Aprilia SXR 160

The styling of the SXR 160 is rather disproportionate. The front is bulky while the rear section isn’t.  The front fascia bears the new three-headlight design that has been derived from the RS660 and Tuono 660. It is surrounded by large, chunky body panels, complete with a big windshield.

The seat and tail section are slimmer in comparison. There’s a more familiar Aprilia scooter feel to it. That said, the chunky grab rail is a neat unit and does not look too gaudy. Aprilia has managed to package the scooter better than the Storm and SR offerings. The quality of plastic used for the body panels is of a high standard and the paint quality is brilliant as well. We would have liked it if the premium plastic treatment also made its way to the floorboard and the front apron panels. Even the switchgear quality should have been better for a scooter at this price point. The switches are small and clunky to operate. 

Overall, the SXR isn’t quite a maxi-scooter or even a maxi-styled scooter. When parked next to something a bit more conventional like the Honda Activa 6G or the TVS Jupiter, the SXR barely looks any larger and that is a shame. Even in practicality, there isn’t enough underseat storage on offer. The SXR stores 7 litres of fuel (one litre more than the SR) and that eats into the underseat space. The shocking bit is that it cannot even store a half face helmet, let alone a full-faced one.

While it shares the 160cc single-cylinder 3-valve mill with the SR 160, the CVT on the SXR 160 is tuned slightly differently. While it feels sprightly for the most part, the performance tapers away post 65-70kmph. It did manage to clock a VBox-tested 95kmph, which is quite apt for its displacement.  What does impress you mightily about the engine of the SXR 160 is just how smooth it is at moderate to high speeds. There is some initial gruffness experienced at low speeds but once you get past 45-50kmph, there are barely any vibes felt through the floorboard. The motor is pretty frugal as well, returning 47kmph and 46.21kmpl in our city and highway tests. That is roughly the same fuel efficiency that the old BS4 Aprilia SR 150 returned, which you got to remember was at least 12-13kg lighter than the SXR. 

At the first ride of the SXR, Aprilia officials had stated that the springs used on the scooter were a bit softer in comparison to the SR model. That plus the downsizing of the wheels to 12 inches lends it a more pliant ride. In fact, it is the comfiest Aprilia scooter we have ridden till date.  The ride isn’t jarring at all, with the front-end barely transmitting any shocks back to the rider. The rear monoshock could have been tuned better though. It rebounds a bit too quickly and feels too reactive, making the rider bob up and down in the saddle over sharp bumps. Also, if you do take speed humps spritiedly, it does toss you off the seat, thus unsettling the ride. Compared to scooters like the TVS NTorq 125 and the Suzuki Burgman Street 125, the SXR 160 is just a tad firmer and that’s pretty commendable. It handles pretty well in the urban jungle. It is easy to corner and stays composed when leaned over as well. The handling isn’t quite as intuitive and sharp as the SR 160 but it was never meant to be a sporty handler. The chunky 12-inch MRF tyres provide ample grip. They rarely let go of traction, even when braking hard.

The SXR 160 also features a large LCD digital display that’s well laid out despite a tonne of information on offer. You get data such as average fuel consumption, range, overall fuel efficiency, ambient temperature, max speed clocked, two tripmeters, tachometer, engine oil temperature, battery voltage and more! A useful addition is the mode button which allows you to switch through the various information on the move. 

 

One of the main reasons for the popularity of a maxi-scooter is the space it offers. There’s a glovebox below the handlebar with two separate compartments. On the left hand side you get a USB charger but the space in the compartments isn’t too big. It’s the same story with the underseat storage. Since fuel tank capacity has been increased by a litre (7-litres capacity) and the battery box is now positioned alongside the fuel tank, underseat storage seems to be similar to the Aprilia SR 160, which as you know is very poor. 

 

My other grouse is the fact that you don’t get an external fuel filler cap and there’s no multi-function keyhole to access the seat. So one needs to open the seat in the traditional manual way. The other basic misses are an engine kill switch and brake lock.