morning all...

Just bought a 2014 Silverwing (after 15 years riding an Aprilia Scarabeo 500 GT) so I thought it would be a good idea to join - I see you're a repository of useful information!

Welcome mymuk and good morning to you too!

Welcome from o-HI-o, enjoy your newfound site.

Hello mate, for me it's interesting you've been a long term owner of an Aprilia Scarabeo 500 GT. I really wanted one of early Scarabeos when they first came out, the U.K. importers were no help and didn't import it and the only one I clapped eyes on was in a Leeds dealership back in early 2005, after I'd spotted an ad in Bike Trader.

It was the very same Scarabeo that journos from Twist & Go and the long defunct Motorcycle Voyager tested, I was living in Cumbria back then and rode down to Leeds on a Yamaha Majesty 250 (which I didn't really like) hoping to do a part exchange and ride back home on the Scarabeo.

Sadly, it's beautiful two tone blue paint had some long deep scratches, it had only one key, no handbook or manual, they offered to print a load of rubbish off on a dot matrix printer instead and the salesman tried to get me into an expensive servicing package. So I didn't buy it and a few weeks later bought a new 400 Burgman from a Cumbrian dealer instead. The early Scarabeo 500 remains the only big wheel maxi I've ever had any interest in.

Meldrew wrote:

The early Scarabeo 500 remains the only big wheel maxi I've ever had any interest in.

Hello Meldrew.

Same here, if they still made them I'd get one like a shot. It's the second I've had. I imported both personally from Italy. The first was cream and silver and really nice:



But it was stolen in 2007.... I bought a silver one to replace it (as by then they were no longer making them). The original one reappeared via the police the day the new one was delivered:




So I sold it.

At 10 years old it is still a better bike than any other maxi (I'm finding the Silverwing really rather primitive by comparison) but I need a more reliable workhorse - I'm no good with mechanical matters and it will increasingly need maintenance I'm not able to do myself - so I've reluctantly moved to the Silverwing.

I'll be selling the Scarabeo (in daily use until I SORN'd it three days ago) once I've given it a good clean if you still hanker after one

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the Forum. Love Italian style but love Japanese reliability.

Typically, no sooner do I buy a 2014 Swing and get it transported all the way from London to Glasgow, but Mick in Johnstone (who I see is a member here) puts his on the market *10 miles away* from me. With every mod you can shake a stick at too.

If only I'd waited three more days...