Super Scooter Shoot Out
Honda and Aprilia Provide Large cc’d Scoots To The US
Market.
 Scooters on the freeway? Scooters traveling from Seattle
to San Francisco and back? ‘Crazy’ you say?
When Honda introduced its 250 Elite and Helix’s into the
United States in the 80’s it was the first time reliable four-stroke Japanese
scooters were able to make their way onto freeways. The Helix held its position
as the largest scooter on the American market until 2002, when it was replaced
with a super scooter – the Honda Silver Wing.
 The Honda Silver Wing was released to Europe and Japan one
year earlier. At the same time Aprilia had its own super scooter under
development- the Atlantic. It seems as if Aprilia got their hands on the new
Silver Wing, let R&D tear it down and built the Atlantic back up from that
for about $1,500 less retail U.S.
While the two share similarities, there are distinct
differences.
Power Plant
Honda slammed a four-stroke, two-cylinder 582cc in-line
water-cooled twin under the seat of the Silver Wing- no small feat and unheard of
until now. Aprilia opted for a thumper and went with a single cylinder 460cc
4-valve overhead-cam configuration. While the Aprilia is slightly less powerful
it still has the guts to make needed passes beyond posted interstate
speeds. This is a
benefit both scooters provide, which was not a reality with the smaller 250’s
that were previously on the market. Each bike features a large chamber exhaust
that is pleasantly quiet. Aftermarket hop-up kits are available for those who
insist on more horsepower and hearing loss sooner in life. Both scoots are fuel
injected!
Storage
People who ride scooters like to pack a lot of stuff into
them. Both these machines are wonderful for around town commuting, as well as
long trips to far away places. Storage is a critical issue. The Silver Wing
provides space for two full face helmets under the seat. The Aprilia offers a
bit less room, but here’s the clincher: the Aprilia was designed to have an
optional luggage unit attached that cosmetically fits the rest of the bike.
While you can add a Givi mount to the Silver Wing, the beauty of the bike
diminished with the extra hardware. Honda also provides two cubbys on the front
providing 1.5 liters of storage for your garage opener, tire gauge, polishing
wax and more. Aprilia skimped with a much smaller front storage unit.
Instrumentation
Honda provides a simple setup on the Silver Wing offering
speed, tach, odometer/trip meter, clock and the usual warning lights. Aprilia
takes it a few steps further with an extended trip meter that also provides
things like top speed, average speed, air temperature, and gas mileage. We think
the air temperature is something that every bike in the Northwest should have so
it was a pleasure to see it arrive on this one. Why either of these bikes need a
tachometer is beyond us. They’re both V-belt auto drives.
Leg Room
 The Silver Wing wins hands down on legroom, a real plus
for taller people. Honda also provides an adjustable lumbar support on the
scooter which allows the rider to adjust the seat point specifically to them- a great
feature, especially if you’re out riding long distances. Aprilia did not
include this option on the Atlantic.
Styling
Both scooters have contemporary lines styled into the
bodywork. Aprilia included a set of crash bars on the front, Honda did not.
While it seems like a good idea to protect bodywork it’s already been proven
not viable by more than one Aprilia owner. Both companies could take a cue from
the Acura R&D team which styled in effective crash bars in Honda’s Pacific
Coast in the 1980’s that really worked for standing-still falls.
For 2002 Honda provided two color options, Black and Candy
Red. Aprilia came to the party with four – two blue tones, silver and red.
Wheels, Brakes and Suspension
 Both bikes could use a few more inches in the wheel sizes.
Aprilia provides a 15" in front and a 14" in the rear. While Honda
provides a wider rear tire for more contact with the road, the rear wheel is
just 13" and the front 14". Perhaps they were both concerned with seat
height, thus the small hoops.
Both bikes feature integrated braking- with both brakes
operating on the handlebars- no foot brakes. When Aprilia was looking for cost-cutting measures in the design of the Atlantic, front braking was not on the
list. The designers had the smarts to put two discs on the front wheel allowing
it better stopping power in shorter distances; the Silver Wing only has one
disc. Both feature a single disc in the rear.
Both provide adjustable shocks on the rear and the
Aprilias shocks are concentric which provides more options.
Pricing
Honda’s list price is $7,499. Aprilia introduced the
Atlantic at just $5,699. The $1,800 price difference was enough to make a few
people run out and order their scoots in advance. In the end you’ll want to
inspect and ride each scooter to be sure where you want to put your money down.
| |
Pluses |
Minuses |
|
Honda Silver Wing |
· Largest power plant
available on a scooter
· Lots of on-board storage. Right dash cubby is
easy to access
· Lumbar support on the seat
· Large exhaust chamber that provides maximum
horsepower without being loud. |
· $7,499 List Price
(you meet the richest people on a Honda)
· Small tires on scooters that can exceed 100 mph
can be scary
· No temperature gauge on the dash
· Additional storage looks too much like an add-on
and steals from the sleek design |
|
Aprilia Atlantic |
· Dual
disc brakes in the front
· 4 color choices
· Lots of instrumentation
· $5,699 List Price |
· Crash
Bars are ineffective
· Skimpy and clunky storage below the dash
· Key system and instrumentation take a while to
figure out
· Self-canceling turn signals can be problematic in
high congestion intersections. |
Where to Buy Em
Click here for Aprilia Dealers
Click Here for Honda Dealers
Special thanks to Moto
International and University
Honda for providing the test models used in this article
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