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Mana 850: Perfect Blend of Form and Function

By Richard Parker(posedanto), Sep. 15, 2008

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: Ho. 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, ktp. ) 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.

potenco

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.

la vojaĝanta (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.

konkludo

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

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