You might not know this but Piaggio has been selling its complete range of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi bikes in India, albeit on an order basis. The Italian manufacture isn’t very active in marketing its products and expects interested buyers to approach them. Currently there are three Aprilia dealerships in India, one each in Pune, Delhi and Bangalore, the three cities where demand for high performance bikes is the highest. At the India Bike Week 2014, Aprilia’s Bangalore dealership had showcased three products which aren’t very known to everyone as usually Aprilia stands for the RSV4 superbike for most people. The company will showcase these products at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo.
The Aprilia Dorsoduro is on sale in India, priced at Rs. 20 lakhs (ex-showroom). This maximotard motorcycle uses a 1.2-litre, V-twin engine which produces 130 HP of power and 115 Nm of torque. The bike comes with a fully adjustable suspension, Brembo racing brakes, triple map Ride-by-Wire technology (with Sport, Rain and Touring modes), Aprilia Traction Control System and ABS. The Aprilia Dursoduro 1200 uses a steel trellis frame. The fuel tank capacity is 15-litres while the tyres are 120 and 180 section at the front and rear respectively.
The Aprilia SRV 850 is a scooter priced at Rs. 17 lakhs (ex-showroom). It is the only V-twin engined scooter in the world and the most powerful too. The 839.3cc engine produces 76 HP of power and 76.4 Nm of torque and you can cruise all day long keeping a steady 140 km/hr (top speed is 200 km/hr). The Aprilia SRV 850 uses a double-cradle frame with steel trellis pipes. The scooter uses an aluminium swingarm, aluminium front forks and rear monoshock. The front uses a 120/70/16 tyre while the rear makes do with a 160/60/15 tyre. The bike uses 300 mm semi-floating steel discs at the front and 280 mm steel disc at the rear with a parking brake lever on the right side of the leg shield. This scooter weighs in at 249 kgs and has an 18.5-litre fuel tank.
The Moto Guzzi range is also on sale in India and the company had showcased the Norge 1200 GT at the 2012 Auto Expo. The California 1200 Custom is the flagship bike from the company’s range. It uses a 1380cc, V-twin engine which generates 96 HP of power and 120 Nm of torque. The bike gets Ride-by-Wire technology with Rain, Sport and Touring modes. There are three modes for the MGCT traction control system and cruise control is standard. The California Custom is priced at Rs. 25 lakhs (ex-showroom). The front sports a 130/70/18 tyre while the rear makes do with a 200/60/16 tyre. The bike is thoroughly attractive and an excellent alternative for those who want something different from the usual Harleys. Moto Guzzi also offers a Touring version of the California which gets features to make long distance riding a breeze.
