AF1 family tree

 AF1 Family tree

Aprilia AF1 Europa, Type FV

The Aprilia AF1 Europa 125  is a naked road motorcycle produced by the Italian manufacturer from 1990 to 1992. Derived directly from the faired Futura Type FM model it offered high-tuned two-stroke performance with a more relaxed, upright naked roadster posture.

The Europa was designed as a direct alternative to the hugely successful Honda NSR-F, with styling much less focused on racing and more on every day practicalities it probably suffered because the styling was a little too traditional compared to more youthful Honda

The bike itself was based on the Type FM Futura which it shares the rolling chassis, engine and fuel tank, the trail is slightly increased but this looks like longer fork bottoms rather than a chassis change? It also features a unique seat unit with combined dual seat, round headlight, mudguard, unique clocks, top yoke and higher rise handlebars. Internally the gearing was altered to bias acceleration and the carburettor has a different set up even though it still uses the 34mm unit.

Performance**: in acceleration tests over the 400-meter distance from 50 km/h, the Europa recorded a time of 17.708 seconds and a top speed of 110.75 km/h, compared to a time of 19.650 seconds and a top speed of 94.240 km/h recorded by the Futura.
Maximum speed is 153.8 km/h compared to 164.150 km/h for the Futura.

Metallic Electric Blue

Metallic Amaranth

** Performance data via https://125stradali.com/

Magazine advert 1989 AF1 Sintesi Replica

Here us a cool advert from Bike Magazine from the UK importer of the time featuring the 1989 Sintesi Replica and a part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted in fresco by Michelangelo. at the bottom there is also a UK dealer listing, at the time our local dealer was Rob Willsher Motorcycles in Bursledon, nr Southampton and shortly after it was Motorcycle City in Gosport.

This would make a great poster, i'll see if I can make a high res scan!

My bike: front wheel bearings

Last year when I had my wheels powder coated I re-installed the used wheel bearings just to get by, but always knew that these would need replacing if I wanted to MOT the bike. Now I am pushing to get the bike on the road in time for the two stroke meet at the Sammy Miller motorcycle museum on the 19th July.

Jobs to complete are:

Wheel bearings
Clean carb - fit new needle
Clean petrol tank and replace fuel
New spark plug
Possibly a new battery
MOT

Wheel Bearings

Looking online wheel bearings of the same quality can vary from around £15 pair to £20 each, and to make it worse 'AF1' bearings seem to cost more than RS.

Checking several sites it seems the bearing is the same on both the AF1 and RS (at least MK1), the key information is that you need you need bearing 6004, size OD 42, ID 20, width 12mm. Aprilia part number AP8110044

I ordered a pair of KOYO bearings from TWSR Motorsport on ebay for £13.75 a pair delivered.

OD 42mm, ID 20mm, width 12mm

cleaned, greased and ready for the bearing

The most difficult part of this job is that the bike only has a side stand, so for security I tied a strap over a rafter in the garage and the top yoke, this way the bike wouldn't drop. When I removed the front wheel I placed an axle stand under the fork leg as an added precaution. Once you have drifter the bearings out, cleaned and re-greased I used an old bearing to help seat the new, bearing careful to keep the bearing square and even and not to damage the dust seal on the bearing. Just an observation, the original bearing only had the outside seal and the inside of the bearing was open, the replacement were double sealed.

breath easy, wheel and axle back in

Review: Bike Magazine Now 1990 - Aprilia AF1 Futura - type FM + Cagiva Mito and Gilera SP02

Thirty horses each of Cagiva Mito, Aprilia Futura & Gilera SP02 by Roland Brown (30-ish) and Colin Schiller (130-ish)

For mile after mile I'd been charging. Tearing down the straights and scratching through the bends as fast as I could go: head behind the bubble, throttle hard against its stop, ears ringing with the sound of straining two-stroke engine, brakes left late for the bends, knee stuck out as I swept through the corners with a nudge on the low-set bars. 

And now I was lost. Reaching a fork in the road far ahead of photographer Goldman, who was following with our alleged maps of north-eastern Italy in the car, I realised that I hadn't a clue which way to go. There was no alternative but to park the gorgeous red-white-and-purple Aprilia, sit in the sun and hope that eventually he'd catch up. 

It was lucky that I looked up when I did moments later, for otherwise I wouldn't have noticed our Fiat rentawreck rattling past, barely a couple of minutes behind and showing no signs of being in a hurry. And then it dawned on me. The new Futura might look a million dollars (and cost six million lire), it might be big and brash and beautiful and unbearably well-equipped. But it is, after all, still a 125. 

