My dream bike growing up in Ireland as a teenager was an Aprilia RS 125, unquestionably. It was as fast as you could go as a 17-year-old in the country, and looked every bit the 125cc race replica it was supposed to.
Ever-tightening EU emission laws put a sad end to that model's existence in 2012, but the modern-day 125 GP Replica is back, and it's probably the most advanced road-going 125cc bike ever.
The RS 125 GP is an all-new model from the Italian manufacturer and features the same graphics as the official 2025 Aprilia RS-GP bikes, ridden by Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. Of course, it's not just a livery that makes the RS 125 so special—it's loaded with the latest tech.
This model is fitted with a quickshifter, traction control, and a dual-channel ABS system. The reality is, this bike is for teenagers, and I've no doubt that most teens would feel more like a street-Rossi, or street-Martin, with a quickshifter even on a low-capacity bike. The traction control (TC) system, however, I don't think is needed on a bike that puts out 15 hp at 10,500 rpm and 8.5 lb-ft of torque at 8,500 rpm, but you can switch the TC off.
I'll always advocate for ABS, regardless of a bike's hp output, and especially on motorcycles that inexperienced riders are likely to ride, and this system was developed in collaboration with Bosch.
The single-cylinder engine isn't going to pull you out of bed, but it has to meet A1 licence requirements in the EU, and that's the long and short of it. Although it's not very powerful, it's still probably the most advanced engine in the category. It has four-valve timing and liquid cooling and meets the more stringent Euro 5+ emission regulations.
Ultimately, this bike is about the looks and capping off the aesthetic set by its die-cast aluminium beams with cross-ribbed reinforcement, and the matte black paint finish of the swingarm and frame is a single-seat tail unit. I'd still take the RS 125 from 20 years ago, though, given the choice.
