Aprilia 850 Mana
Welcome to the new millennium: While most of us were off screwing around on four wheels, motorcycles quietly went and got complicated. Carburetors and straightforward suspensions are rapidly being supplanted by trickle-down car technology-antilock brakes, feedback fuel injection, stability control, and even air bags. The computer, it seems, has finally caught up with the motorbike.
0:00 / 0:00
The Aprilia 850 Mana, with its compact, electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT), aims to be the next step in that evolution. Like a modern scooter or snowmobile, the Mana has a twist-grip throttle but no clutch lever. Aprilia's latest sporting standard is a real motorcycle, though, and unlike some of the oddball clutchless bikes of the past (boring, heavy clunkers, all), it's also quirk-free, nearly idiot-proof, and relatively capable.
We know what you're thinking: No clutch? Where's the fun in that? And we get it. A lot of the grins on a motorcycle come from the man/machine involvement, and muddying the connection between rider and horse doesn't really help things. But the 507-pound, 76-hp, 839-cc Mana isn't aimed at experienced crotch-rocket jockeys; Aprilia is targeting people moving up from scooters or first-timers in search of fuel economy, and that market doesn't necessarily care about the Italian marque's sport-bike heritage or the perfect downshift.
That said, while the Mana probably won't impress die-hards, it's still a very good, if slightly bland, motorcycle. The hefty curb weight and generic Italian looks aren't a plus, but the 90-degree, eight-valve V-twin is torquey and linear, and the stiff trellis frame and 43-millimeter inverted front fork make reasonable work of corners. The transmission, with its three automatic "shift" modes (including a rain setting) and handlebar "gear" buttons (a traditional foot lever is also present) works smoothly and unobtrusively. All in all, if you're in the market for a motorcycle and don't really care about motorcycles, the Mana fits the bill. The digital bike may finally be here, but it's still way cooler than a scooter.
The SpecsOn Sale: NowPrice: $9899Engine: 839-cc V-2, 76 hp, 54 lb-ft
