Table of Content
Aprilia is a renowned Italian motorcycle manufacturer owned by Piaggio. The company was founded by Alberto Beggio in 1945 after World War II. Aprilia made a simple start by producing bicycles and then moved on to produce scooters. However, it was destined to make a big name in motorcycle manufacturing. Currently, it is one of the best Italian motorcycle brands with a popular sports bike lineup. Despite making a start in motocross racing, Aprilia earned a big name in road racing by winning several international championships thanks to its high-powered racing motorcycles. Read this article to learn about the remarkable history of Aprilia.
1. The Remarkable History of Aprilia
1945
1.1 Started as a Bicycle Manufacturer
Established in 1945 in Noale, Italy after the Second World War, Aprilia initially used to produce bicycles.
1968
1.2 Becoming a Motorcycle Manufacturer
Aprilia’s journey as a motorcycle manufacturer started in 1968 after the founder, Alberto Beggio, handed over the company to his son, Ivano Beggio. Ivano decided to change the company’s direction to make it more innovative and profitable by manufacturing a motorcycle powered by a 50 cc engine. The first production motorcycles by Aprilia were mopeds, which were small motorcycles with both cycling pedals and a motorcycle engine, named Packi, Daniela, and Colibri.
1970
Extending its lineup, Aprilia produced a motocross motorcycle in 1970, known as the Aprilia Scarabeo, available in two variants: 50 cc and 125 cc.
1977
Aprilia continued to make progress as a motorcycle brand, starting its legacy by winning 1977 motocross championships in 125 cc and 250 cc categories thanks to Ivan Alborghetti from Milan, Italy, who rode the Aprilia motorcycle.
1978
Ivan Alborghetti continued the association with Aprilia and performed well in the 1978 World Racing Championship. He finished in second spot in two individual races and sixth spot in the final race of the World Championship.
1980s
In the 1980s, Aprilia became a versatile motorcycle manufacturer by producing motorcycles in multiple categories, including road bikes, trial bikes, and enduros.
1981
Motorcycle Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1981 | Aprilia TL320 | Trial Bike |
1983
Motorcycle Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1983 | Aprilia ST 125 | Road Bike |
1984
Motorcycles Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1984 | Aprilia STX | Road Bike |
Aprilia ET 50 | Enduro |
1985
Motorcycle Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1985 | Aprilia 125 STX | Road Bike |
In 1985, Aprilia contracted with an Austrian engine manufacturer, Rotex, to design engines for some models.
1986
Motorcycles Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1986 | Aprilia AF1 | Low-Powered Sports Bike |
Aprilia Tuareg | Dual-Sports Bike |
The Aprilia AF1 was a small sports bike powered by a 50 cc or 125 cc engine. Meanwhile, the Aprilia Tuareg was a dual-sport bike fitted with a large fuel tank, specially designed for the Dakar Rally.
Year | Rider | Event | Motorcycle | Standing |
---|---|---|---|---|
Races Won | ||||
1986 | Philippe Berlatier | World Trials Championship | Trial Bike | Fifth |
1986 | Loris Reggiani | Word Road-Racing Championship | Aprilia GP 250 | Sixth |
1987
1.3 Aprilia’s First Win at the Grand Prix
In 1987, the Aprilia AF1 won the first World Speed Championship at the San Marino Grand Prix.
1988
In 1988, Aprilia participated in the French Grand Prix in the 125 cc category for the first time and won the race.
1990
Motorcycles Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1990 | Aprilia Pegaso 600 | Road Bike |
Amico | Scooter |
1.4 First Scooter by Aprilia
The Aprilia Amico was the first scooter manufactured by Aprilia in 1990, completely made from plastic, powered by a 50 cc engine.
1992
Motorcycles Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
1992 | Aprilia Amico LK | Scooter |
Aprilia Pegaso 125 | Road Bike |
Year | Rider | Event | Motorcycle | Standing |
---|---|---|---|---|
Races Won | ||||
1992 | Alessandro Gramigni | World 125 Road Racing Championship | Aprilia | 1st |
Tommy Ahvala | World Trials Championship | Aprilia Climber | 1st |
1.5 Titles Won
Title | Number of Titles Won |
---|---|
European Speed Title | 16 |
World Road Racing Championship | 15 |
Grand Prix (125 and 250 cc Category) | 124 |
1.6 World Racing Champions Who Joined Aprilia
- Valentino Rossi
- Massimiliano Biaggi
- Loris Capirossi
- Alessandro Gramigni
- Sakata
- Locatelli
1993
Motorcycle Introduced | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type | Engine |
1993 | Aprilia Scarabeo | Scooter (with large diameter wheels) | Four-Stroke Engine |
In the scooters category, Aprilia further launched the Aprilia Gulliver, the SR, and the Leonardo to update its scooter lineup. These scooters were fitted with a four-stroke engine and large-diameter wheels.
1994
1.7 Journey to Become World Racing Champion
Races Won | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Rider | Event | Motorcycle | Venues | Standing |
1994 | Max Biaggi | World Racing Championship | 250 cc Aprilia | Barcelona Holland Czech Republic Australia Malaysia |
1st |
1995
1.8 Receiving Manufacturer Title
Aprilia hired a renowned architecture and vehicle designer, Philippe Starck, to design a motorcycle that was later displayed at the Modern Art Museum in New York. 1995 was a successful year for the company as Max Biaggi sacked a total of nine victories at the Grand Prix World Championship, achieving the status of World Champions. In the same year, Aprilia also won the Manufacturer Title for the first time.
