Aprilia SR GT 400 Test Ride: Why It Isn't Replacing My Beverly

The Background

Why am I even looking to replace my Beverly 350? When I bought it back in April 2025, it was strictly on a trial basis. I knew I rode scooters constantly when I was down in Spain, but I didn't know if I would actually get the use out of one in Northern Ireland, given our utterly miserable climate.

I bought a fairly abused Beverly 350 with the plan to see how it went for a year. If I actually rode the thing, I would upgrade to something newer in April 2026. Well, as this blog attests, I have more than got my use out of it. I ride it pretty much every day. I also fell down the rabbit hole of doing my own maintenance and put a lot of sweat into getting the old girl running right. Because of all that faff, I didn't immediately rush out and buy a new bike when April 2026 rolled around.

Then the Aprilia SR GT 400 was announced, and I thought that was it. That was the replacement sorted.

Because there are no local dealers in NI, I waited until I was over in Spain and booked a test ride with my trusty local dealer, Vespa Malaga. In my head, the bike was already bought before I even sat on it. How could I not love it? It had all the power (and then some) of the Beverly 400 that I ride in Spain, but with that rugged ADV styling I quite like.

By the end of the test ride, I hated it. Well, hate is strong word, but I just didn't like it!

What Went Wrong

Now, obviously, everyone is different and wants different things from their bikes. While I ride the Beverly platform, I am not a newbie to the whole ADV scooter thing. I have put a good few miles on the Honda ADV 350, and I also wrench on a mate's ADV 350.

So what didn't I like about the Aprilia?

First up, the wind protection, or rather the complete lack of it. The screen is far too small and mounted way out in front. It offers basically zero protection. I was test riding it in and around Malaga city in 35-degree heat. I was constantly having to flip my modular helmet front up and down. Once I got up to speeds over 60 km/h, the front had to come down. When I slowed for traffic, it went back up. It felt relentless. Just a constant, annoying faff.

You can fit bigger screens, but I don't reckon it will do much. The screen is so far in front of your torso that no matter how big it is, you are going to get hit with direct wind, or indirect wind folding in around the edges. The screen on the Honda ADV 350 isn't much bigger, and not much closer to the rider either, but it handles this much better.

The other massive issue for me was the front end geometry. For road use, the head angle is far too slack. On slow-speed turns like roundabouts, the bike kept wanting to fall in on itself. I know a slack head angle is great for off-road stability, but let us be honest, how many kilometres are these types of bikes actually going to do off-road? Like 95% of the adventure motorbikes out there, t's going to spend 95% of it's like on tarmac.

Those long forks, coupled with that slack head angle, made the bike horrible to ride in slow corners.

My only other minor niggle is the plastics. The dash, buttons, and knobs just didn't feel like quality bits. Not Piaggio quality anyway (Piaggio is the parent company to Aprilia). It is a minor point, but worth mentioning if you are dropping that kind of cash.

The Good Bits

It wasn't all bollox, to be fair.

The power is properly impressive. The Beverly 400 is already a very powerful scooter that punches well above its weight. The SR GT 400 uses mostly the same drivetrain and engine, but it feels even sharper. It was incredibly quick off the mark, faster than a stock Beverly 400, feeling more like a Beverly that has had a full Malossi makeover. I never got the chance to test the absolute top speed, but I would suggest it is as good as or better than the Beverly 400, which is plenty fast enough.

The suspension was also completely sorted. It is better than the Beverly, and leagues ahead of the Honda ADV 350 (the other ADV-style scooter that shouts about its suspension, even though it is mediocre at best). Aprilia have really got the setup right on this one. You always have to remember it is a scooter, with the engine and CVT system hanging off the rear swingarm as unsprung mass, so it will never be true motorbike quality. But out of all the ADV-style scooters I have ridden, this is easily the best.

Ergonomics were fine too. I am six foot three with long legs. On paper, the SR GT 400 has a smaller cockpit than my Beverly 400 in Spain, but sitting on it, it felt almost identical. Like the Beverly, I fit on the SR GT 400 without any issues.

The Verdict

When I got back to the dealership and handed the keys over, the salesman was just as surprised as I was when I gave him a flat "non".

I am not replacing the 350 with the SR GT 400. I have learned that the Beverly platform is just better suited to what I want from a bike. The hunt for a replacement continues, although I am in absolutely no rush right now.

Caveat: I should point out that at 60, I am clearly not the target market for the Aprilia. If you are younger, want a more aggressive maxi-scooter, and can handle the wind noise and the handling quirks, you will most likely love it. You will probably look at the Beverly as an old man's platform anyway.