PETE WRITES......"I first became attracted to the Aprilia Moto 6.5 when I saw it in the pictures from the European motorcycle shows in CycleWorld and Rider magazine in 1995. Last Spring, my wife and I took a trip to Italy and located a Moto 6.5 in an Aprilia dealer in Lucca— on the road to Pisa. The dealer said that he was willing to sell me the bike and ship it to me in the US. We later communicated by fax with the assistance of computer translation software and consumated the deal. I wired the lire and they put the bike on the boat. Some three months after the process began, I had the bike and I was a happy man. It has a Rotax engine and rides very much like a BMW 650 Funduro, but looks a hell of a lot slicker! CIAO."

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Pete sends a fact sheet on the uniquely designed machine with some of the "particulars." The Rotax is a 650 CC, five valve, DOHC single cylinder. The oval-frame chassis wears wire-spoked wheels and alloy rims with a fat high-profile rear tire. The entire physical appearance of the machine is due to the vision of just one man...this is a rare concept in today's world of corporate decisioning. Aprilia left the styling work to Philippe Starck, a French kitchenware and furniture designer. It's sensous, low-slung tank and rounded tail piece reminds us of both the Ducati Monster and the HD Buell with a distinctness of its' own.

We got to see the bike at the Hawkins' Benefit Ride in Balboa Park and it is a head-turner. The advertised weight is 330 pounds with 42 horsepower at 5500rpm. We dunno about vibration at that engine speed. We'll have to ask Pete.

The entire machine is monocolored in a soft grey color broken only by the seats' silver fabric and the orange accent color highlighting the mollusc-like fuel tank. Cool ride, Peter!

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