[Axe77]

I very much wish we could have more genuine options in the maxi scooters space. The Aprilia SXR 160 is a welcome step in this direction albeit leaves a lot to be desired as such.

My sweet spot description of a Maxi Scooter would be a premium finish scooter like the Honda Forza 350, with a 200 cc engine which is not underpowered, retailing on road at approximately, 1.8-2 lakh rupees. Wish the likes of Suzuki and Honda would bring something in that segment. I think that’s the sweet spot that would attract a fairly decent market for itself with good profit margins as well.

The Forza 350 is likely going to be a tad too rich for people’s liking (if at all it comes) while the Forza 125 is likely to have the show without the go - that too at premium pricing.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

A simple relevant practical perspective - one of my friends has an Aprilia SXR 160 which he bought for 1.52 lacs in Mumbai. He thinks it is a super scooter and worth the money he paid. He also owns a Triumph Street Triple RS and another electric scooter too by the way.

Oh man. That is exquisite taste on every front. I was so trying to convince my wife we should get the 160 SXR instead of the N Torq but she just wouldn’t agree.

Please give me a shout if he is ever in the market to sell either of his ICE rides.

[Sebring]

You're looking at it. This is the imposing new offering from Aprilia. I'm planning to take a test ride as soon as it's available

Originally Posted by rajushank84

It doesn't have to be higher displacement, just more variety of design. A scooter can very well sport different looking outward designs, both in aesthetics as well as variety in wheel size etc without it having to be higher-capacity engine. I think we need that kind of diversity more.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by Axe77

My sweet spot description of a Maxi Scooter would be a premium finish scooter like the Honda Forza 350, with a 200 cc engine which is not underpowered, retailing on road at approximately, 1.8-2 lakh rupees.
Please give me a shout if he is ever in the market to sell either of his ICE rides.

Even the Burgman 200 would be great around the same price with 12 inch wheels at both ends hopefully. The 10 inch wheel at the back (125cc) really puts me off. If this happens it’s goodbye to the Activa 125

If you discuss buying another scooter or bike with your Wife, you may have to sleep in the basement parking with your wheels

Originally Posted by Sebring

You're looking at it. This is the imposing new offering from Aprilia. I'm planning to take a test ride as soon as it's available

Sebring, check out this thread for the SXR 160 with my short ride impression post. Lovely scooter, wish the suspension was more forgiving. Phenomenal brakes (for a scooter) especially the front (with ABS) is better than some commuter bikes.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...26-lakh-2.html (Aprilia SXR 160 launched at Rs. 1.26 lakh)

The Aprilia SXR 125 has just been launched as well.

https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-ne...gs-open-420413

Cheers

[smooth indian]

Personally I find the extra power and comfort of a maxi scooter appealing. I have wondered how appealing would a reverse trike option for a 150 cc maxi-scooter be? provided it is priced at 25% more than the equivalent 2-wheel version.

Adiva and Piaggio of course have such trikes but for larger engines (200cc or larger). And their price in INR will run into several Lakhs which makes them unattractive to the buyer.

Perhaps the stability and comfort offered by reverse trike scooters sold at reasonable prices might appeal to sizeable segment of the market

[GeeTee TSI]

Case in point
After waiting for a proper upgrade which never came, have reconciled to enjoying this as long as it lasts


I see seating comfort, storage and sustained higher speeds as appealing factors in proper maxi scooters available in Europe, for example. If lifestyle biking and higher capacity bikes are available, I wonder why not give options in maxi scooters too

[Vinod_nair]

I needed to upgrade from my nearly 6 years old 12k km run Jupiter, for my dawa daru run.

Thought of SXR160 for a while, but now that the SXR125 is available, I'll get it, only hitch, the closest Aprilia dealership is in Bareilly/Noida, a good 400/500 km away, they don't have one in the Lucknow the capital city.

[Apex1815]

I feel the same thing should apply to few scooters which have very small dimensions (especially width).
The recent Ather 450 x (and upcoming Ola scooter) appears so thin/skinny than an average scooter (Activa/Access).Even the rider having average build (forget about heavy people) protrudes outside the dimension of Ather and looks pathethic. The width of such scooters need to be reasonable, atleast for the safety reasons. (The rider should not project outside the vehicle body).

