Aprilia Habana Retro 125

I've had my Habana (or 'the Love Machine') for 5 years now and sad will be the day that we will be parted.

I'm not an expert and don't know all the scooter/motorcycle/car type language. All I know is that once upon a time it did 80 mph and for a 125 cc thats pretty nippy. It currently costs me about £5 to fill the tank all the way up and that will do about 80 miles before I fill it up again but I never run it dry.

Yes ...
...when I first start it up but other than that runs really well considering. It is very comfortable to ride with a very large seat and relaxed riding position which almost makes up for getting soaked if it rains!

Some say that it's a Vespa 'wanna-be' and yes it does mimic the retro style but the fact that it is so much more substantial than a Vespa is really appealing, you simply feel safer. It's heavier and larger than your average ... more

I've had my Habana (or 'the Love Machine') for 5 years now and sad will be the day that we will be parted.

I'm not an expert and don't know all the scooter/motorcycle/car type language. All I know is that once upon a time it did 80 mph and for a 125 cc thats pretty nippy. It currently costs me about £5 to fill the tank all the way up and that will do about 80 miles before I fill it up again but I never run it dry.

Yes after 5 years it coughs a bit in cold weather when I first start it up but other than that runs really well considering. It is very comfortable to ride with a very large seat and relaxed riding position which almost makes up for getting soaked if it rains!

Some say that it's a Vespa 'wanna-be' and yes it does mimic the retro style but the fact that it is so much more substantial than a Vespa is really appealing, you simply feel safer. It's heavier and larger than your average Vespa.

There are some design flaws with this scooter though. Sometimes the weight of it can go against you. Some idiot tryed to steal my baby once and left it lying on its side, it took me about 20 minutes to lift it upright (but I am a girl!). Also the cable connecting the spedometer and mile gauge is quite exposed in the way that it connects to the front wheel, mine is currently disconnected and I'm hoping it won't cost a bomb to repair.

In all I've had this machine log enough to know its qualities and pitfalls. I'm reluctant to swap it for a car and should that day come when it's o longer road worthy, I may well try to get another one.

The one thing I cannot forgive however, is the fact that Jamie Oliver had one.....it's a sore point, I'll leave it at that.

As an afterthought, I've recently been to the show room to have my speedo cable fixed and have found out that because Cuba object to there being a scooter named after their capitla, the Habana is now the Mojito which at least kills off my worries that these lovely machines are not available new anymore. Must say I was rather taken my the cream one....very smart indeed! 

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