The 1st I owned wasn't great but have since found out it was due to shop I bought it from (don't ask - long story).
This one I've had for 18 months and is great.
Only problem has been the tank cover release switch (2 year warranty so will be fixed).
Low seat height, comfortable, decent speed, stable and generally a pleasure to ride.
Only issue applies to most bikes. Why are they not more rust-proof?

I got this as an introduction to adventure biking after messing around with a scooter for commuting and a sportsbike for blasting around mountain passes.

Fazed by the size (and cost) of a R1200GS, this Yamaha-engined Aprilia lightweight looked a good bet and a look at the spec-sheet seemed to confirm that it would be very capable at off-the-beaten-track exploring.

However, most real adventure rides start and end with good-ish stretch of highway riding and pushing the offroad-biased big single to highway speeds for extended periods of time is enough to induce butt-clenching, foot-and-finger-numbing levels of discomfort to say nothing of naked envy towards those on the large DPs or even 650-ish cc twins. The beak also tends to catch wind at speeds of 140km/h and makes the handlebars wobble uncontrollably. This poor highway performance combined with a limited ability to carry luggage (the Aprilia panniers struggle to contain a pair of size-9 Crocs while the only readily available alternatives from Hepco & Becker... well... 03001978 said it already) severely limits the viability of the Pegaso as a proposition for real adventure biking.

Once off the black stuff the Pegaso really begins to shine. Light and easy to handle I'm sure this bike will have no trouble going where even large Beemers and KTMs would fear to tread. A little more low-end torque would be nice but what there is is more than enough to get a decent job of touring done.

Great for an afternoon's exploring the countryside nearby.... or being trailered along the highway portion of the trip and let loose on terrain that would make Obi-Wan break down in tears...... but not the best choice for anything much beyond that.

On my bike, the fuel pump failed almost immediately after the warranty expired and the garage explained to me that this was a regular complaint with the Pegaso. A 3rd party fuel pump was recommended and the jury is still out on that one. I'll post again once it's had a chance to settle down.

Overall a very VERY nice trail bike- and much recommended within that context..... but a little too rough and breathless on the highways and carries much too little to be a touring bike of any description.

Good workhorse, we flogged the bikes days on end
Just some vibrations, a snapped clutch cable, and a bit thirsty!
Other than that, easy to live with from day to day, good alrounder.

I bought mine as a stopgap as I didn't have the money at the time to replace my aging R1150GS (which I still have). It performed as expected and only a couple of things let it down. Due to the cool looking high level pipes, it made adding luggage a problem (I didn't want to shell out for hard luggage); I also didn't like the low speed handling, I suspect the strada would be better at this as I believe the geometry was right for that but not so good for the trail. I found it a bit iffy in wind, but that was improved by removing the beak and replacing it with the mudguard off a 2003 pegaso (fit's straight on - no probelms). I also bought a mainstand and crashbars from Hepco and Becker, finished of with BMW handguards from a 2004 F650GS (the single). The only failure was the battery at 18 months.

RIDING POSITION
I have always opted for taller, trail orientated bikes and much prefer the taller more comfortable riding position over your sport tourers and what not, and find that the positioning to be very comfortable with the controls all within easy reach. Although I find that I have a tendency to hit the 'MODE' toggle switch rather than the indicators rather frustratingly especially when at roundabouts. I am 6" foot tall and find I can place both feet on the ground comfortably with the standard seat height of 790mm.

ENGINE
The main power plant courtesy of Yamaha's XT 660 has been tried and tested over the years and is consistently reliable and plenty powerful. Renowned for its torquey nature it thumps along no matter what, although I think it could do with an extra gear. I find that sitting behind traffic at 50mph you are in between gears and if there is little opportunity to pass then you find yourself constantly reverting between two gears.
The engine does however produce much more vibration that is really satisfactory; this is transferred through to the foot pegs which on longer journeys can produce pins and needles and cramp from time to time. The handy storage compartment fitting also has a tendency to vibrate over 50mph.

With regards to the storage compartment, this is incredible handy for your wallet etc especially when paying for fuel. However, this has been marketed for your phone also. I urge you not to put your phone here, my blackberry has since died a death due to the vibration has caused the phone to malfunction so please beware.

FUEL CAPACITY
Where is the fuel gauge? This is incredibly annoying, the Strada and factory variants have this as a standard feature but not on the trail. Why is this? The only indication that you are running low on fuel is the introduction of the petrol light when you switch to the reserve. With a fuel tank of 16 litres and a reserve of 3 litres, this is a little low for my liking. Currently I average 160 - 170miles to the tank although I think I could stretch that to 180 miles if I were brave enough to run the tank dry.

STYLING
Well this comes down to personal opinion and taste doesn’t it? I personally like it. I have the model in its grey and black colour scheme which although maybe a little neutral it is non offending and modern. A red colourway is also available. For 2010 I think only black is available.
All clear led lenses are a nice modern touch and the large front headlight is reminiscent of the new Honda VFRs although I have upgraded the bulbs to xenon’s to increase the power as the OEM bulbs are a little underpowered I feel.

ACCESORIES
JTWooo is spot on here im afraid, the accessories’ list is very poor. This bike can be so versatile and perform in many environments’, depending on how it’s set up, but the accessories’ can be near enough counted on one hand. A taller windscreen, a lower seat, a top box rack, side pannier racks and universal sport panniers. That’s about it.
I use my bike as a tourer and have the top box rack fitted but struggled to find a tubular pannier rack suitable for aluminium boxes with only Hepco and Becker available at a eye watering 200.00 GBP. This needs to be heavily embellished to compete with its rivals. Secondly, trying to get Aprilia accessories’ are also quite difficult and a time consuming exercise.
This bike needs a centre stand as standard. The bike is too tall and when laden with a top box I am fearful that it will topple in a slight gust.

Overall, this bike is a versatile machine which is great for commuting through town or loaded up as a tourer but equally capable as an off road machine too. A proven engine provides consistent and smooth power (if driven well) but is let down by too much vibration and poor accessories’ list.
A budget bike with huge capabilities.

CW