Motorcycles Introduced | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type | Engine |
1995 | Aprilia RS 125 | Sports Bike | Two-Stroke 125 cc Engine |
Aprilia RS 250 | Sports Bike | Two-Stroke 250 cc Engine |
1996
In 1996, Max Biaggi managed to win another Grand Prix World Championship, ensuring a winning streak of 3 times. The tremendous record helped Aprillia win the Manufacturer Title in 1996.
1998
Motorcycles Introduced | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type | Engine |
1998 | Aprilia RSV Mille | Sports Bike | 1,000 cc V-Twin Rotax Engine |
Aprilia Falco | Sports Bike |
1999
Aprilia decided to take its newly-introduced sports bike, the Aprilia RSV Mille, to the World Superbike Championship. This motorcycle was the first-ever large-displacement sports bike by Aprilia. The Aprilia RSV Mille was powered by a 998 cc engine capable of a horsepower of 128 hp and could attain a top speed of 178 mph.
2000
1.9 Acquiring Laverda and Moto Guzzi
In 2000, Aprilia became a giant motorcycle brand and decided to acquire two Italian motorcycle brands, Laverda and Moto Guzzi. The company also upgraded its scooter engines by including Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) technology to improve the fuel economy and comply with the emission guidelines.
Motorcycles Introduced | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type | Engine |
2000 | Aprilia RST Futura | Sport-Touring Bike | 1,000 cc V-Twin Rotax Engine |
Aprilia ETV 1000 Caponord | Adventure-Touring Bike |
2003
Motorcycle Introduced | ||
---|---|---|
Year Introduced | Model | Motorcycle Type |
2003 | Aprilia RSV Mille Tuono | Naked Bike |
The Aprilia RSV Mille Tuono was considered as the best motorcycle of the year as picked by several magazines. Despite being a naked bike, this motorcycle had a front fairing and high handlebars.
2004
1.10 Acquisition by Piaggio
In 2004, Aprilia was acquired by one of the biggest Italian and worldwide vehicle manufacturers, Piaggio & Co. SpA. The acquisition made Piaggio the fourth-largest group, having its presence in 50 countries, a production capacity of 600,000 automobiles, and 1.5 billion Euros in sales.
2007
In the 2007s world racing championship, Aprilia once again performed tremendously well in the 125 and 250 cc categories which made it earn the Manufacturer Title.
2008
Aprilia won the Manufacturer Title once again in 2008 in 125 and 250 cc categories.
2010
Aprilia’s success and dominance in the world racing championship made it a bigger brand than MV Agusta, having claimed victories more than 276 times.
2011
Races Won | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Rider | Title | Event |
2011 | Adrien Chareyre | Supermoto S1 World Championship | French MotoGP |
2012
Races Won | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Rider | Title |
2012 | Max Biaggi | Superbike World Championship |
2013
2013 was another successful year for Aprilia as it finished the season while being undefeated and claiming 5 out of the first 6 positions on the podium.
2014
Races Won | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Motorcycle | Rider | Title |
2014 | Aprilia RSV4 | Sylvain Guintoli (French) | World Superbike Champion |
Aprilia also won the Manufacturer Title for the third time consecutively.
2016
In 2016, Aprilia Racing manufactured the first MotoGP motorcycle, known as the Aprilia RS-GP.
2019
In 2019, Aprilia introduced the Aprilia RS 660 and the Aprilia Tuono 660 in the middleweight category.
1.11 Aprilia Evolution from 1990 to 2019
2020
Another successful motorcycle, the Aprilia RS 660 was launched. The Aprilia RS 660 was designed to capture the beginner and intermediate market. Despite being powered by a medium-sized engine (660 cc), it could attain a top speed of around 143 mph.
2021
1.12 Introducing V4 Engine
In 2021, Aprilia introduced a newly designed and more powerful V4 engine to ensure high speed and low weight in its motorcycles. The V4 engine design is better than an inline four-cylinder engine when it comes to high power output due to being fitted with stronger and shorter crankshafts. These crankshafts allow more number of revs, increasing the power output by the V4 engine.
2023
1.13 Current Lineup
2023 Aprilia Motorcycles (Base Models) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Model | Motorcycle Type | Engine | Horsepower | Torque | Wet Weight | Base Price |
Aprilia RS 660 | Sports Bike | 659 cc | 100 hp @ 10,500 rpm | 67 Nm @ 8,500 rpm | 403 lbs | $11,499 |
Aprilia Tuono 660 | Naked Bike | 659 cc | 100 hp @ 10,500 rpm | 67 Nm @ 8,500 rpm | 183 kg | $10,499 |
Aprilia Tuareg 660 | Adventure Bike | 659 cc | 79 hp @ 9,250 rpm | 70 Nm @ 6,500 rpm | 449.7 lbs | $12,699 |
Aprilia RSV4 | Sports Bike | 1,099 cc | 217 hp @ 13,000 rpm | 125 Nm @ 10,500 rpm | 445.3 lbs | $18,999 |
Aprilia Tuono V4 | Naked Bike | 1,077 cc | 175 hp @ 11,350 rpm | 121 Nm @ 9,000 rpm | 460 lbs | $16,199 |
2. Wrap-Up
Aprilia has a rich history of ruling race tracks with its powerful engine designs and fast motorcycles. The brand started its journey by producing bicycles and then moved on to manufacture scooters. Initially, Aprilia produced off-road motorcycles, including enduros, dual-sports bikes, and trial bikes. Later, it discovered the passion for road racing and produced several road bikes, including sports bikes and MotoGP bikes which dominated the Grand Prix and World Road-Racing Championships. Today, Aprilia is considered to be one of the best Italian motorcycle brands with its versatile motorcycle lineup, serving worldwide markets.
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