Despite all my efforts, despite the fact that this tuned and fully-faired missile was one of the raciest and most high-tech streetbikes I'd ever sat on, I probably hadn't managed to persuade it to push my unaerodynamic large body above 100mph all day. For all its upside-down forks and its single-sided swing-arm and its butch alloy frame, the Aprilia Futura's most significant feature is nevertheless its engine's capacity of about half your average-sized shampoo bottle. 

In many ways it is the curse of bikes like this, the latest race-replica to explode onto the Italian teenage market, that for all its design flair and expensive chassis brilliance the Futura is still just a 125. That means that its state-of-the-art two-stroke motor puts out 34 horsepower when the rest of the cycle looks and feels as though it would be more than happy handling twice that many.

Not that the Futura is slow, you understand. It has a genuine top speed of just over a ton, and if you keep the tacho needle jabbing at the 11-grand redline it has acceleration to match. But by sports bike standards it is obviously short on ultimate performance – which, sometimes, is also its biggest attraction. The delight of small-bore screamers like this is that even speed-freaks used to much bigger tackle can enjoy twisting the neck off a 125 without putting life or licence at too much risk. 

That ride across country back to Aprilia’s base near Venice was memorable by any standards, despite the lack of out-and-out speed, and travelling half as fast again on the straights would not necessarily have improved the ride much at all. Lucky is the young Luigi whose rich padre presents him with one of these on his birthday. What I'd have made of being planked on this motorcycle at the age of 17 I can’t begin to imagine, and I suspect that it’s probably just as well I didn’t have the chance to find out.  

British novices won’t find out immediately either, of course, because they’ll be restricted to a 12bhp version of the Futura – one that, after riding the full-power version, must feel as though it’s still parked on the centrestand (not that any AF1 is weighed-down by any such encumbrance, of course). All the more reason for passing your test, after which time, on being shown a photocopy of the owner’s full licence, the new Aprilia importers will forward free-of-charge the exhaust power-valve that restores the missing ponies. 

Aprilia Moto UK won’t be providing anything at all for the Futura for several months, it must be said, because they can’t get stocks of the new bike yet and will initially concentrate on selling the established AF1 Replica model. When the Futura does arrive it is likely to prove boss of the strada in the 125 class – just as it has in Italy, where it’s apparently outselling all competition. 

The Futura is basically the latest version of the AF1 series. It effectively brings together the Replica and the AF1 Sport – the very similar but slightly more powerful production-race version of the twin-headlamp screamer – to produce one new machine that is even slicker, even tricker and even more obviously suited to the racetrack than its predecessors. 

It seems almost unnecessary to say that the Futura will eventually be the only AF1 model. Short of selling the bike with its bolts already lockwired, or perhaps with a roll of duct-tape and a couple of spare fairings, it’s hard to imagine how Aprilia could come out with a “sport production” version of this. (No doubt they could if they tried, though, and perhaps they will if their baby starts getting whopped on the track.) 

The main difference between the Replica and Sport models is the carburettor, which is a Dellorto that grows all the way from 28mm to 34mm for the competition bike. The Futura gets a slightly modified version of the bigger fuel-bucket, batch, which helps push claimed output up one whole donkey from the Replica’s 32.8 to 33.8hp precisely, at 11,000rpm.

Compression ratio is actually reduced slightly, from 15:1 to 13.6:1 (don’t compare those numbers with Jap tackle, mind – they’re measured from B.D.C. rather than exhaust port closing), but the rest of the motor stays virtually unchanged. It’s a watercooled two-stroke single, built by Rotax to Aprilia’s spec. It has almost square bore and stroke dimensions of 54 x 54.5mm, a balancer-shaft to damp out vibration, and an electronically operated exhaust valve that is appropriately named RAVE, and really gets the party swinging after eight (thousand rpm, not pm). 

The exhaust itself is a similar specimen that bulges out below the motor before heading up to a neat tailpipe on the left of the bike. On the other side of the engine, the Sport’s side-mounted airbox is replaced by a more central chamber that sits between the top tubes of the bolt-on rear subframe, and is shrouded by plastic and fed by two long plastic ducts running back from the nose of the fairing. 

The main frame is a modified version of Aprilia’s aluminium alloy twin-spar job, and is so neat and sturdy-looking a piece of kit that it wouldn’t disgrace something from down the coast at Bimota, let alone a puny mass-produced 125. The main extrusions now bulge out a little on their route from steering head to swing arm pivot, and an alloy plate has been added on each side of the subframe, presumably for reinforcement. But the most obvious difference is that the satiny main spars have been left on view instead of covered by bodywork as they were before. 

Being an Aprilia, the only way that this 125cc motorcycle would not have featured upside-down forks and a single-sided swing arm is if the Noale firm's designers had found a way of equipping it with hub-centre steering, a single-sided front fork, a hubless rear wheel or something even more weird and over-the-top. (Unfortunately, Aprilia wouldn't reveal what tablets their creative crew are fed on.)

