Aprilia Terra 250 off-road machine spotted

APRILIA’S newest small-capacity off-road machine has been spotted in some leaked photographs reportedly taken in a Chinese factory.

The new bike is a collaboration between Aprilia and its Chinese partner Zongshen and uses the same engine as the CFMoto 250NK.

The bike is a ruff and ready style dual-sport machine, featuring long-travel suspension, a split cradle frame and an 18-inch front wheel.

If the engine in the Terra 250 is the same state of tune as the CFMoto, we can expect around 27bhp and 22Nm (16.2ft-lb) of torque. Because of the Aprilia’s off-road aspirations, it’d be sensible to assume the motor will be re-tuned, possibly for better low-end torque rather than peak power.

The chassis is a fairly budget set up, with a box-section swingarm just one of the components used to help keep the costs down. The bike in the pictures is reported to be the standard version but there are rumours of a more hardcore adventure variant with longer travel suspension and a larger 21-inch front spoke wheel also being under development.

The Terra name already adorns a bike in the current Aprilia range, although in the form of the Asian-market Terra 150, it’s not what you’d consider a great seller. When compared to the Chinese built competition, it’s considered over-priced and as a result, it’s not very popular.

One thing on Aprilia’s side with the 250cc version though is the recent boom in small and mid-sized adventure bikes making the segment a very enticing area to play in. If Aprilia get the bike right and pitch it at the riders currently using Suzuki V-Strom 250 and Kawasaki Versys 250s, they might just be onto a winner.