Opinions on the Aprilia RS 125

  • Thread starter Thread starter Divadkab
  • Start date Start date
D

Divadkab

Guest
Forum Sponsor
Hey guys.
So I am interested in buying a bike. That means, it will be my FIRST bike.
I have looked around for some beginner bikes, mainly the new Ninja 250R, and I like it for the most part, but kinda want a little more. I like the way the Ninja looks, I have sat on one and they feel comfortable, it's easy to touch the ground with my feet (I'm 5'11''), but I am kind of turned off by the old style gauges and sound. Now at the price they are going for, gauges being outdated looking is understandable, but I am just picky. The sound, well I am sure most 250cc bikes will sound the same. But, I have found the Aprilia RS 125. I realize that it is a bit pricier...one dealer priced it at $6500 + $270 freight, and while it is more expensive, it seems to me anyways like it is somewhat worth it. But, i'm not that experienced or knowledgeable about bikes yet, so i'd like to hear your opinions, hopefully one's that have something useful to say.
One thing that I have heard is that it is simply better to go with a Japanese bike due to their prominence in the North American bike scene. Aprilia is less common, and I guess it may be pricier for parts/service etc. (However there is a dealer within a 15 min drive from my house that deals with 4 Italian bike manufacturers, one of those being Aprilia.). I have also heard that the Aprilia RS 125 isn't the most reliable bike. Oh yeah, it also isn't street legal out of the box. Does anyone know what has to be modified to make it street legal and what the price of this could roughly be?
To some of you, the answer may seem obvious to go with the Ninja since it is cheaper, seems more reliable, is already street legal, and may be cheaper to service and even insure, but I love the way the Aprilia looks, and the sound it makes. I realize this is a beginner bike, BUT, i'd like to keep it for a few years anyways. Give me your thoughts. Hopefully there are some Aprilia RS 125 owners on here who can give me some good feedback. Sorry for the long post haha. :p

Also this is a website I found with reviews on both bikes.
Ninja 250R - http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/b...awasaki-250R-Ninja-2008-current/?&R=EPI-98828
RS 125 - http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/b...prilia/Aprilia-RS125-2006-current/?&R=EPI-115

Dave
 
Last edited:
Isn't that a two-stroke?
 
The RS125 is a beautiful bike and I personally would buy that before the Ninja 250. Here is a bike with character that's light and goes like stink. It can be made road legal by the dealer, I think the package is $900.

However, as a beginner I would suggest the Ninja 250 for many reasons price and availability of parts, you can generally dish out more abuse to the 4 stroke, you don't have to worry about 2 stroke oil and if you remember to fill or have at hand when you need it, 4 stroke service intervals are generally longer and i'm sure there are a few other reasons.

It's like most other things in life, down to a willingness to live with the decisions you make and you invariably have to make that choice. I'm sure you may get some ideas from this board, hopefully they are subjective.
 
900 bucks isn't toooo bad, but it's adding up haha. Yeah I heard people are a little more in favour of the 4 stroke over the 2 stroke.
I have also hear about the oil. Apparently you must buy the BEST oil for this bike, and I guess it can get pricey? What exactly are we talking about. How much more will it cost a season for oil for the Aprilia?

And I think it is obvious that I realize that the Aprilia doesn't make as much sense to buy as the Ninja, but I am trying to play devil's advocate here and see if I can justify spending more for the Aprilia. I guess a dealer told me Honda is coming out with a 250 to compete with the Ninja, but it sounds worse, and its going for 6200. After I heard that, it made it seem like the Aprilia was actually kind of a good deal haha. Thanks for the feedback so far. :D
 
The RS125 would be a great track bike but despite it having "street trim available" , i heard its still not legal. If you could find some way to plate it or the dealer can do it then that would be a rare and fun second street bike..
The Ninja would be much much better for normal use and parts/service would be much easier.

I had a RG250 and it was pretty useless below 6k. it was fun for a while but frustrating on the street as i was either rode it normal and was slower then traffic at the lights or i rode the crap out of it.Not much middle ground with small 2 strokes.
 
Last edited:
ac22 said:
The RS125 would be a great track bike but despite it having "street trim available" , i heard its still not legal.
Click to expand...

Motoretta will do it. Call their leaside location and speak to George.
Envy Rides can also get it done.
 
