Aprilia built its reputation on producing sporty 125 learner bikes and, for 2021, they are bringing out revamped versions of its two off-road styled A1 machines.
While the company is more associated with Grand Prix style road race machines today, the actually started out making motocross bikes in the 1970s and has made dirt-styled road bikes since the 1980s.
The RX125 and SX125 were introduced in 2018 and now, three years later, have been given an update to sharpen up the styling and make them comply with the latest emissions laws.
Both models are based on the same basic platform, with differing wheels, tyres and brakes to give each a different flavour. The SX125 is a road going supermoto machine with a 260mm disc brake up front, stopping 17” wheels shod with sporty style street rubber, while the RX125 is an enduro bike with a 21” front and 18” rear wheel running knobbly style tyres. The RX also has a different front brake disc, being a wavy 300mm item.
Both models cost £3850 and pack the sort of specification you’d expect from a premium learner bike.
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As A1 legal machines which can be ridden on a CBT, the Aprilias are limited to 11kw/14.75bhp and the new engine design uses that to the full. To make it Euro 5 compliant, the four-valve engine has a new cylinder head with a new combustion chamber, more aggressively profiled camshafts and different valve springs among headline changes. Aprilia also says that the exhaust design is new and the result is an engine that produces a stronger torque curve compared to the outgoing model. Electronics come from Magneti Marelli, the company behind the systems used on MotoGP machines no less, and their ECU is also new for 2021.
Overall the new Aprilias have a quality feel to them, with some nice touches throughout. There’s a small storage space under the seat, with a USB charging socket to allow phones and other devices to be topped up on the go. The small LCD dashboard is well specified and the finishes, such as the Aprilia-branded silencer and aluminium handlebars, look great.
They are lightweight machines, at 134kg fuelled, but have bigger bike proportions. The RX has a seat height of 1180mm (1140mm for the SX125) but the narrow profile and relatively long travel suspension should still make it accessible to a wide range of riders.
Both bikes come in either a ‘Rally Tribute’ colourscheme, which is a modern take on Aprilia’s traditional livery, or ‘Speedway Silver’. The SX also comes in Red Raceway, a new black and red combo.
