Description

Aprilia Pegaso 650 Workshop Manual

If you have ever cracked open a generic aftermarket manual for your Pegaso 650 and found torque values that don’t match the hardware on your bench, you already know the problem. I have been turning wrenches for 28 years, and nothing wastes billable time like chasing a spec that was guessed instead of measured. That is where this Aprilia Pegaso 650 Workshop Manual comes in. It is the same 317-page document the dealer techs used when this bike was new. Factory data, not a third-party rewrite.

The manual covers the full model range, including variants for catalytic, UK, Austria, and Switzerland – all marked with standard symbols on every page. Page 2 lists those symbols and the safety warnings you need before lifting a spanner. Ignore them at your own risk. I have seen what happens when someone skips the coolant system bleed procedure listed in the Cooling System chapter. It is not pretty.

Engine Section: Disassembly and Assembly Procedures

The Engine chapter (section MOTOR E) starts with general information and moves straight into periodic maintenance and setup. You get the factory sequence for head bolt torquing, valve clearance checks, and the order to pull the jug off without breaking a ring. The manual specifically references the separate engine manual (No. 933/934) for internal rebuilds, but this workshop manual gives you enough to do top-end work and external service. Every torque figure comes from Aprilia, not from a database compiled by someone who never held a ratchet. Need the charge pressure? Page 73 – but the manual does not include a page-number index for every value, so you will read the section that covers your procedure.

Aprilia Pegaso 650 Workshop Manual: 317 Pages of Factory Data

Three hundred seventeen pages. That is enough room to cover every major system: General Information, Service and Setting Up, Engine, Fuel Supply System, Cooling System, Electrical System, Chassis Parts, and Repair Information. These are the exact chapter names from the table of contents. The original print date is March 1997, and the document is trilingual – Italian, Spanish, English. If you have to work from the wiring diagrams in the Electrical System section, you can switch to the language you speak. No guessing what a wire color means because the translation is bad.

What Torque Values Does This Manual List?

Every bolted joint that matters – cylinder head, crankcase, clutch hub, brake caliper mounts, swingarm pivot, steering stem nut. The torque values are printed in the respective chapters, not in a single appendix that forces you to flip between sections. For engine fasteners, go to the Engine chapter. For chassis, go to Chassis Parts. The manual also flags which fasteners need thread-locking compound and which ones get a drop of oil on the threads before tightening. Follow those specs and you will not strip threads in an aluminum case. I have seen it happen with aftermarket manuals that list one generic value for M8 bolts – and then you wonder why the case weeps oil.

Cooling System: Diagnostic and Repair Steps

The Cooling System chapter covers the water pump, thermostat, radiator, and hoses. The manual shows the correct bleed procedure to avoid air pockets that cause hot spots. It also lists the coolant capacity and the recommended mixture ratio. If the fan does not kick on, the Electrical System section includes the relay and thermoswitch test points. Do not replace parts until you have checked the wiring continuity according to the diagram. The manual gives you the pinouts.

Get the Right Torque Data from the Chassis Section

Working on the suspension or brakes? The Chassis Parts chapter (or PARTE CICLO in Spanish) includes torque values for fork clamp bolts, brake disc bolts, and rear shock mounting hardware. The manual specifies the order to tighten triple-clamp bolts to avoid pinching the fork tubes. That kind of detail does not appear in a generic manual. If you own a later model RS or RST and need similar factory data, check the Aprilia RS 125 Workshop Manual – Factory Specs for 2-Stroke or the Aprilia RST mille 2002 Workshop Manual – Factory Specs & 360 Pages. For your Pegaso, you are already looking at the right document: Aprilia Pegaso 650 Workshop Manual.

One more thing about transmissions. If you are splitting the cases to work on the gearbox, the manual covers the shift mechanism and bearing locations. But for a deeper understanding of how a Manual Transmission works – the basic theory, not the Aprilia-specific parts – you can cross-reference with general automotive sources. For the actual disassembly of your Pegaso transmission, the factory manual gives you the clearances. I have seen guys ruin a shift fork because they did not check the tolerance listed on page 102. Another reason to stick with OEM data. And if you need to explain to a junior tech why a certain gear engagement fails, showing him a Manual Transmission cutaway diagram alongside the factory page helps him see the interaction. The manual does not include cutaways, but the step-by-step is clear enough.

Source Authenticity: OEM vs. Aftermarket

This is an original Aprilia publication, printed by Studio Tecno Public for Aprilia S.p.A. in 1997. It is not a scan of a copy. It is the same PDF that came from the factory. Aftermarket manuals often omit the variant-specific notes (catalytic, UK, Austria, Switzerland) and the safety symbols. Page 2 of this manual tells you exactly what each symbol means – a triangle with a person for injury hazard, a circle for technical information, an arrow for repeated operations on the opposite side. Aftermarket books skip that because they assume you know. Assuming gets people hurt. Stick with the OEM documentation for your Pegaso 650.

Is this manual in English?

Yes. The PDF contains English alongside Italian and Spanish. You can read the General Information and Repair Information sections in English.

What model years does it cover?

The manual was first printed in March 1997. It covers the Aprilia Pegaso 650 produced up to that date. Variants include catalytic, UK, Austria, and Switzerland configurations, identified by symbols in the margins. If your bike is a later model year with significant changes, cross-reference with the official Aprilia service bulletins. But for the 1997 and earlier Pegaso 650, every torque spec, clearance, and wiring diagram in this manual is the last word.

You can spend an afternoon cross-referencing forum posts and hoping the numbers are right, or you can open the factory document. The choice depends on whether you want to fix it once or fix it twice. Access the Factory Manual and get the specs that came out of Noale, not from someone typing on a keyboard.