Top test Aprilia Pegaso

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Top test Aprilia Pegaso
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motorcycles

Top test Aprilia Pegaso

Top test Aprilia Pegaso
Flight attendant

Just get started, leave everyday life behind. The new Aprilia Pegaso 650 i.e. invites you to a relaxed long-haul flight over asphalt and gravel. First Class or Economy? Let’s see what the wing horse has to offer.

Sascha Zdrahal

06/11/2001

After the relieving heat thunderstorm, the air smells of damp earth and fresh green, insects clap the visor in lively rhythm ?? finally summer. Ideal conditions to take a day off and escape the stuffy office stuff. Take a deep breath and wander aimlessly? with a lot of time in the bag.
On side routes that the stream of tourists usually ignores was that Aprilia Pegaso has always been at home. With their well-known robust single cylinder and their touring equipment, their tramp systems are unmistakable. The fourth generation now presented has an interesting new feature. The Italians sent the two constant pressure carburettors into retirement, and an electronic injection system with a throttle valve and injection nozzle in each of the two intake ports takes over the mixture preparation immediately. If you think of a regulated catalytic converter when you think of injection, you will be disappointed. Since the currently valid Euro 1 emissions standard is also met with the unregulated variant, Aprilia saw no need for action – a shame.
With measured 44 hp at 6600 rpm and 54 Nm at 4800 rpm, the Italian travel enduro is at the usual level. And otherwise everything stayed the same with the proven Rotax single-cylinder with its five radially arranged valves, as did the five-speed gearbox and the cable-operated multi-disc clutch. Also an old acquaintance is the light metal frame with the screwed steel beams and the screwed steel rear frame, which is now painted black.
As part of the facelift, the brake system received new calipers at the front with new pads and a larger disc at the rear. In addition, the 40 mm upside-down fork gave way to a conventional one with a 45 millimeter standpipe diameter. It is only logical that the suspension travel was cut from 180 to 170 millimeters. After all, since its presentation in 1991, the Pegaso has continuously developed away from the dual bike for mixed asphalt / off-road use to a pure fun and travel motorcycle with an enduro look.
The chapter on terrain suitability is dealt with correspondingly quickly, although the rather roughly profiled Pirelli MT 80s look promising. Today’s Pegaso is not suitable for more than a bit of dirt road every now and then. On the one hand, the winged horse suffers from its heavy weight on loose ground, which has increased from 191 to 204 kilograms over the years. On the other hand, the fork and shock absorber have practically no reserves for a brisk pace, either in terms of spring rate or damping. In addition, a protective bar in the area of ​​the side stand reduces the ground clearance to 140 millimeters with the driver seated.
Without a protective grille, the large-area water cooler has to defy the elements. And the polished fork tubes are also unprotected in the approach path of blown stones. The fact that the Italians do not expect gravel escapades from their customers is also proven by the non-folding gear lever and foot brake lever. After all, jagged steel footrests are hidden under a rubber cover, just in case. And the large plastic tub effectively protects the single cylinder from excessive ballast fire, and thanks to the foam, it also dampens engine noise.
No question about it, the Pegaso’s adopted home is country roads and lanes. So off to glide through the northern Black Forest. Here, where the curve radii are still natural and the asphalt pavements are hand-patched, the Italian is in her element. The Rotax-Single reacts spontaneously and accurately to the driver’s commands and shines with a pure constant speed. The Pegaso does not know the annoying constant speed jerks that are typical for many injection engines? well done. With the exception of a clearly noticeable load change during the transition from pushing to load operation, the coordination of the injection system does not give cause for criticism. Drinking habits and starting behavior are okay.
As the engine speed increases, the five-valve engine seems to be trying harder and just listlessly accelerates. This is reflected in the moderate pull rates. The single cylinder feels most comfortable between 3500 and 6000 rpm, with high-frequency vibrations in the handlebar ends and footrests from around 5500 rpm heralding the end of the fun area. In this speed range, the Aprilia is pleasantly elastic and stress-free; thanks to the clean and voluminous torque curve, the power it offers is easily enough to quickly circling the winding, uphill stretches without hectic shifting work. That’s a good thing, because the gearbox is a bit wobbly and the gears engage imprecisely. Especially when shifting up from the first gear, the second occasionally jumps out.
The Pegaso appears surprisingly agile and handy despite its rather high weight in the network of winding branch lines. The cornering stability is perfectly fine considering the possible speed, and most touring riders will be satisfied with the lean angle, as it also offers enough reserves for a more brisk driving style. However, as soon as bumps or rough patches of asphalt come into play, the too soft strut draws attention to itself with pumping movements. This cannot be prevented even with a pretensioned spring and an almost completely closed rebound stage. If there is still a passenger on board, the shock absorber completely surrenders.
The fork has also turned out to be a bit too soft, as it plunges deep when braking hard, but without going into a block. On this occasion it twists noticeably. Far more annoying are the enormous manual forces that are necessary to achieve decent deceleration values. Especially since the hand lever of the brake and the clutch protrude far from the handlebar and cannot be adjusted.
The Aprilia gains points again if it has to get its crew to the next cornering area as quickly as possible. Milled longitudinal grooves or motorway joints hardly affect their straight-line stability up to the achievable top speed of a lively 165 km / h. With its exceptionally good wind protection and ample space for the driver and pillion passenger, the Pegaso can also handle longer highway stretches without any problems. The travel speed levels off at around 130 km / h, with the single purring casually at around 5500 rpm. The enormous range thanks to the 22 liter plastic tank is also ideal for long cross-country flights. There are up to 449 kilometers in there. The Aprilia driver can choose breaks according to his own taste and does not have to adapt to the pace of the petrol pumps.
If you want to enjoy strolling on the country road until the last minute, you can confidently start your way home in the dark. The high-quality headlights illuminate the road evenly and wide, so that you can keep an overview even on winding roads. For a safe landing after a successful cross-country flight.

