Aprilia's new crossover scooter: Part adventure, part sports bike

There aren’t a lot of motorcycle manufacturers that do sportbikes like Aprilia. In recent years, the Italian bikemaker has expanded into other segments, most notably the adventure motorcycle category with the Tuareg 660. Now, its new crossover scooter looks like it carries a bit of both those styles.

The SR GT 400 brings some rakish attitude and mild soft-roading ability to Aprilia’s scooter lineup, which also includes the SR GT, the SR GT Sport, and the race-inspired SR GT Replica. The new bike becomes the most powerful of the lot.

Engine-wise, it comes fitted with a 400cc, four-valve, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that produces 36 horsepower at 7,500 RPM and 27.8 lb-ft (37.7 Nm) at 5,700 RPM. The result? A claimed 0–60 meter sprint time of 5 seconds.

Aprilia says the engine has been revised and fitted with a longer connecting rod, a lighter piston, and Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV), which helps increase power and reduce pumping losses.

The motor sits in a new double-cradle frame built from high-strength steel tubing, which Aprilia claims has “extremely high rigidity.” Suspension duties are taken care of by a 41 mm inverted fork, and twin rear gas shocks, for 4.7 inches (120 mm) of travel at each end.

The scooter comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a late-model Aprilia. That includes a Bosch dual-channel ABS and the Aprilia Traction Control (ATC) system. Braking comes in the form of a 300 mm front disc and four-piston radial caliper.

Specs aside, it's the design that will get a lot of heads turning. It stays true to Aprilia’s sportbike design language, with sharp, angular lines, colorful graphics, and some serious menace in its tall front profile.

Premium features are all over the place here. All-LED lighting, five-position windscreen, hand guards, step-up seat, and an upswept exhaust are all rare on scooters. You can also opt for a range of accessories that include heated grips and a top box in case you want to do more than just commuting on the scoot.

There's a 5-inch TFT display that allows smartphone integration through the Aprilia MIA connectivity suite for navigation, music, and voice commands. You also get the everyday luxury of keyless ignition, as well as a USB-C charging port, and a handy underseat compartment that can easily accommodate a full-face helmet.

It gets a decent 3.2-gallon (12-liter) fuel tank that should offer a range of about 186 miles (300 km). A ground clearance of 7.48 inches (190 mm) almost places it in the adventure motorcycle category, so despite its Italian looks and premium pricing, it's definitely equipped to handle patches of off-road (as well as urban potholes and kerb-hopping) without scraping the bottom.

A 32.2-inch (820 mm) seat height makes this taller than most other scooters, but then again, this isn’t like most other scoots. At around 410 pounds (186 kg), the SR GT 400 boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 0.087 hp/lb – beating out most of the scooters in its class.

All up, Aprilia’s crossover scooter comes with a motor that produces almost double the power of typical urban runabouts, plenty of suspension travel, reliable components, comfort features, and a beautiful design. So what does it cost?

Well, it is currently in the pre-order stage. In Europe, pricing starts at around €6,750 – that’s just shy of $8,000 at current exchange rates. Far from cheap - but then again, there are hardly any other scooters out there that come with a package quite like this.

Source: Aprilia