New Scooter Model Release Scarabeo 500 conquers the press During its recent european launch the Scarabeo 500 was taken too immediately for its agile and slim design.Here are some of the comments from the Italian press that attended the Scarabeo 500 launch.
www.aprilia.com From "CYBERSCOOTER"
For the first time, a Scarabeo has been equipped with an undersaddle, a very wide one for that matter, that is both useful and well done, able to hold an entire helmet or a rigid A3 suitcase. This is even more remarkable when you consider the slimness of the bike, but certainly not for the high wheels, seeing how the posterior tyres are 14” (like the Atlantic Sprint).
You assume the motorcycling position, slightly inclined forward, and have an ample and raised steering wheel, similar to that of the tourister, with good control. Your legs have a lot of room as do your feet so that you can change position every so often.
The engine has a fast and full-bodied roar when coming out of turns (just like the previous versions) and the grumbling and vibrations are a remote memory so that it doesn’t seem anything like a single-cylinder with the same cubic content. The weight/power ratio is 6.5 kg/kW, a superior value to even the extremely sporty Gilera Nexus 500 when compared with the takeoff and acceleration performance.
An elegant interpretation of the “everything” scooter, more oriented to an urban environment than to long trips but also capable of emotional performances for a scooter on the verge of sportiness, even while braking.
From "INFOMOTORI"
A scooter for long trips. A city motorcycle with street-appeal. To summarize: two vehicles in one with a price tag of Euro 5,500.
The powerful “beetle” is extremely light (the least heavy in the category with its189 net kg) and continues to represent a pleasing solution to chaotic city driving thanks to its sleek lines.
With its 460 cc’s and 39 horsepower (29 kW at 7,500 rotations), all you need is a single touch to make it dart and plough through the streets in search of a country feel. This scooter also offers one of the best weight/power ratios in the market (6.55 kg/kW).
The outline is classic and doesn’t concede large variations on the by now “classic” theme but hides extremely developed ergonomics and many carefully studied solutions to make life on-board easier. The adjustable front-fairing (from the series) and cargo capacity are only two examples. Never has a scooter with high wheels (16” front diameter and 14” in the back) had undersaddle space this wide, capable of storing an entire helmet or an overnight A3 size suitcase.
The “modern tradition” of the Scarabeo 500 is winding and aerodynamic in its curves and in manageability and technological contents.
Its lines are impressive and just a few kilometers along the Ligurian Riviera confirmed this as numerous passersby requested more information on the model.
Its manageability manifests itself in how it holds up in curves and in the facility with which it can pass other riders, even daring ones along tight and busy roads.
The power supply takes advantage of a refined electronic injection system that, beyond limiting consumption, allows for a rational allocation of power. An equilibration countershaft reduces vibrations.
The 13.2 liter gas tank (3 reserve liters) gives autonomy that allows you to move without much anxiety.
However, the combination braking is especially satisfying, soft, and secure: it is one of the finer touches of the Aprilia Scarabeo 500.
In practicality, when you move the left lever (the posterior brake), a posterior disc or one of two anterior discs move. An optimal reduction so that you can maximize your braking and improve the handling, even for “laymen”. The braking spaces are also reduced and the sensation (that you notice quite neatly) is that of safety and of superior control in respect to “normal brakes”.
From "MOTONLINE"
The new version presents itself as decisively slimmer and more agile than it previously was without losing any personality.
Regarding the engine, it has undergone an evolution in respect to the previous version with many improved details and already in accordance with Euro 3 emission regulations.
The maximum power is 29 kW at 7,500 rotations/minute and the torque reaches a value of 43 Nm at 5,500 rotations/minute.
This value, combined with the relatively contained weight (189 net kg), makes it so that the Scarabeo 500 is absolutely one of the best scooters on the market regarding the weight/power ratio (6.55 kg/kW).
Even the mechanics were radically modified, not necessarily the general characteristics but a perfectioning of all components, even the functioning of the complex structure that is more compact than it was in the past.
Notwithstanding the compact dimensions, low seat, and high wheels, the Scarabeo 500 offers an undersaddle space worthy of a grand-tourism scooter, comfortably able to hold an entire helmet and other small objects (including an overnight A3 suitcase) with a consistent depth of at least 15 cm.
With the capacity of the available spaces, you can also add a posterior trunk with an additional 45 liters that is easy to install by taking advantage of the series luggage rack.
Atop the new Scarabeo you are presented with the compactness of a 250, ideal for dealing with traffic or finding a parking space in the city.
The high wheels are also the lightest in its cylindrical category with vivacious accelerations and fast, yet safe, passing.
The maximum velocity (160 km/h) is adapted for any situation, even for the longest of road trips with two people and luggage thanks to the gas tank with a capacity of over 13.2 liters.
In respect to the previous model, you certainly get the sensation that you are riding atop a smaller and lighter scooter, easy to handle even as you come to a stop or when traveling at low speeds without losing any habitability or comfort.
Stability is good even at high speeds while the velocity when entering into curves seems much improved, making this Scarabeo very fast even on the most torturous of tracks.
From "MOTORBOX"
In respect to the other Scarabeo 500 (the old GT) that still remains calm, these forms make it even slimmer with more compact measurements, sign of an increasingly urban calling. The family feeling is still evident with a line that can greatly satisfying those who love the classic style as well as those who prefer a more modern design. Among the elements that signal its descent from the same ethnic stock are the oval that marks that flank just below the seat, the anterior thick mudguard, and the hubcaps for the front fork.
The new 500 beetle is also even lower and less imposing, something that inspires less reverential fear from those who don’t have an athletic physique or extensive experience atop the two wheels. With the 14” posterior rubberized 150/70 wheel and the anterior 16” wheel with a 110/70 tyre, the Scarabeo almost seems crouched on its behind. Even the relatively low seat, 780 mm from the ground, declares almost miraculously that engineers were able to find a way to create (for the first time) an undersaddle space worthy of respect in a high-wheel scooter. This is also because the bike still has a long-distance gas tank, equal to 13.2 liters.
The propulsion is cooled by water at 4-time with four valves and is also equipped with a countershaft to reduce vibrations. It respects Euro3 regulations thanks to the power supply with electronic injection and the three-way catalyst with a maximum torque of 43 Nm at 5,500 rotations and a 39 horsepower at 7,000 rotations that, in light of the 189 net kg, gives the Scarabeo one of the best weight/power ratios in its category with less than 4.8 kg/cv.
With a particularly perfect distribution of weight, you find yourself familiar with this Aprilia scooter from the first few meters, as if it was an old friend. The manageability is excellent and in low-speed maneuvers, you don’t feel the need to move your foot to the ground. That’s how great the equilibrium is. It’s the best for slipping away in the most cramped city spaces and taking advantage of the reduced maximum width that, at the handlebar level, is equal to 765 mm, the radius of a supermarket shopping cart. When increasing speed, the balance doesn’t decrease. At Aprilia, they always wanted to consider the Scarabeo a type of automatic motorcycle instead of a scooter in the precise meaning of the term. With this latest version, the affirmation from Noale seems more believable than ever. The new 500 doesn’t offer any resistance to the rider’s commands and comes out of curves in a fluid and rapid manner. In the distance phase, the trajectory is unconditional and without any uncertainty while the realignment is precise and punctual.
published 6/09/2006 |