.
I had the first generation Aprilia Scarabeo 500 and it was well made and totally reliable.
I’d choose it over the Honda DCT because the Honda is bland by comparison.
It’s interesting that Aprilia went with a CVT rather than the DCT.
I am strangely attracted to it.
I’ll be surpprised if these bigger Maxi-scoooters sell well with chain drive and loss of ease of entry/exit of the rider with the hump between the seat/dash.
When you get older like me(68)not having to throw your leg over the seat is a welcome feature only in scooters. Not having to shift all the time is nice too. Ease of use is at the top of my list to keep on riding now. That and built in storage. Being ricky racer on the street isn’t important to me any more. BTDT. I have 4 scooters and 3 bikes. The bikes don’t get ridden much any more. They’re too much hassle compared to the scooters now. When you guys get older you’ll understand.
WOW. Whats this ? My posts are being erased ? Don’t tell me that MD is been paid by Aprilia like Hell for Leather ?
Whats the matter ?! Do i have to like this attrocity to be able to post here ?! I think is FUGLY, a my not entitled to my opinions anymore ?
I was under the impression we were grown up man and women around here, not sensitive old hags.
Hey, Dirck or whoever is behind it…is there something u want to tell me Man ? IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IS DONE, HERE.
Yep, they dogged me too when I rode the Cruiser Poseurs too hard.
Mike – Did you read what you posted? Someone has to draw the line between criticism and “mindless bashing”. I think this is the first post of yours I have pulled (I am sure you have more than 100 posted on this site). I won’t even dignify your insinuation that MD is bribed by Aprilia with a response, but I am surprised you stooped to this. I don’t like babysitting readers who mindlessly bash one another, or products. Criticism is fine . . . you will find it all over the place in the comments posted on this site. This is what I want to tell you – I have already spent more time on “MikeD” in the last couple of days than should be necessary.
I really hope apropos brings this scooter in. this would change all future bike purchase plans for me!! this would be my next bike!!
“This thing can’t hold A Candle to the TMAX or Burgman650”
Really? I’m curious how can you know that.
hey Dirck, this captcha s-u-c-k-s
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What ?! Im not entitled to my opinion anymore ? LOL.
The only difference between these pigs and a real ride now is skill, commitment and training.
As for a city scoot–I’ll take a drz or something comparable any day.
LOL.
Spoken like one who’s spent next to no time on one but thinks they ‘know best’.
I assume you still have a horse and carriage as your main source of transportation then? No?
Engines and the vehicles they propel are so dirty and lets face it, don’t take as much skill, commitment and training to operate.
Nope. Spoken like someone who has spent countless hours in the saddle riding and racing on and off road. I’ve had lots of training, many certs, and broken enough laws to know that maxi scoots and their ilk are nothing but the dumbing-down and sissification of motorcycling.
ANYONE ride them, and they make the “perfect city scoot” from the cafe to the mall and back…hooray!
Sorry chum but not my kind of riding!
That’s a different tone than your original post, and one I can understand. The first implied scooters were somehow less valid. The second basically says different strokes for different folks. That’s fine. Most riders haven’t the level of expertise you do and don’t want it.
The whole POINT of a scooter is to not have to focus on gear selection, rev range, clutch brake, throttle…..etc.
Yes. They take less training to ride. For a myriad number of reasons, that’s the point. Much the same way automatic transmissions in cars are popular. It’s simpler. But having ridden several types of large scooters (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, Kymko….you name it…..used to sell them), I can tell you that the ride is entirely different. It’s not ‘dumbed down’ so much as it is a different experience. Much like a Gold Wing, a Burgman 650 disappears beneath you after achieving walking pace.
You still have to hit the apex right to grab throttle on exit. Have to be very wary of lean angle, as the wheelbase requires more roll to effect a turn. You can’t move your body as much to compensate when you cock up a line, so don’t.
As for riding a DRZ as a commuter, while you’re either strapping on your backpack or properly loading your saddle bags…..the inexperienced scooter rider indiscriminately shoves their bag and whatever else under the centralized underseat storage, steps on and disappears before you or I have thumbed the starter.
Like I say….diffn’t strokes…..
