2004 Aprilia reviews

I purchased my mojito used and have had no problems and so far, never taken the scooter to the shop. I've owned several scooters and this one is the most solid. The ride is very smooth and sticks to the road. I would compare the feel very similiar to that of the new vespa GT. This is the most comfortable seat I've sat on. The bike drips with style and personality. It's not perfect though. It has good power and races to about 50mph, then slowly reaches a top speed of about 65mph. In good conditions I've gotten as fast as 72mph. But I wish it had more power, or at least had a larger displacement option like vespa has with the GT series. I also graded quality a tad lower as well. The fit and finish is great, what you would expect of from an Italian make. But the glove compartment door doesn't completely seal, allowing water in when washing. Scooter is a bit beefy as well, could be a little much for smaller riders or first timers. Overall, an awesome scooter and whole heartidly reccomend it. Show less

This bike is absolutely stunning. That may be an overused cliche perhaps, but ride one and tell me I'm wrong. I own one of the last serial numbers for year '03, but this site begins the list at '04 for some reason. The Tuono itself is an outstanding work of art that is up to more than anyone I personally know can throw at it. The motor is incredibly flexible without being sewing machine smooth (read: no soul), like the current liter bike herd. If what you're after is being the fastest plastic repli-racer on the roads, look elsewhere. If you want a bike that turns heads (most people simply don't know who Aprilia are - I love the uneducated masses), offers all day comfort and can still tear it up through the twistys, look no further. The Racing (now Factory) versions Ohlins suspenders, radial Brembos, and SuperCorsas are total overkill on the streets, but they offer a nice bit of bling for the Sunday morning pancake crowd. And last but not least, the carbon bodywork is gorgeous. Worth every penny. But don't take my word for it, get out on one for a test ride. Just watch that throttle in first gear... Show less

I have now had this automatic bike for 6 months, and I like it even more each time that I ride it. I have discovered the following: BRAKES - They are good, especially when you need to come to a very quick stop. Where I use the front brake 95% of the time on my 2001 SV650, I use the combined front and rear left break the most. LEAN - the 500 will lean as far as you want to take it. Country roads or tight turns at lights are a piece of cake. The tires grip well. SEAT - My legs and toe tips have become adjusted to the tall, wide seat. When riding I realize that I can see really far because I'm about the same height as an SUV driver. STEERING - I have tightened the steering damper almost to the maximum (yes, there is one, but it takes some practice to reach it under the front fender) for better connection with the road. I now also have the Borso tunnel bag that, when tight against the inner part of the fairing and the seat, acts beautifully as an additional steering damper, especially in strong winds. SPEED - When I take off at a red light, I don't feel like I'm going fast, but cars are always in my mirrors. MIRRORS - They work really well. This is the first bike that I can actually see easily what's behind me on both sides. CENTERSTAND - If you know how to use a centerstand properly, you'll find the 500 raises easily. This helps when you frequently clean the brake dust off the rims, check the tires etc. I have to rock a couple of times to get the bike down, due to the height. Be careful in gas stations if a car moves too close to you when filling up. You'll need some room as you come down off the stand. COLD WEATHER - I ride throughout the winter and the hand guards so far (December 6th) on the fairing have been great. Cold fingertips and body parts on my SV have been comfortable on the 500. EASE OF OPERATION - I can see/enjoy more of my surroundings while riding because the management of the bike is so much easier. No shifting. No adjustment of the feet for braking. A full upright, comfortable position with the wind 85% off of you and loads of room for adjustment of your feet. MILEAGE - When I tell people that I'm getting 55-60 mpg, no matter how hard I ride, they ask where they can find an Aprilia Scarabeo 500. Show less

Been riding Aprilias for a while now and man did they change up the mile! The chassis is so much lighter and the bike barely looks like its predecesors. It's a beautiful bike that likes to be heard, and people will know you are coming. Torque is seemingly unlimited, and cornering is flawless thanks to its light weight. It's not as adjustable as the higher end Ducatis, but the brakes are definitely better. Overall, it's the best v-twin I can think of for the price. Show less

This is a well built large wheeled maxi scoot built around the Piaggio Master 460cc single cylinder engine used in other Piaggio scooters. I know this scooter very well and can honestly say there are few faults to be found. The rear shocks pre-load require a wrench for adjusting. The windscreen could be just a tad taller but that is easily remedied with lips or a Givi. And it is a big single mounted on a swing arm so frost heaves in intersections make for a rough ride at speed. That is honestly about all that could be criticized. The plus side is clearly stronger. The big Scarabeo offers a great saddle with a great 50 litre trunk capable of holding plenty, or two full face helmets side by side. The bike accellerates well and can cruise comfortably at better than 75mph. The ride can push to approaching 90mph but depending upon wind and road conditions it won't be as relaxed of a ride. The style and lines of the bike are second to none. The fit and finish and manner in which panels fit are first class. The wheels are sweet! Add the 50 litre Aprilia tunnel bag and you have >100 litres of space and you haven't even added the side bags yet! Side bags take some mileage off so I prefer the tunnel bag, a duffle behind me on the passenger saddle and the trunk. That gets me ample room for change of clothes, helmet, lunch and whatever else I require for a weekend trip. The dash computer is a nice to have for monitoring trip mileage, voltage, external temp, miles to next service, average speed, top speed etc. MPG is calculating wrong, likely related to arithmetic on litres. By hand I consistently get better than 50mpg. I can easily get greater than 200 miles before exhausting my reserve. As I recall the tank is 4.2 U.S. gallons. The brakes are linked with dual disks up front and a single at rear. The bike stops well for its size. This scooter really does cross over into the motorcycle touring region. This scooter has raised the bar. Honda and Suzuki have greater displacement with their Silverwing and Burgman's wrapped around small twin cylinders but they lose in every other category. Not to mention they cost more. Piaggio has recently signed a deal to purchase Aprilia and most feel that can only strengthen the marketing and presence around the world for Aprilia. Critics point out concern with obtaining parts. Truth is you won't need much other than oil filters and tires. Show less

