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Mana 850: Perfect Blend of Form and Function

I have been a scooter enthusiast for about eight years now, having owned a Piaggio BV-200, Aprilia Scarabeo 500, and Piaggio MP3 (the last just traded for the Mana). I have a seven mile commute to work each way; the economy and convenience of the scooter has been a godsend. I loved the stability and... traction of the MP3 -- thought I'd found the commuting holy grail -- and then I saw the specs for the Mana: Oh. My. God. CVT, on-board storage, 850cc V-Twin, and classic Italian sporty styling??? SOLD.

Ergonomics
(note: I am 5'11", 185lbs.)

The seat is very comfortable. Not the barca lounger that my Scarabeo 500 was, but just fine. My wife and I found that there is actually more room for her on the back of the Mana than there was on the MP3 -- less crowding. The footpegs are well positioned; my legs lift straight into place astride the "tank" hump. The riding position is a very comfortable, upright, cruiser-style position with excellent visibility.

Controls

I understand some owners' comments about the 'crowdedness' of the left hand controls, but haven't had any real problems with it in practice. I had to train myself to reach a little farther for the horn button due to its position past the upshift button. The turn signal control is a bit small -- it would have been nice to have a bit more of a substantial feel -- but it falls naturally under my thumb while riding.

I love the excellent trip computer and perfectly visible speedometer (thank you for putting the primary readings in MPH!!!). I wish the trip computer had a fuel gauge, but otherwise it is very feature filled. I had to change settings to farenheit and then go into factory diagnostic mode to change trip computer from Km to miles, but then everything was perfect.

The rear brake foot pedal is well positioned, and I like the fact that it has an adjustable eccentric. The shift pedal is also adjustable, but coming from more traditional scooters, I am more comfortable shifting with the hand buttons.

The on-board storage is a nice size, but I find myself carrying accessories (maps, manuals, GPS, cellphone, shoes, snacks, etc...) instead of stowing my helmet. I find it convenient to press the left-hand button to pop the storage open when parking. Then just grab my stuff and go. I have learned to use the manual release when the bike is off when I am puttering with the bike, so I don't run down the battery with the interior light.

Handling

The bike has an excellent turning radius -- I can easily make U-turns with decent margin on city streets. Surprisingly, it feels less tippy and more stable at low speeds and stops than my MP3! The balance is excellent. I rarely feel like I need to put a second foot down. I like the under-seat position of the fuel tank, lowering the center of gravity.

Power

Wow. Okay, I *am* coming from 500cc single cylinder maxi scooter experience, but wow what a difference an 850cc V-Twin makes!!! It can take off like a rocket from a dead stop with no fiddling with clutches and gears. The CVT keeps the engine right in the middle of the powerband, so no matter how fast I am going, just twist a bit more and it surges forward. The touring (auto) mode is so much fun that I haven't really played with the semi-auto sport shifting much. And I love the deep, throaty rumble. No "sewing machine" here. ;-)

I have to admit that I had a bit of trepidation about riding this bike the first time (esp. coming from smaller traditional scooters). But it only took ten seconds to realize that the amazing power of the bike is very controllable.

The engine compression does a very nice job of slowing the bike under deceleration right up to the point where the clutch engages. Then the bike free-rolls.

Conclusion

For my needs, the Mana 850 has all nearly all of the practicality that I enjoyed about scooters, with all of the sporty fun I lusted after in motorcycles. It has great classic style and advanced forward-thinking features. I think I have found my perfect bike. Read Full Review

I love it

Just to add to what the other reviewer said, I have found mine to be a very competent and exciting ride. Handling is great, and the twist and go is just a blast. The power is always there when you need it. It's great looking in person, and the tank storage is great. I'm very happy with the bike. Read Full Review

Harley die-hard loves it ...

I've been riding for over 25 years. I saw the Mana 850 and got curious and torn, "The 2009 Shiver, Dorsoduro, or the Mana?" In their own right, these are seriously unique models by Aprilia. Long story short: Now over 2000 on the odo I have no regrets. The Mana is fun to ride across the spe...ctrum. It won't win any contests, but it is a superb mid-gear performer, handles well, stops well, cruises well, excellent materials and build quality, and very importantly for me, behaves well in hot, humid traffic congestion. In addition, fuel consumption is quite good, and like most owners, I end up using the "Touring" mode almost always. Furthermore, its Italian design seems to attract many well interested comments from people at red lights - even Harley junkies. Recently, I swapped saddles with a Harley rider and he took the Mana for a spin. Riding his HD I couldn't keep up with him, however, the HD clearly won the exhaust tone contest. His verdict was simply awe. In regards to exhaust tone, the Mana is ultra quiet. That could have certain advantages. There are so many positive aspects that I did not expect. However, the notable negative is the somewhat "slushy" start-up in first gear. This is quickly overcome by its excellent flat power manner, however, some traditional riders may shun this. Furthermore, tight, slow cornering requires a bit of throttle playing to keep the CVT engaged. No biggie, but certainly a different behaviour to get used to. I used to avoid urban commuting, but now I challenge it. Read Full Review

What a Bike!

I thought I was going to buy a GS 650 BMW. I took a test drive on it and was not too impressed. Then I went over to another dealer and checked out the Mana 850. I took it for a test run and WOW! I couldn't believe it. What a bike! It just blew me away. The ride, the sound, the feel of it was so much... better than the BMW 650. I bought it on the spot and now a month later its still great. I couldn't imagine a better bike to get. S Read Full Review

Fantastic bike for the sensible AND the loonies among us...

Sensible mode: Drive Touring, 61mpg (UK gallons = 4.54 litres, you do the maths if you're not in the UK), bags of torque, decent acceleration/engine braking, usable storage (although sadly not big enough for my Shark lid).



Loony mode: Drive Sport, 45mpg ish, bigger bags of torque, much better ac...celeration/engine braking (the reason you didn't see the brake lights is I wasn't using the brakes... suggest you don't ride so close...), Ditch the truly awful sports qualifier tyres it comes with and fit a set of Pirelli Diablo Rossos, scrub for 100 miles or so, find a nice fast but twisty piece of road and go play.

Proper loony: Sport Gear, ??mpg, surreal feeling changing gear without dipping the throttle and depressing a clutch lever. Huge fun once you get past that.

Minor downsides: Naked bike = hanging on for dear life at 90mph+. Had to be lowered for me as I'm 5'4" and the seat height of a standard bike is 800mm. Upright seating position is fantastically comfortable on the arms/wrists but means that any shocks come through the (lowered) seat and straight up the spine: My coccyx hates me - suggest Air Hawk seat pad for long journeys, especially if you've had to have the seat chopped.

Nonetheless, I suggest you find a dealer with a demo and try one. I love mine. Read Full Review