The suspension set-up at each end looks seriously serious, and the Futura's forks and shock combine with the hugely rigid frame to give handling that matches the spec. One surprise is that the suspension is non-adjustable. It's firm but I felt no desire to change things, and for novices the lack of fiddling potential is probably a good idea.

Second surprise is that the steering is not ultra-quick, at least by small-bike standards. The Replica's rake and trail have been kicked out half a degree and 3mm to give 26 degrees and 95mm, which is not radical by current standards.

What that means is that the little bike that looks like Yamaha's 0W01 actually feels a little reminiscent of the super-solid 750 too, ludicrous as that may sound. (Part of the reason is that Futura is not little at all. It is a leading example of the trend that has seen small-capacity bikes getting physically bigger while big bikes get smaller; presumably one day they'll cross in the middle.)

The similarities start early. From the pilot's perch on the skimpy seat, far more thinly-padded even than the Replica's, it's a fair reach to the low clip-ons across a fuel tank whose flush-filler is labelled with the specious words "specially developed for racing", in case you were in doubt. The wickedly curving screen comes up to meet your wild-eyed stare. Below it, the cockpit houses a typical array of partially foam-mounted dials, and is bordered by a pair of surprisingly useful mirrors.

Feet are held predictably high but the Futura feels so long and generally roomy that its hard to believe this really is just a 125. (Unless you are riding pillion, which requires membership of the National Union of Contortionists.) Press the button, hear the tinny two-stroke rattle and, well, perhaps it is a 125 after all. Then you pull away – or rather this flash – leather-suited professional test rider attempted to pull away, failed to give the gutless motor enough revs, and stalled right outside the factory's front door. Thank God for dark visors.

There's very little power below about 4000rpm but once you get used to keeping the single singing that is really no great problem. Acceleration from there until about 7500rpm is pretty limp, but then the power-valve chops in, the exhaust note changes dramatically from a flat drone to a high-pitched shriek and – in the lower gears, at least – the Futura hurtles towards the 11-grand redline with great aplomb (and with a slight-but-not-troublesome tingling through the 'bars and seat). 

If a corner should intervene before the Futura has had a chance to stretch its legs in sixth gear, then so much the better. A squeeze on the big single disc, which is progressive but not as brain-rotatingly potent as I'd expected from a bike weighing only 250lb, brings the speed down instantly. Then you shuffle across the seat, flick the Futura into the bend and attack the throttle again after making sure to Get That Knee Down if at all possible. You owe it to the people who designed this bike, after all. 

Naturally, it's in bends that the Aprilia exudes the classy feel of a serious track-ready motorcycle. There's none of the nervous, underdamped feel that comes with many small sportsters. You need a little effort on the bars to move the front wheel off-line, after which the Futura tracks with absolute precision and holds its line with wondrous stability even in ripply corners. 

Both wheels are five-spoke 17-inchers instead of the previous seven/nine spoke design, and they wear radial Dunlops whose generous widths and soft compound allow the Futura to be whistled through corners as fast as just about anything on two wheels. Then you're back on the power, the single-pot motor is revving hard, your left boot is flicking frantically and your head is back behind the screen as you flog the guts out of those thirtysomething horses... For a 17-yr-old a brilliantly enjoyable sportster; for a motorcycle journalist more than three grand it's just a brilliantly enjoyable scratcher, but... Aprilia Moto UK, the new British importers, hope to receive stocks of the Futura early next year. They plan to sell it for a little more than the AF1 Replica costs now, which is £3134. That's much closer to the price of Suzuki's RGV250, for example, than the RG125. 

If you're a 17-year-old learner with that sort of money to burn, then by now you probably don't need directions to the nearest Aprilia showroom. Anyone else would have to be pretty sure that they really wanted to get their two-wheeled kicks from head-down, no-nonsense mindless boogie on a bike with the cornering power and charisma of a Ferrari but the out-and-out speed of a Fiat Panda. 

Adrenalin junkies with dirty licences, this is the bike for you.

CAGIVA MITO / GILERA SP02

Only two things count in the Italian motor industry, whatever the vehicle and whatever the cylinder capacity – speed and style. And the Mito oozes them in such abundance that the performance-hardened speed junkies that constitute the bulk of Italian youth were virtually guaranteed to be tripping over themselves to lay huge wads of their old Man's lira down the moment the Mito was announced. Whilst the world's motorcycle press continue to muse over Cagiva's apparently unbounded promotional, investment and sporting budget, the Castiglionis have obviously got all sectors of the indigenous Latin market well and truly sussed.