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MOTORCYCLE readings

Braking measurement Braking distance from 100 km / h 39.1 m Average braking deceleration 9.9 m / s2 Comments: Good deceleration values ​​only possible with extremely high manual force. The fork twists noticeably, but has no effect on course stability. Handling course I. (tight arcs) Best lap time 29.1 svmax at the measuring point 53.7 km / h Comments: Low steering force due to the wide handlebars and the narrow tires. Large spring movements when changing lean angles cause unrest in the chassis, the Pirelli Enduro tires slide good-naturedly and with a wide limit range. Notches are easy to put on. The hard load change is a problem at the tight turning point, so the engine should be kept under load. Handling course II. (Wide arcs) Best lap time 22.5 svmax at the measuring point 95.4 km / h Comments: Slight twisting of the fork when changing lean angles quickly and large spring movements, resulting in limited steering precision. Nonetheless, good-natured and overwhelming driving behavior.Circular orbit 46 m 0 lap time 1.3 svmax at measuring point 51.6 km / h Comments: Resting and engine protection touch down easily, the tire grip limit is reached, the motorcycle then becomes restless, but remains manageable due to the good-natured tires.

The main changes – Aprilia Pegaso 650 i.e.

Electronic injection with two throttle valves and one injection nozzle each instead of the previous constant pressure carburetor An uncontrolled catalytic converter now takes care of the exhaust gas purification A conventional 45 mm telescopic fork replaces the previous upside-down fork with a 40 millimeter guide tube diameter The rear brake disc grew in diameter from 220 to 240 millimeters At the front, new brake calipers The well-known composite frame made of lateral aluminum profiles and screwed steel beams is now painted black. Additional soundproofing around the engine

Conclusion – Aprilia Pegaso 650 i.e.

Unfortunately only economy ?? the Pegaso 650 i.e. remained true to its line even after the model update and offers a solid but unspectacular basis for long and enjoyable tours. With the suspension set-up that is mainly too soft at the rear and a hooked gearbox, the Aprilia gambled away its claim to a first-class place among the travel single-cylinder engines.

Tops and flops

Tops: Good wind and weather protection with only little vortex formationLarge range thanks to the 22-liter tankComprehensive on-board tools in decent qualityPrepared for mounting a center standMany space even for tall driversLax, upright sitting postureGood, easy-to-adjust headlights Garda «with standard suitcases, main stand and hydraulic spring base adjustment Flops: unsteady, imprecise gearboxHigh weightTank dismantling only possible with a helperSpring strut and fork too softInpractical luggage rackHandlever not adjustableNot suitable for off-road use

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