I’d say my message in long form is the same as what I wrote in short form. I also contend that the least skilled and most dangerous riders I’ve seen are scooter pilots.
The whole point of riding a motorcyle is to be totally involved in the experience, at all levels, with complete focus and concentration untill the world melts away and you feel like you are flying.
The whole point of a scooter is to sit up like you’re at the breakfast table and toodle around from stop to stop.
If I am going to commute, it is going to be rip-roaring fun and believe me, it’ll be on a DS. If I’m going to run errands that require toodling around, I’ll do it in my car.
There’s very little difference in terms of price and experience between scooting around on a maxi and driving around in a smart car or base model econobox. So if that’s the selling point, I’ll take the econobox to bring home my groceries, thank you!
Bikes are fun. Econoboxes are practical. Scooters occupy a netherworld between the two where fun and passion are greatly diminished, and practicality only modestly upgraded.
My sense is North Americans are just too red blooded to fall for this crap.
I agree on two things. Motorcycles are about the experience. Scooter pilots are, by and large, less well-trained.
So?
Scooters are about simplicity and transportation. And the experience on a maxi-scooter is nowhere close to that of a smart car or econobox. Wwwaaayyyy different.
Horses for courses….but if I owned this I guarantee the Aprilia logo down low would end up needing pucks…..
Valentino Rossi rides around town on CVT scooters and has even shown up on them to races (where he’s a spectator). But I guess Rossi lacks your skill, commitment and training.
I probably have a lot more skill, commitment, training, and experience than you do. I’ve dragged pegs on fresh pavement on a dual sport with 11+ inches of suspension travel. I’ve had MSF instructors who could not match my slow-speed bike control and balance. I’ve won one slow-speed riding competition and placed second in another. I’ve ridden motorcycles for over 30 years — everything from dirt bikes to sport bikes, with a few scooters thrown into the mix. So lose the attitude.
I’ve got a DR-Z400S. I’ve got a couple of Buells (1125CR and XB12Ss). I’ve got a Ural. And I’ve got a Genuine Stella (Vespa PX150 derivative complete with clutch and manual transmission). I recently sold my Aprilia Atlantic 500 maxi scooter with the intent of replacing it with something like this. I’ve lost count of the number of bikes I’ve owned over the years I’ve been riding.
I commute round trip 70 miles in Northern VA, some of the worst stop-and-go rush hour traffic in the country in all seasons of the year (yeah, tell me about how you ‘feel like you’re flying’ when you are averaging 7 mph and stopping ever 20 feet in a traffic jam). In that environment, rides like this make infinitely more sense than something like a GSX-R1000, Yamaha R1, Triumph Speed Triple, etc. It’s got better weather protection, better storage, and I don’t end up arriving at work with my arm pump in my clutch arm. Anything that gives me more riding days is a winner in my book.
After riding a variety of street motorcycles for 30+ years I bought a used 125ccc scooter for around town. There is a reason for their popularity everywhere else in the world, they are the ultimate urban transport for congested city driving. My Suzuki Bandit gets ridden on weekends, but for commuting to work and everywhere else local, the scooter is the ticket.
totally agree with you. i have a gsxr 1000 and a ninja, but going to work in the city, i ride my genuine blur 150. i get between 80-85mpg on a 1.9 gallon tank. it’s amazing how peppy and fast it is!
I concur. I have a Honda ST 1300, a Yamaha FZ-1(gen 1) and a Honda Nighthawk 750. Bought my wife a Yamaha 400 Majesty scooter which I would occassionally ride to keep it “exercised”. Enjoyed riding it so much I went out and bought another one for myself. Scooters are a hoot to ride. The Majesty is so smooth and fast I end up riding it faster than any of my other bikes, and once you trust that they will corner (and they will) you can rail on them thru the curves.Most of the time when picking out something to ride it will still be one of the “motorcycles”, but every once in awhile I’ll pull out the scooter cause it’s so easy to ride and so much fun..
Let’s admit it to ourselves: we are wrong crowd (with some rar exceptions) to judge scooter. Personally, I have biggest qualms with nothing between my knees. How the heck I am supposed to steer it? Oh yeah, I understand it has CofG way down; maybe it keeps stable by itself, I don’t know – just guessing.