The Mito is a no-holds-barred bum-up-head-down motorcycle stamped, like a chocolate replica, straight out of the same mould as Randy's GP bike. Like Gilera's SP02 it has a kind of variable BHP output from its single-cylinder 56 x 50.6mm engine largely depending on whose asking. Unlike the Gilera, which utilises crankcase induction to achieve its similarly mystical 31, possibly 34bhp, a cylinder situated reedvalve, allied in its case to 'CTS' power valve, produces the optimum spread of power.

I have to tell you that if this is the optimum, I'd hate to have to ride the Mito off the pipe. Ever seen 125 GP bikes 'paddling' off the line for improved getaway? Ride the Mito and you know how stupid they feel. If you're looking for a wheelie machine, you'd be better off with a hoop 'n' stick. The Mito has the kind of low to mid-range power that'd be hard-pushed to tow an empty packet of crisps, but hit 9,500rpm and power's released like a broken bungee, at least for 1500rpm. After that it's all over and you have to click up another cog yet again in the Mito's seemingly endless box of seven.

The reason for this peculiarly masochistic means of propulsion is top speed and the Mito'll kick out as near to 110mph as you're ever likely to see from this year's crop of 125s. Every single facet of the engine's design and construction from its radar shaped water-jacket to the race-cut transmission is geared toward that one statistic. Though whether it is significantly faster than the Futura would have taken a longer stretch of mountain coast road and a firmer guarantee of the Carabinieri's disinterest than this paranoic from Sudetanland was willing to risk.

It does, however, certainly feel faster than the either the Futura or Gilera, though this may have been a function of its radical riding position and suspension as much as its engine characteristics. The Gilera exudes none of the raw and 'hard' delivery that is the Mito's overriding characteristic, but instead sustains a smooth and progressive surge of power, 3000rpm lower down the rev range than the Cagiva at 6000rpm, then building cumulatively until the redline 4500rpm further. Again, 100mph is dismissed with relative ease despite the parsimony of a mere six ratios. But of course the ascent toward the ultimate figure demands circumstances a little more scientific than your nose on the bottom yoke and a prayer that the road designer was in one of his more unimaginative phases. Whatever, the 110mph 125 road-bike is now genuinely upon us.

Don't get me wrong about the advantage the Mito may have in top speed – it's marginal over either the Futura or the SP02 and from a standing start for instance, the Mito'd still be 'Wherppppp-bhorrring' when both the Gilera and the Aprilia'd reached 60mph. But the Cagiva has been built for a purpose, and in the pursuit of that purpose, you have to admire the single-mindedness of its execution.

Nowhere is the evidence of that single-minded stance more evident than in the conception of the Mito's architecture and riding position. You have to remember that Italian youth rides everything in shorts, Benetton singlets and deck-shoes, which is why almost all of them have at least one area of flesh which is not the standard nauseating olive brown but a tender, plasticky pink. But the advent of the Mito, along with the recent compulsion to wear helmets, might change all that. For whilst it is still aimed at an uncompromisingly juvenile market, it is the boldest statement yet of motorcycling as a serious means of transport rather than as a largely unregulated 'fun' pastime used as a stepping-stone to car ownership.

Twin-spars are in fashionable works racer format on the Mito with all the essentials in extruded aluminium. This design with the small two-stroke unit suspended below is now so successful, it's difficult to understand how so straight, obvious and uncomplicated a path could have been avoided for so long. Ditto the Gilera whose upper spars would have given Sheene & Robert's first Vee Four's in 1982 a run-for-their-money size-wise; probably stiffer too. On the Cagiva, you are head-down-peering-over-the-paint as soon as you cock a leg over it's unbelievably sparse perch and it's thus impossible to ride the Mito with anything other than really serious intent. The latitude for movement in the pre-load adjustable 'Soft-Damp' monoshock would not be out of place on the drawing-board at Tatra or Perllini, let alone a bike manufacturer's. It simply does not move and is almost as hard as Mamola's GP bike which I sat on beforehand, yet it traces the road with unbelievable control and precision.

The rugged steel banana swing-arm is the perfect companion to this set-up and makes Gilera's rear fork look sick by comparison. Even the Futura cannot compete with this specification and there is little doubt that the Mito sets new standards in the class.

By comparison, the SP02 is distinctly rear-end soft, with a far more supple approach to both seating and suspension than either the Mito or Aprilia. Nothing wrong with that per se, but get the Gilera near its limit and the more rideable, more forgiving back-half does become its lowest common factor, particularly when you consider that with 40mm Forcella 'Upside-Downers' at the pointy end it's hardly likely to be this part that's ever going to let you down. In this respect it is as odd a combination as the Mito's super vogueish rear fork yet understated, plain old pre-load adjustable Forcellas; the only difference is that in the Cagiva's case, the simple components do not become the bike's limiting factor.

