SR50R

APRILIA SR50

Since its European debut in 1994, the SR50 has been of the neatest 50cc scooters around. The SR50 brought advanced technology, sporty style and huge power to the 50cc scooter scene. The SR50 is arguably the first ‘sports’ scooter due to its sport bike inspired styling.

The SR50 has a huge following of enthusiasts partly because it’s been around for so long and it looks snazzy but also because this is a fast scooter that can easily be made quite a bit faster. It’s not uncommon for highly modified SR50’s to exceed 80mph. In its stock form, an SR50 is capable of roughly 50mph if it’s is not restricted by Aprilia. In many parts of North America this scooter is restricted to either 70km/hr (43mph) or 50km/hr (30mph) to meet applicable legislation. I personally rode one of these fresh off the dealers floor in 2007 and I was disappointed to learn I couldn’t exceed 50km/hr. I’ve also ridden a de-restricted SR50 and been stoked by the abundance of power and satisfying top speed. Even if you don’t want to exceed the restricted speed of your SR50, you should still remove at least the computer restriction because with this in place, the scooter doesn’t rev high enough to accelerate with any authority. I believe the restricted SR50’s make just under 2hp.

The SR50 is restricted in two ways. First, there is a restriction in the computer software that runs the highly advanced SR50. You can remove this yourself with a GameBoy or you can ask your dealer to switch it to ‘test’ or ‘development’ mode which removes the performance limitations. Secondly, there is also a restriction in the drivetrain that limits the top speed of the scooter by preventing it from reaching taller gear ratios. You can learn more about changing this here.

Forgetting about the engine restrictions which aren’t Aprilia’s fault, the SR50 has one awesome engine. All SR50’s have liquid cooling and I believe all the ones sold in North America have had fuel injection. Overseas, Aprilia sells both a carburated version and a fuel injected version (the SR50 DiTech) but to my knowledge we’ve only got the higher end DiTech version here. I believe all North American SR50’s are also the ‘Factory’ editions which include a tachometer and perhaps more. Aprilia deserves huge kudos for realizing that 50cc scooter enthusiasts also want high end technology. The only negative thing I can say about the SR50’s motor is that is a 2-stroke and it’s a high performance one at that which means that the lifespan of the motor is shorter than other scooters. It’s fairly common to give an SR50 a top end rebuild every few years.

Aprilia has sold the SR50 with several different motors (Minarelli, Aprilia/Morini and Piaggio) over its lifespan. Here in North America we’ve been sold the Aprilia/Morini motor almost the entire time until 2009, when the switch was made to the Piaggio engine. Piaggio (parent company of Vespa) bought Aprilia early in the new Millenium, and apparently they are looking for ways to share parts and shave costs.

Okay I’ve talked an awful lot about the motor...strange how I also wind up rambling about that because the rest of the scooter is really nice too. The disc brakes front and rear are an uncommon find on a 50cc and they offer perhaps the best braking of any 50cc sold here in North America. The SR50 also has okay underseat storage (many larger helmet won’t fit) and a neat cubby hole in the front of the seat for more of your stuff. During my two brief stints on an SR50, the seat seemed to be quite comfortable but it did seem kinda high too which shorter riders may find trouble-some. The instrumentation of the SR50 is superb. I love the analog tach combined with the digital speedometer and fuel gauge. The digital gauge also tells you a few other neat thing which escape my recollection.

The bottom line with the SR50 is that is a great looking, powerful and top notch quality scooter that is sold at a premium price. Last time I checked, the MSRP was $3g in the USA and $4g in Canada which puts it on par with a 50cc Vespa and about $1000 more than quite a few other nice scooters. The SR50 certainly warrants it’s higher than average price tag due to it’s top notch quality and advanced technology but these are attributes that not every scooterist is after so consider carefully what you are looking for. The SR50 is really an enthusiasts machine. If you’re looking for practical around town transportation, some like Yamaha’s C3 has got the SR50 beat almost across the board (price, emissions, fuel economy, storage). The sporty styling, Aprilia quality and highly upgradeable nature of the SR50 seems to be what draws both buyers this scooter. If these attributes appeal to you then you are going to love the SR50. I’ve encountered so many SR50’s owners that rave about their machines.

Pros:
- Unreal braking
- Super powerful
- Loads of go fast parts
- Huge community
- Sporty Styling
- Great milage for a 2-stroke

Cons:
- High seat height
- Motor life
- Underseat storage doesn’t fit many helmets

Links:
SR50 DiTech Forums - Huge group of SR50 DiTech enthusiasts
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum to chat about all things scooters.
ApriliaParts.co.uk - Microfiche with exploded parts diagrams

Key Specs (2008 model):
* Engine: 49cc, single cylinder, liquid cooled, 2-stroke
* Compression: 11.5:1
* Bore x stroke: 40.0 x 39.3 mm (1.6 x 1.5 inches)
* Fuel system: Fuel Injected
* Ignition: CDI - capacitor discharge ignition
* Starter: Electric
* Frame: Steel
* Lubrication system: Oil injected
* Clutch: Automatic centrifugal dry clutch
* Weight: 198lbs
* Seat height: 820 mm (32.3 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
* Overall height: 1,120 mm (44.1 inches)
* Overall length: 1,860 mm (73.2 inches)
* Overall width: 705 mm (27.8 inches)
* Wheelbase: 1,290 mm (50.8 inches)
* Front suspension: Hydraulic fork, 90 mm wheel travel
* Rear suspension: Engine unit acting as swingarm, 70mm travel
* Rims: Five spoke, light alloy, tubeless
* Tires: 130/60-13 (front and rear)
* Front brake: Single 190mm disc, twin opposed 30mm pistons
* Rear brakes: Single 190mm disc, twin opposed 30mm pistons
* Fuel capacity: 7 litres (1.85 gallons)
* Color options: Aprilia White, Silver Crowd, Code Orange, Diablo Black