Crossover in one step: Stylish freedom of movement without a driver’s license (for a motorcycle), that’s the Aprilia SR GT 125. A little scooter, a little adventure – Garáž.cz

Yes, I know it’s already October and soon there won’t even be a thought about a motorcycle. It is not for nothing that the cold weather is said to be “cold as a motorcycle” outside. But unlike big motorbikes, classic scooters are not so sensitive to weather changes and there are people who ride them almost all year round. So we took advantage of the last few warm days and looked at this interesting Aprilia.

Of course, you will find many scooters on the market, especially these “one hundred and twenty” scooters. Their growth was mainly helped by the legislation, when you no longer need an extra motorcycle driver’s license to drive them, and you can get by with your current car driver’s license. Of course, if you are 16 years old and do not yet have a group B driver’s license, you must at least get a group A1. In a congested city, these scooters are an absolutely great way of mobility.

However, the Aprilia SR GT 125 is quite different from the flood of scooters that look like each other. The Italian concern Piaggio offers a fairly wide range of design-characteristic models of scooters and motorcycles of various brands. In addition to Aprilia (also active in MotoGP), you certainly know the Piaggio brand as such, the legendary Vespa, but also the well-known manufacturer Moto Guzzi. This includes Laverda, Gilera, Derbi and Scarabeo.

At first glance, the SR GT model is not a classic scooter. The designers were inspired by the modern trend of crossovers, and although the technology used is quite conventional, they dressed it up in the look of fashionable “adventure” bikes. A characteristic element of the SR models is the middle frame, in which the tank is hidden (a large nine-liter tank here). Even if you lose a favorite feature of scooters, i.e. a flat floor for your feet to make it easier to get on and the ability to carry a bag hung on a hook under the handlebars, it gives the machine an interesting look and seems to help the handling as well.

You don’t feel that the motorcycle twists and sways from front to back while driving, as happens with some cheaper ordinary scooters. However, practicality was not completely subordinated to the design. Under the comfortable, 799 mm high seat, there is quite a large storage space, but you can’t put a classic integral helmet here. Only an open “coconut” for scooters can barely fit here. But you can easily put the integral helmet in the additional case from the original accessories, with which our tested piece was also equipped. It’s just a pity that the trunk does not open with the same key that is used for starting.

You can stuff quite a large purchase under the saddle and in the top case, so you don’t have to worry about not taking anything away. But be careful with the storage of refrigerated goods. The space under the seat from the single-cylinder engine with a volume of 125 cm3 and the power of 11 kW heats up quite quickly. Fresh baked goods can be kept warm here, but meat and dairy products, let alone ice cream, we would rather not bring here. A top case will be better for that.

But let’s leave the purchase at home and go for a drive. Don’t look for a foot starter here, modern scooters have electric starters. The time when you had to work with the choke and carburetor every morning is long gone. Here you press the button and go. The engine with electronic ignition and injection jumps in as reliably as a car. In this, modern motorbikes have moved in a huge way towards user-friendliness, so they appeal to individuals who are not technically skilled and especially do not have the time and nerves to dig into their machine every time to start it.

While a large motorcycle can be a little more difficult to maneuver in a garage, this lightweight scooter with a low center of gravity and a large wheelbase is as easy to push out as a bicycle, even smaller figures can easily “hop” on it, turn the throttle and go. The engine revs up, the classic monotonous hum of a sliding variator is heard, and the machine willingly moves forward.

This Aprilia is on the city 50 in no time, so you won’t be hanging around at traffic lights and you’ll overtake practically all cars. SR GT 125 picks up speed quite willingly to somewhere around 70 km/h, where driving resistance starts to prevail and the engine runs out of breath. The technical maximum is 99 km/h (so the machine is also allowed on the highway and you don’t need a highway stamp for it), but the Aprilia shows a maximum of 112 km/h on the speedometer.

Even if the Aprilia starts at 100 km/h, the comfortable cruising speed is somewhere around 70 km/h. At such a speed, you can still add and increase the speed for overtaking, at 90 km/h you have practically no reserve with these scooters. There are, of course, kits to rebuild the entire transmission system for higher speed, but then you lose part of the acceleration again. In addition, we evaluate the motorcycle here as it left the factory. After the warranty, do whatever you want with it.

