Classic or crusher? Aprilia Moto 6.5

Designed by Philippe Starck, the Moto 6.5 is proof that just being a talented designer isn’t necessarily enough to guarantee success when it comes to a production motorcycle. Famed for his work in the ‘New Design’ style, Frenchman Starck turned his hand to motorcycles in the early 1990s when Aprilia were looking for a cool town bike – the result was the Moto 6.5.

earing more than a passing resemblance to a teapot, the 6.5 is powered by a BMW F650 single cylinder motor and came in a range of colours, although most remember the orange/silver combination. Fairly hit and miss build quality, erratic production and the slightly challenging look all conspired to put a premature end to Starck’s career as a motorcycle designer and he returned to creating optical mice, alarm clocks, toothbrushes and the Virgin Galactic spaceport.

The Moto 6.5 was dropped from Aprilia’s production in 1997 and most forget it even existed. While there are 5 Moto 6.5s still chugging around the UK’s roads the chances of seeing one are about the same as taking a trip on Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo…

Classic or crusher? Your call