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Old 9th August 2017, 17:15   #31
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Vineeth - Not remember seeing a Scooter pic in Hot threads page in my last one decade in TBHP. Kudos! Well articulated from a riders perspective and kept me glued for past half an hour.

Glad to see Midnight is munching miles and seeing the world. I was never a scooter guy but now after reading this, I badly need a spin on her.

Whats next? I hope you have already read this
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Old 9th August 2017, 19:47   #32
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Except for the buying decision, many of the things you've stated are something i've experienced (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...000-km-up.html).

I wanted a pulsar 135 but instead got a vespa 125 (yep, 'cos of mom's no bikes rule!). And, now that i have a pulsar 135 i'm so much happy that i didn't choose the pulsar for my daily college runs back then. I used to grin ear-to-ear every time i saw an open stretch and that little engine would plunge me forward easily - 80 - 90 - 100 - 105 and then the fuel would cut-off bringing me back to reality .

A tough decision to make - My scooter is now sold though, but the memories are etched forever. Something that i can cherish forever.

Cheers! and happy mile munching.
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Old 9th August 2017, 21:05   #33
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Such a well written review
I actually felt your thought process and short listing.
Another Italian beauty (already have a Punto) which was on my radar and your review has just made sure that I am going to get one.
Have millions of happy and safe rides.
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Old 9th August 2017, 22:48   #34
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed.Demon View Post
You're behind the times, man. An Activa 125 costs around 74k OTR, so the Aprilia is actually not too bad I reckon. That said, I think Honda have priced their scooters so high because they can. Nobody is going to stop buying them anyway, so why bother?.
74k for an Activa 125
I feel old and aged all of a sudden. When I bought my bullet in 2005, it was only 65k.

If Activa 125 is 74k, then Aprilia at 78k is definitely a wonderful buy.
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Old 11th August 2017, 14:13   #35
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

What a wonderfully written review!!!

It sounds so spontaneous. More than the Scooter, you have revealed your inner self. You come through as a wonderful person with a benign charm.
If this is not spontaneous and you have deliberately designed your character in this review, then you have some serious writing talent.

Either way, you are one more reason why I am addicted to TBHP.
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Old 11th August 2017, 21:44   #36
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Great pics and a lovely reviews. I am supposed to be working and I thought let me take a peek, I ended up reading the whole of it!
I have see one few around town and the bigger bigger tires makes its presence felt. And from what I have observed its very much meant as a "rider only" scooter. Any thoughts?

I dont understand the fixation with the heavy Activa. I often see women struggling to move the Activa around. How does the SR 150 feel?
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Old 13th August 2017, 11:51   #37
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Quote:
Originally Posted by Enobarbus View Post
What a wonderfully written review!!!

It sounds so spontaneous. More than the Scooter, you have revealed your inner self. You come through as a wonderful person with a benign charm.
If this is not spontaneous and you have deliberately designed your character in this review, then you have some serious writing talent.

Either way, you are one more reason why I am addicted to TBHP.
Thank you very much, I am humbled by your kind words.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Queryanalyzer View Post
Great pics and a lovely reviews. I am supposed to be working and I thought let me take a peek, I ended up reading the whole of it!
I have see one few around town and the bigger bigger tires makes its presence felt. And from what I have observed its very much meant as a "rider only" scooter. Any thoughts?

I dont understand the fixation with the heavy Activa. I often see women struggling to move the Activa around. How does the SR 150 feel?

Yes, it is very much more of a 'rider only' scooter rather than the 'carry your whole family and the kitchen sink' variety on the market. Like I had noticed from my brief visit to the Honda showroom, people just buy the Activa without even bothering to check it out.

I suppose it's the typical 'herd' mentality people have, they see all their friends and relatives having the Activa and decide its brilliant in every way and get one as well. They then see the various flaws of the product after they've purchased it and by then its too late and they decide to just live with it. If the Activa feels heavy, then the SR150 is much heavier. Even I struggle with the weight on inclines and such, more so because I can't get my feet on the ground properly.
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Old 15th August 2017, 08:25   #38
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Congrats on your new Aprilia and wish you many years of safe driving.

