New Aprilia Mana 850

New Aprilia Mana 850

New Aprilia Mana 850

It's Monday morning on a bright June day in the Italian Dolomites, and if there's a better place to be riding a motorcycle, then I'm not aware of it. The air is crisp, the mountain views stunning, and the road is twisty, smooth and almost deserted.

The automatic-transmission Mana GT I'm riding is doing a fine job of living up to its surroundings. The Grand Touring version of the more suburban Mana, the GT comes equipped with a half-fairing, readying it for rides that take you far beyond the city limits. The GT's new fairing does a fine job of deflecting the chilly mountain air off my chest, but just in case the weather takes a turn for the worse, I've stashed my waterproof jacket in one of the spacious accessory saddlebags ($913.40). Arcing through the fantastic curves of these mountain roads, the new Mana feels roomy, comfortable and well equipped-ready to climb mountain passes all the way to Switzerland and beyond.

Performance is pretty good, too. The Mana accelerates out of hairpin bends with a satisfying midrange punch, heading for a top speed of about 120 mph. The 839cc V-twin produces a throaty exhaust note that rises and falls rapidly as I thumb through the seven-speed sequential gearbox. Alternatively, I could use the foot shift lever, though it feels pretty odd to operate it without a clutch. Switching to automatic mode means the CVT takes care of everything-all I have to do is point the bike where I want it to go. But on these technical roads it's more fun to take control of the engine.