2003 Aprilia reviews

I purchased this bike three weeks ago and have about 2000 miles on it (yes two thousand) I traded it in on an Aprilia Ditech50 that could not keep up in traffic and frustrated the hell out of me. (I had the Ditech50 only two weeks) When I test drove the Scarabeo150 (they wouldn't let me test drive the 50cc, now I know why) I was in LOVE. Aceleration was 500% better than I had imagined it would be. It handled great. I let three friends drive it who are die hard motorcycle owners, and they all said it handled like a motorcycle. This has all the power I could ever want. It might not have the power of a larger motorcycle, but it will smoke almost any car on the road (or, at least it seems to) When you twist the throttle, it MOVES. It seems as the gearing is set to give maximum performance in passing, because the biggest acceleration JOLT hits you when you are going at 30 MPH and then OPEN IT UP. Wow! Its a rocket! (or, at least it seems that way to me, remember, I have little to compare it to, except to say that I am PUSHED back in my seat when I open it up, and the first time it happened was a little scary) I had it up to 75 on the freeway, but the wind in my face was unbearable (I probably need a windshield or a face mask. I keep it to about 60-65 on the highway, and it is a little more bearable, however, I cannot imagine faulting the bike for this... On the down side, on the second day I noticed it was getting too hot. Turns out the fan that cools the radiator was not going on. The dealer took the part from another vehicle in stock and fixed it. On the third day, the speedometer broke. It simply stopped working. It started making a bunch of clicking sounds, the needle started "twitching" and it simply froze. The dealer fixed this with a part from another vehicle. (Its nice to have a dealer willing to do this as parts could take 3 weeks) The speedometer numbers are too small and the red needle is too thin,(at least for my eyes) a quick glance at it is not enough I have to look down and READ it. There is a very bright "green warning light" letting me know that my headlighs are on. This seems pretty stupid to me, because the headlights are ALWAYS on, and cannot be turned off. Am I crazy, or would it be a better idea to have a warning light telling me if my headlights are NOT on? Anyway, this is a BRIGHT green light, TOO bright. It is extremely distracting, and in order to drive comfortably at night, I have to keep a little piece of black duct tape over it to block its extremely bright rays. The gas tank is to small, it seems as though I am filling it up every day. (I am) 2 and a fraction gallons is not big enough. All in all, I love this bike, if someone steals it, I will buy another one. If asked,I would recomend it to anyone. Show less

Just gost mine. It's my second scoot. The first one was a Piaggio Typhoon. There is no comparison! On a scale from one to ten, Ditech is 10 and Piaggio is 2! Try it and risk getting adicted imediatelely. (Mine is direstricted by means of a gameboy..) Show less

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

Boys - all I've done to this thing was break it in right, right on! And pull the plug out of the air box. It's got major stonk - I'm 205 lbs, a tank crawler and I can't keep the thing down! I love to really get on it, ride it hard and flog it like a dog - just plain fun! Wheelies through first and second are now normal. The Aprilia Ti can, cip and Evoluzione air box are next. I want more power, Scotty! I am gpoing to lower the front at least one line on the forks to try to keep it down a bit. I really don't like the major slappers when I'm blasting out of the corners; considering an Ohlins dampener over the stock. We'll see what the fork changes do to help. Brakes are excellent but make no mistake, they will not compensate for stupidity, I had my cardiac moment and survived. Overall, what can I say, it's a freakin hoot to ride this thing! Show less

Been riding a 1999 BMW R1100S, but needed more lean angle (scraping pegs/brakelever/jugs, preload full-up). Bought a black 2003 RSV Mille R June 30, 2003. Brakes are downright amazing. One finger stoppies, yet good feel and control. Makes my S feel like mush. Picked bike up and had it "derestricted" asap. That alone makes for some nice tonal quality, and no problems with the stock fuel injection map either. During first service (1000 miles), added the racing akropovic dual pipes and chip kit. In a word... AWEsome! I was worried at first that the pipes might be too loud, and regularly piss off my neighbors. Not to worry. No where near as loud or obnoxious as those squid Jap bikes. Nice mellow bass at idle, especially near semi-enclosed areas like between cars or in garages, and sweeeet Italian sportscar-type growl/scream above 6k. Yeah, refi'd the house to get it, but now that it's properly broken in and piped, I deem it worth it! Track dayz, here we come. Live your dreams... you need something to talk about in the nursing home when you're 80 and gumming your mash potatoes. Show less

I purchased my 2002 Bug 3 weeks ago. I own a 2002 Mustang convertible and my 4 door Ford F150. I can't wait to get home from work and take my bug for a ride. It's the most fun toy I have on wheels. While driving on the most dangerous street in the US, Pines Blvd and Flamingo Rd I get looks from other car drivers and motorcylce riders. I passed someone on their 40 mile per hour 50 cc scooter that was holding traffic. I was going 65 slowed down to beep and took off again. I kind of felt bad for the guy. This bike rides really nice for a scooter, I've rented many 50 cc units in the florida keys and this bike is definetly different. For you ladys, this bike is heavy, you got to have some muscels. My wife is 5'1" and refuses to ride it after her first day spill. The wife and kids and we all love it. Great looks, good ride. As for maimtenance: can't drive it past 60 mph the first 600 miles. First service, 600 mile. Go out and buy it..... Show less

I have logged close to 2000 miles on this bike and absolutly love it. Mostly what I have owned in sports and standard bikes were four cylinder and they were all very good in their own way. Although the Tuono does not possess the outright hyperbike performance, it has a very strong engine, monster torque, and an exhaust note that is music to the ear. I have installed the Aprilia high performance chip and exhaust and it has made a noticeable difference. Full throttle imputs in first and second will have the front tire skyward and in third the front tire is skimming the pavement. The bike's handling and ergonomic layout is great for me at 5'9". The transmission shifts smoothly and the clutch is easy to use. There is a little slack in the gearing and a little drive lash can be felt. This is a non-issue once you use proper throttle control. Wind protection is better than I thought it would be from such a small windshield. I wish the fuel range was a little better anything past 130 miles and you need to be very close to a gas station. And when you do stop to fill up, the bike creates a topic of conversation, as does many new models. I have owned a 2002 FZ1 and it was a great motorcycle, plenty of power and would do many of the same things just as well, but the Tuono seems to handle better and has more character. Just another opinion. Show less

My Scarabeo 150 is pure enjoyment. It is an excellent beginner motor scooter. My Aprilia meets my requirements for in-town conveyance. It has a robust engine to kick up the speed to approximately 60 MPH and durable chassis to withstand wind resistance. It's design gives it the look and feel of a motorcycle. It is economically priced. I am very pleased with the purchase of this high quality Scarabeo. Show less

Great great fun bike. I'll summarize: Pros: 1. The looks, the looks, the looks 2. Maniac acceleration 3. Excellent brakes 4. Confortable seat, pegs, bar 5. Good wind protection, until 130Km/h 6. Pussycat in the city traffic Cons: 1. Clutch is stiff 2. Its happier above 3000 rpm 3. Need to warm up a little in the morning Overall, the best combination of street/sport/exotic bike I've seen Show less

Ive had this scarabeo for about a year and put almost 6000 miles on it in that time, except for two brake handle replacements, a new mirror, (I am STILL learning to ride on it)and an oil change it has been reliable, and perfect for the city I live in. It leans over to about 50 degrees and corners to about 55 mph. I even spilled it once and it the only damage was a mirror and a brake handle. If you want something with all the power needed for everything but highway driving, and it even does that albeit the engine is a bit spun out, the scarabeo 150 comes with my highest recomendation Show less