The Aprilia SR150 is undoubtedly India’s most performance-oriented scooter; the scoot has done well in terms of sales as well. Aprilia managed to move around 32,000 of them last year. However, the manufacturer figured out that many of the buyers liked the scooter but felt the 150cc motor was more suited towards a motorcycle than a moped.
This means while the original plan for the SR was for it to remain a 150, the company later decided to offer it with a lower-powered engine as well and this is where the SR125 comes in.
On the outside
To make things simple, this scooter is a SR150 with a smaller motor. Styling-wise, the 125 remains unchanged from the 150. The body panels and most mechanicals bits also remain untouched. The seat, however, is longer this time around. A big cosmetic change comes in form of the new colour schemes; it is available in either bright blue or grey. The revised seat has come to add a bit comfort for the pillion; however we still found it to be a squeeze. Another problem comes in form of the missing grab rail that one can find on the SR 150. It is available as an option, but we felt like it should have been standard on a motorcycle of this price.
Other than this, the 125 remains visually undistinguishable from the 150. It gets the same large 14-inch wheels, aggressive-styling and simple instrument cluster (Which is now replaced by a digital unit on the SR150)
How does it perform?
The engine on the SR125 is taken from the Vespa 125, however it is tuned differently. The power and torque figures are lower on the SR but it doesn’t feel that way owing to the way it is geared. Interestingly, the 125 is not lighter than the 150, it has the same kerb weight.
The motor makes a gruff noise but it feels linear and refined. The way this Aprilia accelerates, leaves us to believe that this scooter might be the fastest in the segment. It achieves 80kph rather quickly and climbs upto 120kph. However, we believe the scooter may not be very accurate. This means, the 125 has a top speed similar to its elder sibling; however, it does this with a little less grunt. The 125 is also bound to be slightly more fuel economical than the SR150, Aprilia claims it will offer 4-5kpl more.
How does it handle?
Very well, thanks to the SR150’s performance-oriented frame, suspension and brakes. The large wheels provide high levels of stability in conjunction with the grippy-tyres it comes with. The braking on the bike is decent too; it has sharp front brake and rather conventional feeling rear drum. Where the SR125 really shines is on a smooth tarmac; however this isn’t very common in India. The scooter doesn’t like rough roads, the front-end feels harsh.
Should I buy one?
The SR125 is still a fun-to-ride scooter and it isn’t much slower than the SR150. However, your purchase decision depends on if you want a focused performance scooter. This means you lose out comfort, leg space and storage. The seat height is also high and short riders may not like this.
Being priced at Rs 65,310 (ex-showroom India) making it Rs 7,000 more than it’s competition like the TVS Ntorq and Suzuki’s Access. However, if you were looking to get a SR, we would advise spending a little more and getting the SR150.