But then, there are people who ride these things with bravure and gusto. I spoke with one, it was in late Fall, he was riding Burgman with ABS. He told me that he made so many kms in one year I make in several years on my bike. Even crossed continet with it! I was amazed how he feels safe on slippery, leaf covered pavement. Like I said, it’s a different crowd.
scooter or motorcycle, anything with 2 wheels and a motor is awesome.
Not anything, but many are. Scooters are generally for transportation, bikes are for pure fun. I do not believe that scooter rider actually cares what he/she sits on as long as it gets them there for lesser expense than car.
Perhaps you are unaware of magazines like Scoot!, Scootering, and Twist & Go. Those are for scooter enthusiasts, many of whom are very loyal to brands and models, just like motorcycle riders are. You probably also didn’t know that there were scooter shows and rallies. Did you know that there was a vibrant performance and accessory aftermarket for scooters?
People who plunk down over $10K (out the door) for a Suzuki Bergman 650 Executive or almost as much for a Honda Silverwing or Yamaha T-Max are not doing it to save money. People who buy this 120mph bike (previously sold as the Gilera GP800 in Europe) will not be doing so to minimize their commuting expenses. There are cars that get better fuel economy and that don’t need new tires in less than 5,000 miles.
There are bike snobs and then there are scooter snobs. Then there are people like me the love anything with a motor and two wheels. I hope Aprilia builds scads of these things and they sell like hot cakes.
With you on this.
Scooters, like cruisers, always have that feet forward seating position which gives you less control over the machine. It might be good if you cannot bend your knees but you do sacrifice control with less body input.
What hp and torque does the Ducati 750cc v-twin put out? Now that would be a scooter!!
I don’t think the Duc 750 does any better. The newest 696 motor goes 80hp in a 360lb Monster. I think this engine/transmission is likely lifted from the Mana 850 motorcycle (the Duc is also air-cooled, this is more likely liquid cooled though I speculate). These power figures sound pretty stout. I wonder what this will weigh and if the engine is hard-coupled to the swing arm, ala’ traditional scooter.
I don’t know Mike, this thing looks pretty bad-ass.
If I were missing my left leg, it would be hard to keep me away from this thing. The majority of the motorcycly-buying public would be better served by something taller and smaller with a 6-speed, but this thing has got looks that could kill and a motor that can lift that cute little front wheel, if you’re into that…
IMO…if i had to have a DCT or Auto i would hit the Aprilia Mana instead. ALl the motorcycle’s positives and the main advantage of the scooter(some build in storage and the auto tranny)…I do recognize that if u were missing a leg u would prefer the lower scooter. Hope it never comes down to that with u(the leg thing, not the scooter).
Lol. One of the guys at HFL filled up the fake tank with beer and ice on a Mana while reviewing it. LOL.
I would rather hit a TMAX 500. Can’t wait to see the refreshed one at EICMA.
Now, this is what a scooter should look like. If I had a sprained left ankle or carpal tunnel in my left hand, I’d ride the hell out of this thing! But I don’t, so I won’t.
Never thought the motor had to be on the swingarm for it to be a scooter.
I am not a scooter guy but like the looks of this .
Why complain guys about something if you are not going to buy it .
very true. i love anything with 2 wheels and a motor. i own 2 motorcycles and 2 scooters, and they ride great for what they do.
plus, they’re going to keep making scooters because they sell a ton of them in europe and asia.
Very similar in concept to the Honda Integra MD posted about a few weeks ago, only without the luggage options.
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2011/09/honda-integra-hybrid-first-model-featuring-new-700cc-twin-with-dct/
I’d rather have the Honda.Better looking package, more storage, Honda quality, Honda dealer network and it will cost less (my guess)
I’d loved to see someone engineer a bike with 100kg’s of motor on the swinging arm – NOT! This is more a grown up step-thru than scooter but I would not trust a sixteen inch front wheel on dodgy roads, skips away far too fast. Those scoots with two-wheels at the front look fine in the showroom but when you see them on the road they look like those electric buggies for fat or crippled people who can’t walk. Honda do a 110cc step thru with automatic transmission, BTW, get around 150mpg and handles far safer than conventional scoots.
