Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report

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Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report

14th photos

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125.

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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The ABS masters the jump in the coefficient of friction from a smooth surface to a non-slip surface with good deceleration, but without stoppies

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Both Aprilias wear the display instrument; it is richly equipped and very easy to read

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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For sports fans: RS 125 with handlebar halves on the fork tubes, mounted at a comfortable height

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Tuono 125: The small thunder differs from the RS in terms of the handlebars, the tight fairing, the seat and the price

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125 / RS 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125 / RS 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125 / RS 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125 / RS 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono RS 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report
Aprilia

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Aprilia Tuono 125

Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 in the driving report

125cc young athlete

The Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 are entering the 2017 motorcycle season with Euro 4 homologation and the new ABS from Bosch. On the course at the Driving Center Baden we had the opportunity to try out the spectacularly styled young athletes.

It only occurred to me in the afternoon: ABS; I would really have to start systematically testing the ABS now. Before that, I was not on the road as a tester on the 2.2-kilometer route in Baden Airpark, as it would have been my actual job. I wasn’t even on the road as a normal motorcyclist, but as a tough racing driver. Entangled in slipstream duels, braking maneuvers, tactical moves, fully focused on finding the optimal shift point, the perfect line, the hair-fine line between victory and fall. And I wasn’t alone. The colleagues from Italy, Great Britain and Spain, mostly experienced motorcyclists, were enthusiastic about it. This enthusiasm of the elderly for the motorcycles of the younger ones is already a big compliment for the Aprilia RS 125 and A.prilia tuono 125.

Both Aprilia 125s are well made

In the breaks between the rides – or should I say between the individual runs? – After all, so much sanity returned that it was enough for a sober examination of the processing quality. It goes without saying that the two Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125, which cost around 5,000 euros, were not built with the same high-quality parts as their big models RSV4 and Tuono 1100. They are, however, well made. The painted surfaces shimmer evenly, as do the surfaces of the vertically divided and screwed aluminum bridge frame. The installation of cables and lines is tidy. In various examples, a plastic part occasionally vibrated in a narrow speed range; that’s not bad.

Maximum power at 10,750 rpm?

The shift assistants available for an extra charge did not always work satisfactorily. On an Aprila RS 125 upshifting without the clutch turned out to be tricky, with her the limiter also set in at 9,500 rpm instead of 10,000 rpm as in the others. But it wasn’t slower at the end of the straight. Either way, there is good reason to doubt the claim that the maximum output is 10,750 rpm. But wherever the water-cooled four-valve single-cylinder delivers its maximum, it thrives on high speeds, is a lively, spirited drive. It should be 7,000 rpm for brisk progress, in the intensified race track operation the minimum speed can be a thousand higher. With great caution and with the reservation that no direct comparison was possible, the long-stroke Yamaha engine seemed to me to pull a little fuller from the center.

How good are the tires?

With a certain skepticism the Renn…, uh testers, treated the narrow Mitas tires. In fact, caution was advised during the morning warm-up. Tender slides and occasional drifting away from the narrow line were unmistakable signs that the Mitas MC 25 is a bit strange in cool temperatures. This was even more pronounced on the Aprilia Tuono 125, behind whose wide and high handlebars you cannot exert as much pressure on the front tires as is possible when crouching lower on the Aprilia RS 125. After the sun had burned itself through the haze and it became warm in summer, the Mitas rubbers worked better, and there was even occasional gentle knee and footrest grinding knob contact. Of course, again no photographer captured that. No matter. As a preliminary conclusion to the series tires, however, increased caution is advised on cold and wet roads. Even more than is necessary in such circumstances. But that should be easier for the cool sixteen-year-olds than the late-pubescent tester clique.

All in all, both 125ccs are well matched

Aprilia press spokesman Ansgar Schauerte never tired of asking everyone to assume normal driving in public transport when assessing the suspension elements, and he is right. The potential target group for the Aprilia RS 125 and Aprilia Tuono 125 are younger people. And adolescents are usually built a little lighter than so-called “best agers” with a discreet “fat bag” around the waist. In this respect, both small 125cc Aprilias can be said to have a rather soft suspension and gentle damping rates, but overall a successful set-up. The forks did not respond super-sensitively, but this may be partly due to the almost brand-new condition of the presentation motorcycles. Around 300 kilometers are enough to run in a small engine, sliding bushes and Simmerrings usually take a little longer. So it is quite possible that the upside-down forks will run with less friction after a while.

The predicate “fascinating and sensible” is well deserved


Aprilia

Despite a strong stoppie, the Tuono did not allow more than this slight lob.

I beg your pardon? Oh, the ABS. Yeah right. So, first of all, I skipped several laps in a row from the scramble of my group to a wide dynamic area and braked far from all battles for position with all my strength to a standstill. There was no noticeable decrease in the brakes. The control intervals of the ABS, which only affects the front wheel, always remained gentle, the modulations of the brake pressure smooth. This was confirmed on a terribly slippery surface – the rear tire spun when accelerating. Here the Aprilia Tuono 125 could be braked from over 80 km / h without the front wheel getting off track. Compliments for this rule quality. To detect a stoppie, the 125cc Aprilias also have a sensor rim in the rear wheel, although the ABS is not active there. To test the effectiveness of the system, I braked as hard as I could, from the slippery to a non-slip surface. Anti-lock braking systems that are too sharply tuned react to such a positive jump in the coefficient of friction with a strong stoppie, but the Tuono did not allow more than the slight lob that can be seen in the photo on the left. With this, the 125cc Aprilias have truly earned the title “fascinating and sensible”.

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