Aprilia Atlantic 500

The automobile strangulation loop is a feature of modern urban society, where mobility is no longer a problem. Its quality is questionable. The devil, if a man is busy in the city and every morning on the road gets on his nerves and spends an hour and a half in a column for a dozen miles.

He repeats this exercise twice a day and returns home after lunch after the snail. And parking! It's like a lottery in city centers and an empty spot to win the main prize. City officials also want to get rid of the dormant tin burns and are devising measures or pushing cars out of urban centers.

Mobility with quality

There are several solutions. The easiest way, of course, is to become a pedestrian and go back to the Stone Age, or start using a bike or public transport. Medvode is too far out of town to pedal less than fifteen kilometers, and I prefer to leave public transport to the students. Hmm, maybe a motorcycle! ? And not the bikes where you are hidden behind the windshield, or the one where you ride feet first, like in a delivery chair. No no no.

I mean new generation scooters. Where power management is undemanding and driving is comfortable and enjoyable. Like the automotive industry. Mega, maxi-scooters are a hit of recent years in Europe, especially in Italy, and the Atlantic is this year's Aprilia novelty, which well marks the two-wheeled segment to which it belongs.

If you look closely at its appearance and contours, you can feel that Aprilia drew inspiration from cars and weaved their designs into the Atlantic Ocean in a very original way. Let me hit if the last pair of headlights, including the rounded part and the third brake light, doesn't remind me of sports coupes and chrome trim - upmarket limousines! The car also has a powerful information panel.

The combination of analogue meters with LCD screens offers a wealth of information that is difficult to find in the motorcycle world. And, of course, the Atlantic also has safety headlights, and not one or a pair, but as many as three front halogen lamps in the headlights.

Its sub-half-liter single-cylinder four-stroke engine was developed by Italian company Piaggio, which also drives their X9 mega-scooter. Competition up or down, Aprilia and Piaggio have agreed to jointly design and install the same units. 40 horsepower is enough for a 210 kg scooter to reach speeds of over 150 kilometers per hour. Of course, at these speeds, it would be useful to mention the built-in brakes, where pressing the left lever means simultaneous braking of the left front and rear brake discs.

The wind and rain protection is also more than excellent. The rain will only wet the shoulder, and if you go to work even in bad weather, wear the “best” shoes and clothes, don't worry. You won't get too wet, just think about the waterproof surface and of course the helmet. Both can be stored in the 47-liter trunk under the seat. You can even wear two helmets.

Compressed car

As I sit in the spacious chair, I wonder how stable the Atlantic really is. It acts abundantly, long and cumbersome on the eye. The driving position suits me, I easily sit up straight with my legs slightly forward than I am used to on other bikes. It ignites quietly and without annoying vibrations with a small amount of gas, it starts. The sound from the exhaust pipe, which also houses the catalytic converter, is healthy, quite deep and therefore unaccustomed to a scooter.

The feeling of mass disappears with increasing speed, the acceleration is exciting not only when starting off, but also at higher speeds. The continuous power of the unit does not mean jerking, shaking and twitching, but a smooth and smooth ride. At top speed, the front of the Atlantic becomes hectic, and the air current pushes me from behind to the steering wheel with increasing speed.

The control is very simple, without shifting, I just add gas and brake - when you press the left brake lever, braking is especially good. The brakes also tolerate some faults, but it is true that I have to be more determined with them at higher speeds. Therefore, ABS will be an extremely suitable solution! On tight turns and with a steeper grade, which in the Atlantic definitely allows two, turning the center grandstand on tarmac gets in the way. Despite the firm position even in tight corners, it is clear that the Atlantic is not designed for cornering.

Once from a scooter to a car, today it's the other way around. Atlantc is the perfect tool for the mental jump we'll have to make in our home magazines. Not by jumping back, but on a two-wheeled scooter. Those who do it early and realize (or have already realized) its benefits will undoubtedly enjoy life too. The rest will spend part of the columns.

Pricelist

Base motorcycle price: 6.259 35 euro

Price of the tested motorcycle: 6, 259, 35 euros

Informative

Representative: Avto Triglav doo, Dunajska 122, 1000 Ljubljana

Warranty terms: 1 year

Prescribed maintenance intervals: 1.000, 6.000, 12.000, 18.000 ...

Color combinations: Black, blue, burgundy red, golden silver.

Original accessories: suitcase, painted; painted suitcase; bodyguard Aprilia Lock

Number of authorized dealers / repairers: 6/15

Technical information

engine: 4-stroke - 1-cylinder - vibration damping shaft - liquid cooled - SOHC - 4 valves per cylinder - bore and stroke 92 x 69mm - displacement 460cc, compression ratio 3:10, claimed maximum power 5kW ( 1 hp) at 29 rpm - claimed maximum torque of 39 Nm at 7250 rpm - electronic fuel injection - unleaded petrol (OŠ 40) - electric starter

Energy transfer: automatic multi-plate oil bath clutch - V-belt system and opening pulley - gearing to the wheel

Frame: steel tube - wheelbase 1575 mm

Suspension: front telescopic fork f 40 mm, wheel travel 100 mm - rear block in the form of a swing arm, a pair of gas shock absorbers

Wheels and tires: front wheel 3, 00 x 15 with rubber 120/70 x 15, rear wheel 3, 75 x 14 with rubber 140/60 x 14

brakes: integrated braking system, front 2 x disc f 260 with 2-piston brake caliper - rear disc f 220 mm

Wholesale apples: length 2250 mm - width 770 mm - height 1435 mm - seat height from the ground 780 mm - fuel tank 16/4 l, reserve

Capacities (factory): not listed

Our measurements

Mass with liquids (and tools): 210 kg

Fuel consumption: 4, 5 l / 100 km

Flexibility: from 60 to 130 km / h 13, 8 s

We praise:

+ driver position

+ undemanding control

+ appearance

We scold:

-motor-mass

– Comfortable sliding of the B-pillar at more decisive slopes

Final grade: Half a liter of Atlantic will be provided by those who are overwhelmed by the roar of the column and who want to catch a touch of undemanding two-wheeled freedom with car comfort. During the week they will ride slalom around town and on business, and at the end of the week they will go ashore in pairs. With the bought suitcases, you can enjoy a long vacation.

Overall rating: 4/5

Text: Primož manrman

Photo: Aleš Pavletič.

• Technical information

  engine: 4-stroke - 1-cylinder - vibration damping shaft - liquid cooled - SOHC - 4 valves per cylinder - bore and stroke 92 x 69 mm - displacement 460 cc, compression ratio 3:10,5, claimed maximum power 1 kW (29 hp) at 39 / min - advertised maximum torque of 7250 Nm at 40 rpm - electronic fuel injection - unleaded petrol (OŠ 5500) - electric starter

  Energy transfer: automatic multi-plate oil bath clutch - V-belt system and opening pulley - gearing to the wheel

  Frame: steel tube - wheelbase 1575 mm

  brakes: integrated braking system, front 2 x disc f 260 with 2-piston brake caliper - rear disc f 220 mm

  Suspension: front telescopic fork f 40 mm, wheel travel 100 mm - rear block in the form of a swing arm, a pair of gas shock absorbers

  Weight: length 2250 mm - width 770 mm - height 1435 mm - seat height from the ground 780 mm - fuel tank 16/4 l, reserve