While evaluating a scooter for my college-going son, I had shortlisted Suzuki Access and Honda Activa 125. Deciding between them was no easy task as the more I tried to differentiate, the more similarities showed up. Both had the typical scooter limitations of small wheels, low initial and mid-range pick-up, a smooth-roads-only suspension and restrictive handling.

After reading your thread, I visited the Aprilia showroom and a 50 meter test-ride convinced me that this is the scooter to buy. Though my son protested that it looks like a Scooty and that his friends would 'tease' him for buying a 'girlie' scooter, I put my foot down and said it will be an Aprilia or the bus.

My reasons for the selection:
1. 3-valve per cylinder 150cc engine gives bike-like power delivery with auto-gear comfort.
2. 14-inch wheels with long-travel suspension that help to keep the bike steady on broken roads.
3. Steel frame that gives the scooter structural rigidity.
4. Sticky IRC tires.
5. A mildly-sporty riding stance that should help distribute rider weight across the handle-bar and seat.
6. Handling that reminds you of motorcycles instead of scooters.
7. Brakes that bite and hold even at 60-70 kmph.
8. Weight that makes the bike sure-footed.

Concerns:
Mileage: About 5-8 km pl less than 125 cc scooters (being a 150cc it is expected to be less fuel efficient, but to a college student, this can be an important factor).

Spare parts:
Being a new scooter in the market with a lot of the key parts imported, wonder how easy it would be to source parts. I asked the SA how much do the brake pads cost, he said, "so far no customer has come back for a front brake pads change," hmmm...
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Old 15th August 2017, 13:50   #39
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olympal View Post
Though my son protested that it looks like a Scooty and that his friends would 'tease' him for buying a 'girlie' scooter, I put my foot down and said it will be an Aprilia or the bus.

My reasons for the selection:
1. 3-valve per cylinder 150cc engine gives bike-like power delivery with auto-gear comfort.
2. 14-inch wheels with long-travel suspension that help to keep the bike steady on broken roads.
3. Steel frame that gives the scooter structural rigidity.
4. Sticky IRC tires.
5. A mildly-sporty riding stance that should help distribute rider weight across the handle-bar and seat.
6. Handling that reminds you of motorcycles instead of scooters.
7. Brakes that bite and hold even at 60-70 kmph.
8. Weight that makes the bike sure-footed.

Concerns:
Mileage: About 5-8 km pl less than 125 cc scooters (being a 150cc it is expected to be less fuel efficient, but to a college student, this can be an important factor).

Spare parts:
Being a new scooter in the market with a lot of the key parts imported, wonder how easy it would be to source parts.
Hearty congratulations for the scoot. I am pretty much sure your son will not complain once he starts piling in more kms on the odo. The brakes too are I would say the best in the scooter segment. The only negative point is the super hard suspension, a boon for the highway runs but bone shattering for bad roads. The scoot can easily hit triple speeds without any vibration. Regarding the parts, the engine is basically a Vespa unit plus majority of the parts are made in India so no worries on the spare availability.
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Old 16th August 2017, 10:22   #40
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olympal View Post
Congrats on your new Aprilia and wish you many years of safe driving.

After reading your thread, I visited the Aprilia showroom and a 50 meter test-ride convinced me that this is the scooter to buy. Though my son protested that it looks like a Scooty and that his friends would 'tease' him for buying a 'girlie' scooter, I put my foot down and said it will be an Aprilia or the bus.

My reasons for the selection:
1. 3-valve per cylinder 150cc engine gives bike-like power delivery with auto-gear comfort.
2. 14-inch wheels with long-travel suspension that help to keep the bike steady on broken roads.
3. Steel frame that gives the scooter structural rigidity.
4. Sticky IRC tires.
5. A mildly-sporty riding stance that should help distribute rider weight across the handle-bar and seat.
6. Handling that reminds you of motorcycles instead of scooters.
7. Brakes that bite and hold even at 60-70 kmph.
8. Weight that makes the bike sure-footed.

Concerns:
Mileage: About 5-8 km pl less than 125 cc scooters (being a 150cc it is expected to be less fuel efficient, but to a college student, this can be an important factor).
Your son will definitely like the SR150 for its handling prowess, and the ample torque it has to offer.

