Aprilia Atlantic 500 reviews

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

I bought my bike used but with showroom looks. I put 2000 miles on in the last few months, and I am really please with the performance, comfort, and appearence (luxurious and more standard options than any other bikes in the same category). I had a sound system installed that I enjoy very much, it consists of a set of speakers by Blaupunk and a equalizer/booster Pyramid (1201GC)installed under the seat standing up on the front side using almost no space at all except that you need to be careful to let the thing breathe, so do not clog anything to the back of it. Thirdly you can plug it to any personal devices such as walkman AM/FM cassette, CD player, or MP3 that you stick with a velcro patch on your handle bar or on your left oil brake container near your fingers. Make sure that you will use a nonshielded wire to connect to your jacks, because this will become your antena for your AM/FM and a shielded wire will block the emision of the broadcast. This is wonderfull, you will love it. I said in my title that I owned a Honda reflex before my AA500. Both are a good buy, but the AA500 is just in a class by itself. You cruise at 75-80 on the AA500 in comfort and stability with the Reflex you are feeling well at 60-65. Above that you feel too insecure for my taste. At 65mph AA500 is around 5000RPM, the Reflex at 65mph is 6800RPM. I had 6 bikes before, but this is the best in all aspects. The dashboard INDIGLO at night time is surreal, out of this world. Drive safely. 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

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

I bought my Aprilia Atlantic 200 back in March and have loved it from the first day. This is my first bike and it's an excellent vehicle to learn on. I have had no problems with it thus far, and just got it back from the dealership after it's break-in maintenance. There is ample storate underneath the seat. I can fit about 2-3 bags of groceries in it, and I'm planning on getting a rear storage box to expand that. I'm getting 65 mpg in town, 72 mpg on the highway. It has plenty of power for your morning commute, and I have even gotten it up to 75 mph on the highway. The windshield really helps with stability, but I find that at above 60 mph I really need to duck down behind it. With two passengers, the scooter does start to lose power, having a max speed of around 65 mph when my girlfriend is riding with me. This is an excellent economical vehicle for anyone looking to beat gas prices, and at 1/4 the cost of a hybrid car, I can see this being an excellent alternative to driving a car for many people. Show less

Just tested and drove the Atlantic 500.After trying out a Silver Wing I will say this: WOW! Although the Wing had more get up and go, the Aprilia had more directional stability and solid feel. And you just gotta love the look! The kicked up in the butt stance of the Honda and Suzuki cannot match the classic, timeless "Yeah, I'm Cool" Aura that the Atlantic oozes. So needless to say, I bought a silver 500 and the dealer will deliver to us this weekend. Parting with a 85 Gold Wing GL1200A, so it will take some getting used to. But scooters are DEFINITELY gaining ground and I think this represents a fine value for the buyer who wants a fine looking, smooth, fast scooter. Will update this report when the "New Glow" wears off. Scoot On!! MIke. B. Show less

I've just tested this bike and it's great. Huge comfort level that is unseen in the scooter line up. Performance is excellent. I went up to 90 mph and it was still going. I just ran out of road ;-) So I say "this is the best maxiscooter out there. Congrats to Aprilia.... Show less

Without a doubt the leader of the Scooter pack! Dual rear lights and front lighting system make it very visible on the road. Seats extremely comfortable. Very stable highway cruiser also averaging 57 - 63 mpg. Automatic feature is a refreshing change, no searching for neutral! Another great feature is the quiet engine and exhaust - great to hear nature. The 500cc engine is very capable for a single rider or rider and passenger. It can easily keep up with any bike. Insurance is very reasonable. Show less

Well this is like the Expedition of scooters. Very nice, and smooth. I like mine very much! Show less