Aprilia 850 Mana - Jay Leno's Garage 

Just bought my Aprillia Mana 850. Its a nice bike. Handles like a dream and has plaenty of power. The transmission is very adaptable and makes for lots of hassle-free riding. For all of you haters out there, clutch or no clutch-- it's two wheels.

Just happened on this video. This Aprilia is one of the most interesting machines I've seen for a bike that can be day-to-day enjoyable as well as very spirited if wanted. I was very much an enthusiast for the 'cafe' racer type in the late '60s and '70s and am now a little put off that so much has gone that way. Being a mech. and service mgr. for about 12 years, I enjoy seeing this machine's broader appeal and comfort. Thanks, Jay..!

I am a old school Superbike racer from OZ . One day I woke up and couldnt move my left foot. ( L5 nerve damage lower back) THIS bike looks inviting

Yeah being distracted and having to focus on shifting is fine for toys you might diddle around on suburban streets. To use as a serious vehicle in traffic, such an innovation as bringing CVT to full size bikes like this is a godsend for safety!

I rode one of the when they first came out. Loved it. Love my Aprilias. I have had 6. I still have number 2 and 6.

This was my first motorcycle. The first time I rode it I dropped it lol. Miss those days. After riding it for about 2 years I got into a pretty bad accident, it got totaled. I took alot of time off, and even swore off riding.. but am now back on a 200 cc bike lol. It’s slow but i’m back to having fun

I have the exact same bike. Just beautiful. A joy to ride. Aprilia can be a handfull when it comes to after sales service tho . . . so develop a good relationship with your local dealer.

I have a scooter and my neighbor has an R6 Yamaha. He likes how I just hop on and roll out to work. Not hunched over, no steel toed boots for shifting etc. I kind of like his better because it’s super cool, but I also get it. I use mine more. This looks like a good midpoint between those two.

I'm 18 and this is the first bike I ever rode. My father bought it in 09 After be broke his foot, and it's a brilliant well balanced bike.

The bike has 7 gears only in that the computer pretends that it does. In reality a CVT transmission is like a power band over a gear cone, and the band can ride up and down the cone to "change" the gears, which is why it's 100% seamless. There is no silent shifting from one to the other that you're not noticing because it is indeed a truly linear power band that doesn't have hiccups/tactile demarcations for the gear it pretends/pre-chooses it is at any point on the cone. This is unlike the nc750 from Honda, with a dual-clutch transmission, that in reality does have gears that shift from one to the other that is noticeable, despite being automatic. I own the 850GT and love it.

just got this motorcycle and I love this bike.thank you GOD for my bike!!!!😊

I have a RS250 and a RSVR 1000, I love my Aprilia's- have to go take one of these for a test ride..

I got this as my first bike a few years ago. I miss it. I traded it in for an R6, which was VERY fun on weekend rides but wasn't as practical for everyday/commuting use. I'll probably try to pick up another one used for a commuter.

I am so not a motorcycle fan but Jay can make anything interesting & this could allow someone that can't ride other bikes a chance to get back into riding.

I love all your videos. Especially your bike videos.i have been riding since 2014. I ride scooters. I have a 2014 honda forza, which is a maxi-scooter. I am.not adhamed, either. I love all my scooters. I would have bought a regular motorcycle, but I am unable to handle an extremely heavier bike. I wish I could meet you one day and take a ride with you through the eadt hills of KY. You can bring a Harley and let it "rumble" all through the hills. GOD Bless, Mr. Leno.

That is fantastic. A lot of people can get into biking who would otherwise be scared off & a spot to put your helmet. What more could the new learner want.

You are one class guy Jay..a Big thanks for the sharing your interest.

This realy is a very interesting bike and good quality built. I have one in my garage know for repairs and even though I know this model from quit some time it always amaze me how nice this bike it is. Nice looking, niceley built, good brakes, good handling.

Had one for a few years - great bike for around town.

like the tank storage , similar to my old suzuki across.

You have really casual looking riding boots there....... But really thank you for your you tube channel...love it!

Prince's purple rain bike was a Hondamatic

Taps the airbox: This is your transmission.

I like to looks and the storage compartment.

I've had my Aprilia for 4 years and I never knew I had a button to pop the trunk OR that I had a parking break!!! LoL RU-vid is the BEST

Aprillia's are amazing bikes no matter what it is.

i understand your point, but people drive cars with auto gearbox (ferrari, lambo, ecc,) so what's the difference if they drive a bike the same way? it doesn't detract from the fun.

I live in LA, and ride a Aprilia Mana 850. I love it. Unfortunately, the transmission has a cable busted and I HAVE to shift the gears. But it’s still fun to ride everyday.

I lost the use of my right arm and this moto is perfect for me too !

Man you love that Vincent Black Shadow... you always mention it..

This is a very interesting bike. It's very different than what I'm used to (Super Bike) but I could see myself riding one of these with maybe a flatter bar so it's not so upright. Pretty cool!

Aprilia started making the Mana in 2008, Honda came out with the NC700 series last year.