My wife told me the other day that she wanted to get a scooter to ride back and forth to work, of course I told her I did not think it was a very good idea, that motorcycles are dangerous, I didn't want her to get hurt. All the same things she told me a year ago when I told her that I wanted to buy another motorcycle, except I didn't have to sleep on the couch for three days this time. So she has been looking at the Internet, reading all about the Maxi-scooters and finally settles on this little Italian job called a Scarabeo 500 made by Aprilia. Of course they don't sell them in town, so against my better judgement, off we go to LA to look at this super scooter. I have looked at a lot of bikes over the years and I have to say, this thing was nicely finished. So she buys this little two-wheeler but because she doesn't have her permit yet I have to ride it back from the dealer on the freeway! Having ridden it up and down the ally behind the dealership I started getting a feel for the little beast before heading to the on ramp just a block or two down the road. Sitting at the light on this little scooter waiting to turn onto the on ramp to the 405 had me wondering what is this thing going to be like out there on the tarmac. It didn't take long to find out. This thing is for real. I was up to freeway speed in no time, no clutch, no shifting, no choke, no petals, and no foot pegs, just ride the thing and twist the wick. I have never ridden anything this easy before, handles great, stops even better, good wind protection, good seat. When you role off the gas to cruise it feels like its on a glide and sounds about like a sewing machine. By the time we got home I was impressed with it, except for one thing, an hour after getting home the wife comes in and tells me that I was going 86mph on the way home, turns out the bike has an onboard computer and I had been ratted out. Honest I never saw the tachometer pass 6K. I'm not ready to trade in my Cade and become a two-scooter family yet; it's cool but not macho enough for me. I will say that that automatic transmission would be great in a touring bike. Maybe someday when I can't handle the weight of the Cade, and it's about 1/2 that of the Cavalcade. We have been planning to go to the 9th annual Downer Officer Support Ride Starting in Valencia CA August 22, 2004. The Wife told me today that she wants to just ride on the back of the Cade this time. that's okay with me. Maybe she is starting to miss me already. Show less

Basically this is a great bike espically for a first bike. It looks great and is the faster than any other 50cc. It handles well and has that big bike feel. It's fast too, with a 65mph top speed. Generally is comfortable but can get a little tiresome on longer rides. My bike does 100 miles to the gallon so its very economical. However it does have its problems. Fistly, parts can be expensive mainly because its made by Aprilia and it needs bigger tires etc. Secondly, the purchase of the bike is expensive compared to many other scooters. Lastly, because the engine is so highly tuned (12.5 horse power compared to a standard 50cc which is around 6 or 7) it can be quite sensitive and needs regular service (piston rings etc). However, despite all this I still love it and would definitly recommend buying one, however, beware if you are buying second hand as they get worn out quickly becuase they are usually owned by 16 yr olds. Show less

I've owned many sizes of motorcycles from 60 to 1000cc, and generally like the manueverability and mileage of the smaller ones. Over the years, I've grown weary of getting buffeted by the wind, and of manual shifting, and now with sporty looking scooters, I felt I could overcome the "sissy" factor. I looked at the Suzuki 400, Honda Silverwing, and larger offerings from Aprilia, but fell in love with the looks of the Atlantic 200. My large frame barely fits (knees almost hit handlebars, and I have to tuck my knees in during sharp turns), but despite my size, I am really impressed with the performance, mileage (avg. 75MPG) and looks of this scooter. The seat is not as soft or as comfortable as others I've tested, but still better than similar-sized motorcycles. My only complaints - I wish the handle bars could be moved up a little, and that the windshield were 4 inches higher, but other than that, I really like it. Great for commuting to work, and I plan to do some touring with it also. I've had it up to 75MPH and I'm sure it'll do 80, but I usually stay off interstates and usually keep my speed at 55 anyway, so more HP would just be a waste of MPG's to me. Show less

After riding passenger on my husband's Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide on the twisty mountain roads in NC, I decided I wouldn't mind having a motorcycle of my own. I wasn't interested in clutching and shifting though. When I saw the Scarabeo 500 I thought it looked like a motorcycle. It's bigger than my husband's bike. Since buying it, I'd have to say I love it. It's VERY quick and very comfortable. His friends with Harley's laughed at first because they assumed it would be slow. After I left them in the dust while they were busy shifting, they wanted to know where my nitrous tank was. I've been joking with them that I would rather have a top of the line "moped" than a bottom of the line Harley. Show less

Its been 30 years since I've ridden and on a whim I purchased a Futura. First I sat on them all and when it came to the Futura I knew it was the one. Talk about comfort... WOW! Like a hand and glove. Then it was time to get going. This bike is a real sleeper, I rode my son's RSV Mille and now its official, this is a track bike wrapped in great ammenities. Talk about go power, it keeps up with the best of them. After-market stuff to tweek it is a plus as well. A real looker to. Show less