Photos: Rick and "Burn"
URL: http://http//www.webbikeworld.com

Summary

The Aprilia Mana 850 GT has an easy-to-live-with CVT transmission, excellent handling and braking and good fuel economy.  So is it a city bike?  An upgraded scooter?  Or a basic all-around street bike?

Background

Who would refuse the loan of a brand-spanking-new motorcycle for a month?  Not me. 

So when Kenn Stamp, the Editor of 2WF.com recruited me for another, the answer was "Yes" before the sentence left his mouth.  I'm on call 24/7, ready any time to review a new motorcycle...all in the interest of our webBikeWorld visitors, of course.

This time, it was the Aprilia Mana 850 GT ABS.  Kind of a mouthful and isn't "mana" the stuff that came down from heaven to feed the Israelites when they were hanging out in the desert?  There were no Golden Arches back then, you know.  Ummm, wait -- actually, that was "manna", now that I think about it.

Mana is supposed to be a word to describe the power, or "juice" that resides in supernatural, spiritual or powerful people.  I'm not sure if that's what the Aprilians had in mind for this bike; if so, it's a good example of hyperbole.  But...there have been stranger names for motorcycles.

Besides the name, this bike is different, that's for sure.  After I agreed to run up to Allentown, Pennsylvania to pick it up, I figured I'd better take a peek at the specs and do a quick read of HBC's Mana 850 review (the base model) from 2009.  That's when I remembered about the CVT.

Aprilia seems a bit reticent at calling the transmission a CVT.  They sometimes refer to it as a "sportgear transmission" and sometimes as a "sequential/automatic transmission".  But peel away the layers of marketing propaganda and eventually they call it a CVT. 

I never rode a bike with a CVT before and I wondered if I'd be reaching for a clutch lever and coming up with air every time.  I thought for sure I'd be flubbing takeoffs left and right -- after all, the left side of my body has been programmed for umpty-ump years to clutch 'n' shift.  It's difficult to imagine what life would be like without it.

What a surprise!  Not once -- not one single time did I reach for the clutch or shifter.  But an even bigger surprise was this: not once did I miss them, either.  One ride on the Mana 850 GT and you'll wonder why all motorcycles aren't like this.  At least I did...

OK, so the CVT is the showcase feature of the Mana 850 GT -- but what about the bike that surrounds it?  Well, let's take a look...

Mana For the Masses

I get the sense that Aprilia's marketing strategy for the Mana 850 is a bit schizophrenic.  Actually, so is the bike.  I wonder if Aprilia knows what they have in the GT version of the Mana 850 -- like what is the target market for this bike and what would motivate someone to buy it.

Aprilia uses vague marketing-speak phrases when referring to the GT, using phrases referring to it as "a completely new motorcycling concept" and "the new frontier, the missing link in an evolution that makes the world of motorcycling and its emotions accessible to all types of users".

Huh?  That one's definitely a non-starter with the beer and peanuts crowd.

This is a problem.  The Mana 850 GT does have a few unique benefits, but like everything else in today's hyperkinetic marketplace, the ability to sell one requires a laser-focused strategy targeted to a very specific market segment and a crystal-clear explanation of the features and benefits.  All in about 10 seconds or less.  Less.

So here's my tip to Aprilia: Forget about trying to sell this bike as a motorcycle replacement for scooter owners or as an urbanite fad bike.  Forget the "all things to all people" strategy too.  And definitely can those "emotions" that are "accessible to all types of users".

After living with the Mana 850 GT for a month, I see something different.  The CVT is a gem and the bike is, oh, about 85 percent of the way to being a very interesting and unique sport-tourer.  If I were in charge, that's where the focus would be.

Give it an adjustable windscreen (and a couple of windscreen options), a nice set of bags with hard mounting points and a top box and maybe even replace the chain with a belt drive.  Do all that and I think you'd end up with one of the sweetest sport-tourers on the road.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here.  So let me take you through a recap of my thoughts after living with this very cool and very unusual bike for a month or so...

Mana 850 GT Styling and Design

The build quality of this thing literally felt like it was carved from a steel billet -- and all of the other Aprilias I have handled feel just as good.

It's too bad the retail network -- at least in the U.S.A. -- is so thin.  If more people had an Aprilia dealer nearby (and if I didn't have to drive all the way up to Allentown PA to find a dealer), I bet Piaggio would sell a lot more bikes, especially when the potential customer could compare one handlebar-to-handlebar in a showroom with other makes.

Aprilia build quality reminds me of early Hinckley Triumph -- overbuild it to completely bury any preconceived notions of British (or Italian) quality.  For example, little items like braided stainless steel fuel lines, machined rather than stamped brackets hidden in places you'd never find them and high-quality hardware make a big difference and add to the solid presence of this motorcycle.

The styling of the Mana GT variant doesn't help a potential owner understand the bike either, unfortunately.  It's a combination of 21st Century modern with a touch of 1980's mullet in the fairing, which looks out of place with the character of the bike.  The round headlight is the problem; it doesn't jive with the sharp lines that dominate everything aft of the triple clamp.  Style me up a pair of cool-looking razor-sharp headlights up front and you'd have it.

And speaking of the fairing, that windscreen has to go.  Aprilia told me there are no optional windscreens, which is too bad, because the stock screen dumps turbulent air where it's least wanted -- right smack dab on the chin.  This causes a huge amount of wind noise, starting at a low 20 MPH and getting worse from there.  At 60+ MPH, it's nearly unbearable when wearing any type of helmet.

The stock screen is adjustable, more or less (less).  Two bolts on either side are loosened to move the windscreen up or down about 25 mm total, but it's not enough to smooth the air flow by any means.

This would be an easy problem to solve for an owner, however.  If the bike were mine, the first order of business would be to break out the Dremel, cut the windscreen in half and sand and polish the top edge.  Done and booming gone.  I didn't think Aprilia would care much for testing that theory on a brand-new loaner bike though, so the Dremel stayed in the drawer.