Again, criticism of the Gilera's shortfall against the Cagiva is irrelevant in all but the most frantic of scratching situations. Yet as the Mito has the reputation for being the state of the art bike in terms of handling, it's the belief and confidence in this fact, rather than any inherent advantages of the bike, that are likely to reinforce that superiority on the road. But the differences are negligible, and it's a good rider, not a rear spring that'll make the difference.

Certainly there is little to choose between the two bikes as far as either steering or stability is concerned and both do asset with scalpel like precision. But again, straddle either with any serious intent and you know after the first 100 metres that the Mito is going to come out tops. The tautness of the plot encourages the sensation that directing the Mito is not a conscious exercise performed at the bars, but is somehow more natural, more subliminal and integral with riding the bike as a whole. Both Gileras and Cagiva demonstrate admirable neutrality; the former turning a little quicker by virtue of its 16" as opposed to 17" front wheel, the Mito a smidge 'slower' perhaps, a little less agile, but producing more a feeling of 'oneness between steering and handling. It should not be underestimated either how great a combination the Michelin 150 rear radial (the same size as fitted to an FJ1100!) makes to both stability and the extent of grip on long turns and it's 20mm extra width is a clear advantage over the SP.

If that isn't enough, the Mito also wears the deadliest front stopper ever fitted to a 125. It hauls the bike up with the authority normally only associated with twin disc set-ups and its twin-pot Brembo caliper works with the progressiveness which has always been the hallmark of Italian braking systems. Giving 20mm away in size to the Mito, despite its almost identical set-up, the home-grown Gilera kit just cannot match it, though again we're splitting hairs in awarding positions. At least they died for position in the rear brake dept with both being as average as their floating versions are exceptional. But then in a country where sunshine is the greatest natural resource, what the hell does it matter?

Probably about as much as the standard of finish, something for which we know the Latins are a legend in their own lunchtime. Well sometimes; even when standard de-course factory fare is involved must be getting shorter, because the finish and equipment on both bikes are almost ornate by previous criteria, except mysteriously for the front-brake master cylinders which were perched so precariously and untidily on both that you wondered who copied who. Nope, in general I was almost shocked by the level of fixtures 'n' fittings such as the classy clip-ons and fillers of the Gilera and the instruments, fuel-tap and perfectly crafted fairing of the Cagiva. But if either of them, particularly the latter is serious about pillions, count me out.

We Brits have never really understood the obsession with small capacity two-strokes in Italy; until about 1987, we regarded them in much the same way we look upon mopeds in Majorca once a year. But to Italian youth, these extra shades of performance, these edges of styling are critical. By those standards alone 1990 looks like being Cagiva's year. And in a way, that's a shame, because the Gilera is probably the best 125 road-bike ever to come out of Italy. Perhaps the only consolation to Italian adolescents in this perplexing choice is that they need no licence whatsoever to ride either of them ....

Review - UK spec Af1 Futura - transcript

 

The complete text for the Performance Bikes AF1 Futura review: October 1991

Aprilia AF1 Futura £3,591

For a fully-developed, flexible road bike, the 28.4 horsepower Aprilia is really quite astonishing and, at 227bhp per litre, is the most powerful standard road bike we have ever tested. With its mirrors pinned back to the screen it reached 98.5mph, yet it would pull away from zero revs quite reliably and predictably.

The nicest thing about any high performance two-stroke is the tearing-calico syndrome when you ease the clutch against a handful of throttle and the motor screeches into its power band taking off with maximum violence. The Aprilia had plenty of that, too.

You will probably have noticed by now that the Aprilia was not of the restricted ilk. Its frame plate said 13kW, an uncharacteristic understatement if ever there was one. The reason it is here at all, and not the restricted version we wanted, is that Aprilia UK are Utterly Wet and don't like us because we criticised some of their earlier offerings. However, the Noble Stan Stephens stepped in with a bike for us to borrow. Unfortunately Stan knows not the meaning of restricted and has never heard of 12 horsepower even if he could count that low. So it was the standard, full power AF1 which arrived at Lord Emap’s portcullis. It may not be a completely fair comparison with all the others, but who cares?

It feels big, like a 250. But then it goes big, also like a 250. The riding position is relaxed and comfortable, bracing you for the sudden surge of power which pushes the front off the ground. The brakes pin it down and load up your arms, like brakes should. The steering flicks it to the side as fast as you want it to go. Lighter riders had problems with it running wide in turns and sitting up on the brakes. Putting a further 30lb in the driving seat appeared to cure this completely and the Aprilia then snapped into turns, tightened up in response to throttle and merely lost speed if the brakes were used. With the kind of performance on offer, it would be strange if the chassis didn't respond to small changes in suspension and geometry.

