Aprilia Has Squeezed Big Things Into A Small Package With The RS 125

Your first look at the all-new Aprilia RS 125 will see you staring at this mean and aggressive all-LED face. It’s not hard to deduce that the fascia has been derived from the RS 660, which in turn draws inspiration from the RSV4 litre-class superbike.

Powering this little pocket rocket is a liquid-cooled, DOHC 4-valve 124.2cc single-cylinder engine good for 14.96PS at 10000rpm and 11.2Nm at 8000rpm. In comparison, something like a KTM RC 125 produces 14.5PS and 12Nm.

Drive is sent to the rear wheel via a 6-speed gearbox, but the highlight here is the optional quickshifter -- unheard of in the 125cc segment!

There should be no shortage of stopping power, because the 300mm front disc is bitten on by a 4-piston radially mounted caliper, while at the rear you get a single-piston caliper clamping on a 218mm disc. Dual-channel ABS is standard.

This being Aprilia, they’ve created a pukka sportsbike with no half-assing. The frame is a proper twin-spar aluminium unit, and the beefy swingarm is braced and asymmetric. The only letdown are the not-so-sporty Michelin Pilot Street tyres.

Instrumentation is an entirely digital affair that’s also Bluetooth-ready. Info on display includes tripmeters, fuel consumption data and distance-to-empty, and riders can even choose what colour of backlight they’d like.

The RS 125 is definitely a head-turner and looks anything but entry-level. The substantial forward half and sharp and slender tail section combine beautifully to make it look like a shrunken RSV4.