Aprilia SR 125 Review – Italian Colt

The Aprilia brand is getting popular by the day, in India. The Italian marquee owes this success to the SR 150 scooter. In no time this has become a favourite for many enthusiasts and people are gaga over this ‘pocket rocket’. Seeing the success of the SR 150, Aprilia has decided to get in a smaller sibling. The Aprilia SR 125 is a lowered powered scooter that has all the other credentials of the SR 150, sans the same engine size. As per Aprilia, there are many customers who prefer settling for a more docile 125cc, rather than a 150cc scooter. We ride the Aprilia SR 125 and tell you whether it is worth buying. What do you think? Read on further to know the answer.

Aprilia SR 125 Design

In terms of design, the SR 125 looks exactly like the SR 150. It shares the same body, chassis and mechanicals, apart from the engine. The front portion has the headlamp embedded in the apron. The headlamp is a conventional halogen one and not LED. It does not get LED DRLs as well.  The turn indicator is situated on the handlebar panel. The instrument cluster is a basic one, just as the SR 150. It has a dial for the speedo and another for the fuel guage. No trip meters or tacho here.

The switchgear is also basic. Overall this is an extremely sporty looking scooter, which takes its inspiration from Motards. Aprilia has made no change to the architecture of this scooter. It is the same as the SR 150. The underseat storage space is also the same as the SR 150. It is not great but can accommodate a half helmet.

However, the Aprilia SR125 comes with some changes. First is a set of new colours – Blue and Silver.

The body graphics are also new and this time the base colour get more surface area, unlike the SR 150, which had heavy graphics and a two-tone color theme. This one has a single colour theme. It also gets a longer seat, this making is slightly more comfortable for the pillion, but it actually makes very little difference. The grab handle also is different thus. It is a single piece longer unit, which is available as an accessory. The two piece grab handle of the SR 150 does not fit in here.

Aprilia SR 125 Review – Performance

Aprilia had set benchmarks for performance with the SR 150. The Aprilia SR 125, however is not very impressive initially. Its comes with a 125cc, air-cooled single cylinder engine. This engine produces 9.5bhp of power @ 7250rpm and 9.9Nm of torque @6250rpm. As the figures suggest, the power is higher than its competitors, however this power comes in at a higher rpm. This holds true for the torque as well.

It does not offer a punchy performance. The acceleration is linear and the speed actually builds up late. But the top speed is impressive. On our runs, I managed to hit a top speed of just over 110 km/h. Hence, in day to day riding in traffic, it does not impress, but comes into its own on the highway.

Aprilia SR 125 Review – Ride and Handling 

Nothing changes here as compared to the SR 150. It carries the same DNA and gets the same set of 14-inch alloy wheels and sticky tyres. The suspension setup also remains the same, which means that it is stiff. Quite a few people complain about this, but for many, it is the USP of this scooter. The ride though harsh, makes up for immaculate handling. It brings a smile everytime you throw it into corners and also lean along.

Swerving through traffic is a pleasure on the Aprilia SR 125.

Another impressive part is the braking. Its nothing short of being excellent. Think of stopping at a point and it does! Handling and braking are the areas where the Aprilia SR 125 shines.

Aprilia SR 125 Mileage

We have not done a mileage run yet on this scooter, however, we presume it will return between 35-40 km/l in daily riding conditions.

Verdict

The Aprilia SR 125 is priced at INR 78,000 (on-road, Mumbai). At this price, it is about 3,500 cheaper than its bigger sibling SR 150. It does most of the things in the same way as the SR 150, minus the power delivery. It does not offer that mid range fun of the 150. As a buyer of a sports scooter, you would expect good juice at city riding speeds, which is between 30-60 km/h. The Aprilia SR 125 falls short in this, as compared to its rivals. In turn, offering a higher top speed is a different story. Now, if you are on a tight budget and want to buy an Aprilia, then you may look at this one. Else, in our opinion, go for the Italian Stallion – SR 150.