Aprilia wasn’t a name to be contended with in the Indian scooter industry. Honestly, before the 2016 Auto Expo, most of the regular scooter buying public had never even heard the name. However, now Aprilia is an easy one to spot and more importantly understand. The one product that changed it all is the SR 150 scooter. And after a year of its launch, Aprilia brought in an even more racier version, the Aprilia SR 150 Race edition. How much better is the Race than the regular edition? We find out.
Aprilia SR 150 Race Looks and Features
The Aprilia SR 150 Race looks even more edgier than the standard scooter. Sure, it retains the same silhouette but there are also more graphics from the Aprilia Racing team, glossy grey shade, a gold coloured finish for the front brake caliper as well as red shock absorbers and wheels. Even the wing mirrors look aerodynamically inclined. We quite liked the headlights on the apron setup and while LEDs would have been appreciated, even this one works just fine. 14-inch alloys on a scooter is a novelty and you will end up liking them even more when you start riding. Aprilia gives a front disc brake as standard. The floorboard is a small unit whereas there are also hooks for hanging on plastic bags and all close to the seat. Speaking of which, we liked the seat and especially the way it has been put together. The impression it gives though is of a small unit and we will come to that at a later stage.
Aprilia has given a semi-digital instrument cluster to the SR 150 Race. An orange backlight too is provided. The speedo is done in an analogue fashion while the readouts are in digital format. Two trip meters, fuel gauge (highly erratic) and time are displayed here. The boot space seems low and like many other Indian scooters, will not take in a full face international-spec helmet. It though has a USB charging port as well as a light bulb. The tail light is an LED unit. Proper red coloured grab rails flank it.
Aprilia SR 150 Race Engine and Transmission
The Aprilia SR 150 Race, the company claims, has got a retuned transmission. The CVT has been now tuned for better responsiveness. All this while retaining the 155cc carburetted single cylinder engine. This motor produces 10.4PS of power and 11.4Nm of torque. Acceleration in the initial range feels progressive and picks up really well in the mid-range. We expected the top end to be weak but the scooter lustily pulled on and easily crosses 90kmph. However, with two on-board, the scooter did struggle a bit to get up to highway speeds. We achieved an overall fuel economy of 37kmpl.
Aprilia SR 150 Race Ride and Handling
This has got to be the stiffest scooter in business today in India. The Aprilia SR 150 Race feels rock stiff when ridden sans a pillion. All the sharp bumps and road irregularities do filter in right through the handle bar. However, with a pillion on-board, the ride quality improves significantly. When it comes for carving corners, there are very few scooters that stay this planted on our roads. This Aprilia was built with one aim and that was to give corner carving pleasure to its rider. Lean angles hitherto thought of as impossible are a cinch with the Aprilia. The front disc brake brings the vehicle to a halt safely while the rear drum too is responsive. We hate the fact that Aprilia still doesn’t provide single channel ABS with the SR 150 Race. There is less space for the pillion if the rider is a particularly plump one and vice versa. For a taller rider, the handle bar will definitely foul with his knees while executing a turn.
Verdict
The Aprilia SR 150 Race is a lovable scooter in the sense that it will bring out the boy racer in you. However, the standard SR 150 does the same to you and at a much lower price point. Speaking of which, the SR 150 Race is priced at Rs 73,588 ex-showroom Mumbai whereas the regular SR 150 is priced about a thousand rupees less. If you want a sporty scooter with less sense of practicality, the Aprilia is the one to go for. Have a family and will most likely be transporting them, the Burgman Street is within stone’s throw and mixes sporty and comfort nicely.
FOR ALL THE AUTOMOTIVE NEWS FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM