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Aprilia SR Max 300

Aprilia’s new SR Max 300 fits neatly into the overcrowded maxi-scooter class, but with a less than subtle difference from its rivals – the Aprilia actually looks exciting to ride.

With styling allegedly based on the RSV4 superbike – a little far-fetched, although the black/red colour scheme is eye-catching and the angular layout of the bike is striking – it follows in the tyre tracks of the Gilera Nexus 300, a same-spec maxi-scoot that has just been dropped from the Piaggio line-up.

As Piaggio is the controlling parent of Gilera and Aprilia (amongst others) it’s safe to assume the Aprilia’s engine is from the same development/production line as the Gilera’s Quasar engine. Which means the Aprilia is just as frugal and will cruise happily at motorway speeds in exactly the same way.

Testing showed the highest speed figure achieved was 91mph, although it took a while to get there after the initial zippy burst up to 57mph. Overtaking from 60mph into a headwind needs to be weighed up very carefully before the throttle is turned in anger, because it can be a slow process.

The best fuel economy figure of 64mpg came with town use interspersed with A-road lunacy. So the 15.5 litre tank could secure a theoretical 220 miles between fill ups. And in this age of forced meagreness, the SR Max looks tempting.