My Y reg Aprilia Habana Retro 50 in Carribean Red (OK, it's burgandy!) is my first motorised 2 wheeler, and so far, I love it.
Lets get one thing straight. The Habana 50 is classified as a "moped" in the UK which means it is restricted to a top speed of 30 mph. As anyone with any experience ... Read review
Advantages: Stylish, Low seated (good for short leggies), Very stylish. Disadvantages: Heavy (depending on your viewpoint)
My Y reg Aprilia Habana Retro 50 in Carribean Red (OK, it's burgandy!) is my first motorised 2 wheeler, and so far, I love it.
Lets get one thing straight. The Habana 50 is classified as a "moped" in the UK which means it is restricted to a top speed of 30 mph. As anyone with any experience in this field will know, restricted "mopeds" in fact have a top speed of between around 25mph and 40mph depending on the make/model/restriction ... ..... though given the reputation Aprilia have for building bikes that last, I doubt it.
A to B in ONE PIECE: As I said, this is my first motorised two wheeler. Although I did do my CBT on a Suzuki Katana. To me, the Habana 50 feels much more stable than the Katana. Perhaps this is because of the larger front wheel or the heaviness of the scooter which helps to lower the centre of gravity thus providing greater stability. Or perhaps it ... more
My Y reg Aprilia Habana Retro 50 in Carribean Red (OK, it's burgandy!) is my first motorised 2 wheeler, and so far, I love it.
Lets get one thing straight. The Habana 50 is classified as a "moped" in the UK which means it is restricted to a top speed of 30 mph. As anyone with any experience in this field will know, restricted "mopeds" in fact have a top speed of between around 25mph and 40mph depending on the make/model/restriction etc. The Habana 50 is on the slower side of this limit. It IS NOT a fast 50cc. In restricted form my one runs at 30mph on the flat at full throttle. This is 30mph as indicated on the speedo ... in reality I would estimate this to really be 25mph. Downhill I can get it up to 45mph on the speedo, and uphill it will only struggle to 25mph at best.
Given that it's so slow why do I still love it? I am 27 years old and speed is not first priority. When I went to buy my scoot I looked for something that would be reliable, get me from A to B in one piece, would suit my personality and would suit my price range. So far, the Habana 50 has met all these criteria. You want me to justify these points? Here goes...
RELIABLE: OK, so I haven't done that many miles on it. But I have had no problems with it. It runs smoothly and cleanly and is a pleasure to ride. When I have more miles on it I'll come back and update this review. Perhaps it won't be so reliable then .. though given the reputation Aprilia have for building bikes that last, I doubt it.
A to B in ONE PIECE: As I said, this is my first motorised two wheeler. Although I did do my CBT on a Suzuki Katana. To me, the Habana 50 feels much more stable than the Katana. Perhaps this is because of the larger front wheel or the heaviness of the scooter which helps to lower the centre of gravity thus providing greater stability. Or perhaps it is because the Habana seat is lower than the Katana allowing me (with my short legs) to get my feet down on the ground fully when stationary .. instead of perching there on tiptoe. Whatever the reason, I feel safer on my Habana.
SUITS MY PERSONALITY: Take a look at this scooter (try aprilia.com if there is no picture here). It is retro, but has a modern edge to it. It is sleek and sophisticated. All in all, it is a great looking scoot for someone who doesn't like the sporty style of, for example, the Peugeot Speedfight, Suzuki Katana, or Gilera Runner.
SUITED MY PRICE RANGE: The Habana 50 cost me £1649 (on the road) from my local dealer (www.shirlaws.com), and this also covered the cost of my CBT and helmet. It costs me approx £3 to fill the tank with petrol which will last me for a week or so (around 65 miles). Insurance cost me £214 for one year (for two riders, 0 years no claims bonus).
We've established that I love this scooter ... but will you? It's slow. Theres no doubt about that, and some my find it unnerving to have traffic rushing past them. But if you stick to your road position, have good hazard perception and use proper observation you should have no problems. Some may find the Habana 50 too heavy for them, at 96kg it is a heavyweight 50cc, which you may find reduces its manouvreability in traffic...if had no problems, but as I said earlier, speed is not my main priority. Or, if you have long legs, you may find the low seat and relaxed riding position difficult.
But, if you have short/medium leggies, like to relax as you commute to work and want a great looking scooter, this could be the one for you.
Advantages: Convincing retro styling, 'big scooter' feel Disadvantages: Almost completely made of plastic, low quality, Italian electrics, underpowered.
The Aprilia Mojito Custom 50 (Formerly Habana) is one of the most convincingly classically styled scooters out there; it is physically large compared to other 50's, with wide 'chrome' handlebars, large comfy seat and big bodywork. Aesthetically, this scooter is flawless, bags of 'chrome' and sweeping 50's/60's curves which turn heads wherever you go. As I mentioned, the wide bars and comfy seat offer a very different and more comfortabe riding position ... ...When you sit on this scooter you feel like you're at the helm of something much larger; although still low to the ground and manageably light, this scooter does make other attempts at classically styled scoots look unimpressive. You might be wondering why I'm using the term 'chrome', well, thats because upon further inspection, all of the chrome trimmings including the massive handlebars, side reflectors and rear light assembly are in fact a chrome ...
Castrophony 20.01.2006
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...moreover a brand as Aprilia does not betray and the
price is more than good.
I must say of to have been observed a lot for road to the
beginning, in fact I was one of the little to possess the Habana, hour
instead ce are a tide, has had much happening Vabbè, however I it
council above all for the resumption, the speed (after to have
naturally removed the firm ones!), the wonderful line and the comfort
(also in two are well and inasmuch as ... ...intenzionalità from part of the Aprilia to obtain that
type of noise, perhaps a po' annoying, but sure evocativo of times it
passes to you, like of the rest the stilistica line of the scooter
Isomma, second me that scoppiettante noise is just well, evokes vespe
and lambrettoni and pic-NIC in pineta years ' 60! Oltretutto not task
that the Aprilia would have made much hard work to make a motor more
silent, inasmuch as all the others its scooter ...
cesco-73 18.06.2001
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