Jay, if you're putting strain on the upper arm in a sport riding position, you're doing it wrong. You should hold on with your legs and control your position with your core (abdominal muscles), with your arms being as free and loose as possible to facilitate proper (counte)steering and avoid injury (wrists being most at risk when not riding properly).

Actually considering this bike in 2020 and slowly spice it up X)

I have one of these and it is every bit a motorcycle even though it's an automatic. It has more than enough power and I usually pull away from my friends as they fumble looking for 2nd gear coming off a stop light. Those that mock the automatics are no different than the short-sighted people that mocked the Horseless Carriage and the Wright Brothers. Welcome to the 21st Century!

Big Thank you for your videos!

Serioisly love this Bike 850 Mana

Good to hear more motorcycle stuff coming down the pike.

I love the channel Jay. Thanks for sharing. I too love cars and bikes. Your reviews are great at spotlighting things other channels miss or don't care about enough to show. I'm hoping to see more motorcycle videos. The channel would be more balanced!!! Can you do a review on a Moto Guzzi Eldorado? Old or new.

I own this bike and love it. Aprilia should reissue this bike as an EV. I would buy it.

I love that no helmets fit him. It reminds you who your watching. lol

Back in the day when Jay's videos were snappy and well edited. Not like his latest videos which seem to drag on, 20+ minutes is too long. Great bike BTW.

Hmm... nice ! Have to check out the website . TU. TY JAY .

I think this is a really good idea; I've known several riders who after accidents have been unable to shift so unable to ride.

Wow...this bike is awesome. I live near seattle, wa....this bike is hard to come by. Do the aprilla dealers even stock these quarky machines. I like it..alot!!! Sell me your Jay. B well.

We had a Honda mini trail 50 with auto trans when I was a kid.We loved to trick adults with it.We'd say "Just rev it up and drop it into first,it'll do a burn out" which was true if you weighed 70lbs.But if you weighed 250 it would literally slam you into the ground on your back when the front end flew off the ground.

From my research, "Mana" is a latin suffix with a hazy implication of the English word, "sevenfold" -- probably a reference to the 7 ratios available in sport mode, and a way to drive home the key difference between the Mana and a typical CVT scooter. I love to ride, but I seldom put more than 2,000 miles on a bike in a season. I have stalled in an intersection with cars coming up behind me. I have downshifted by mistake in a curve, or missed a shift entirely (which is one way pro racers wipe out). Those things are NOT fun. Some of us are thrilled with the feeling of leaning a bike into a curve, hitting the throttle and working the brakes, but find a standard shift impedes getting in the zone. Too many ways for human error to put one in a bad situation. I was riding behind a friend on his Victory cruiser a few years ago and he missed a shift at low speed on a bump in a curve, and down he went. Not for me. Jay is right in my case. The Mana makes me a more involved, safer rider. As far as sizing is concerned, I just bought a Mana from a gent who was 6'2". I am 5'7" with a 29-30" inseam. When I got on the bike, I felt too short-- I couldn't flat-foot and had to reach for the bars, feeling it a bit in my lower back. As soon as I got underway, all those concerns evaporated. The bike is so well balanced that getting toes down at a stop is all you need. And it is so effortless to ride, with such an analog power delivery that you are free to enjoy cornering, stopping and accelerating-- and scenery, too! It's like piloting a jet. Ever heard a top gun complain of not having a gear shift in her/his F-15?

I had a 1976 Honda CB-750A which was a 2 speed semi-automatic. You could leave it alone and it would shift for you or you could do a clutchless shift from low to drive. The main issue with the bike was that the clutch mechanism always sounded like a coffee can full of rocks being rattled. Performance was adequate, about as good as my friends' 1980 80" Shovelhead Superglides. The ride was very smooth and it was a good bike. Not as exciting as my 1977 Kawasaki KZ1000LTD but still a good bike.

I agree with you on that but i personally think paddle shifts are only good on a track, because in traffic when your constantly stopping and starting it could get quite annoying

Jay, you might like our shop Schoffer Brothers motorcycles in San Antonio. It's a very cluttered shop with parts tools and ...STUFF all over the place, but we have a lot of nice older classic bikes like a '65 Honda 305, a '74 Honda CL175 and a '68 Suzuki TC250 all of which I have personally raised from the dead. I do plenty of small parts fabrication and welding. I just don't do the paint work.

Is the frunk storage lockable also what is the actual Mpg (L/100) in the city /out?

I have a Honda with CVT. I like to shift to "L" which instantly redlines the engine & holds it there. It provides the maximum amount of power right off the line .

I love this guy on this Chanel !!!!!

Jay should be a co-presenter on the BBC version of Top Gear. That'd be sweet

Aha. Thanks. I do autos for a living, and have replaced many broken CVT 'belts'. I can't say I like them, although they're good for business!

This is why I like paddle shifters on cars. They shift faster, You aren't tap dancing on the floor, You can concentrate more on your line, and if you are in traffic you don't have to heel toe on freakin hills with a guy just a foot behind you or in front of you. I'm a purist on a lot of things. Driving isn't one of them. I want as much technology keeping me on the road and paying attention to the job or driving as possible.

