+ Click to Enlarge HYBRID HOPPER: Gilera's DNA 125 is half scooter, half bike, all fun. Pictures: DAVE ABRAHAMS

November 4, 2002
By Dave Abrahams

The Veloce stand at the Auto Africa expo was packed with exotic Italian road-burners from the electrifying Aprilia RSV Mille to the laid-back Moto Guzzi California but one of the most interesting was also the second-smallest – Gilera's DNA 125 hybrid.

It's an intriguing mix of scooter mechanicals and motorcycle features, an imaginative attempt to combine the best attributes of both genres.

Gilera has a long history of innovation. It was founded in 1909 by Guiseppe Gilera (himself a successful racer) for the express purpose of building performance machinery. In 1936 the company developed the first (and only) four-cylinder, liquid-cooled and supercharged 500cc GP bike which was named Rondine (Swallow).

In the hands of Dorino Serafini, it won the 1939 European championship before world events overtook it.

There's a charming legend that a Rondine engine spent the war years hidden down a well and was hauled out intact in 1946 to form the basis of the all-conquering MV Agustas of the 1950s and 1960s.

Gilera, now part of the giant Piaggio group, has a solid reputation for producing distinctly off-beat scooters that are nonetheless practical and ultra-reliable – one such is the 180cc Runner reviewed by IOL in October 2001.

The DNA 125 certainly fits the bill. It has an advanced and clean-burning 124cc four-stroke single putting out 11.2kW through a centrifugal dry clutch and a constantly variable belt-drive transmission.

As is standard on scooters, you twist the throttle to go and close it to stop. Both brakes are on the handlebars (like a bicycle, Cyril) and there are no foot controls.

Now for the bike stuff: rather than a J-shaped underbone frame, the DNA is built on a motorcycle-type twin-spar perimeter chassis in drawn steel. The motor and transmission are a unit, however, pivoting on the immensely strong engine plates.

The rear suspension is handled by twin shocks in place of the more usual one and the front end has full-length, 35mm conventional forks.

There's a full lower fairing hung from the frame railsthat not only provides somewhere to put the radiator but also conceals the fact that the engine moves about with the suspension in a most unbike-like fashion.

The wheels are a nice compromise at 14", bigger than any scooter, while still small by bike standards.

Disc brakes are fitted at both ends although, in true scooter tradition, the rear set-up is distinctly more powerful than the front to allow for the rearward weight bias inherent in the scooter layout.

The styling is a lot more bike than scooter. There's no footwell and the rider sits astride the fuel tank – which is actually a dummy. The real fuel reservoir is under the seat and the "tank" lifts up to expose a storage compartment big enough to hold a full-face helmet.

The fascia has everything a Rossi wannabee needs for the daily Commuter GP: rev-counter, warning lights and digital speedo, in a neat pod framed by the street-fighter flyscreen.

For anyone who wants the look and feel of an Italian-style street sportster with the convenience and simplicity of a scooter, the DNA is worth a look. It's the first real "scooter-bike" and it could just start a trend.

The DNA costs R32 999.

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Specifications:

Motor: Liquid-cooled four-stroke single.
Capacity: 124cc.
Bore x stroke: 57 x 48.6mm.
Valvegear:SOHC with four overhead valves per cylinder.
Compression ratio: N/A.
Power: 11.2kW @ 9700rpm.
Torque: N/A.
Induction:N/A.
Ignition: Electronic capacitive (CDI) with variable timing (10° - 34°).
Starting: Electric.
Clutch: Automatic dry centrifuge type.
Transmission: Automatic CVT with torque server.
Suspension: 35mm conventional cartridge forks at front, twin hydraulic shock absorber adjustable for preload at rear.
Brakes: 240mm stainless steel disc with twin-piston floating calliper at front, 240mm stainless steel disc with twin-pot opposed piston calliper at rear.
Tyres: Front: 120/70 x 14” tubeless. Rear: 140/60 x 14” tubeless.
Wheelbase: 1370mm.
Seat height:780mm.
Dry weight: 125kg.
Fuel capacity: 10 litres.
Price: R32 999.
Click here to use Motoring.co.za's repayments calculator.