Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail 2008 — Specifications

The Pegaso has had a tumultuous life. Starting as a versatile trail bike, it took a detour on the tarmac under the guise of the Strada to clash with supermotards, before returning to its origins in 2008 with this Trail version. Aprilia didn’t reinvent the wheel, and they own up to it: they started with the existing base, grafted a prominent mudguard under the forks, fitted spoked wheels shod with hybrid tires, and lengthened the suspension travel to handle dirt roads without complaint. The result is an honest machine, neither truly enduro nor purely road-going, carving its path between the two with a certain coherence.

Under the 16-liter tank beats the Yamaha 660 cc single-cylinder, four valves, injection. There’s nothing secret about that: Aprilia simply tweaked the mapping to deliver 50 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 59 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm, two horses more than what the same block produces in its original Japanese version. It’s not a sports bike spec sheet, but on a 168 kg dry weight trail bike, it’s enough to move forward with conviction up to 160 km/h on the road, and to manage acceleration off-road without forcing it. The five-speed gearbox does the job, the chain transmits power without fuss.

What distinguishes the Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail from its direct competitors is the attention paid to daily use. Two storage compartments, one under the seat, the other above the tank, an adjustable bubble on two positions, an analog and digital hybrid dashboard controlled from the left handlebar switch: you can feel that Aprilia wanted to seduce the Sunday traveler as much as the occasional adventurer. The seat height at 820 mm remains reasonable for the category, and an option allows it to be raised by 40 mm for those who prefer to place their foot flat on the gravel.

At €6,499 in the catalog, the Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail positions itself in a segment where the used market rules. Today, on the Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail used market, well-maintained examples often sell for between €2,500 and €4,000 depending on the year and mileage. Specialized forums, notably the Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail forum, testify to a loyal community that appreciates the reliability of the Yamaha block and the mechanical simplicity of the whole. Compared to an earlier version, Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail 2005 or Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail 2007, this 2008 version doesn't fundamentally change anything but refines the compromise. It's not the motorcycle that redefines a category, it's the one you take without thinking, in the morning for work and on weekends for forest tracks.