+ Click to Enlarge APRILIA 650 PEGASO: Street smart, Italian style – you can almost smell the espresso.

May 13, 2005

When Piaggio took over Aprilia it said the brand would focus increasingly on medium to large-capacity motorcycles rather than scooters – which would compete directly with the core business of the new parent company

So it makes sense that that the first new bike from Noale since the change of management is a 650 single street bike to replace the Rotax-engined Pegaso dual-purpose thumper.

It was first shown at the Intermot show in Munich in September last year and the first production examples are now beginning to pop up on the street.

Aprilia SA media liaision lady Leoni Rademan Ludeke told motoring.co.za the first shipment would reach South Africa in early July and, unusually, quoted a price – a very competive R65 000.

Although it shares the name, about the only thing it has in common with the older bike is that they each has two wheels and one piston.

Instead of the time-honoured Rotax engine it uses a 659cc fuel-injected XT660 Yamaha unit that, it has now been confirmed, is made by Minarelli in Bologna. It serves up 37kW at 6250rpm and 61.3Nm at 5250rpm, a little more than the Yamaha but, being Italian, it's probably quite a bit noisier.

It's housed in a rectangular-section, open-cradle, steel-tube frame with an uncomplicated swing-arm made the same way. By keep everything close to the centre of effort and using plastic for less-stressed components such as the the fairing / instrumant mount, overall weight has been kept down to 168kg

Front suspension is by Taiwanese supplier Kaifa, big 45mm conventional leading-axle jobs, while the rear wheel is controlled by an Italian-made Sachs monoshock and rising-rate linkage.

Aprilia's publicity material calls this "an agile urban supermotard", and it's not kidding; seat height is only 780mm and it wears 17'' tar-only tackies on both wheels.

The rims are utterly gorgeous CF aluminium castings, carefully styled to look like the ridiculously expensive machined-alloy OZ hoops on the company's RSV-R Factory V-twin sports flagships – right down to the royal-blue anodised finish.

Braking is taken care of by a 320mm floating disc on the front wheel with a four-pot Brembo calliper, abetted by an unremarkable single-pot calliper and 240 platter at the rear – probably overkill but remember this thing was designed to ridden by hooligans.

The rest of it is all street-smart with Italian style – rather like Kevin Bacon in an Armani suit. Unlike the BMW F650 CS the fuel tank is actually a fuel tank – but with a neat cubbyhole under a top flap, big enough for your wallet, sunglasses toll money or cellphone.

It's accessed by pressing a button on the fascia – but when the key is out of the ignition it's securely locked. Said key also has a transponder, making this bike nearly impossible to hotwire – don't ever lose your keys, Cyril.

There's another, surprisingly large, compartment under the seat, big enough for a rolled-up rainsuit or security chain.

The instruments look straightforward at first glance; there's an analogue rev-counter (trust a Bolognese to get the priorities right!) and a large multifunctional LCD screen for the speedo etc.

Onboard computer

Then you spot the extra toggle switch on the left switchgear and you discover how much "etc" there is. It's for a trip data computer that monitors everything battery condition, fuel consumption, remaining range, average speed, highest speed reached and can even programme the shift light – in your choice of four languages!

With its 22º steering angle, wide bars and slight rearwards weight bias (designer Mariano Roman quotes 48/52 percent) it should change direction like a ferret after a rat – and the huge rear-wheel slide in the photograph below was probably easier than it looks.

It's a very Italian approach to building the ultimate commuter tool – and a capable all-rounder, as suitable for beginners as more experienced riders, especially with its low seat height

Aprilia has taken a leaf out of the BMW catalogue by offering a taller seat (820mm) and a full range of accessories including hand guards, heated grips, a taller screen, anti-lock brakes, a luggage rack, top box and panniers,

Self-cancelling indicators and an electronic immobiliser are standard.

An enduro version, with off-road rubber and taller suspension, is said to be ready for release at the end of the year while the Rotax-powered Pegaso will also continue in production for now.

Aprilia 650 Pegaso specifications

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+ Click to Enlarge

WELL BALANCED: This huge rear-wheel slide was probably easier than it looks.