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08 Adiva AD250 discussion forum:Dry Bloke |
| Dry Bloke |
| Ted said 2009-07-07 21:54 |
| I have owned a 125cc Benelli Adiva for over 7 years as a dispatch bike. It has served as a wet-weather alternative to getting soaked on my Honda 250. And I make no apologies for saying that it has been the best thing I ever bought. However; it has always been underpowered. A 250cc engine was needed. Harry Nash of Hammersmith were kind enough to lend me their demonstrator AD250, and it certainly has much to offer. First and foremost is the engine. With 22bhp as opposed to 13, it´s off like rocket compared to the 125. There´s non of that vexing moment of hesitation. I cannot commment on top speed as the machine was not yet run-in, but I would expect at least another 10-15mph. That´s enough to get the trucks off your back on motorways. And being watercooled, the motor is a whole lot quieter. Twin halogen headlamps are a big improvement on my 125´s twin 25-watt tungsten bulbs. Otherwise lighting is of the the same excellent standard. The boot is top-loading rather than side-splitting, which makes for more secure loads, but the overall volume appears to have shrunk a little. It doesn´t seem as deep. The roof is also a whole lot trickier to stow as well. The extra fold makes its containment that much more restrictive and it certainly takes up more space. It is also made of a much flimsier plastic which can actually flex when pressed. The fabric interior has been replaced by a plastic `honeycomb´ finish which looks cheap. There´s a tinted plastic `sunroof´ which doesn´t open. The new seat is much longer. There´s ample room for a passenger and rider as it´s stepped in the `king `n´ queen´ fashion. The driver´s half unlocks to reveal a chain-locker/tool stash beneath. It´s called a helmet store but my own open-face one wouldn´t fit. Still, it´s worth having. The downside, however, is that you can´t shuffle about any more. The seat height is 2-3 inches higher, so I can´t get my feet flat on the deck any more, and the `step-through´ gap is gone. What else? It now has triple discs. I´m sure it´s the linked system from the old Piaggio X9 series, but the guys at Harry Nash insist it isn´t. Whatever it is, it does the job and then some. Mainstand is wonderfully easy to use, but the propstand is the same crappy crutch of yore. There´s still a place to put a stereo but it still relies on poxy 3-inch speakers. That very useful shelf on top of the dash has gone, but there´s an extra stash-space, and also 4 flip-open ventilators. A blower heater is an optional extra. At over £150 I´d opt for a heated jacket instead. Instruments have moved to the top of the dash, but they´re no more comprehensive than before. Easier to see though. There´s no dedicated place for a mobile phone despite a charging-point. And there´s no dedicated place for a satnav either. Many of the parts and panels are still common to the `old´ Benelli. However, there´s an optional extra bit that goes on each side of the roof and flushes with the side lapels to provide even more protection for the rider (not the passenger). They´re about £80 for the pair. They also stop the roof being folded... It´s actually been designed to enable the roof to be infastened easy and left at home. Which begs the question - why bother making it a folder at all? Nevertheless, I liked it very much. And going out of town it would certainly prove its worth. But around town it really didn´t have that much more to offer over the Benelli variant than its extra poke. The last time I priced it, it was pushing £5000 with all the bells and whistles. I was still tempted (remember; I´m out in the weather for 10 hours a day). But the boys at Harry Nash tell me it´s already been deleated in favour of a `200´ and a `400´ version. The smaller wouldn´t offer enough extra go to warrant the expense. Whilst the 400 was talking-up a £6,500 plus price-tag, which put it in small car territory. My little Benelli´s still going strong after nearly 50,000 miles, so I´ll stick with what I´ve got as long as I can find bits for it. But if price is no object - well... you pays your money and takes your choice. |
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