Derbi Atlantis Scooter

Actually, that's probably bordering more on self-destruction than anything else, but that was the challenge I set myself when the Spanish-made, 100cc Derbi Atlantis scooter recently spent some time in the AMCN bunker. Of course, the Atlantis, one of seven scooters in the Derbi range,doesn't have a mandate for long-haul highway use, and the only reason it did so on this occasion was because it provided the most direct route home for this author. Never to be repeated. Where the Derbi does flaunt its credentials though is where it really matters,in frugal running costs, a quality finish, simplicity and a level of performance more than adequate for city use.

NEW ON THE SCENE

Derbi, which finished runner-up in the world 125cc GP title last year with Japan's crash-prone Youichi Ui in control, has been a player in the Australian scooter market for just on six months now. In that time Derbi has slowly increased its inventory to include not only 50cc and 100cc incarnations, but also a Supermotard and off-road machine. The Atlantis is one of two 100cc scooters in the line-up, the other being a more up-spec'd liquid-cooled model known as the Predator. Just on that, why can't scooters be called something more demure, like, for example, the Kleenex or the Milkwood?

The Atlantis is an air-cooled two-stroke, housing a centrifugal clutch. It has a claimed output of 8.5ps at 7500rpm. As far as bite from a standing start is concerned, the Atlantis has got plenty, and it only begins to find the going a bit tough around the 90kmh mark. And it starts easy too, courtesy of the electric start and a handlebar-mounted choke. On the freeway, the speedo reads 110kmh on full throttle, but I think that claim is exaggerated, and the real figure lies somewhere between 95 and 100kmh. As expected, the Atlantis won't exhaust petroleum supplies on the North-West Shelf, and costs around $7.00 to fill around the 120km mark. The 1.2lt oil reservoir provides enough two-stroke to last approximately four tanks of fuel, depending on the severity of use. The Atlantis's seat is comfy, although I feel its downward slope is a bit extreme, and it takes some time before the feeling of slip, slidin' away subsides.

DEPRESSION PAYS

In a sense, the engine is a blase part of a scooter,it's the nick-knacks that I look out for, and the Atlantis has plenty of them. Try the cigarette lighter, which is housed beneath the handlebars in an area large enough to hold a mobile phone. I consider the dual-action key the Atlantis's real calling card,depressing and turning it provides the traditional ignition and locking mechanism, and when the key is not depressed the seat is opened. Very nifty. Under-seat storage is ample, and provides enough space to fit a full-face helmet. Security is also paramount on the Atlantis, with a steel hook under the left footrest to lock the bike to a pole.or any inanimate object. It's not as sophisticated as the under-seat cable lock on the Peugeot Speedfight Prost, but then again it's $580 cheaper than the French machine. The Atlantis, which is available in blue or silver, also has an optional top box available for $200. It's about a 10-minute fit job.

At $4699, the Atlantis fits as a happy median in the price of 100cc scooters in Australia, trailing the Bolwell PGO Bondi ($4125), but undercutting the Peugeot Speedfight 100 ($5280). I'd rather be caught between those two scoots than a couple of rampaging Macks...

Note: Fastlane Cycles & Watercraft is the Australian Derbi importer. Tel (03) 9429 1880.

Story: Mark Fattore

Second Thoughts: Practicality and simplicity aren't the Atlantis's only drawcards, you can have a stack of fun on one too, as I found out when it came time for colleague Fattore and I to take the beastie back to its inner-city Melbourne-based importer. Mav's steed of the day, our Moto Guzzi California long-termer, may have had an engine capacity 11 times the size of the Atlantis, but it was an Atlantis-mounted me who was definitely getting the most jollies from ripping through the congested peak hour traffic. The Atlantis has got enough zap and agility to keep any traffic snarl at bay, with the style and quality of finish which is making Euro scoots like this top sellers.