Aprilia SRV 850 ABS/ATC

While the mention of an 850 V-twin scoot may conjure up images of a tyre-frying tearaway, the reality of the world’s biggest maxi scooter – Aprilia’s SRV 850 ABS/ATC – is a little different. Yes, near enough to 81.5hp (60kW) and 76Nm are certainly impressive figures in the scooter world but when they’re pushing a claimed dry weight of 250kg the result is rapid, if not exactly revolutionary, acceleration.

It’s all about your perspective. Scooter die-hards moving up to their first maxi will be blown away by the SRV’s grunt while those accustomed to big-bore bikes will take it in their stride.

THE DETAILS
Let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer… The SRV began life as the Gilera GP800 before it was reborn (and rebadged) in early 2012 as an Aprilia. Australia never received the initial standard model but the ABS/ATC (Aprilia Traction Control) version arrived here in July. Bar the electronic safety aids the scoot remains unchanged but, as I discovered recently on a jaunt through central Victoria, that’s no bad thing.

The SRV has more in common with motorcycles than just its hefty capacity, as the scooter also has a bike-style double cradle tubular steel frame and a swingarm with chain final drive. Scooter folk might baulk at the latter and its manual adjustment, being more familiar with direct drive units that see the engine fixed directly to the swingarm. The SRV’s set-up is worth the hassle, however, as direct drive adds an awful lot to a scooter’s unsprung mass, with poorer suspension performance the result. No such issues with the SRV.

Pushing the SRV is an 839cc, 90-degree, SOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder V-twin with twin-spark ignition, liquid cooling and electronic fuel injection, which has also been seen in Aprilia’s Mana 850. The SRV rides on a 41mm fork and a horizontally slung rear monoshock, with adjustment limited to seven-stage preload for the latter.

A Brembo braking package sees twin 300mm discs and twin-piston calipers at the front mated with a single 280mm disc and twin-piston caliper at the rear. Both the ABS and ATC can be switched on or off independently of one another while engaging ‘Sport’ mode on the right-hand handlebar reduces the level of intervention. (Other than this, Sport mode has no effect on engine performance.

The bike is available only in the white/black colour scheme pictured and it retails for $15,990 (plus on-roads). Also in the ballpark is the $13,990 BMW C 600 Sport, $13,590 Suzuki Burgman 650 and $12,999 Yamaha TMAX 530, so the Aprilia is certainly no bargain basement machine.

ON THE ROAD
Hopping on the SRV I find it’s a little bit of a squeeze to get comfy – the lumbar support on the very stylish carbon-esque-weave seat is the main culprit .Okay, so at 188cm (6ft 2in) I’m on the lanky side but I was expecting roomier ergonomics. Flipping up the seat reveals the lumbar support could be removed but there are no tools in the Spartan underseat toolkit to do the job. Bugger. At least the seat itself is comfortable, being broad, plush and supportive.

Having my feet forward rather than on the floorboards helps and as I point the SRV out of the drive and head for the country I put the space issue to one side to focus on the SRV’s other attributes – and especially that engine.

Make no mistake, while it’s no quarter-mile weapon the SRV is still plenty fast for a scooter. That 250kg dry weight is hefty but it accelerates strongly from a standstill and the available urge doesn’t let up until the speedo sweeps round to 160km/h or thereabouts. Even then it pushes on in a more sedate manner to around 190km/h, at 8500rpm – or so I’ve heard. At 100km/h the tacho is showing 5250rpm. While Australian owners will be reticent to explore its upper potential on a regular basis the important point is there’s plenty of oomph for overtaking, even at highway speeds.

After 100 or so highway kays I realise the non-adjustable screen is also causing me some grief – I’m just too tall to get underneath the wind’s blast, which is hitting my head and shoulders. The screen’s rather long but not especially high and there’s no lip on its upper edge. Riders of an average height won’t have any such issue but, for me, this would be a deal breaker. Aprilia offers a tinted screen as a factory accessory ($216) but it’s no higher than the standard jobbie.

As a favourite winding road near the old gold town of Bendigo swings into view I forget about the cramped cockpit and revel in the ride. The power delivery is very smooth and in general this engine is remarkably refined. I have the throttle wrenched to the stop frequently but the scooter obeys, rocketing away from corner apexes with satisfying grunt. The deep, throaty (important comma, that one) V-twin beat from the exhaust sends a tingle up my spine – this test scoot is fitted with the accessory Arrow exhaust ($1082) and it’s a lovely add-on. With a carbon hanger and end cap it looks superb – it’s said to save a few kilos and add some extra ponies too. Sadly it’s a ‘race use only’ affair.

