The 125cc scooter space in India is on an upward growth trajectory. It comes as no surprise then that almost every two-wheeler maker wants to try its hand at re-invention. The latest model comes from a brand that has never shied away from positioning itself as a premium brand in India — Piaggio’s Aprilia. However, buyers in India are really price-sensitive and a high-priced offering just wouldn’t be the right way to go — especially if the company was looking for five-digit sales numbers each month. This is where the Aprilia Storm 125 comes in. This scooter is primarily a stripped-down version of the SR125 with a few interesting additions. We tell you what it’s like.
The Storm 125 unveiled at the 2018 Auto Expo was quite different from the model you see. The expo scooter featured a large windscreen, unique shuriken-shaped five-spoke wheels and a disc brake at the front. Aprilia appears to have explicitly ditched those features in favour of a more attainable price tag, although we hear that an accessory windscreen designed for our market will be available soon, though the scooter does get the matte red-and-yellow colour scheme and elaborate stickers all over. The colours don’t look bad, and help differentiate it from the SR models, but the graphics are a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it affair.
Another aspect the company should have reconsidered is the wheels. These three-spoke units look like they have been taken off a TVS Scooty from 1996. They look dated and don’t merge with the sleek and modern bodywork the Storm borrows from the SR. Thankfully, the oversized tyres make up for it in terms of visual drama and they do fill up the wheel arches well, even though the wheels are now two inches smaller. Everything else remains unchanged from the SR125, including the analogue instrumentation, compact under-seat storage space, and a tall, wing-like grab handle.
The 9.5hp/9.9Nm, 124cc, single-cylinder, three-valve, air-cooled engine on the Storm is borrowed from the SR125. Just like its siblings, the Storm makes a gruff sound too, but actually feels pleasantly smooth and unstressed throughout the rev range. While the Storm — or even the SR125, for that matter — isn’t as quick as the SR150, it feels faster than almost everything else in its segment, with the exception of the TVS Ntorq 125. A big reason why this scooter feels so quick is the speedometer, which is very optimistic — 80kph comes up with ease and the speedo needle keeps climbing, even crossing 120kph, where the markings on the speedo end. Don’t fall for it though, because our Vbox reveals that the true top speed is just around the 100kph mark. Speedo error is seen in almost all vehicles, but the Aprilia’s SR models display it to a higher degree than most others. Still, 100kph is quick for a scooter in this segment.
One of this scooter’s highlights is the wide off-road-oriented tyres it rides on. Made by Vee Rubber, the bike sports 120/80-12 units at the front and 130/80-12 units at the rear. In comparison, the SR has 120/70-14 tyres at both ends. However, it’s not their tread pattern or impressive width that makes a significant difference in the way the scooter rides, but the diameter. The Storm rides on 12-inch wheels and not on 14-inch ones like the SRs, which comes with its own positives and negatives.
Starting on a good note, the steering on the Storm feels quicker, going in the direction you point it in instantaneously. This agile feeling is great in city traffic, but not so much at higher speeds, where the scooter feels more nervous than its 14-inch-wheel-shod siblings. Moreover, bumps, expansion joints and reflectors upset the balance a lot more easily. That said, these traits are expected with smaller wheels and a direct comparison to the SRs isn’t fair, especially when the Storm is more cost-efficient. When compared to other 125s on the market, the Storm is still very stable, thanks to its long wheelbase.
Despite running on the same suspension setup as the SRs, the Storm’s front end is a little more forgiving, thanks to the taller sidewalls, as well as the fact that this tyre feels a bit softer. That said, rough roads continue to bring out a very firm and jittery feeling from the fork. The monoshock is acceptably pliant, but this one doesn’t get preload-adjustability. Thankfully, I found that the seat isn’t overly firm and crunching longer distances on it shouldn’t be a problem, although opinion is divided on this.
Our main grievance is that Aprilia has opted out of offering a disc brake on the Storm, and it can only be had with CBS-equipped drum brakes at both ends. The front brake performs well with a decent amount of bite and modulation, but there is no escaping that it has its limitations. A disc offers more confidence and consistency, especially on wet terrain, and it won’t need frequent adjusting. Apart from that, a disc-brake on a 125cc scooter should be a given; but here, it’s not even an option.
At ₹65,000 (ex-showroom, India), the Storm 125 may not seem affordable, that is, until you hear the prices of the SR125 (₹72,000) and SR150 (₹82,000-92,000). When compared to its rivals though, it remains an Aprilia — in that it is priced a step above. Our current segment favourite, the TVS Ntorq, costs ₹58,872 with a drum and ₹59,995 with a disc, which is a fair amount lower than the Aprilia. So why would you buy a Storm 125? Well, it would only makes sense if you are in love with the design and the brand, but don’t want to shell out the extra amount for the SRs.
