Aprilia SR150 vs Bajaj V15: Feature Comparison Review

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The Aprilia SR150 is surely a style icon. In fact, we know a couple of people who bought this scooter just for the way it looks. The Indian market is now matured enough to differentiate between a boring looking bike and an attractive one. Yes, being an Aprilia is an added advantage but that’s not all. It doesn’t matter where you ride the SR150, it is bound to turn heads and chances are, they will have a tough time looking away. We had the same experience while riding the Bajaj V15 but not of this magnitude.

We decided to place both the products together to gauge everyone’s reaction. The outcome? Well, the duo garnered equal attention, but there was a difference in target audience. The V15 attracted a lot of middle-aged men along with a couple of young boys, whereas the Aprilia SR150 saw a wider base – young men and women, middle-aged men and even some senior couples. The interest from the senior crowd can be put down to the scooter's never-been-seen-before look. But that even young people like me were also hooked, says a lot about the potential of the SR150.

Commute Champ

Styling is one thing, commuting is another. Low speed ride, filtering through the crazy city traffic are some of the basic things a two-wheeler should do. In case of the SR150 and the V15, there wasn’t much difference. Both two-wheelers are eager to get off the start, thanks to good low-end torque. Riding in low-speeds. The seating ergonomics of the V15 is supremely comfortable and we can say the same thing about the SR150 but being a scooter, the sitting position is not really relaxing as a motorcycle. But nevertheless, riding the Aprilia SR150 through the city traffic is equally fun and manageable. Your fingers and you get a stress free and fun ride thanks to the lack of clutch and gear movements. Both the products get a single seat, however, the seat on the SR150 is slightly uncomfortable due to lack of good cushioning and that’s what you don’t want for everyday commuting.

While a lot of aspects on the SR150 impressed us, ride quality isn’t one of the Aprilia SR 150’s strong suits. The suspension setup is stiff and when we say stiff, it's proper supersportbike stiff. This is not what you want something from a product that will be used every day. Even the 14-inch wheels could not salvage the SR150's ride. But these wheels did help us cross potholes and bad roads far easier than the 10-inch and 12-inch ones. The ride experience on the V15 is far better, thanks to the softer suspension setup, bigger wheels and not to forget, the more relaxing seating position.

The usability factor of the SR150 is just like a motorcycle. It’s light, so it’s deft handler inside a parking space. You can push it to a petrol pump, just in case you run out of fuel. But the inclusion of 14-inch wheels means, there’s a compromise in the seat height. So a shorter rider might have problem hopping on and off the scooter. There’s no such problem with the V15.

Highway Hero

Let’s talk about the most important aspect during highway stint – speed. The 150cc engine on the Aprilia SR150 is a good one that helps it keep a vibe-free cruising speed of 90kmph (that’s the Royal Enfield Himalayan figure by the way). But the speedometer is highly inaccurate. The scooter feels planted on the tarmac and is quite stable at high speed. What impressed us the most is the braking ability. The SR150 gets a 220mm disc in the front with twin-piston calipers and it performs brilliantly. In fact, the performance is far better than some of the premium 180cc motorcycles, let alone 150cc ones. But the rear brake is a let-down. There’s hardly any power or bite.

Mass market bikes are not really corner cravers but we need to talk about this point here because the SR150 does it really well. It’s very easy to tip in the corners. The tyres are grippy and that aids the overall handling bit. In short, will we say the Aprilia SR150 is highway worthy? It definitely is. But one area which sticks out like a sore thumb is the tank range. During our fuel efficiency test, it returned 41kmpl, so that’s close to 270kms of tank range. The Bajaj V15 can easily go up to 500kms – almost twice the SR150 range. And it’s proven that riding a motorcycle for long distances is far more comfortable and stress free. The V15 could be ridden for hours before stopping and this can be done each day of the week. With the Aprilia SR150, one full day trip isn’t a bad idea, but doing it multiple days a week is not everybody's cup of tea. But, youngsters these days are far more adventurous, so we won’t be surprised to see them riding the SR150 for long distances, daily.

Flexibility

Here, the SR150 checks most of the boxes. There’s an under seat storage that can eat up a half face helmet, a couple of papers and a tool kit. The floorboard is not very spacious like the other scooters, but using the under seat hooks, two small bags can be easily placed. The V15 being a motorcycle, doesn’t get to enjoy these features. And it doesn’t really excite the women as a product to own. The SR150, on the other hand is suitable for everyone in the family and proves its utility here.

Motorcycle Alternative

Now, the big question. Can the Aprilia SR150 be a good alternative to a motorcycle? In some cases, definitely! A couple of us were never in the market for a scooter but the day the SR150 was launched, we were tempted to pay the booking amount and this would’ve been the case with a lot of other young buyers too. This emotion was a result of the way this scooter looks and the brand it belongs to. But after riding both the two-wheelers back to back for a couple of days, we can say that the SR150 is a good alternative to a motorcycle, but only for a younger consumer base. Striking design, good front brake, impressive handling– all these give a sense of sportiness, which is favoured by a lot of young male and female buyers these days. Motorcycles like the V15 will continue to be the favourite among men especially. They’re far more comfortable, can be ridden for long distances and doesn’t have the limited service reach like the Aprilia.

Photography by Kapil Angane

Read the first ride review of the Aprilia SR150

Read the first ride review of the Bajaj V15

Read our comparison review of the Bajaj V15 and Honda CB Shine SP