Rupert, who rode the earlier AF1 and the Mito, attributed much of the Futura's characteristics to its tyres, wide, Dunlop Sportmax radials: "The suspension feels excellent at low speed and on motorways and it is very stable indeed for a 125. At high speed on bumpy roads the soft travel suddenly stops and either gets much harder or simply runs out of travel. Either way you are bucked out of the saddle with concomitant flippy motions at the bars. It's not a prob for experienced riders but it comes across a bit suddenly since the bike feels as stable as a steam train right until it doesn't. The transition from stability to tankslapper is more gradual on an RGV. It is definitely better than the harshly sprung Mito, though.

"I'd like to try it against a full power TZR. I suspect (in fact it's bloody obvious) that the Aprilia would outclass the Yamaha easily.

"It was very reassuring — brakes, suspension tyres — and excellent in the wet.

"The engine is characteristically horrible Italian 125 at low revs cluck cluck tong tong. Not nice when you've ridden better but OK if you've no comparison. There's a superb spread and development of power, quite unlike the earlier bikes which were noted for their ragged power delivery. Acceleration feels impressive in the first three gears, then tails off as wind resistance takes its toll. It will easily cruise at 90mph in neutral conditions on a flat road."

If the concept and the execution work as well as the styling, there were one or two details which weren't so good. There is no reserve tap and the fuel warning light comes on when the tank is half full. This piece of imbecility halves the effective range. The front fairing subframe is rubber mounted, and the whole bodywork ahead of the rider flaps about, which is slightly disconcerting but not as much as the wing mirrors, which flap as much as their name suggests. Peter: "The mirrors are crap. They wobble and droop to such an extent that it's more dangerous to look in them than it is not to look behind at all. Even if they didn't wobble they wouldn't be any good 'cos all you can see when the engine is switched off is your arms.

"The rest of the bike is very nice but I can't believe that a 125 can give that much power and last for more than a few months."

This is an imponderable factor. The demonstrator lasted for a fortnight and showed every sign of going on steadfastly for at least another fortnight, but who can tell how much maintenance it will need in the longer term? It is guaranteed for 12 months and Aprilia do not mention a specific piston life, etc. It almost certainly needs better oil than that available at most forecourts or, to put it another way, it would be silly not to use the best oil you can get.

Performance doesn't relate to anything else here. The Aprilia wasn't worst on fuel consumption and — idiot light not withstanding — had a decent tank range. Its poor showing in the twisty sprint is largely due to the fact that it wasn't getting into its power band in first gear for much of the time, in corners that were so tight they favoured the trail bikes over the 12bhp roadsters.

The AF1 is available in restricted form fact, after DOT investigations, Aprilia may only supply the electronic power valve kit after they, or one of their dealers, has seen the relevant pass certificate. The price actually includes the kit, which is then fitted FOC on production of the relevant bits of paper.

Stan Stephens, who is an authorized Aprilia dealer, will be importing factory-approved performance parts from Italy and is planning to get his hands on the 250s in time for next year's Supersport season.

Deep dive, Sintesi 88 - type EH

More than any other generation, the 1988 Sintesi AF1 125 was a huge jump forward and offered the 125cc class features rarely seen on superbikes let alone on learner legal motorcycles. At the time it was compared to the mighty Honda RC30 superbike racer for the road, which is high praise indeed, but again this was a 125cc motorcycle you could ride at 17 (UK) making it even more remarkable.

The updates over the previous Project 108 model were considerable with the new bike featuring all-new bodywork including twin round front headlights, GP inspired radiator openings on the fairing, separate seats for the rider and pillion, with the pillion seat colour coded to give the elusion of a single seat unit. The metal fuel tank hinged upwards to gain access to the spark plug, battery and coolant reservoir. The stock Sintesi gained bold new graphics with a purple colour band which were very much in-tune with the younger generation of the era. For the UK (and export) market we gained the classic Reggiani Replica with striking graphics and the number 6 proudly displayed on the tail piece. This bike featured heavily in the UK media and helped put Aprilia firmly on the map.

Chassis updates include:
All new twin-spar aluminum frame - significantly lighter and stiffer over the steal frame it replaced.
Alloy 'rear set' foot rests for the rider and pillion.
38mm upside-down fork - 4 years ahead of the Japanese
Single-sided swingarm and APS suspension - carry over part from the project 108
New 17" multi spoke wheels - sizes: 100/80-17 front and 130/70-17 rear
New 320mm floating front disc brake with a four-piston calliper

Engine updates include:
The new Rotax 123 replaces its predecessor, the 127, and remains a mainstay of the Aprilia range up until 1994, when it was replaced by the Rotax 122. Here are the most important new features:

New aluminum cylinder with Gilnisil-treated liner
New two-piece cylinder head for improved cooling.
Stroke 54 x 54.5
Compression ratio dropped to 15:1 (15.5:1 on the Replica).
Balancer shaft (not present on the Rotax 127).
Dell’Orto PHBH 28 RD oval-section carburettor.
Rave 2 pneumatic power valve
New airbox with dynamic air intake mounted on the right side of the bike.
Maximum power output of 28.66hp at 10,500 rpm

A, B and C versions
In early production the fuel cap is located on the right hand side of the fuel tank and without the breather hose, with the vent integrated in to the fuel cap. These early models can be identified by the codes "A" and "B" which are visible on a decal on the seat subframe.