“I would not trust a sixteen inch front wheel on dodgy roads, skips away far too fast”
Don’t remember any reviewers reporting this issue with the original 929 Fireblade.
I think I’d take the new Honda Integra over this.
+1.
Didn’t we see a rather large displacement BMW (800 I think…)scooter at Long Beach?
This thing would look fierce with nobbies and dual sport shocks!
This thing would look fierce with nobbies and dual sport shocks!
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LMAO. For when u think u have heard the end of it…someone always comes out with some crazy $%& Idea. LMAO.
The thing I like about scooters is the myriad form factors. This is a scooter. So is a Vespa. Yet they are very far apart. A sporty scooter with chain(!) drive seems like a step backwards tho. Scoots should be low-effort rigs with sealed drivetrains IMO. I have a 1986 Honda Elite 250 with almost 30K on it and it runs like champ (been cared for) and will touch 80 with a little tailwind. A hoot around town and get 70mpg no matter how I hammer on it. It’s great to see Aprilia go big with a scooter but I personally think the Burgy 650 is the best all-around modern package you can get.
Agreed.
I have ridden the Burgman 650 and it’s a vague-handling barge. It also makes 50hp compared to the 76 that this bike makes. This is so much better than a Burgman 650 that they are not even in the same league. In case you were unaware, this Aprilia really just a rebadged Gilera GP800 with some styling tweaks.
thescooterreview.com wrote: “A Burgman 650 would have ABSOLUTELY NO chance of keeping up with the Gilera GP800, neither in a straight line or through a section of twisty corners.
…
Gilera really have moved the game on with the GP800, it is far and away a vastly superior bike to any other maxi scooter on the market. “
well, as far as scooters go, it aint bad looking. But doesn’t something like this cost a lot…..? Most scooters I see, cant possibly cost anywhere near what this will cost. It’ll be interesting to see how the market reacts to it.
Aprilia is a pretty smart company. I’d almost expect to see some influence of what they learned with the Mana in this beastie. May have an advanced electronically controlled cvt like the Mana for example.
I’ve enjoyed my 400 Burgman as a commuter and at times actually prefer riding it to one of my motorcycles. This might make such riding even more fun.
It’s the same drive train as the Mana and was introduced at the same time, though as a Gilera GP800.
I wrote to Piaggio back in ’08 or ’09 urging them to re-brand the GP800 as an Aprilia so that they could sell it in the U.S. through Aprilia dealers. Either they took my suggestion to heart, or they ignored it but came to the same conclusion some years later.
This is a seriously fast scooter and handles at least as well as most cruisers.
no ohlins forks? no mono-block radially mounted brembo calipers gripping twin rotors? no nitrite coated inverted forks? no adjustable…floor boards? How in the world do they expect us to take this thing seriously……:)
Lol… Yeah, what about the wheelie control and the slipper clutch for agressive downshifts? Oh wait…
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265327
Ask and u shall recieve…scroll all the way to the end.
An improvement…and still ODD.
Well, you are right – motor on the swingarm is part of the classic definition of a scooter, but the lines are blurring as the machines and their engines get heavier and larger. Burgman 650, T-Max and Gillera 800 are all considered scooters yet they use motorcycle-like set up of engine in the frame.
Is it me or does the wheelbase look really long?
Looks long to me too.
Two things at work. The smaller diameter wheels sacrifice some stability. Adding wheelbase alleviates some of that. Second, with a step-through frame, packaging becomes a real issue as well. If you can’t go ‘up’, you’ve got to create space somehow. Wheelbase is an obvious tradeoff.
In this case, its necessary to solve one problem while simplifying another.
Well said Ruefus. Someone has their thinking cap on!
I’d rock that in a heartbeat. Sporty styiling, hints of their sport roots but without being ridiculous.
Although I’d rather it have 17’s simply for the myriad choice of rubber. Well made scooters are loads of fun.
It looks like I see a chain and sprocket on the rear wheel, so motor is not on the swingarm? I thought the definition of a scooter was that the motor was on the swingarm instead of on the chasis. Anyway, less weight on the suspension is better so glad they went that route. Now if they would only put 2 front wheels on it. I like the 2 front wheel concept, but do not like the motor on the swingarm.