I say the Ninja 250 is better for you IMO.
Easy to maintain, available parts, and cheaper, also re-sale will be easier for you in the long run.
The RS125 is no good down low on the RPM's, you have to rev it to make the 'magic' happen......BUT if you can find one and have the money to up keep the RS125 then go for it, you only live once! ;)
 
Seriously? I thought the problem was that it was two-stroke and they're not allowed anymore. That's pretty cool that it's streetable.:p
 
It's an awesome bike. I have one, however it's in another country right now..

If you're not a bike mechanic, and you're not doing track, you're better off with a 4stroke bike. You will have to go riding with a jug of 2 stroke oil in your backpack so you can top it up, and you'll find yourself having to rebuild your top end maybe once or twice a season. Also when it comes to parts, they'll probably have to order them which will take a while.

You'll enjoy the ride, you'll enjoy the looks, but in the long run, it's just going to be a costly adventure and lots of regrets..
 
Great riding position.
Great weight.
Great tires.
Brakes are good.
Bogs like a mufuggah anything less than 6.5K
Runs too rich from the factory so you'll have to rejet the carbs.
Engine cuts out at 10.5K b/c it runs too rich.
For street riding, it'll be a ***** because there's only two ways to ride it: off throttle or balls to the wall. Mid throttle has terrible hesitation.
Oh... and idling is something funky. Before the bike warms up, it sputters and stalls and the choke feels like it doesn't really do much. After the bike warms up, it idles at all sorts of random spots between 2K and 6K.

But man... it's a hoot between 6.5K and 10.5K.

Edit: I just reread the original post. If this is you're first bike, then no: don't even bother considering it; it's too finicky for a first bike. And see sempire's comments in post 11.
 
Last edited:
Go for the Aprilla if you want to keep it for a while/track it later.
Every 3rd bike is a 250R, go for something with more exclusivity.

If you are gonna move on soon anyways, 250R is the choice to make.
 
The Aprilia - Not exactly the best "first bike" out there...

Maintenance will be much more expensive than the Ninja 250 over time.
 
Thanks for all the feedback everyone.
I guess I am beginning to see that the Ninja 250 will be the better choice in the end, even though the Aprilia is tempting. Maybe some day along the road I will pick one up, after all I am only 21, and will hopefully be riding bikes for some time. Thanks again everyone.
 
Divadkab said:
Thanks for all the feedback everyone.
I guess I am beginning to see that the Ninja 250 will be the better choice in the end, even though the Aprilia is tempting. Maybe some day along the road I will pick one up, after all I am only 21, and will hopefully be riding bikes for some time. Thanks again everyone.
Click to expand...

Good luck with the bike buying! As sweet as the new ninja's are...don't overlook the old ones. I'm not sure what direction you want your riding future to take, and you may not be so sure at the moment either, but the older ninja 250's are literally half the price of the new ones and will teach you the same basic things. Have fun out there.
 
if its gonna be your first bike, i would suggest getting the rs 250 instead of the 125, cause i think its gonna be cheaper to put on the road, and besides your only gonna have your first bike for a year, 2 years tops so keeping up a bike for 2 years shouldnt be too much in labour and parts, as long as its well kept by the owner.
 
Flashmonkey said:
Good luck with the bike buying! As sweet as the new ninja's are...don't overlook the old ones. I'm not sure what direction you want your riding future to take, and you may not be so sure at the moment either, but the older ninja 250's are literally half the price of the new ones and will teach you the same basic things. Have fun out there.
Click to expand...

I'd like to get on a 600cc. But, I want to be able to ride the **** out of a smaller bike and be comfortable on it so that when I get on a 600cc I don't end up hurting myself in the many imaginable ways someone with no experience would. I guess that is true about the older ones, but I like the look of the new ones for sure, and they are pretty cheap as it is. I think now that the new gen of 250's come out, the older ones look really outdated and I might have a harder time to sell it once the time comes.

Also about the RS 250, it checked Motorcycle trader and I haven't seen one there. Sounds like an interesting option if I were to go Aprilia, especially since it might it could last a little longer and it wouldn't be new, which is a good thing since as most people say I will drop it. But I still hope I don't have to deal with that. :p
 
Don't buy the Aprilla, I had one in europe (much cheaper there). They cost a fortune to maintain and require a lot of work and care. Than again, this is coming from someone who is obsessive about maintenance. They are amazingly fun and incredibly attractive.

Go for a used ninja 250. Don't buy a new one. It won't cost you a lot to maintain, you'll be able to sell it for nearly the same price so you wont lose too much money.

It's nice that you're starting off on a 250, the ninja is a great bike. I used to borrow my friends all the time because i loved riding it so much.

Best of luck with the bike and check insurance prices before buying any bike so you wont be shocked.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom