Aprilia Tuono 125 2018 — Specifications

When Aprilia revives a name from the archives, it’s never insignificant. The Tuono is a story that began in the early 2000s with a lively 2-stroke and a wild beast look, a machine that initiated a whole generation to the pleasure of leaning. After a long absence, the Aprilia Tuono 125 returns in 2018 in a radically different form: the 2-stroke is gone, making way for a modern fuel-injected 4-stroke, and a bodywork directly inspired by the larger Tuono 1100. The message is clear from the very first glance.

What strikes you is the consistency of the design. Where the KTM 125 Duke plays the card of aggressive angularity and where the Yamaha MT-125 focuses on a compact urban-fighter style, the Aprilia Tuono 125 adopts a more theatrical posture, almost intimidating for a school-grade displacement. The look borrowed from the RSV4, the belly pan that swallows the exhaust without letting a centimeter of pipe protrude, the muscular flanks: everything contributes to making you forget that under the robe lies a 124.8 cc single-cylinder engine. The dashboard also plays the sporty card, with an analog dial dressed in a carbon insert and a digital window displaying lap timer, temperatures, fuel level and even a memory of twenty laps. There's no pretending.

Mechanically, the Aprilia Tuono 125 test reveals a serious specification for the A1 category. The four-valve single-cylinder engine, with its 12.5:1 compression ratio and square bore and stroke of 58 x 47 mm, develops 15 horsepower at 10,500 rpm for a torque of 10.9 Nm available at 8,250 rpm. This is not a fluffy engine: you need to work the six-speed gearbox and keep the revs alive to exploit the usable range. The announced top speed is around 120 km/h, which places the Aprilia Tuono 125 in the high average of the segment. The perimeter aluminum frame, the 40 mm inverted fork and the mono-shock on an asymmetrical swingarm offer a chassis platform frankly above what the displacement would require: the progressing A2 license would find here an educational playground, without ever being limited by the geometry. The standard ABS is welcome, the quickshifter remains optional, as does smartphone connectivity.

The entry price of 4,529 euros positions the Aprilia Tuono 125 at the top of the sporty 125 price hierarchy. This is the main criticism that can be leveled at it: the MT-125 or the 125 Duke are significantly less expensive with comparable equipment. But the Tuono also sells an image, a stylistic kinship with the big ones, a finish that its rivals do not always reach. For those looking for a used Aprilia Tuono 125, the 2019 to 2021 models offer mature and well-run machines, without major changes to the specification compared to the 2018 foundation model.

The 14-liter tank ensures comfortable range, a valuable advantage for commuting to school on open roads or weekend getaways. The front braking system, a 300 mm disc pinched by a radial four-piston caliper, is sized for a much heavier motorcycle: on a machine that does not exceed 130 kilos fully fueled, the bite is immediate, almost surprising. It is this type of detail that distinguishes a real sporting intention from a simple marketing disguise. The Aprilia Tuono 125 is aimed at young license holders who refuse to spend two years on a mundane motorcycle, at urban dwellers who want character without sacrificing practicality, and at all those who know that a well-built small displacement engine provides as much pleasure as a large one if you accept to play the game.