Scooter Review

Aprilia Scarabeo 250

The Scarabeo 250 could change your mind about scooters forever.

Words by PETE CALLAGHAN, photography by KEVIN LING

If the idea of scooter ownership appeals, but the thought of struggling down your local highway on two tiny wheels propelled by a breathless little engine does not, then the Scarabeo 250 may be just what you’re looking for.

The big brother of Aprilia’s Scarabeo range – which also includes 50cc, 100cc and 200cc versions – the 250 represents an excellent compromise between the convenience and practicality of a scooter, and the performance and handling of a quarter-litre motorcycle.

Hidden beneath the Scarabeo’s neoclassical plastic bodywork is one major secret of its success. With a claimed 15.6kW on offer, the liquid-cooled, fourvalve, sohc, 244cc, four-stroke singlecylinder engine is both quiet and smooth, and muscular enough to get the scooter to an easy 110km/h cruising speed and keep it there. Twist that throttle a little further and you’ll find more even power available for the odd overtaking move, although like any 250 single it can take some time to get wound up at higher speeds.

Around town, the Scarabeo is a master of nip and tuck. It’s narrow and agile enough to slot neatly into virtually any gap and, once you’ve reached the front of the traffic light queue, the slick automatic transmission and punchy engine combine to make rapid getaways a cinch. I lost count of the number of revhead tintoppers who tried desperately to catch the Scarabeo off the mark, and then gave up as the plucky little scoot kept on motoring into the distance.

The other thing ... well, two things, to be exact ... that make the Scarabeo such a handy urban tool are its 16-inch alloy wheels. Unlike smaller scoots, which pack 10 or 12-inchers that don’t do much for on-road stability and often cringe at the sight of a pothole or bump, the Scarabeo’s motorcycle-sized hoops allow it to track straight and true under all but the worst road conditions. The bigger wheels also give the Aprilia a high level of stability and steering precision – it goes where you want it to go, and won’t complain or cause a fuss when the pace hots up.

Beefy (for a scooter, at least) 36mm telescopic forks and a rear monoshock with spring pre-load adjustment enhance the Scarabeo’s handling capabilities, as does the sturdy tubular steel frame, which won’t flex like the chassis on many cheaper and smaller scooters. And when it comes time to stop, the Scarabeo also scores well, with an integral brake system that links the effective single discs at each end via a proportioning valve.

Comfort is a feature of the Scarabeo, which is just as well because the performance and handling means this scooter has more than one trick in its bag. Both rider and pillion are fairly cosseted by a broad maxi-style seat that offers a range of adjustment, and the rider has a generous amount of legroom. Pillions also get a padded backrest included with the standard 52-litre topbox. The box is big enough for a full-face helmet and other gear, and it’s definitely needed because there ain’t no room under the seat for anything other than a toolkit and the fuel tank filler cap. There’s also a shopping bag hook, plus additional storage space behind the legshields in the form of a lockable compartment that will take a mobile phone, wallet and other small items.

The Scarabeo 250 has a 9.5-litre fuel tank, which is good for more than 200km between fills with regular freeway use. The fuel gauge seemed pretty accurate, and has a speedo, tripmeter, clock and temperature gauge to keep it company on the uncluttered instrument panel. A small screen helps take the edge off the typical sit-up-and-beg scooter riding position on highway runs, and both a centrestand and sidestand are fitted as standard, although the sidestand is one of those cheeky selfretracting types. You’ll probably end up using the centrestand all the time anyway, like we did.

The quirky styling may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s no disputing the Scarabeo’s other talents. More than just a commuter or urban runabout, this is one scooter that would be wasted being left in the garage come the weekend.

As published in TW SCOOTER MAGAZINE - 19/12/2005
Subscribe to Two Wheels Scooter magazine now!