Presented in Gardone Riviera in May 1985 and sold soon after, the AS 125 R, where R indicates the presence of the new Austrian Rotax engine instead of the previous Hiro, is like his ancestor ST 125 in 1983, a period of transition in Market Road 125. The AS-R can indeed be called a slight evolution of the previous ST and STX models with regard to aesthetics and cycling, although the new Rotax engine is totally new. Characterized by the presence of the exhaust valve and RAVE (Regulation Aprilia Exhaust Valve), the modern engine Rotax 127 provides outstanding performance that transform the leadership of the AS-R, making it not only more robust but also more mature and emotion of the direct ancestor STX. The AS-R is therefore a more powerful bike and most of STX fun to drive, though not as refined as the Honda NS-F to which it is the best 125 Palm Street in 1985.

Curiously enough for Aprilia, the AS-R proves long-lived enough to stay in production throughout 1986 without change special: just long enough for men to present the revolutionary Aprilia AF1 Project 108, 1987.

Price in 1985: Lire 3,430,000 turnkey.

Available colors: red / gray. (Other colors were available, but still to be confirmed)





The bike soon

Renewed style with a dome more pointed and a new, more massive fairing for the radiator, the AS-R immediately appears different from the ST / STX for the adoption of the Rotax engine that has forced the rearrangement of the chain of transmission on the right of 'exhaust system on the left. The discharge, expansion from a modern design very nice, takes a distinctive turn in the engine, then leans on the left with the last corner, and ends with a silencer in chrome. The instrumentation is exactly the same mounted on STX, as well as electrical controls on the handlebars, CEV always, but now the graphics are slightly different.

Cycling

The round steel tube frame is essentially unchanged, except for a slight correction of the steering geometry and a slight reduction in wheelbase (from 1370 to 1365mm).

An important innovation is represented by the adoption of a new Aprilia front fork with 35mm anti-svirgolo plate and the adoption of the rear disc brake Grimeca 230mm. The front brake is always excellent disc mounted on STX. The dry weight detected increased from 113 to 117kg.

Engine

The new Rotax 127 engine, although not with contalbero balance, has admitted Reed, forced circulation cooling and automatic mixer is the first engine mounted on a 125 Italian road to be equipped with a valve choking exhaust. Aprilia calls this contraption RAVE or Regulation Aprilia Exhaust Valve, a system that allows you to vary the timing of the discharge pneumatically activating a guillotine that had partially the exhaust depending on the speed favoring the shot low and medium rpm, up to about 7000 rpm when fully open. The result is very smooth and mellow power delivery at low power, full-bodied with a shot as soon as the valve opens completely, although the extension is not great and the engine tends to "embed" a little over 9500giri. The power detected by 20.71 hp at 9500giri (18.48cv 8500giri to the STX) is well below 26cv declared by Aprilia, but it is enough to make AS-R among the 125 most powerful and proven fast with over 140 km / h recorded. (129km/ora the STX). The engine weight is reported to be 21kg.