All subsequent production bikes have identification code "C," on this version the fuel cap moved to the left side with an additional external vent on the right.

Left side, AB fuel tank, right side C fuel tank

Colours

Black, purple, white and red

Dark blue, aquamarine, white and red

Replica

There is a forth colour that appeared in a bike listings catalogue which I am not 100% clear if this was a pre-production colour that got dropped for another option, a low production colour (I have not seen another one?)or even a colour mishap in the print process!

Black, green, white and red

Road Test; 1988 Sintesi Replica 125

 Motorcycle News road test from October 4th 1989 featuring the AF1 Sintesi Replica (type EH)

Video: AF1 Model History

The model history for Aprilia's AF1 125cc motorcycles from the original 1985 Milan motorcycle show prototype to the 1992 Sport Pro Futura.

Christmas wishes 2025

Happy Christmas to all our Aprilia friends! We look forward to seeing your projects, restorations, ride outs and meet ups in 2026!

 

AF1 125 model variants and how the UK models fit in

Following on from previous posts on the UK specification Futura bikes I have done a little additional research. To date I can confirm the UK 1992 Sport Pro bike is 100% a GE model as I have had this confirmed by a frame number on an owners bike. I am still waiting on conformation of the UK 1991 Futura with the FM style seat unit and colour scheme, however we know that the frame, fork, swingarm, mudguard etc are all GE spec, so for now I am categorising it also as a GE (UK) bike until proven otherwise via a frame number.

Here is a simplified version for all the AF1 models and how the UK bikes fit in to that timeline.

And to separate out the officially imported bikes in to the UK, we had:

My bike - previous engine work

Here is a little more history on my AF1 I found while going back over some old messages from the previous owner.

3rd July 2022:
"When we got it, the bike had been stored for 10-ish years but I cleaned the carb etc and it ran very well. After putting new tyres on etc and a fresh MOT, on its first ride it spat a load of gearbox oil out. After pressurising the crankcase, I thought it was crank seals so changed those and it made no difference, so I ended up splitting the motor down and saw that the gasket between the crankcase and gearbox had gone, so changed that and checked everything else as I went. One of the best Rotax lumps I've ever played with to be honest"

1989 range from Performance Bikes magazine

 A look at the 1989 range from Performance Bikes Magazine

Magazine, International motorcycle catalogue 1988-1989

 The 'International Motorcycle Catalogue' was a model listing directory published annually. I had several from period and I am missing the 1990 one with the Futura generation in, if I find it I'll update. Here are all the listings for the AF1 series.

Magazine, Performance Bikes January 1988, Aprilia AF1 125

 This was one of the first UK road tests for the Aprilia AF1 Project 108 dating from January 1988.

HELLO, I LOVE YOU

Never heard of Aprilia? You will if they make any more bikes like the AF1 125.

"Two coffees please." "Coming up darlin'. Anything else?" "Nope."

Buying a hot drink from the cafe next to the local Kawasaki shop takes about 90 seconds. Add on an extra 30 for the time it took to stick my head round the door to ask 125 Bol d'Or veteran Trev whether he wanted one lump or two and that means whoever had stolen the Aprilia AF1 125 had managed it about two minutes. With the steering lock on. In broad daylight. There could only be one explanation.

They're an opportunist bunch of kidnapping wasters at Peterborough Kawasaki and their curiosity had got the better of them. The bike was up on a bench in the workshop, the sidepanels and seat already off and Mick the mechanic guiltily trying to get the tank unbolted before I could see him.

Not that you could blame them. Wherever the Aprilia went, everybody with the slightest interest in bikes wanted to have a go, know how fast it went or guess how much it cost. The AF1 125 is new in a way that no other bike in the last few years has been. Even wild, way out race replicas like Honda's NS400 had some kind of forerunner, if only a GP bike with the cylinders pointing in different directions.

The Aprilia has such no such pedigree. In evolutionary terms, it just sprung out of the ground. Or to be more precise, it sprang out of Aprilia's new factory in Noale, Italy. And the truly amazing thing is how such a bike came from nowhere to rival the best Japan can produce.

Until late 1986 Aprilia were best known in the UK for making trials bikes, dodgy Ducati Pantah headlights and (once upon a time) motocrossers. Then came the Olympia show and Aprilia's first three road bikes — a 50cc, 8 1/2 bhp, electric start moped, an enduro-styled 250 and a 350cc trail bike. Factory personnel at the time talked of multi-millions pound investment, 31 new models and five new engines over the next five years. Things didn't turn out quite that rosy but one year and a 250 GP win later the 125 'world beater' they promised was ready.

