I have always stressed that ARIIC is a brand that I respect very much. In such an environment of quick success and profits, with consecutive years of G318 Tibet trip, active response to after sales problems, and only acts in silence, ARIIC’s products and attitude are respectable. Unfortunately, now in the domestic market, you only having products without publicity is not enough. Consumers need to be “persuade” into the stores.

This year ARIIC silently released Gemma108. there was no short video test, no beautiful pictures, no relevant evaluation. Even I don’t know whether the dealers held any test drive activities. It wasn’t until today, by chance, that I got to ride this Gemma 108.

Positioning

The positioning is obvious, a boutique small scooter.

What is a boutique? I think it’s either a “real” old model with a long history, like Vespa, Lambretta, and Honda Scoopy. And then there’s, the Honda NS125LA, Peugeot Django, and now the ARIIC Gemme 108. They all have their own taste, they do not blindly pursue retro, but with modern design and ingenious outline.

I do not understand design, I simply believe that meeting “not a high imitation”, “having a unique design language, do not remind people thinking of other vehicles”, and “excellent workmanship” can be completely said to be a boutique.

Look

The scooter is obviously a European style with big wheels and small pedal. The workmanship, paint water, wiring, detail processing, and abnormal sound control make it very competitive among the 10,000 yuan-level boutique small scooters .

Gemma 108 uses a TFT meter, displaying mileage, date, time, voltage, start and stop switch, headlight prompt, and fault indicator. It is also Bluetooth connected to mobile phone for navigation. It has all touch screen buttons, but personally I definitely prefer the physical buttons. In fact, in terms of practicality, this instrument has no other practical effect except to display comprehensive information. But it looks cool and unique, in good alignment with the positioning of the scooter.

The left handlebar sits the high/low beam, horn, and turn signal switches, but lacking double flash and overtaking lights is a bit of a pain. On the right handlebar are the start-stop switch and ignition switch. This whole set of switches is obviously a new mold. The pressing feel and feedback are very tight, and the workmanship is also very good. The handlebar also specially selected frosted material, improving the boutique level. Gemma108’s handlebar height feels slightly low for me, but friendly to lower female riders. Low-handlebar scooters are good for short, smooth commuting.

It has grained metal braking handles, delivering good anti-slip effect. The rear brake is also added with a hand brake, a practical design for using on frequent slopes. However, the hand brake control angle seems to be too large for users with smaller hands. The keyless start module feels very good too.

Gemma108 comes with original windshield. Of course, I know that this windshield is mainly a decorative effect. But in winter, we can change a larger reliable windshield for practical use effect. The red saddle is another point that carries “unique” attributes, special color  and leather material.

The under-seat bucket can hold a 3/4-faced helmet, with rest room for small items such as soft gloves, head cover, and cool sleeves. Auspicious clouds patterns are on the inner wall of the bucket, on the fuel tank, and the inside of the cushion. There’s also a storage compartment under the handlebar to the left. It has a 4.5L fuel tank, and the actually tested fuel consumption is 2.19L/100km

Power performance

The running texture of the engine is completely worthy of the word “boutique”. Idle start, normal starts and stops show no obvious vibration.

The clutch engages smoothly at about 3000rpm, the power rises extremely linear. Enormous power comes at 4000rpm. The maximum torque of 9.3 N.m is generated at around 6000rpm, and the maximum horsepower of 8.4hp comes at 7000rpm. The parameters do not suggest it to be a powerful scooter. The actual displacement is 118cc. I tried the top speed while ensuring safety. Surprisingly, the top speed exceeds 100km/h.

Handling

This scooter has excellent directionality in corners. As long as you keep the handlebars and the throttle steady, it’s like running along a small track. If you buy a motorcycle for delivery service in the city, a small scooter with 10-inch wheels is more suitable; If you want to go more smoothly on straight roads, this kind of big-wheel scooter is definitely better for you.

Moreover, the larger the wheel, the better the ability to filter the fine bumps of the road. For example, for some of the very gritty asphalt, a scooter with 12-inch, 14-inch, and 17-inch wheels reduces vibrations significantly.

I tried riding with both hands free many times, and the scooter didn’t run off tracking at all. However, the inclination limit is very low, thus, it is easy to wear the main support. But how many of the owners of this scooter will ride it through extreme corners?

What i dislike most about this scooter is the braking system. The front and rear braking travel is relatively long, but the braking force is weak. I needed to control with great force to get the effect I expect. The front suspension support is ok.

Pros

1 Full of dedicate details.

2. Excellent engine quality, much better than NS125LA, especially at highrevs.
3. Quality materials,andunique style; accurate positioning: aiming at users, especially female for commuting to work or holiday outing.

Cons

1. The brakes should not be too elegantto be less functional.
2. Some joints, such as batterycap, windshield support, handlebar switch joints, and rear peg burrs should be improved.
3. Fuel consumption is about 2.3 liters, but the fuel tank is only 4.5 liters, so the range is short.

The design, the materials, the paint, the handling, the power performance, and even the less commendable braking performance are all refined and elegant. If you do not have the Honda logo complex, and can accept a European style scooter for urban riding, for 10,800 yuan, I really do not see the reason not to buy this scooter.

Source: https://www.newmotor.com.cn