Quick Ride

Quick Ride

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APRILIA MOJITO 150 CUSTOM Cool scoot

IN CASE YOU HADN'T noticed, scooters have penetrated mainstream American moto-culture. With more makes and models currently available than we’ve seen in recent years, it’s not just the cash-strapped starving student or artist who is scootin’ around these days. Aprilia’s Mojito 150 Custom delivers eye-catching two-wheel coolness with its mix of classic scooter styling and customcruiser flare.

After a couple of rather thrilling commutes between office and home along Orange County’s fearsomely busy 405 freeway, I began to think of the Mojito (pronounced mo-heat-o) as a mosquito that’s more suited for buzzing around town. While its aircooled, four-stroke 149cc Single is capable of keeping pace with the freeway flow,

the 12-inch wheels don’t exactly deliver the utmost stability, particularly when there are rain grooves cut into the road or wind-whippin’ big rigs alongside.

While in Northern California for a visit to Infineon Raceway, I took the Mojito for a jaunt through the streets of San Francisco. What better place to put a scooter’s power, brakes and urban cut-andthrust ability to the test? A

simple thumb of the starter button and twist of the throttle sent me sailing up the steepest climbs I encountered. Plunging down the bayside city’s famous double-diamond slopes presented no problem, either. A motorcycle-spec master cylinder actuates a twin-piston caliper on a 190mm disc at the front, while the rear is a cableactuated drum. A twofingered squeeze on the brake levers proved plenty to haul ’er down.

With 3.1 inches of curbhopping suspension travel at both ends, the Mojito can be jockeyed into a tight parking spot on the sidewalk and popped onto its centerstand, the convenient passenger grab handles providing extra handholds. There’s also a lockable glovebox for that Haight-Ashbury stash and an underseat storage compartment large enough to swallow a helmet and parka.

It also cuts a stylish figure around the city. Stopped for an attractive lady using the crosswalk, I noted that she was really checking out my scoot. A couple blocks later, a guy in short-shorts rode past on a bicycle and gave me the double-take. Yikes! Apparently the black-andchrome Mojito (also available in Sky Blue) packs plenty of sex appeal.

With step-through ease and a comfy seat that sits only 29.7 inches from the ground, the Mojito is an attractive scooter for riders of either gender. Its $3999 sticker price is pretty attractive, too. • -Don Canet