Point no 2 of your selection criteria can be an issue though. Yes, the large wheels mean that small irregularities won't be too much of an issue, but trust me on this, the SR150 does NOT like broken roads. The suspension will constantly thud hard into potholes and even the tires sometimes struggle for grip on gravelly sections. If your son will be riding on broken roads a lot, I would strongly recommend a test ride on such roads so that you can see for yourself how the scooter behaves and then make a decision.

I agree with rakesh_r, spare parts shouldn't be too much of an issue. That said, the Aprilia dealers never seem to have the parts in stock. You will have to order them beforehand. I do hope the situation improves in the future.

Last edited by Speed.Demon : 16th August 2017 at 10:25.
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Old 18th August 2017, 18:39   #41
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Independence day breakfast ride:


Celebrated the day with a short breakfast ride. BHPian buddies rajoy123 and aswin.ajith joined me to make it an all scooter convoy.


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170815_082045.jpg

The destination was Thaneermukkom, a distance of around 45 odd kilometres from Edapally. The route as mostly highway, with a short stint through some smaller roads. We left from Kundanoor junction in Kochi at 7:30 AM and make good progress along the highway. The TVS boys had no problem maintaining cruising speeds of 70kph or so.

Everything turned to pot once we turned off the highway. The roads were(for lack of a better word) TERRIBLE. Huge potholes, gravelly bits, slushy bits, the lot. My speed reducing to crawling pace and I had to negotiate each pothole gingerly. If I went any faster I would meet each pothole(and the road was littered with them) with a resounding THUD.

Now the TVS brothers had no idea about my predicament and they rocketed off into the distance. It was only after sometime they realised the dual headlights of the Aprilia wasn't in their mirrors. And they had to stop for me not once, but many times. The irony, eh?

Negotiating those roads were not a pleasant experience:
THUD "Ow!!" THUD "Aagh!" THUD "Not again" THUD THUD "*bleep*"

We eventually reached the destination, and I had to rest my weary bones. On the way back, we took a longer route which went around Cherthala town and via Kanjikkuzhi, and the roads were much better.




Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170815_082525.jpg

Because we arrived bright and early, the place was almost deserted. A good opportunity to sit back and enjoy the calm of the still water.


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170815_082915.jpg

Midnight taking a breather with Rajoy's Jupiter and Aswin's Wego.


We stopped for dosas at the Indian Coffee House near Cherthala, and then cruised back home. Well I did anyway. Both TVS twins sped away as one off every junction before the Aprilia's CVT clicked into place and I could make use of Midnight's ample torque to catch up. I'll bet my house that both of them were grinning as they watched me getting smaller in their mirrors, atleast initially. We maintained slightly higher speeds of about 80kph this time, and the SR150 was in its element, purring along the smooth roads.

We did spot a few other riding groups here and there, as was expected on Independence Day. One group of Enfield riders heading to Bangalore gave me company for a while on my way home. They were all very surprised to see a scooter rider in full gear and I got a thumbs up from all of them as I turned off the highway and headed home.


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-img_5968.jpg

This was clicked during one of the many times Rajoy and Aswin had stopped to let me catch up. Thanks for being so patient with me fellas!


That's it from Midnight and me for now everyone, take care and ride safe!

Last edited by Speed.Demon : 18th August 2017 at 18:41.
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Old 19th August 2017, 19:01   #42
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

Execellent review Vineeth. I was surprised reading about the many qualities of the Aprilia as you've mentioned. Any plans on getting a motorcycle as well , you do seem to enjoy 2 wheels a lot.

Dunno if you remember me way back from tuitons in Bahrain ( Venkat).
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Old 7th September 2017, 17:22   #43
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

A rather wet ride this time:


Went for an impromptu ride to Kuttikanam last week. The day dawned all calm and cool, but it quickly turned out to be a very wet day indeed.

Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170805_104437.jpg

I had a mate and his Avenger for company, and we set off from Muvattupuzha at 7:30AM. We took the Pala - Ponkunnam - KK road route, and the roads were simply fantastic! Smooth and full of twists and turns, just the way I like them.


