Piaggio BV 500

It’s difficult to compare the Beverly to the Scarbeo given the numerous differences in their looks. The thing we don’t like about the Piaggio is the optional windscreen. Installed to counter the ineffectiveness of the original windbreaker, it looks like a wart, or should I say a boil ! An inelegant appendix that doesn’t integrate at all into the original design of the Beverly 500. It’s even more of a pity since care has obviously been taken over the Piaggio’s design. Its dynamic design, with its clean cut volumes, touches of chrome and lights that attract attention with their rather chic colouring mean the Beverly is maybe a bit coquettish for a utilitarian kind of bike, but it’s nice to look at... apart from the horrible optional windscreen, that is !

The Aprilia plays another card : neo-bio-design. It’s massive, but not inelegant. The Scarabeo is more homogenous than its competitor and you don’t have to look at it for long to realise that the designers made comfort their priority. Which hasn’t stopped them taking a few risks with the lights. In short, it’s bigger and steadier but no less classy, especially in this smart grey livery !

The cosseted impression created by its design is borne out as soon as you sit on the Scarabeo. The Aprilia has inherited the materials and also the exceptional comfort of the Atlantic 500. An almost perfect saddle, although it’s a bit on the high side at 800 mm, protection worthy of the best road bikes in the world including its original big windscreen, integrated hand protectors and lateral deflectors.

On the road: A DRAW

The more impressive of the two here is the Scarabeo. Even fully loaded, it remains stable and precise and that didn’t come about by chance. Between its 16 inch wheels both front and the back, its optimal weight spread, its steel tube trellis frame and its steering shock absorber, you don’t have to look far to explain its good road holding. Behind it, the Beverly has trouble keeping up. Its big 41 mm diameter fork, its adjustable rear suspension and its steel chassis plead in its favour, but with a rear wheel of just 14 inches, the Piaggio proves to be a little less stable than its adversary.

When it comes to the brakes though, the Beverly defends itself better despite the fact that there is little difference in the basic equipment. And the reason, here again is that the now familiar coupled front-rear braking system is supplied from Piaggio for both bikes.

The Beverly is equipped with 260 mm diameter discs in front and 240 mm discs at the back, with the bite supplied by Brembo calipers. Power and an attacking bite are definitely there and the result is both efficient and reassuring. (direct). The Scarabeo’s braking is not so good. The extra 30 kilos explain some of this difference as does the fact that the Aprilia is equipped with a 220 mm diameter disc at the back as opposed to the 240 on the Beverly. In the front they both have 260 mm discs.

Conclusion

To sum up, as you can see, these two bikes share the same architecture but they have chosen a totally different basic philosophy. Comfort and long range on the one hand and liveliness and compactness on the other. Their objectives are so far apart that it is difficult to judge them together.