All Tests – Aprilia RS4 125 Test: the star of the playground (es)! – Test: all on the asphalt!

Posted on by admin

Aprilia RS4 125 test: the star of the playground (es) !

All Tests - Aprilia RS4 125 Test: the star of the playground (es)! - Test: all on the asphalt!

Lovers of sporty 2-stroke motorcycles, take out your handkerchiefs: the Aprilia RS 125 is bowing out, victim of anti-pollution standards. The magic still operates with its successor, the new and ultra-racy RS4 125 4-T ? First try.

Test: all on the asphalt !

With its suggestive lines and its "racing" equipment, the Aprilia RS4 125 appears in its element on the pit lane of a speed track: whether it is the wide aluminum frame, the radial brake caliper, the hoses braided or even the pretty curved bubble, the imitation carbon front fender and the tiny LED rear light covered with a standard seat cowl, the little Aprilia exudes sport and flatters the retina !

However, a few finishing details are annoying: the power grid shamelessly laid behind the triple optics snatched from the RSV4 does task, while the triple tree and square-section upright of the swingarm (on the left side) would look almost ordinary compared. with the impressive black anodized fork and the beautiful footrest plates.

Moreover, if the removal of the rider seat reveals a significant storage space for a sports car – a small U and rain pants should find their place – the location of the lock on the back of the seat is not the most aesthetic. We also regret the absence of warning and spacing adjustments on the levers.

On the other hand, the half-analog (tachometer), half-digital (odometer, speed, two trips, engine temperature and maximum speed reached) on-board console perfectly matches the sporting spirit of the RS4 125 and shows itself moreover very readable. By the way, the most observant will not fail to note the striking resemblance (and voluntary, of course) between this dashboard and that of the RSV4 !

Easy to step over due to the narrowness of its saddle and its tank, the RS4 125 offers a relatively correct reception, despite the footrests perched high and placed behind. The long seat allows older children to settle in well, while the bracelets fall naturally under the gloves: the position is obviously very sporty, but not necessarily as extreme as envisaged at first glance.

Easy to handle thanks to its contained weight (134 kg with fluids, but without gasoline), the Aprilia steers properly – for a sports car – and does not trap the pilot’s fingers against the tank when the handlebar stops..

Diving on the angle of a flick, it does not require any effort to go from pif to paf and above all displays an astonishing serenity in the curve: a long break to the left tackled at maximum speed (a little over 120 km / h counter ) was also responsible for showing us that the cycle part of a pure racing bike was not just for show off !

Unperturbed on the angle – at least on the perfect asphalt of a circuit -, the RS4 125 allows entry into "beefy" bends … and this characteristic takes on considerable importance, as the acceleration exits are laborious! Let’s get on well: ultramodern, the Piaggio single-cylinder has nothing of a lung and is even placed as one of the most efficient 4-stroke of current production.

Able to resume from the lowest revs (without much conviction), it warms up the voice to 6,000 rpm and frankly accelerates from 8,000 to 11,200 rpm from the ignition failure. Linear, the revs are also manageable down to the minute mark by means of a gentle and precise Magneti Marelli injection..

Apart from a few tingling in the footrests at low revs and in the crotch a little higher in the towers, this 124.8 cc unit is also well raised and its muffled buzz is not unpleasant to listen to. But its 15 hp and 11 Nm of torque seem bland given the potential of the RS4 125 chassis….

Each acceleration leaves a taste of too little, as the traction offered by the oversized swing arm would allow a good twenty additional horses to be put on the ground! Even keeping the tachometer needle between 9000 and 11000 rpm, the impression of remaining "stuck" at the exit of a curve does not manage to dissipate (a sensation certainly exacerbated by the fact of riding on a circuit. of speed).

Fortunately the gearbox, although a bit rough, is fast and precise, which allows you to downshift with the tip of the boot to stay in the right range of use. An exercise made even easier by the shifter which avoids having to resort to the clutch: it is difficult to say if the gain in stopwatch is real on a lap, but in terms of comfort and ease of execution, the benefit is there.

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *