2003 Aprilia Tuono 125

Make Model	Aprilia Tuono 125
Year	2003 - 05
Engine	Two stroke, single cylinder
Capacity	125.1 cc / 7.6 cu in
Bore x Stroke	54 x 54.5 mm
Compression Ratio	12.5:1
Cooling System	Liquid cooled
Induction	Ø28 mm Dell'Orto PHBH BD carburetor
Ignition	CDI
Starting	Electric
Max Power	10.4 Nm / 14 hp
Max Torque	16.25 Nm / 1.66 kgf-m / 12 ft-lb
Transmission	6 Speed
Final Drive	Chain
Frame	Aluminium twin spar
Front Suspension	Ø40 mm Upside-down hydraulic action telescopic fork
Front Wheel Travel	120 mm / 4.7 in
Rear Suspension	Cast Aluminium swing-arm with asymmetrical members and thin walled structural shell. Hydraulic monoshock with adjustable spring preload
Rear Wheel travel	120 mm / 4.7 in
Front Brakes	Single Ø320 mm disc, 4 piston caliper
Rear Brakes	Single Ø220 mm disc, 2 piston caliper
Front Tyre	110/70-17
Rear Tyre	150/60-17
Seat height	805 mm / 31.7 in
Dry Weight	122 kg / 269 lbs
Fuel Capacity	14 Litres / 3.7 US gal
Standing ¼ Mile	16.1 sec
Top Speed	130 km/h / 81 mph

Simply put the Aprilia Tuono 125 is an Aprilia RS125 with nose fairing and flat bars. Which is why it’ll suit taller 17-year-olds much better than its racier sibling. It loses nothing in handling terms, with excellent brakes and packs stunning looks into what’s already a very tempting package. And once de-restricted it’s a flyer.

Ride Quality & Brakes
Aprilia’s chassis wizards have waved their wands over the tiny Tuono 125, but instead of pulling a rabbit from their hats they’ve produced a greased weasel that stops, goes and turns like a greased weasel. Thanks to the wide bars you can really chuck it about and with the big bike rims sticky tyres are easy to come by.

Engine
As stock the Aprilia Tuono 125 is perfectly acceptable; the 14bhp, two-stroke, reed-valve motor pulls along with reasonable torque until you hit 7500rpm where the restrictor emasculates what’s left of the go. Once de-restricted (it involves cutting into the CDI box and it’s illegal on the road if you don’t have the right licence) power doubles to 28bhp, torque jumps to 17ft lb and top speed nudges the ton.

Build Quality & Reliability
You’ll get the best from the Aprilia Tuono 125's engine if you use high quality fully-synthetic two-stroke oil, which can be expensive. This added running cost often means owners don’t bother and stick in any old rubbish, which may also point to other cut corners like missed service and piston schedules. Reliability is generally good, especially on unrestricted bikes.

Running costs & value
Prices for the Aprilia Tuono 125 are a little lower than for comparable RS125s – around £100 lower bought through a dealer. However, it’s a lot of cash to drop on a motorcycle that, likely as not, you’ll only have for a year or two before getting something bigger.

Equipment

Spares are a perennial problem with Aprilias. Things like brake levers can take weeks to arrive, which is a pain. The Aprilia Tuono 125 is well-specced as stock, though, with comprehensive clocks, Brembo brakes and nylon crash bungs.