Aprilia SR150 Race First Ride Review — Is It Worth The Extra Three Grand?

And now, the Italian bike maker has launched yet another sportier version of the standard SR 150, which is the - Aprilia SR 150 Race. So let's find out what Aprilia has to offer with this race edition.

What's New?

So the new SR 150 Race is a sportier version of the standard SR 150 which is sold in the Indian market. Moreover, the scooter now gets completely different graphics, which is inspired by the company's own MotoGP bike — RSGP.

The 14-inch alloy wheels and the rear mono shock have now got a new bright red paintjob and the front disk brake caliper is golden in colour instead of black.

Overall, the graphics on the SR 150 Race — (a blend of red, green and maze grey), newly painted alloy wheels and rear mono shock, and the golden colour brake caliper in the front looks really cool. The 150 race edition resemble somewhat like the paddock scooters which are used in MotoGP.

Handling And Braking

The riding posture on the SR 150 Race is upright and that is because of its comfortable seat (colour:red and black). The best part about this scooter are the big 14-inch alloy wheels which come with fat 120mm tyres, both front, and back.

The big tyres provide enough grip so you can go faster in the corners and achieve a better lean angle, but don't you lean too much, after all it is a scooter, not a bike. Now, because it is a race edition, the telescopic suspension in the front and the mono shock at the rear are tuned for better handling and feel quite stiff which is necessary at high speeds.

Braking duties are handled by the 220mm ventilated disc at the front which is clamped to a Bybre gold colour caliper and drum brakes at the rear. Stopping power is just spectacular when compared to other scooters. The front brakes are so responsive that one can also pop an endo/ stoppie (do not try!) with ease on the scooter.

Engine And Performance

Mechanically, the SR 150 Race remains unchanged. Powering the scooter is the same 154.4cc air-cooled engine which delivers 10.26 bhp of power and 11.4Nm of torque. In return, you will get a mileage of around 35 km/l.

So what exactly has changed? The company says that the CVT gearbox has been tweaked for quicker acceleration and also features a quicker gearing ratio.

This upgrade has been done to overcome the initial acceleration lag between the 0 to 30 km/h mark. Honestly, while riding we could not feel much of a difference in the initial 0 to 30 km/h mark, but, after that, the power suddenly kicks in leaving you with a smile on the face.

The SR 150 Race clocked 0 — 100 in just 28 seconds, which is not bad for a scooter. Moreover, the scooter reaches triple digit numbers i.e., a top speed of 105 km/h without any hesitation.

The engine is so refined that while doing a 100km/h, it felt as if the scooter is just gliding through the air without any engine stress noise. Please note: the scooter can actually clock the full top speed of 120 km/h as shown on the speedometer.

Additional Kit

Aprilia is also planning to introduce a race kit for the SR 150 Race. The kit will include a retuned muffler that should help improve the exhaust note and the performance.

On the other hand, the carburettor will also receive upgrades with bigger jets. The estimated price of this additional kit should be around Rs 3000 to 5000. As of now, there is no confirmation from Aprilia on when the kit will hit the market.

Price

The Aprilia SR 150 Race is priced at Rs 70,288 ex-showroom (Mumbai) which is approximately Rs 3000 more than the standard SR 150. The 150 Race doesn't have any direct rivals, but, with respect to displacement, the Vespa 150 is its nearest competitor.

So, should you invest in the three grand to buy this scooter over the standard SR 150? Well, DriveSpark thinks that Rs 3,000 will not make much of a difference for the MotoGP fans in India to have such a machine in their garage.