The suspension does a fine job over far-from-ideal surfaces while the 16in/15in front/rear wheel package and decent Pirelli Diablo rubber unlock a sporting experience of which most scooters can only dream. There’s a heap of ground clearance. I thought I was getting through some of the bends at a decent pace but there was a still a fair ‘chicken strip’ on either side of the back hoop by the ride’s end. “Must try harder,” as my school teachers used to say… Aprilia claims the SRV can be heeled over to a 45-degree lean angle, which if you ask me is about as sporty as you’d ever want to get with a scooter’s ride position and steering geometry.

HIT THE PICKS
The brakes are well up to the job of slowing the show and it’s reassuring to have the ABS and traction control there to lend a hand if things get ugly. I don’t know why you’d want to switch either safety net off; after all, it’s not like it’s an adventure bike… Similarly, I guess it’s nice to have the option of altering the level of intervention via ‘Sport’ mode but I wonder how many owners will regularly swap from one to the other on a regular basis. Not many, I’ll wager.

The view from the bridge is impressive, as you survey a very classy looking dash with analogue speedo and tacho split by an LCD display that shows odometer, clock, engine temperature and more. A ‘mode’ button on the right-hand handlebar hints at the promise of a comprehensive trip computer, but no – it just rotates the display between the two trip meters and the ambient temperature display.

There are no gloveboxes as you’d find on most other scoots and the storage beneath the seat is modest. It’ll take one open-face lid but not a full-face lid – as I discovered when I tried to close the seat on my Bell. That’s disappointing given its long-haul potential and a knock-on effect of the SRV’s motorcycle-esque engine and chassis/swingarm set-up, but at least there’s an underseat light and, handily, a 12V accessory plug. The seat is unlocked via a button near the ignition and it lifts and drops with the assistance of a hydraulic strut. The accessory topbox ($414) is a nicely finished item and pillions will certainly appreciate its plush backrest, along with the sturdy grabhandles and generous perch.

The centrestand works well for such a heavy beast but its actuation plate sits right next to the Arrow muffler, making it a little tricky to get a foot onto it. The brake levers each offer four-position span adjustment – a nice touch – and the fuel filler is under the seat.

Speaking of fuel, a spirited strop saw the SRV return 6.1lt/100km while sedate highway rolling saw this drop to 5.7lt/100km. That’s a fair appetite; they should see the SRV manage a safe working range of 280-300km between fill-ups from its 18.5lt tank. Again, I’d be wanting a little more in a maxi scooter. As far as maxis goes, the SRV is clearly further up the ‘sport’ end of the sports-touring spectrum.

The quality is certainly there, as you’d hope at this price point. The fit and finish of the bodywork is superb and there are niceties like integrated mirror/front indicators and a sharp twin headlight set-up – the visual link to the RSV4 superbike and Tuono streetfighter is clear.

That 250kg (dry) weight, however, can’t be ignored. It’s a heavy lump to push around in the garage and it of course has an impact of the SRV’s performance on the road. Yamaha’s TMAX 530 weighs 217kg (wet) while BMW’s C 600 Sport weighs 237kg (dry). Suzuki’s Burgman 650 is heavier at 275kg (wet) but then it’s pitched more as a ‘grand tourer’ than a sports maxi.

THE BOTTOM LINE
I really wanted to love the SRV but because I’m tall it missed the mark. It’s certainly one fast scooter that will shame most cars and a good portion of bikes in the traffic-light GP but the limited storage and range means you’ll need to be head over heels with the sports maxi scooter theme to cough up the top-dollar price tag. That’s a pity, because in every other respect the SRV is a very nicely constructed and beautifully refined machine.

TRANSMISSION
Type: CVT automatic
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Auto dry centrifugal

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Tubular steel double cradle
Front suspension: 41mm telescopic fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Horizontal monoshock with seven-stage preload adjustment
Front brakes: Twin 300mm discs with twin-piston Brembo calipers, ABS equipped
Rear brake: Single 280mm disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper, ABS equipped
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Scooter
Sizes: 120/70R16 front, 160/60R15 rear
Wheels: Cast alloy
Sizes: 3.5in x 16in front, 4.5in x 15in rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed weight: 250kg (dry)
Seat height: 780mm
Wheelbase: 1593mm
Fuel capacity: 18.5 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $15,990
Colour: White/black
Test bike supplied by: John Sample Automotive, www.aprilia.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres