Aprilia RS 125 (1998 - present)

grahame rs 125
Reviewed: 17 June 2012

quality

good looks and a proper 2 stroke sound track

none so far

can not get this grim off my face. only just got the bike after tears of wanting one. so far i have blown up 2 4 strokes broke a tzr and just sold a honda nsr 125. i picked up tge rs in darlington and had to ride home back to warrington my dad was with me on his gsx 1400 now i aint ganna say we rode fast or raced it was raining a day very hard also had to keep under 6000 rpm so 55 was all i could do but so far ive had no problems and when i do i will not complain il just fix it. yes if you ride like your rossi you will kill it fact but if you know about bikes you will no the rs is the last true 125 race rep. i love mine its not perfect it has a few marks but it has an mot with no adviserys and over 600 spent on it by the old owner in the last month. everyone says they go pop but if you live in the red line it will do just treat it how you would treat your mum with up most respect abd look after it and life will be a smile everyday

grahame rs 125
Reviewed: 17 June 2012

quality

good looks and a proper 2 stroke sound track

none so far

can not get this grim off my face. only just got the bike after tears of wanting one. so far i have blown up 2 4 strokes broke a tzr and just sold a honda nsr 125. i picked up tge rs in darlington and had to ride home back to warrington my dad was with me on his gsx 1400 now i aint ganna say we rode fast or raced it was raining a day very hard also had to keep under 6000 rpm so 55 was all i could do but so far ive had no problems and when i do i will not complain il just fix it. yes if you ride like your rossi you will kill it fact but if you know about bikes you will no the rs is the last true 125 race rep. i love mine its not perfect it has a few marks but it has an mot with no adviserys and over 600 spent on it by the old owner in the last month. everyone says they go pop but if you live in the red line it will do just treat it how you would treat your mum with up most respect abd look after it and life will be a smile everyday

Nick Enghardt
Reviewed: 29 April 2012

Light, nimble, darn quick and a stunner to boot.

Italian looks, Austrian power, Japanese electronics; does it get better? It's quicker than you'd ever expect from 'just a 125er'. It brakes like there's no weight whatsoever to slow down and when warmed up... it'll have you smiling the whole 100 miles you might just get out of a full tank of petrol.

...it only does 100 miles on a single tank. And in the mean time, the only sound coming from your oil tank will be a slurping noise. Furthermore the standard suspension's kind of crude. The SP version had a fully adjustable rear shock which does improve things alot. Still it bounces around like no tomorrow, but that's also part of the fun; if it rattles and jiggles alot, it'll make 70mph feel like 170mph!

Not the highest power/capacity ratio but surely it does have the biggest smile/capacity ratio.

It requires a different approach to riding, because under 8K RPM you'll be bored out of your mind. So keeping the powervalve open will be part of the fun. A nice challenge if you may and the reward is pure go.

gilera 125
Reviewed: 13 February 2008

PLEASURE, PAIN AND A WHOLE HEAP OF FUN

This bike OWNS the road and will abuse nearly every 125cc in its path. It will also have you grinning from ear to ear as you blitz away from the sporty looking car at the traffic lights. But on a more mechanical note this engine is solid and provides plenty of acceleration and power for a 125. The suspension set up from factory is not exactly comfortable but thanks to an adjustable rear shock this can be changed to suit the larger or smaller rider. Forget all the bad things you have heard treat her well and keep her serviced and she will take care of you day after day.

You HAVE to invest time in the rs 125. They need to be warmed up to the right temperature before every ride out. This is not a machine on which you can just climb aboard and and thrash the pants off. Also you will need to keep it topped up with a quality 2 stroke oil such as Castrol TTS. If you're more handy with the tools this can save you a lot of money as repair and maintenance bills can creep up on you and become very expensive.

The Aprilia rs 125 can be unpredictable and expensive to run. But you just cant put a price on that smile on your face you still getting months on after purchasing this bike.

Anubis
Reviewed: 12 February 2008

GOOD FUN AND PLENTY QUICK FOR LEARNING ON

Excellent handling, plenty of power for a learner machine, proper sized unlike some of the other 125 race replicas.

Drinks expensive fully synthetic 2 stoke oil by the litre, engine needs to be fully warmed up before you think of riding away, not as learner friendly as a 4 stroke

Although it initially takes a bit of getting used to, needing high revs and plenty of clutch slipping to pull away, this bike is the quickest, best handling learner bike on the market.

Its dimensions are more in line with bigger bikes, unlike Honda's CBR125 for example, but at the same time it is relatively light meaning you'd be unlikely to drop it at the lights or maneuvering it around in the driveway.

Excellent handling makes it great fun on twisty roads and for carving through rush hour traffic. Although frequent short runs cause oil residue to be left in the exhaust making for a smokey ride. A good long blast should clear it out.

Needs more looking after than a 4 stroke, but you get imensely more back for your trouble in terms of grin factor.

Best of all, when you pass your test you can unrestrict it for an instant power increase without the expense of a new bike.

Highly recommended if you don't mind having to fettle it every once in a while!