Aprilia SR 150 ABS, SR 125 CBS, Piaggio Vespa 150 ABS, 125 CBS launched in India

The Indian market would soon get stringent safety rules for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The rules for two-wheelers would be implemented on 1st April 2019 and a lot of manufacturers are already launching updated products that comply with the new rules. Aprilia and Piaggio launched the first ever ABS equipped affordable scooters in accordance to the new upcoming rules.

According to ACI, Aprilia launched the ABS equipped SR150 while Piaggio launched the Vespa 150 ABS range. Piaggio also launched the CBS (Combi-Brake System) equipped Vespa 125 in the market. All the three new scooters also get updated prices too. The SR 150 is priced at Rs. 80,850, the Carbon ABS variant is priced at Rs. 82,550 and the SR 150 Race variant is priced at Rs. 89,550. The Piaggio Vespa VXL is priced at Rs. 98,310, the SXL ABS is priced at Rs. 1.02 lakh, SXL 150 RED edition is priced at Rs. 1.03 lakh and the Elegante ABS is priced at Rs. 1.08 lakhs.

Aprilia and Piaggio also launched the CBS equipped lower displacement scooters in the market. The Aprilia 125 CBS is priced at Rs. 69,250 while the Vespa VXL 125 CBS is priced at Rs. 88,250, Vespa SXL 125 CBS is priced at Rs. 91,450 and the Vespa SXL 125 Red edition is priced at Rs. 92,500. The ABS-equipped versions have seen an increase of around Rs. 10,000 while the Combi-Brake System equipped scooters have seen a rise of around Rs. 3,000 in the market.

Apart from the addition of the ABS and CBS features, the scooters remain unchanged mechanically and visually. Every other detail remain the same. However, the new versions have received new stickers that highlight the safety feature.

Indian government has made it mandatory for the two-wheelers above 125cc to offer standard ABS while all the two-wheelers below 125cc must offer the CBS as standard equipment. Manufacturers have started rolling out the updated models so the sales can go on smoothly after the new rule is implemented. However, most of the manufacturers are continuing to sale the regular, non-ABS and non-CBS versions, which can be sold till 31st March 2019. The addition of the new features increase the price of the vehicles, which puts extra burden on the customers. However, both ABS and CBS ensure that the braking distance is reduced, ensuring the safety of the riders.

All the scooters launched by Aprilia and the Piaggio get the single-channel ABS. All the scooters already offered a disc brake. The only addition is that of the ABS feature. The CBS ensures that optimal pressure is distributed to the front and rear brakes of the two-wheeler when the front brake lever is pressed, which reduces the braking distance significantly and reduces the chances of accidents. Both the features would work to make the Indian roads safer, which sees lakhs of fatal accidents each year.