A couple of months ago, I found something that’s a bit of a unicorn – an Aprilia RS250 with a California plate! It had been sitting for a few years so I had our shop bring it back to life and I hoped it would make for a fun option in my stable of commuters. But as any two-stroke fan will tell you, it wasn’t happy cruising on the freeway and it was even less happy with the start/stop of city streets. I didn’t want to use it as a track bike and I don’t have the space to keep a bike around that I’ll only ride around on a couple of weekend mornings each month. So it’s time for this beauty to find a new home!
Part of the reason I’m letting it go is because I also don’t love how two-strokes make power in general. As I’ve noted in countless reviews, I love torque…and that’s not what the RS250 offers. It’s so much fun on the pipe and the chassis and adjustable suspension is fantastic, but it just doesn’t make sense in my personal collection at this time. I need more room at home, even though I think I’m going to regret selling this bike in the future. Even though it’s been nearly twenty years since Aprilia killed off this model, the track-oriented V-Twins are regarded incredibly highly today. MCN has gone as far as to call the RS250, “simply one of the very best, least-compromised sports motorcycles money can buy”, and VisorDown more recently stated, “the real problem with the RS250 is that if you want one, a good one, you’re too late.”
This example is VIN: ZD4LDAA000VN000252. The original engine failed due to oil starvation in 2001. The original owner ordered a NOS crate motor from Aprilia in September 2001 and had it replaced. The original engine is included in the sale but will need to be rebuilt before it can be used.
The original owner noted that at roughly 10,000 kms, the tachometer started to randomly sweep. He brought it to an Aprilia shop who had him replace the dash with a used unit, but the problem remained. The shop later determined that one of the pins in a connector had come loose, which fixed the problem. The owner kept the second dash installed, so true mileage is unknown but it is estimated to be roughly 12,000 kms. I’ve put on approximately 200 kms in the last two weeks.
It’s upgraded with an Arrow exhaust (stock exhaust included) and comes with a spare front fairing, some extra parts, and the original service and maintenance manuals.
Find this Aprilia RS250 for sale in Santa Monica, California with bidding up to $7,600 here on Iconic Motorbike Auctions.
Disclosure: Bike-urious is a partner in Iconic Motorbike Auctions.