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Aprilia SRV850 (2012-current)

Detail	Value
New price	£7,799
Used price range	View Aprilia SRV850 bikes for sale to see current asking prices
Engine size	839 cc
Power	76 bhp
Top speed	126 mph
Insurance group	of 17

	MCN ratings	Owners' ratings
Overall
Engine
Ride & Handling
Equipment
Quality & Reliability
Value

MCN overall verdict

The world’s most powerful ever scooter is loads of fun but has an unfinished feel, with iffy suspension and a lack of attention to detail. If outrunning hot hatches on a step-thru is you’re thing, you’ll love it. If you buy it believing Aprilia’s claim that it corners like a sports bike, you’ll be disappointed. It’s essentially a tweaked and rebadged Gilera GP800 with a claimed one extra bhp. The sharper RSV superbike-derived styling alone has made that a worthwhile endeavour.

MCN rating
Owners' rating

Feels exactly like what it is - a 76bhp V-twin motorbike engine crammed into a scooter. Big twist-and-gos often have a delayed throttle response. Not this. Twist your wrist and it just goes. And goes. And goes. The only let-down is the engine noise. It’s not as loud and throaty as you’d expect from a big V-twin. In fact it sounds far too much like a scooter.

MCN rating
Owners' rating

Handling is vague. The front wheel feels far away. The suspension seems under-sprung and under-damped. Too much front suspension travel is taken up just by sitting on it. On high-speed bumps, both front and rear suspension threaten to bottom out.

MCN rating
Owners' rating

Not great for a scooter. You get no glove compartments and space for only one helmet under the seat. The chain final drive seems like an unnecessary inconvenience. The screen is not adjustable and there’s no ABS.

MCN rating
Owners' rating

The slightest hint of a gradient is enough for the SRV to roll off its side stand, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage to those shiny plastics. It’s got a handbrake and you have to use it. Aprilia could have saved a lot of owners from inevitable heartache by linking the parking brake to the side stand à la BMW’s C600 Sport and C650GT.

MCN rating
Owners' rating

It’s one of the cheapest big scooters available, undercutting Yamaha’s 530cc T-Max by £900 and BMW’s C600 Sport by £1600. Granted it’s not as good as those but you can’t have everything. You won’t find a faster scooter for less.

Insurance group: n/a

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2012: Model introduced

The SRV850 is a tweaked and rebadged Gilera GP800, which also suffers from iffy handling. The SRV has a claimed one more bhp than the Gilera and better high-speed stability, not to mention sharper looks.

Specifications

Top speed	126 mph
1/4-mile acceleration	secs
Max power	76 bhp
Max torque	56.3 ft-lb
Weight	249 kg
Seat height	780 mm
Fuel capacity	18.5 litres
Average fuel consumption	mpg
Tank range	miles
Annual road tax
Insurance group	of 17

Engine size	839 cc
Engine specification	90º V-twin four-stroke, SOHC, eight valves, electronic fuel injection, liquid cooled. CVT transmission, chain final drive
Frame	Double cradle high strength tubular steel
Front suspension adjustment	41mm fork with 122mm travel.
Rear suspension adjustment	Laterally mounted monoshock with seven-position spring preload adjustment.
Front brakes	Twin 300mm semi-floating discs with Brembo double piston 28mm floating calipers.
Rear brake	Single 280mm disc with 25.4mm double piston caliper.
Front tyre size	120/70-R16 57H
Rear tyre size	160/60-R15 67H

See all Aprilia SRV850 motorcycles for sale

Aprilia
SRV850

miles

£6,799

Aprilia
SRV850

miles

£7,199

Aprilia
SRV850

1 miles

£7,795

Owners' Overall Rating (2 reviews)

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A perfect cross-over machine

disposalist

Average rating

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If you want a superbike or a scooter, go get one, stupid. The SRV is neither, thankfully. Of course it doesn't compare well to either extreme, but if you want a good compromise of performance and functionality, thrills and comfort, this is it and you won't be disappointed. Theres nothing better (well, I haven't tried the BMW C600GT yet, but I have ridden all the other competition).

30 July 2012
1st test ride

trek164

Average rating

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I have a need to change from motorcycles because of a disability which is causing normal bike riding to be a painful affair . So i bit the bullet and tried the the srv850 ,What a hoot to ride the motor is a peach.I found it to roll on and accelerate past traffic comfortably .I found it very comfortable .I like the sporty looks of the bike as well .The only downsides i found were the speedo MPH is very hard to read and that my full face helmet did not fit in the storage space under the seat .Overall the test ride has convinced me that this is the route to go rather than spend a load more money converting another motorcycle to fit my needs .

18 July 2012

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trek164 says

i got an srv

I went and got the SRV850 after the test ride and after about 2k miles i am really glad i did .I have ridden it no different to my cbr honda and it has never complained .The handling i feel is a lot better than mcn described and is certainly a lot better than many of the bikes i have owned over the last 35 years . Due to my disabilities i have i was suffering bad pain while riding and afterwards on the bikes ,now pain is only 10% of what it was while riding ,after getting off my leg recovers within 10 mins not 3 hours .To me this was a no brainer . Fuel consumption has proved to be an average 56mpg and 225 miles per tank .The thing i really like is it can do cruising (2 up) it can be great fun in the twisty bits and it still makes you smile and i think it looks cool .I have tested out all things on the bike/scooter and so far it still ticks those boxes .Many of my mates have had a giggle at "the scooter" but once ridden they have all changed there minds .There is another bonus i have recently discovered .The under seat storage is in fact fantastic for drying wet gloves and keeping the take away warm as it does get quiet warm .I will be touring on it next year and confidently so .

04 August 2012 15:49

disposalistsays

Maybe these are just difficult to review...

With a machine like this, if you compare to a sports bike when thinking about handling and performance, then compare to a Vespa when thinking about storage and convenience you're just going to see negatives. Not too helpful to anyone reading a review and wanting a balanced opinion, I think.

If, like me, you learned on 'real' (geared 'standard') motorbikes but have ridden things like Piaggio MP3, Gilera Fuoco, Honda Silverwings (so-called 'maxi-scooters) the SRV, by comparison, is awesome.

If you want the comfort and functionality of a scooter, but also want to not get stuck behind any boxes-on-wheels (city, town, motorway *or* country roads) then the SRV is awesome.

I don't want to pretend I'm on a race track and 'get my knee down'. I don't want to brag about my near death experiences on the road. I don't want to strap on a dozen lights and hang out with the Mods, either.

I want to commute 50 miles into London center, tour europe, pop to the shops, have some fun in the twisties - I want it all! And the SRV gives it to me.

If you want a sports bike, go get one. If you want a scooter, go get one. The SRV is neither and it's awesome.

30 July 2012 21:15