Jay, Honda has a new bike that is a 700 (ish) cc bike that is also automatic, can you take a look at it?

Your videos are great Jay.

this is exactly my type of bike, as a beginner shifting is a huge distraction, worry and all around pain in the butt, maybe as i get more experienced i will get used to it, but i'd rather just not have to worry about it

I have paralysis of my left ankle. I would love a gearbox like this for install on any motorcycle

That's a cool looking bike!

first, aprilia is from 2008 and it has CVT like scooter, but it has option to lock the CVT and "act" like gears... honda has automatic transmision with real gears... and yes, i agree, really nice bikes :)

The biggest question I have about a 850 Mana is, can a taller guy like me (6'3") ride this comfortably?

Is it a CVT? With a combination of solenoids, you can get 7 'gears', a la Mitsubishi. Couldn't imagine having a normal 7 spd auto trans that small or light. Or am I missing something...

really cool ... i dont like automatic stuff but cool jay show some harley's and choppers

Scary with an automatic motorcycle.. (it's most common with manual in cars too where I live) But if it shifts so tender as Jay is saying here, then it might work...

Best bike Aprilia ever built 😘😘😘😘

I'm not sure Jay really liked it. I might want one, but this seems better suited for a large cruising bike.

Love ya, Jay! Nice bike. I've owned an AJS, Matchless & 2 Triumph T-120s, I don't put people down because they shift with their braking foot( haha), why the fuss about a cool new trans?

You probably rode it in “scooter mode” (CVT), and didn’t put it in “manual mode” (simulated gears). 🤷‍♂️ Great bike.

nice one, might get one! thanks for the video!

Gorgeous bike! Anything but a Harley!

Jay loves the heartbeat away joke with VP visiting.

I'm gonna be one of those stubborn riders who says an automatic ruins the riding experience. I'm not knocking it - it's pretty cool but It's not for me, I like shifting! I would love to have storage space for my helmet though, that's really cool!

You too... don't get me wrong, i like bikes with gears, if i had money, i would buy kawasaki zzr 1200 or something like that, but i don't. and so i drive beverly 250 and i'm happy with that... for now... but i like to give a chance to any bike, and this mana deserve that...

I too like the position, we also refer to it as the "sack of potatoes" position. So many sport bikes would be more fun with this position.

hmm i dunno.. after working on my friends sxv450 Aprilai, i dont think ill ever buy an aprilia.. they are soo difficult to get parts for where i am.

this byke is what like 4 years old now...? What I luv is the big scooter built off this same platform, lets see it too Jay, Please :)

xD that was funny when he talked about the assassination things to him xD

like the back of a watch...jay not all of us rolling with a glassed back automatic rolex

i personally prefer footshiftedbikes, but for someone whos is just getting into bikes, especially at advanced ages this could be a great learners bike

I love it I want one so bad Jay

It might not be for everyone but what makes bikes is there is ONE for everyone

It is just like riding a bicycle. You are not paying attention, you learn and then you just dont think about it. If you like cars you should at least try it. It gives another dimension to driving and makes you able to drive all cars. Isnt that worthy ?

If Jay is going to pull over and talk about a vehicle, his 'Go-To' place to go is Floyd Street in Burbank.. lol

Nice lookin' E38 in the background at 4:37. :P

cool bike

Yes, unfortunately in Colombia you can't leave your helmet attached on your bike in public places, chances that the helmet will get stolen is high, thieves can even disassemble the helmet to get it!

Come on Jay, it's 2013! Lets get you a GoPro so we can get some HD vidoes.

That can hold a six pack of beers. :D

Is this for sale now?

Nobody is taking away your motorcycles!!! And it doesn't matter if it is easy. People can also just not feel like shifting. This is one of the reasons soooo many people claim for wanting a bigger bike or even a literbike "So I don't have to shift as much". People also use a plethora of other technologies to bypass other riding aspects, this is just one more. I enjoy all these aspects of riding, but I don't sit around insulting other people so I can feel like i'm special like so many others do.

I really respect Jay but that helmet made me laugh so much :D dangerous aswell

Read Snifit's comment; this would be good for disabled people. Some people have other parts cut off. Lots of disabled veterans in this country...

what about the honda VFR1200 auto? that honda released last year?

The reason he can't feel it shifting is that the Mana uses a seven 'stepped' CVT..... I wander why they never mention this?

Real nice Bike. My 1st bike at 43 is The 2015 APRILIA Shiver 750. On CycleTrader.com 50 state search, there were only 43 Aprilia Shiver 750s being sold, Wow! She's an Exotic, Rare Italian Beauty.

they shouldn't, i wasn't referring to those types of people. I was referring to people who want to have a street bike but don't want to learn how to shift because they think it will be hard. Same people who won't learn to drive a manual car, because they think its super difficult.

Great looking bike Fills a gap in the market Certainly not for everyone...but what is?

Things that go vroom...