Aprilia Scarabeo 150

Before I could appreciate Aprilia's Scarabeo 150, I had to confront what I'll call scooterphobia. It's a condition that afflicts nearly all male motorcyclists and would-be scooterists in the U.S. The onset of scooterphobia begins with a voice inside one's head as one first sets eyes upon a machine like the Scarabeo. The voice whispers: Sure, it looks cool, but it's not a motorcycle. It doesn't have the performance or the emotional appeal of motorcycles, right? The open section--the well--where the gas tank goes makes it looks like a girl's bike. You'll never see me on a girl's bike. Besides, it sounds like a sewing machine. Sure looks fun to ride though. But no: I know what a man's bike is, and it's not that.

The internal debate about whether or not to like the thing usually ends there. This is a shame, as my experience bears out. An initial skeptic, I'm surprised at the news I have to report: these so-called "touring" scooters (those with engines of at least 125cc) are a blast to ride, and practical too. Aprilia's Scarabeo 150 is one of the best of them.

There's nothing like visiting Europe to make you realize just how scooter-saturated the rest of the world is. In Athens, Greece, where I rode the Scarabeo 150, I was amazed to see scooter after scooter pull away from the many dual-sport bikes and the less frequent cruisers and sportbikes when the traffic got dense. Scooters own the road here. If a scooterist can't pass between two cars while splitting lanes, he or she's likely to honk, yell something unprintable, and fold back the side mirror that blocks the way. Try that in Detroit, I thought.

A different world, then. And in this world, Aprilia is king. They sell more than 250,000 scooters a year--from budget 50cc two-strokes to the larger "tourers." The Scarabeo 150 is the best of the bunch, offering extraordinary comfort, practicality (75 mpg fuel consumption), and performance. 80 mph with a passenger? No problem. Even at such speeds the bike was stable and responsive. Riding the bike around Athens and the island of Andros, I was almost embarrassed at how much fun I was having. I kept thinking, How will I explain this to the guys? Does this make me a wimp? Scooterphobia again.

Francesca, my passenger, loved it too. The passenger seat, like the rider's, is wide, firm and supportive. In fact, the seat is as good as any I've experienced. The most comfortable seating arrangement I've ever tried was a Corbin product on a BMW F650, and the Scarabeo's wide, supportive saddle offered similar succor. I eventually tried the optional 45-liter topcase, which holds two full-face helmets and features an immense foam backrest. (The stock topcase holds one full-face helmet and lacks a backrest.) The backrest proved very comfortable and reassuring to Francesca.

You should understand that Francesca is very afraid of motorcycles. She doesn't understand why I'm obsessed with them. But I convinced her to take a long tour with me on the Scarabeo 150 and she ended up having a great time. Somehow the "scooter" designation of the Scarabeo, combined with its comfort and unassuming demeanor, diminished any fears she might have had. Even traveling at 80 mph on the highway (legal in Greece, I hasten to add) didn't faze Francesca. In fact, when I mentioned the speed, she said, "No way! I've never gone 80 mph in my life!" A testament to the bike's surprising stability and comfort at speed.

The benefit of all this stability and comfort is that you actually engage the landscape as it passes by. It's true: on the Scarabeo you notice what you'd otherwise neglect. Sea vistas, mountains, farmlands, fields, cityscapes--the Scarabeo encourages you to attend rather than race through. And you'll have just as much fun as you would running blindly ahead. People have said this about cruisers for years. They haven't been exaggerating. Think of the Scarabeo 150 as the cruiser deluxe of scooters.

Indeed, the Scarabeo has several design touches that call to mind cruiser aesthetics. The unusually wide, deep fenders do an exceptional job of keeping rain and grit from rider and passenger, and look swell too. The faux-chrome (i.e., plastic) insignia seems to belong on a 1940's Indian. The instrument panel is located between the handlebars and behind a nifty flyscreen. The panel features the all-important fuel gauge. Trust me: once you get used to the utility of a fuel gauge on a motorcycle, you'll always long for it. Nearly every scooter features them, even the tiniest 50cc model, but few motorcycles follow suit. The Scarabeo's other instruments include a speedometer, odometer, high and low beam indicators, low fuel warning light, oil pressure warning light, digital clock, turn signal indicators, and coolant temperature gauge.

Like all scooters, both of the Scarabeo's brakes are engaged by hand levers--left for the rear brake, right for the front. Both brakes feature discs--260 mm for the front, 220 mm for the rear. The only circumstance during which the brakes offered anything but a firm, reassuring grip was while slowing to a complete halt from speeds of over 60 mph, and even then only while carrying a passenger. At that point one has to grab forcefully at both levers; the response is adequate but not exceptional.

The suspension--hydraulic fork up front, adjustable shock in rear--is set on the soft side, as one would expect. The softness is only a problem when riding with a passenger, at which point you can easily dial in the rear shock to a stiffer setting. The front fork is not adjustable.

The automatic transmission will surprise you with how fluid and unnoticeable it is. It is tuned to get the maximum amount of power to the ground as directed by the speed of the engine. As with a car's automatic transmission, when starting out from a standing stop there is a slight lag between twisting the throttle and accelerating. This takes some getting used to. But then, as with an automatic car, you learn to rev the motor a bit just before a stoplight turns green. That way, when the light turns, the engine is ready to engage first gear and speed off ahead of traffic.

In traffic the Scarabeo is in its element. The nimble chassis gives the bike extreme maneuverability, and makes it feel much lighter than 308 pounds. The automatic transmission means there's no clutch lever to pull in every two seconds as traffic waxes and wanes, waxes and wanes. The engine is very quiet, which will please your fellow commuters as well as your neighbors. The bike is actually fun to ride in even the densest thickets of jammed traffic. Unlike some of the other touring scooters, the Scarabeo's seating position is upright, not prone as in an easy chair. In traffic, I find, this gives you more confidence as you weave and dart and jostle.

One of the bonuses of the bike is the availability of several well-thought-out accessories. I mentioned the larger top case already. Aprilia also offers side cases for the Scarabeo that do not make the bike any wider (crucial for splitting traffic). You can also purchase a unique locking device that connects to the frame under the seat, and an insulating windscreen.

All told, the Scarabeo was a revelation. I had no idea I'd enjoy it so much. It's hard to imagine a machine with more potential to entice people into the two-wheeled world who would never consider it otherwise. The Scarabeo 150 is the perfect cure for the U.S. epidemic of scooterphobia. And for those with no symptoms of the disease, it's simply one of the smartest commuters going: practical, stylish and fun.