Aprilia RS 250 Make Model | Aprilia RS 250 | Year | 1996-97 | Engine | Two stroke, 90° V twin-cylinder, with laminar suction and exhaust valve. Separate lubrication with variable automatic mixer | Capacity | 249 cc / 15.2 cu in | Bore x Stroke | 56 x 50.6 mm | Cooling System | Liquid cooled | Compression Ratio | 12.00 (+/- 0.7) : 1 | Lubrication | Oil pump with separate circuit | Induction | 2 x ?34 mm Mikuni 34 SS flat side carburetors | Fuel Type | Lead-free petrol, R.O.N. minimum 95 | Engine Oil Recommendation | IP MAX 2T COMPETITION, or any high-quality oil meeting the ISO-L-ETC++ or API TC++ specifications | Air Filter | With polyurethane filter element | Ignition | CDI | Spark Plug | (tandard - NGK BR9ECM, racing - NGK BR10ECM, cold climate - NGK BR8ECM | Battery | 12v 4Ah | Starting | Kick | Max Power | 52.9 kW / 72.5 hp @ 11900 rpm | Max Power Rear Tyre | 47.2 kW / 64.3 hp @ 10400 rpm | Max Torque | 40 Nm / 4.08 kgf-m / 29.5 lb/ft @ 10750 rpm | Clutch | Oil bath, multiple-disc, with lever control on handlebars | Transmission | 6 Speed, direct drive | Gear box oil Recommendation | IP FC, SAE 75W-90, or any high-quality oil meeting the API GL-4 specification | Final Drive | Chain, sealed, jointless, DID 520 V6 | Gear Change | With pedal (L), 1st low, other 5 high | Final Reduction | 14:42 (1:3.0) | Gear Ratio | 1st 11:27 (1:2.454) / 2nd 16:26 (1:1.625) / 3rd 17:21 (1:1.235) / 4th 22:23 (1:1.045) / 5th 24:22 (1:0.916) / 6th 25:21 (1:0.840) | Primary Reduction | 23:59 (1:2.565) | Front Suspension | ?40 mm Inverted fork with adjustable rebound and compression damping. | Front Wheel Travel | 120 mm / 4.7 in | Rear Suspension | Magnesium alloy swingarm. Monoshock with resevoir, adjustable extension, compression and spring preloading. | Rear Wheel Travel | 130 mm / 5.1 in | Front Brakes | 2 x ?298 mm discs, 4 piston calipers | Rear Brakes | Single ?220 mm disc, 2 piston caliper | Front Wheel | 3.5 x 17 in. | Rear Wheel | 4.5 x 17 in. | Front Tyre | 120/60-17 | Rear Tyre | 150/60-17 | Rake | 25° | Turning circle ? | 4.09 m / 13.4 ft | Dimensions | Length: 1880 mm / 74.0 in Width: 690 mm / 27.2 in Height: 1080 mm / 42.5 in | Wheelbase | 1370 mm / 53.9 in | Seat Height | 810 mm / 31.9 in | Ground Clearance | 135 mm / 5.3 in | Dry Weight | 140 kg / 309 lbs | Wet Weight | 167 kg 368 lbs | Fuel Capacity | 16.5 L / 4.4 US gal | Reserve | 3.5 L / 0.9 US gal | Braking 60 km/h / 37 mph - 0 | 12.9 m / 42.3 ft | Braking 100 km/h / 62 mph - 0 | 36.8 m / 120.7 ft | Standing ? Mile | 12.50 sec / 172.5 km/h / 107.2 mph | Top Speed | 209.5 km/h / 130.2 mph | The RS250 is that increasingly rare item: a current two-stroke production roadbike. Emissions legislation worldwide has made the large-capacity two-stroke engine a thing of the past, with its poor fuel consumption and excessively dirty exhaust emissions. But Aprilia's RS250 continues to provide some of the purest motorcycling performance available. The heart of the bike is a rather outdated engine, Suzuki's RGV250 motor, first seen in 1989. It's a V-twin two-stroke, with several advanced power-boosting features, including guillotine-type power valves, electronically-controlled 34mm Mikuni flat-slide carburettors and ceramic-coated cylinders. Aprilia modified the RGV's exhaust and intake systems to produce a power increase to 52kW (70bhp) at the crankshaft, equivalent to 280bhp/litre: the highest specific power output of any current production roadgoing motorcycle. The rest of the bike is more than capable of handling this impressive power figure. A twin-spar aluminium frame provides super-stiff handling, and the fully-adjustable Showa upside-down front forks and rear monoshock allow a wide range of adjustment for any track or road situation. Wide sports tyres provide amazing grip, and the front twin Brembo four-piston calipers offer superlative stopping power, especially for a bike weighing just 140kg (2241b). While the RS250's engine is based around a design that's more than a decade old, the styling is undoubtedly modern. A banana-style upswept aluminium swingarm and twin side-mounted exhausts pay tribute to the Grand Prix technology behind the RS, as well as providing a unique look. Since Suzuki discontinued its RGV250, the RS250 has been unique in its class. The closest rivals to this mini-racebike are the four-cylinder 400cc four stroke machines like Honda's VFR400 and Kawasaki's ZXR400. But these heavier machines can't provide the ultimate cornering experience of the RS250, nor the exhilaration of the 250's screaming two stroke acceleration. |