Description
Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
Riding Aprilia’s quarter-liter GP mount, Max Biaggi secured back-to-back-to-back world titles in ’94, ’95, and ’96.. Like Paul Smart’s Desmo racer had done for Ducati roughly two decades prior, Max’s success achieved on the RSV250 put Aprilia on the map and helped to establish the small Italian firm as a true contender on the world stage.
Taking advantage of the factory race effort’s triumphs, in 1994 Aprilia released a road-legal replica version of the RSV250 known as the RS250. Powering the RS was a modified version of the liquid-cooled, 249cc, two-stroke, 90-degree V-Twin from Suzuki’s RGV250. The RS’s engine utilized the Suzuki’s 34mm Mikuni flat slide carbs, though it featured its own Aprilia-designed expansion chambers, barrels, air-box, and exhaust system, a revised ignition and ECU, and a higher compression ratio. Building on the already well-designed single-crank V-Twin developed by Suzuki, the changes made in Noale afforded the RS more mid-range power. Married to a six-speed transmission, the RS250’s engine was similar to the motor found in Aprilia’s GP mount, albeit with a bore and stroke of 56mm X 50mm versus the race bike’s square 54mm X 54mm setup. The RS generated 29.5ft-lbs of torque at 10,750rpm and around 70hp at 11,900rpm — just shy of its 12,000rpm redline.
What really made the RS250 special, however, was its chassis design. Derived from the bikes built by Aprilia’s factory race program, the RS250 used a polished alloy twin-spar frame paired with an adjustable magnesium alloy banana swingarm. The trick alloy frame was fitted with 41mm inverted Marzocchi fork and a mono-shock in back — both adjustable for preload and rebound damping.
Rolling on 17-inch, five-arm, cast aluminum rims, the RS250 and its race-bred chassis afforded its rider incredibly sharp handling. Slowing the V-Twin was a set of dual 298mm discs pinched by four-piston Brembo Serie Oro calipers out front and a single 220mm unit bit by a dual-pot caliper in the rear. Its GP-inspired bodywork not only looked the business but gave the RS one very slippery drag coefficient. Tipping the scales at just 310 lbs dry, the RS boasted a top speed of over 130 mph, and a standing quarter-mile time of 12.5-seconds flat.
This example is VIN: ZD4LD0100TN050915. The seller acquired the bike three years ago from a private party in California.
The seller is a repeat client of ours who is selling this bike for a few reasons. First of all, he bought a RZV500R (JDM market bike) through an Iconic auction. He sent it over to Mike Vienne at Championship Cycles to turn it into a custom. It took four years but it was finished a few months ago and he recently took delivery. Suffice to say, he’s intoxicated with the power of the 500 and doesn’t think he’ll ride the 250 much any more. Even cooler, though, is that he’s liquidating this Aprilia (along with a couple of other bikes) to fund his son’s racing career!
During his ownership, the seller has covered approximately 200 miles. The odometer shows 8,778 kilometers (5,454 miles).
Maintenance:
In summer of 2021, the seller had RetroSpeed rebuild the carbs, install new Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tires, and upgrade the rear shock.
Later that year, he also had the battery replaced, the transmission oil changed, the cooling system bled, the forks rebuilt, and the petcock replaced with an aftermarket Pingel unit.
In preparation for the listing, the seller had us replace the battery hardware, install a tender lead, repair the right mirror, and perform a safety inspection. Our service department notes the following in their condition report:
Gas Tank Internal: Ok
Tire Year Front: / Rear: 3920
Tire Life Front: 90%/ Rear: 90%
Tire Press Front: 35PSI / Rear: 38PSI
Brake Life Front: 90% / Rear: 80%
Hydraulic Brake Life Front: Ok Rear: Ok
Gearbox Oil: Ok Level: Ok
Coolant Quality: Ok Level: Ok
Drive Chain Condition: Ok
Suspension Leaks Front: Yes Rear: Ok
Low Beam: Ok
High Beam: Ok
Turn: Ok
Tail Light: Ok
Brake Light: Ok
Plate Light: Ok
Kill: Ok
Horn: Ok
Battery:
Notes:
• Tank has some scratches
• Leaking 2stroke oil, possibly from nipple on bottle.
Services recommended:
• Rebuild forks
• replace oil tank nipple
Modifications:
Arrow exhaust.
Nitron shock.
Toby steering damper.
Pingel petcock.
Battery tender lead.
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tires with date codes of 3920 and 4920.
The sale includes one key.
The sale also includes an RS250 owner’s manual, an RS250 service manual, some spare spark plugs, the stock shock, as well as a rear cowl.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Aprilia is offered on a clean Indiana title. Have any RS250 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
