Gilera GP800 and Aprilia Mana news

March 17, 2008 at 4:06 pm | In Aprilia Mana, Gilera | 5 Comments

Saw this review of the Gilera GP800. From the photo it looks quite manageable, not the barge on wheels I originally envisaged…or maybe that man is 6′6″. I agree with them that it’s hard to categorise and anyone who wants a bike bike that size should surely get get something with gears.

Gilera GP800: Have a hoot as you commute – Telegraph

This next article illustrates why the GP 800 may however be the better bet against it’s sibling engined alternative, the Aprilia Mana. I was always suspicious that the push button gear change on the Mana was over complicated and likely to be unreliable and that indeed seems to be coming to pass.

wish you were here : Aprilia Mana Recall

I think the Mana should just have had a regular CVT transmission like the GP 800 and it’s ancestor the Gilera DNA. This is why.

Technorati Tags: Gilera,Aprilia Mana,GP800

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The Mana and GP800 both use the same electronically-actuated ECVT transmission (similar to the Burgman 650 transmission).

Comment by Dudel — March 20, 2008 #

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Bummer. Both as bad as each other then.

Comment by lightbiker — March 27, 2008 #

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Don’t know what you mean by “bad” the recall was minor and involved adding a plastic cover to keep dirt out of the ride-by-wires throttle system. Wasn’t even transmission related.

Comment by Dudel — March 29, 2008 #

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“anyone who wants a bike bike that size should surely get get something with gears.”

How do you figure that – my GP800 is on order (waiting for a black one) and I also ride a BMW K75 – I’m don’t want/need manual gears for commuting – but I do still want a big bike. For my needs it will be perfect. It only has one real downside and that’s the fact that having a big V-twin eats into the luggage space. I’ll be updating my blog more regularly once it arrives (any day now ! )

Comment by Terry — April 8, 2008 #

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It’s not abt gears or no gears. Is an automatic car not a car? Move on. I own the X9 Evolution n the GP800. I ride the X9 abt three times as much as the GP800. I’ve commuted and toured on both. I commute on the GP800 only when my other half has the X9. I’ll tell you why. Forget it’s the ‘fastest scooter in the world’, that’s irrelevant. It’s the everyday riding and usage that matters, not the list of so-called impressive specs. All the cool specs in the world don’t disguise that the GP800 is TOTALLY overweight and impossible to tight-turn without paddling – two factors alone which make it a pain in the butt in town where tight cornering and slow speeds are the norm; it’s virtually impossible to get onto the centre stand without a bodybuilding course, petrol consumption is disappointing, it should definitely have ABS, storage (one helmet) is a joke, no front compartments whatever – Gilera forgot they were building a scooter – a sine qua non; the electric screen is a sad gimmick – if it came up a further 6 inches it would do the job and the mirrors are too small….all of which are why I seldom commute on it in preference to the X9. And that’s the down side. There is an upside…on the open road. A a tourer it’s a dream, you forget all the negatives cos there’s nothing better out there! You decide.

Comment by Conor Nealon — August 10, 2008 #

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