Aprilia SX 125 2020 — Specifications

When Aprilia brings a model back from the archives after a few years of absence, it’s rarely without reason. The SX 125 returned in 2018 with a clear ambition: to establish itself as the benchmark A1 license supermotard, facing rivals such as the KTM Duke 125 or the Husqvarna Svartpilen 125. The bet is bold, and the technical specifications of the Aprilia SX 125 2020 provide some clues as to how the Italian brand intends to keep it.

First visual observation: the bike displays a streamlined silhouette, directly inherited from the larger SXV 450 and 550 which made Aprilia’s reputation in supermotard. Nothing to do with a motorized driving school. The perimeter steel frame serves as the backbone of an architecture designed to absorb impacts, not to flatter. Suspension travel is generous, with a 41 mm inverted fork at the front and a hydraulic mono-shock at the rear, enough to absorb urban bumps as well as the small curbs that an overly enthusiastic rider can’t resist clearing. One hundred and twenty kilograms full, a seat at 880 mm: it remains reserved for average builds and riders who assume they will hoist themselves onto their footrests at traffic lights.

The engine, for its part, has definitively turned the page on 2-stroke. Aprilia SX 125 2t enthusiasts hoping to rediscover the fever of the older models will have to mourn. The 124 cc 4-stroke single-cylinder engine produces 15 horsepower at 10,500 rpm, exactly the legal ceiling for the A1 category. Torque peaks at 22.2 Nm at 8,000 rpm, an honest figure for a 125, but which will not make the tachometer needle jump without a little insistence on the 6-speed gearbox. Top speed is around 120 km/h, which places the Aprilia SX 125 in the upper average of the category. This machine is not detuned to scrape together horsepower: the legal limit is reached, end of story.

Where Aprilia truly stands out is in the equipment. Series ABS with rear wheel lift-up function is a first on a 125 supermotard. This type of technology was previously found only on large-displacement sportbikes. Specifically, it allows for firm braking on the 300 mm front disc without risking involuntarily playing the tightrope walker. Sport tires in 100/80-R17 at the front and 130/70-R17 at the rear complement this dynamic positioning. For the displayed price of the Aprilia SX 125 at 3,649 euros, the level of equipment largely justifies the premium demanded compared to some competitors.

The Aprilia SX 125 is aimed at a young audience, holding an A1 license or in training, who are looking for a versatile machine capable of performing correctly in the city as well as on small winding roads. It is not a track bike, nor a supermotard with a competition vocation. It is a machine for learning to ride seriously, on the condition of accepting that 15 horsepower is not enough to forgive everything. The market for used Aprilia SX 125 remains active, which is a testament to good value retention, a sign that buyers do not regret their choice once the first seasons have passed.