[Adam]

There are some really interesting and funky looking Maxi scooters out there, mainly in some European and South east Asian Markets. I did love the Honda Forza and was extremely comfortable in smooth roads and can be used as a cruiser bike alternative, stating the roads are good.
In India Scooters are not mainly used as a mile-muncher and most people use it for short city drive through traffic, they need something nimble, easy to handle with some space to keep and store groceries. So basically our Scooter culture depends on necessity and requirement rather than passion or enthusiasm and if someone need to cruise they may go for a cruiser bike rather than a Maxi scooter.

Honda Forza 350 will be coming to India via CKD Route by end of this year probably at a price range of 2.5-3.0 Lakh Indian Rupees.

[veyron_head]

Would love to buy this burgman 650if they ever launched in India. The seats look so wide like an Indian Roadmaster and the features rival any premium car!

https://youtu.be/0xaZd6hFM6g

I personally think the maxi scooter segment can be as big as the regular motorcycle segment, given our road conditions and the constant need to upshift and downshift.

Apple didn't come up with ipod because the market asked for it. Most of the time the customer wouldn't know what they want until they see it.

[C300]

Originally Posted by smooth indian

Perhaps the stability and comfort offered by reverse trike scooters sold at reasonable prices might appeal to sizeable segment of the market

+1. Great option for peope looking for a stable scooter. Unfortunately, not a single one available in the market today.

[TheCFDguy]

Originally Posted by self_driven

While the idea looks good on paper, it may not turn out to be so in reality. Maxi scooters are like cruisers of the scooter world. They beat the very purpose of a two-wheeler for our masses, which is to squeeze through tightest of gaps in traffic. Another reason is that most people who cover long distances, even 50+ kms a day, graduate to bikes or used cars for the sake of fuel cost, comfort or safety. If there exists a segment of scooter fanatics, maxi scooters still have a chance otherwise I don't see them gaining traction anytime soon.

Suzuki already has one half-baked product in the market called Burgman or something. I've seen that thing up close and it didn't seem to offer any considerable advantage in terms of storage or comfort as compared to a conventional Activa or Jupiter.

Suzuki Burgman is one of THE most respected maxi scooters out there in UK, Philippines, Malaysia/Indonesia and USA.

Maxi scooters are to travel long distances 50+ km with more comfort, safety and fuel consumption.

- Comfort: These scooters have extremely comfortable seats, and the feet can be rested in two different positions, especially the stretched position for extra comfort. The extra space is definitely a boon as compared to ANY bike in the market. Not to mention the CVT which adds to the comfort in traffic (as compared to bikes).
- Safety: They have low center of gravity and hence maneuverability is better
- Fuel consumption: Most of these give more 45kmpl --- similar to bikes of the same size engine.

In my opinion, maxi scooters are really awesome and really needed, especially in India. I am waiting for the Honda PCX 160: Wider and bigger tires (13/14 inch), space for 2 full face helmets under the seat, and more storage in the front, USB charging, etc.

[ohaak]

How practical is a large scooter for city use? Road side parking, for example, will be hard if the vehicle is longer and broader.

[clementw]

Originally Posted by self_driven

While the idea looks good on paper, it may not turn out to be so in reality. Maxi scooters are like cruisers of the scooter world. They beat the very purpose of a two-wheeler for our masses, which is to squeeze through tightest of gaps in traffic. Another reason is that most people who cover long distances, even 50+ kms a day, graduate to bikes or used cars for the sake of fuel cost, comfort or safety. If there exists a segment of scooter fanatics, maxi scooters still have a chance otherwise I don't see them gaining traction anytime soon.

Suzuki already has one half-baked product in the market called Burgman or something. I've seen that thing up close and it didn't seem to offer any considerable advantage in terms of storage or comfort as compared to a conventional Activa or Jupiter.

Know a Burgman woman buyer who bought it because it was intimidating on the road, so maybe there exists a niche for these type of scooters that look like padded up hulks

[Sandy Damodaran]

Ahh! I was almost drooling looking at the headline. Im hoping by the time Im 50(11 Years from now) we have a few choices in the real Maxi scooter segment.

I simply love the practicality they have and the ease of luggage carrying they provide. If present by the time I'm 50 Im surely jumping from the current Ninja 1000 + others to a maxi scooter (Burgman 650 would be really nice, as would a TMAX or a Forza) Would be a perfect ride for cross country trip for a 50 year old!!)

P.S: While I love ogling at exotic Italians, Doubt if I would change enough to be brave enough to buy one.

[SS80]

I rode a Burgman 125 Bangalore to Krishnagiri and was surprised how much more comfortable it is when compared to most other 125 -150cc bikes. Also I was able to stay put between 80-90kmph cruising speed easily. Top speed on console was seen around 105kmph and just loved the comfort it offered.