Aprilia SR 125, Track Test

Scooters have always been strictly commuters. When we talk about riding pleasure or ‘wind in the hair,’ the scooter is the last thing that comes to mind. But Aprilia changed all that with the launch of the Aprilia SR 150 in 2016. Amongst other things, it introduced the very idea of riding fun to the scooter segment. The SR 150, being a practical scooter that’s fun to ride, is a unique entity in that sense. And now, Aprilia has taken all that one step further with the Aprilia SR 125, which was launched earlier this year. It’s true that it looks more or less identical to its 150-cc sibling, but there’s still no denying the fact that the SR 125 is a great looking scooter. The prominent lines, livery and wide tyres reflect the sporty nature of this ride.

Another highlight of the SR 125 is its engine. Developing a healthy output of 9.4bhp, it’s the most powerful scooter in its class. While the engine doesn’t have the initial grunt, once you cross the 60km/h mark, things change drastically. Speeding things up, the engine feels absolutely unstrained and smooth right up to its top-speed. On the track, we even caught the speedo needle hovering around 119km/h mark. But, despite being marginally more powerful than the TVS NTorq, it took over three seconds more to lap the circuit. And that could be the result of its significant torque deficit – the SR 125 only makes 8.2Nm, while its rivals develop more than 10Nm.   

Just like its bigger sibling, the SR 125 is fun to ride. It handles better than any other scooter on sale currently! There’s a certain sharpness to the SR 125 that’s just so addictive that you find yourself going hard around every bend you stumble upon. Of course, the stiffness of the suspension does result in a harsh ride on bad roads, but that’s a compromise that you’ll have to make for its sporty DNA. 

The biggest cause of concern for the SR 125 is its price. While it’s more or less on par with its rivals, an additional `5,000 can fetch you the more powerful and recently updated SR 150. If it were me, I would spring for the 150 every day of 
the week.

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