Aprilia RS250
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| Aprilia RS250 | |
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| Manufacturer | Aprilia |
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| Also called | GP1 |
| Parent company | Piaggio |
| Production | 1995-2002 (road) |
| Class | Sport bike |
| Engine | Liquid cooled,249 cc,2-stroke,90-degree V-Twin |
| Transmission | 6-speed sequential, chain drive |
| Wheelbase | 1,370 mm (53.9 in) |
Aprilia RS250 is a 2-stroke 249 cc sport bike made by Italian bike manufacturer,Aprilia. Aprilia RS250 is described as the ultimate track tool due to its high power to weight ratio and hard-edged race oriented racing technology derived from a year of Aprilia racing exprience.
The bike received much praise and positive comments from many motorcycle journalists at the time of its release. It also won many awards and is used in competition due to its racing ability and advanced technology that make this bike easy to handle.
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[edit] History
The RS250 was designed by Aprilia to resemble their GP250 bike to celebrate their success in the championship.
The Aprilia RS250 is powered by a modified Suzuki RGV250(VJ22)engine which is prepared by Rotax, changes include a revised ECU, Aprilla designed expansion chambers, barrels and airbox. The twin 34 mm flat slide Mikuni carburettors are retained from the RGV.
[edit] Chassis
The frame is a cast twin spar aluminium/magnesium alloy with thin-walled monocoque reinforcements, with the engine as a fully stressed member. The banana swingarm is made out of the same polished aluminium alloy as the rest of the frame. The reason for the swingarm's banana shape is to allow the expansion chambers to run unobstructed under the engine to improve ground clearance in turns.
The forks are 41 mm Showa (on the 98> models) inverted units and are adjustable compression and rebound, the rear suspension is a Sachs mono-shock which is adjustable for preload,compression and rebound. The front brakes of the RS 250 are Brembo dual 298mm discs with Brembo Oro four-piston calipers. The rear brake is a single 220mm disc with a Brembo twin-piston caliper.
The front & rear rims are lightweight, 5 spokes, cast aluminum rims are 3.50x17 up front (3.0x17 on the older models) and 4.50x17 out back that require tires of 120/60x17 and 150/60x17, respectively.
[edit] Instrument panel
The RS gauges feature a digital instrument panel that gives the rider a variety of information. It will display maximum and average speed readings in kilometers or miles per hour, an adjustable rev limiter warning zone indicator,water temperature in choice of scale, battery charge indicator a clock,and a chronometer that can remember up to 40 lap times.
[edit] Revision
In 1998, Aprilia released an all new look for the RS250. It's also referred to as RS250GP1 to celebrate Aprilia's victory in the 250 cc GP racing class.
Its appearance is very much akin to Marco Melandri's RSWGP250 bike, with the same engine and frame as the pre 98 model. There appears to be a ram-air intake however this is a cosmetic exercise, rather than a functional addition.
What's new Aprilia RS250GP1:
-Revised overall bike styling with more modern senses.
-New "showa" front forks and adjustable rear ride height
-New style instrument panel with new functionality.
- New rims and tires: the front rim is now a 3.5x17, instead of 3.0x17 as used on pre-98' model. The front tire is a 120/60x17 instead of the 110/60x17 mounted on the pre-98'