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170805_083559.jpg

Simply amazing roads, even in the pouring rain.



Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170805_103132.jpg

Midnight and I had some good fun on these stretches

And what fun it was! The heavy rains meant that traffic was a lot lesser than usual, and so I was able to chuck into corners with a lot more confidence. Yes, I did have to take all the water on the roads into consideration, but even so Midnight was very happy to be leaning into corner after corner. In the midst of all this, I realised I had left my friend far behind. Oopsie. :P


We made steady progress until we neared Kuttikanam, where we had to slow down considerably due to very thick fog. Now those of you from the North might scoff at this, but trust me, having such poor visibility is quite scary when you know that the route is frequented by very fast KSRTCs. Anyway, we proceeded to the tourist view point destinations of 'Parunthu Para' and 'Panchalimede'. One advantage of it being such a rainy day? No tourists! Both places were almost completely deserted.

We couldn't do much exploring, but still we had a leisurely ride to the place and back. There is an off road trail at Panchalimede, but there was no way Midnight was going to make it up there, so I didn't even try. The ADV bike clan is growing ever so larger here on TBHP, some of you should definitely give it a a try!


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170805_150355.jpg

This was taken near Panchalimede, when the fog had started to set in again.


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-20170805_153159.jpg

The monsoons are really the best time to go touring. The route was dotted with lots of such small waterfalls.


Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150-img_20170805_152300894.jpg

It really was a very wet day!!


By around 3 in the afternoon, the rain was showing no signs of letting up, so we decided to call it a day and started to head home. The fog was much lesser on the way back owing to the continuous showers, and so the going was much easier. Yes the slippery roads did mean that I did have a few heart in the mouth moments, including one time where the rear lost traction when I was trying to avoid a pothole. (I had to keep reminding myself to not make quick changes in direction when the roads were wet)

Still, the rubberised road sections did offer some amount of grip, so there wasn't any nasty surprises. An evening tea stop at Pala meant that it was dark by the time we set off towards home. No, I'm not going to rant about the headlights again, you folks have heard enough about them. Midnight and I pulled into the driveway at home exactly 2 hours later and I gave him a grateful pat.

"Cheers buddy, hope you had a good time today."

The engine seemed to purr ever so slightly in response. I took that as a yes and switched it off.


Until next time everyone! Ride safe!

Last edited by Speed.Demon : 7th September 2017 at 17:37.
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Old 17th September 2017, 18:17   #44
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

A fix for the starting woes?

The many SR150 owners like me, must be really annoyed when their scooter simply refuses to start in the morning. I know I am. For a while now, I have been scouring the Web and going through various Aprilia and Vespa forums to find a solution. And finally, I did get one, from TBHP itself!

Due to the incessant rains down here in KL, Midnight has been idle for a few days. I tried to start him up today morning, and yes it worked! YAAY!!

The next time you ask your Italian scooter to wake up after a long slumber, follow these steps:

1. Without turning the ignition on, pump the kick start lever a few times, with a gap of 5 seconds or so.

2. Once you've done that, turn on the ignition and then start it with a firm kick.(choke may be required if it's an especially cold morning). The scooter should start with the first kick itself.

3. Once it's started up, revv the engine gently until you can hear the engine idling more smoothly. And now you're good to go!

Since it's been raining pretty much non stop here, the ambient temperature is as cool as it's going to get this season. I tried the above steps and it worked for me, and no, I didn't have to use the choke either.

The source for the information and our saviour? It's BHPian hillram, with his wonderful Vespa thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...rt-motion.html. Thank you very much sir!

I don't know if the above will work for everyone, but I do hope it will. If it does, then 'cold start issues' can be removed from the list of cons of the SR150.
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Old 17th September 2017, 19:27   #45
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Re: Midnight - My Aprilia SR 150

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Originally Posted by Speed.Demon View Post
Thank you very much sir!
My pleasure dear friend. Vespa 150 and SR150 engines are almost similar and this mechanism should work effortlessly. This will help also battery last for a long time. My Vespa 125 battery lasted for a whopping 4 Years + until i realized I putting great deal of load on the self start, and went for a OEM battery. Happy and safe riding.
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