Aprilia Tuono 125 2005 — Specifications

When Noale decides to play surgeon on its own RS, the result is the Tuono 125. The idea is simple, almost obvious: tear off the faired flanks of the sportbike to deliver a naked, aggressive roadster, built on solid foundations. Keep the essentials, remove the superfluous, and you get a radically different character for an audience that doesn’t have the same expectations as a track rider in a racing suit.

Visually, the Aprilia Tuono 125 fully embraces its lineage with the RS range while distancing itself from it. The engine guard replaces the side fairings, two radiator scoops appear in the continuity of the former RS, and the aluminum frame with double spars and swingarm goes black matte. A restrained but effective treatment, balanced by gold rims directly borrowed from the RS SBK. It’s the details that count, especially at this price. At €4,569, the bike must justify every stylistic choice, and it succeeds without a false note.

The high handlebar on risers fundamentally changes the ergonomics. On 114 kg dry weight, with a seat 805 mm from the ground, the Tuono 125 2t is ridden standing up in the curves, arms open, torso straight. In the city, this riding position facilitates maneuvers. On the track or on a small winding road, it multiplies the reading of the trajectory. For stunt enthusiasts, it’s a barely veiled invitation. The protection sliders fitted as standard are not insignificant in this context: Aprilia knows very well who will buy this machine and what it will endure.

Under the thin-walled, reinforced aluminum frame, the 124.80 cc two-stroke single-cylinder develops 35 horsepower with legal restriction, with 12.70 Nm of torque available at 6,500 rpm. The six-speed gearbox transmits to the 150/60-17 rear via chain. The announced top speed is 150 km/h, a figure that says a lot about the temperament of the Aprilia Tuono 125 2t compared to its four-stroke rivals of the same displacement. The 40 mm inverted fork and the adjustable preload mono-shock complete a cycle part that doesn’t pretend. It’s the one from the RS, without modification, which is both a guarantee of healthy behavior and an admission of industrial pragmatism.

The downside is the rev range. A two-stroke needs to be managed. There's no point in dragging it below the power band, otherwise you'll end up with a listless machine that doesn't resemble much anymore. The rider who doesn't understand this logic will be disappointed. The one who plays the game of the gearbox and the rev range will have in their hands a precise, communicative motorcycle, much more engaging than many aseptic four-stroke 125s. The Aprilia Tuono 125 is aimed at young, already trained riders, A1s looking for authentic sensations, not a scooter in disguise. For those looking for a used Aprilia Tuono 125, successive generations from 2004 to 2019 share this common DNA, which makes the second-hand market coherent and parts relatively accessible.