Aprilia 125 pocket rockets

Aprilia RS125 and Tuono 125
– two 125cc pocket rockets

Designed, developed and (mostly) built in Italy, Aprilia’s Euro4 125cc bikes are perfect for younger riders, commuters, and small capacity enthusiasts. Aprilia think the bikes are two of the best on the market in terms of design, construction and technical features – and after riding them both on a track in Germany, I’d be inclined to agree.

Words: Ross
Images: Piaggio Press Office

APRILIA RS125

The 2017 Aprilia RS125 is inspired directly by Aprilia’s flagship superbike, the RSV4. Like its big brother, the RS125 is equipped with an aerodynamic fairing, a triple headlight, and a unique aluminium frame. And, let’s be honest, it looks awesome.

Superbike styling and technology

The Aprilia RS 125 looks like it’s designed for the track. It has forward mounted semi-handlebars, set-back footpegs, a saddle-fuel tank, and a racing inspired exhaust. It’s equipped with solid upside-down front forks, while the rear suspension is a racing-derived monoshock (sadly, not adjustable). The braking system it uses a has a 300mm front disc assisted by Bosch single-channel ABS, and a 220mm rear disc.

As a consequence, the riding position is really quite sporty, encouraging you to lean over the tank, and it feels really capable when thrown into corners at speed. While the ABS assisted brakes are more than capable of slowing you up, safely, and quickly.

Engine

The Aprilia RS 125’s heart is a modern 125 cc single-cylinder, DOHC four-stroke, 4-valve electronic injection engine with liquid cooling, and is compatible with an aftermarket Aprilia Quick Shift.

There’s enough grunt to get the bike up to speed pretty quickly, although you have to be quite aggressive with the throttle and move through the gears quickly – it’ll sit comfortably at 60mph and is capable of achieving around 75mph, so should be perfect for the city, country roads, or on the track.

Equipment

The instruments are racing inspired from the analogue rev counter to the multi-function digital display, which allows you to flick between multiple readings (including a 20 lap stopwatch).

There is connectivity between the bike and your smartphone, with the help of an additional Aprilia accessory. The latest RS125 also boasts (according to Aprilia) the largest storage compartment in the 125cc motorcycle market, which can hold and charge a 6″ tablet.

Should I buy one?

Although not the most comfortable motorcycle (it’s a sportsbike) on the market, if you have an A1 licence, and you’re yearning for sporty motorcycle that allows you to build confidence on the road, you should definitely test the new RS125. It’s available in three colourways: Silver Speed, Black Speed and a limited edition racing colour scheme.

RS125 SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: 124.2cc, four-stroke, DOHC, electronic injected, liquid-cooled
SEAT HEIGHT: 820mm
PRICE: £4699
LICENCE: A1
CONTACT: www.aprilia.com/uk_EN/

O2W RATING: 8 stars

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APRILIA TUONO 125

Aprilia’s new Tuono 125 is the little brother of the popular Tuono V4 1100 naked sportsbike and shares many components, specifications and features as does the sporty RS125; but it comes in a completely different package.

The same, but different

It’s powered by the same 124cc DOHC single-cylinder four-stroke engine as the RS125 and also comes installation-ready for Aprilia’s Quick Shift system. Like the RS, the Tuono is Euro4 compliant, and as a consequence comes with standard ABS – it has the same braking set-up, the same suspension. But although, much is the same as the RS125, the Tuono has some fantastic unique features, which help it stand apart.

Ride

The Tuono is much more comfortable than the RS125; its wide and high handlebars offer a more upright riding position, yet it’s still really agile, has great handling and offers pretty impressive track performance. Although it’s the same engine as the RS, it’s not quite as quick, due to the greater wind resistance from being sat upright (I managed to get up to about 65mph), but it’s really comfortable in traffic, and would be perfect for city riding, or on country roads. It’s also worth noting that at full lean, I was scraping the footpegs on the tarmac – although, it’s slightly lower than the RS though, so if you’re a shorter rider, you shouldn’t have a problem climbing aboard.

Equipment

The Tuono has an impressive 14 litre fuel capacity (Aprilia say it’s the biggest on the market, for this capacity). It also comes with a pretty comfortable two-up saddle, built-in passenger grab rails, a spacious locking compartment, and the same hi-tech analogue and digital dashboard as the RS125.

Should I buy one?

I was really impressed by the Tuono; it was comfortable, responsive, agile and pretty quick for a 125 – and it looks great too. So, if you’re after a naked sportsbike that you can ride on an A1 licence, you could do a lot worse. Colour availability is in Aprilia Red or Grey.

TUONO 125 SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: 124.2cc, four-stroke, DOHC, electronic injected, liquid cooled
SEAT HEIGHT: 810mm
PRICE: £4599
LICENCE: A1
CONTACT: www.aprilia.com/uk_EN/

O2W rating: 8 stars