The dynamics in the straight line of this one hundred and twenty cannot be criticized much. It drives as you would expect from an 11 kW scooter. But I was personally surprised by the brakes. While some scooters are a bit reluctant, the Aprilia brakes really well when more force is applied to the lever. But it is necessary to take after her. I have a feeling that scooter manufacturers are a little more cautious. Although this model has ABS (front), a locked front wheel is a threat to inexperienced riders. The dosing ability of the front brake takes a little getting used to, but I like it when the brake is not biting and you need to press it with more force for a proper effect. Anyone who is startled by something in traffic and grabs both brakes as hard as they can, is probably not in danger of crashing right away. The rear brake without ABS allows more experienced riders to do “silly things”, such as skid braking and a spectacular turn. But we’ll forgive this for a borrowed test motorcycle.

The Aprilia SR GT has a decent chassis. It is very easy to drive, it does not twist, it is stable and, above all, it is not afraid of corners. The handling is reminiscent of a classic small motorcycle. Larger wheels (14″ front and 13″ rear) also help a lot. These are becoming standard on these scooters and are better for handling and stability than the small 11 or 12″ wheels used on many small city scooters. The larger gyroscopic effect of the big wheel is more suitable for the stability of the motorcycle. There is also less risk that your front wheel will be “eaten” by, for example, a tram track.

This Aprilia can be driven even on a twisty road with the confidence of a big bike and can handle quite large inclines. You can even adjust the rear spring preload in four positions. The limiting factor is not the technique, but rather just the rider’s fear. The tires here are special “crossover”. Even if this Aprilia is not strictly off-road, the coarser sample will make it easier to ride in sand, mud or anywhere off asphalt, but it makes unnecessary noise on the road. But replacing them with a purely road tire probably won’t be a problem, then think about it yourself. I doubt you’ll be riding this scooter over terrain more challenging than a cottage driveway or pond.

The user comfort of this motorcycle is also surprisingly decent. The single cylinder is relatively quiet and refined, the machine does not knock and there are no strong vibrations in the handlebars. The fairing and front plate do something, but you don’t ride a scooter so fast that the air flow tires you out. It’s a bit windy on the legs, but the chest is protected quite well. However, for year-round operation it will need heated grips, which this bike didn’t have, and I don’t even see them in the official accessory catalog. But such things can usually be easily done.

However, I must highlight the efficiency of the headlights. The front LED lights shine brilliantly. Personally, I would have forgiven the additional roll bar with additional lights, and fortunately they are not needed at all. Basic headlights are absolutely enough, and even a faster motorcycle wouldn’t be ashamed of them.

The Aprilia SR GT 125 can also be used in twos, and if you don’t load a 100-kilo friend, it can handle normal hills with ease. The undercarriage does not immediately fall on the stops and the machine can handle a larger load. Acceleration from traffic lights in two is not desperate and you don’t have to worry that you would be a drag on traffic when fully loaded. Even in two, the power-to-weight ratio of the machine is roughly the same as for compact cars of segments A and B. You won’t be loud that way, and even a loaded Citigo will go uphill on the Barrand hill.

And how much does it all cost? The motorcycle as such will officially cost 109,900 CZK. Consumption is then relatively low. At a constant fifty, the on-board computer shows a consumption of around two liters per 100 km (or 50 km per liter), but rather count on values ​​of 2.5 to 3 l/100 km. It depends on where and how you ride. Sustained full-throttle driving outside the city drains the large nine-liter tank in no time. Even so, you can drive for one refueling with a reserve of 350 km, which is very nice for one track. Large motorbikes with similarly large tanks have to go to the gas station every 200 km. These compact scooters are usually serviced after a year or 6,000 km.

Although it might seem at first glance that on scooters in the class up to 125 cm3 it’s impossible to invent anything new, so this Aprilia is an interesting refresh of a really broad current offer. With an official price of CZK 109,900 (some places have it in stock new for less than a hundred thousand), it is not the cheapest in its class, but it is still one of the more affordable scooters.

Its engine has enough power, the chassis is really good, it handles well, brakes well, and with the additional trunk it is unexpectedly practical and usable. The SR GT is not only a great tool for the city to “avoid” traffic jams and solve parking problems, but you can also take it outside the city on a two-person trip and it is not afraid of dirt roads either.