The Aprilia SR Motard 125 is a sporty scooter and has received the clearance to be launched in the Indian market later this year.
You read it first on MotorBeam. Piaggio India is working on different possibilities in order to sustain its still small scooter business. With the automatic two-wheeler space bustling with growth, the Italian automaker has not been able to capitalise on the market sentiment with its Vespa range and has now planned a new ace up its sleeve to gain some traction. Our sources inside the company suggest that Piaggio is working to bring the Aprilia SR Motard 125 scooter in the Indian market next year, while an India specific scooter is also on the cards.
Clearances for the Aprilia SR Motard 125 have arrived and the scooter could be launched in the next few months. The SR Motard is a sporty offering targeted at young buyers and gets razor sharp lines, large alloy wheels and a high mounted headlight lending an adventure feel to the model. Power comes from a 125cc single-cylinder engine that produces 9.3 PS at 8500 RPM and 8.2 Nm of torque at 7500 RPM, paired to an automatic gearbox. The scooter gets a 220 mm front disc and a 140 mm rear drum brake setup, while riding on 14-inch alloy wheels. Given the legacy of Aprilia in building bikes, the SR Motard 125 will be extremely fun to ride and also a corner craver. Piaggio will position the model at the premium end of the segment, so expect prices to be a tad bit optimistic.
The other model in consideration for India was the Piaggio Fly. However, the Fly does not make sense for the domestic market, especially due to it being technologically rich sporting a host of tech and a petrol tank near the footboard. For the cost conscious Indian market, the Fly offers limited practicality and needs to be priced lower than the Vespa range to be successful. However, given the slew of features, prices would have escalated on the scooter. Moreover, certain changes to the design pattern of the scooter need to be made as well before introducing the Fly on Indian roads, which has made it further unviable. With the Fly discontinued globally, it is now ruled out for the Indian market.
Piaggio India is looking to step up its game in the country immediately, especially under constant pressure from the head honchos in Italy to make its operations successful. The company has been given a deadline till 2017 to make its Indian operations justifiable and have the option to develop an India specific scooter, build to the requirements of the market. It still needs to be seen if the India specific scooter gets a green light and how effective will the model be in reality when launched. Meanwhile, the Italian company will be launching a completely refreshed Vespa lineup by September this year, to help the small sales numbers grow.
