April(ia) Fools Day

What if the distributor of an Italian brand of sport bikes and maxi-scooters called you up and invited you to "play" with their toys on a fun run from Makati to Alabang on a Wednesday "Bike Nite"? If you’re as crazy as I am about motorcycles, you’d politely say yes and then jump up and down like a fool after you hang up the phone.

Pardon the enthusiasm, but that’s exactly how I felt when I got invited by Mike de Guzman, the president of Ultra Bikes to ride their bikes. I got to their showroom at the La Fuerza building in Pasong Tamo, Makati by 8:30pm, exchanged pleasantries with Mike and his people, and by 10pm, he lent me the keys to an Aprilia Atlantic 500 maxi-scooter to ride for the night.

The Atlantic with its 40bhp 460cc 4-valve four-stroke single cylinder engine made the highway to Alabang look like a shortcut. The ride was firm but supple, and the maxi-scooter felt as stable as a sport tourer even at extra-legal speeds. The quiet engine and the upright wind screen subtly masked the sensation of speed but the rate at which we were moving reminded me that this P410,000 scooter was built for gobbling up the miles. In what seemed like a heartbeat we were already at the Caltex station along Alabang-Zapote Road where most of the bikers hang out. Funny thing, the Atlantic got more stares and inquiries from the enthusiasts around the station than the sport bikes.

After some shop talk, I asked Amang Adriano if I could take the silver Aprilia Falco 1000 around the Alabang Commercial Center area for an informal evaluation run. The run was short and quick not because they limited my time on the P690,000 bike, but because the Falco with its 118bhp 998cc 60-degree V-twin and 190kg dry weight made quick work of the roads around the area. The riding position was a bit of a tuck without stretching your arms too much, ideal for track-style riding, but not for getting caught in our traffic-snarled streets. I found the power very sweet and the brakes almost fantastic, with the proper feedback communicated back to the rider. The steering-damper-equipped handle bars were very steady and were nicely weighted for slow speed cornering.

When I finally stopped and dismounted, Tony Tanda, the Italian technical director of the Ultra Bikes, asked me how I liked the Falco. When I told him that I found it fantastic, he offered his ride, a blue Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille that he personally modified so I could see how it fares against the basically-stock Falco.

The riding position of the 187kg RSV Mille is almost the same as the Falco except the levers and the controls were much lighter, having a more precise feel to them, aided by Aprilia’s patented Pneumatic Power Clutch. The 998cc DOHC 8-valve 60-degree V-twin engine makes 141bhp and the single outlet muffler makes a more glorious sound than the Falco’s. Power is delivered by 6-speed transmission and chain drive to a fat 180/55-ZR17 rear tire. Despite Tony’s modifications, the RSV Mille behaved like a stock bike from low to mid-range, delivering very streetable and useful power.

However, twist the throttle and prepare to be treated to a different view of the scenery. Suddenly, everything’s a blur and the bike just accelerates and accelerates and accelerates. An inadvertent twist of the throttle can lift the front tire off the ground, or smoke the rear, depending on your riding position, or your disposition. There’s an abundance of power in your right hand that tempts you to twist it even further.

Oversized twin four-pot Brembo disc brakes in front and one at the rear saw to it that the "go" power is matched by the "whoa". Braking distance was shorter than the Falco based on my seat-of-the-pants feel but the RSV Mille exhibited some brake dive during emergency stops. Though there was no place to test the limits of the bike’s cornering capabilities, the bike nevertheless carved the street corners with aplomb though it felt a bit more twitchy in a straight line than the steering damper-equipped Falco. The whole set-up was very delectable that I almost wanted not to return the bike to Tony.

I eventually returned the bike to Tony and reluctantly mounted the Atlantic maxi-scooter for the ride back to Makati. I tailed Tony and the other riders on their sport bikes as we sped along South Superhighway at one in the morning. The traffic was very light and I could see that the boys were having fun dicing with each other. I dropped back so I could just view the Falco and the RSV Mille running gracefully at speed. This, I think, is the best way to admire these super bikes.