It's a stunner. If visual appeal could be measured on a dyno, the AF1 125 would make a lot more than 22 horsepower. Being Italian, Aprilia have rightly deduced that one of the best things to do on a motorcycle is be seen on it, preferably by several members of the opposite sex. In styling terms the colour scheme is inspired, the bodywork pinched from established success stories and the single sided swingarm a stroke of genius.

The Rotax motor starts first push of the button and even in cold weather ticks over without choke. The clutch is smooth enough for gentle getaways and useable, even power is available anywhere between 4,000 and 9,500rpm. Achieving that kind of spread from a 22bhp 125 suggests that Rotax know exactly what they’re doing, though there may not be much room left for improvement. On its first tank of fuel the AF1 would knock merrily almost anywhere in the rev range. JR, who is now our resident combustion expert (see page 16), diagnosed the gentle rattling noise as pre-ignition which usually means the engine is asking for a higher octane fuel.

This suspicion was confirmed when he found out that the Italians, with the environmental sensitivity of a rotting sheep, still haven’t reduced the lead content of their petrol and can therefore get away with higher compression ratios on production bikes. JR’s theory was that low octane UK fuel was bringing the Aprilia right to the limit. We tried the next tankful with Silkolene Pro Boost octane booster which stopped the rattling but is a touch expensive for street use. As a cheaper alternative JR suggested Motul synthetic two stroke oil which tends to smooth out combustion, but we never got round to trying it. We later found that the rattles also disappeared in cold, damp weather.

The best 125 roadster engine at the moment is Yamaha’s TZR. In comparison the Aprilia isn’t as crisp; there’s a slightly less direct connection between right wrist spasm and rear wheel thrust. It’s not a problem; in fact if you’re trying to ride smoothly with a passenger this engine is easier to use. Besides, few UK TZRs have the servo motor fitted which means they’re either in docile 12bhp form (Power Valve down) or sod all-below-seven-grand form (Power Valve up). The Aprilia gets near the best of both versions, but without taking it and an unrestricted TZR to MIRA on the same day it’s impossible to know which is fastest.

At any rate there’s enough power to scream the AF1 out of corners in fine style, though the 8,000-9,500rpm optimum squirt mode means you have got to be in the right gear every time. On motorways it’ll cruise happily at an indicated 130km/h (81mph); with a tail wind it’ll hit the redline in top (145km/h) even with a passenger.

All this with no power valve. Or so we thought, gazing blankly at the mysterious RAVE unit above the exhaust port. It looked like a power valve but the only cable on it led to the rear brake lever. After much head scratching we faxed the factory who explained that RAVE was an automatic system operated by exhaust gas pressure. The cable attachment was merely ‘to obtain frequent discrustation’.

In many ways the Aprilia feels like a Japanese bike. Things like seat/handlebar/footrest positions, tank shape, switchgear and most of all instruments bear an unsubtle similarity to an RG250 Mk3. This is a good thing because compared with Japan, Italy’s accumulated knowledge of ergonomics could have been written on the inside of a mouse’s ear.

It’s only when you notice the ride quality, brake feel and ultra-light, precise steering that you begin to realise the Italian bike industry is well and truly out of the dark ages. Bar the Paso and the odd Bimota (which nobody but Oxley and his jet setting buddies will ever get to ride) the AF1 is the first bike from Italy with real suspension.

Far softer at both ends than you’d imagine, it makes the bike comfortable and fast. Nothing twists or flexes, the rising rate rear end actually works and the anti dive on the righthand fork leg doesn’t. Mix in light, stable steering and you’ve got a first class scratcher. Short, choppy bumps in the road don’t make any impression. Bigger undulations waggle the bars from side to side and make the bike yaw slightly. This is all as it should be; many 750s behave in much the same way.

The mid November weather never let the Arrowmax tyres get hot but they gripped fine, and in the wet the bike was particularly easy to ride. Even sitting a passenger on the back didn’t upset the steering or handling. Pillion accommodation, by the way, was standard 125 issue — reasonably comfortable seat, no grab rails and footrests about a foot higher than they should be.

Complaints from female pillions were drowned out most of the time by appreciative murmurs. It makes me blush to explain why but apparently the vibrations reaching the Aprilia’s rear seat are just the right frequency, if you know what I mean. It seems that the resemblance to the Mk 3 Gamma goes a lot deeper than was first thought.

At the track the AF1 hit an indicated 9,700rpm in top fairly rapidly and stayed there, giving 92.5mph in still air. As the factory claim 93.75mph we thought this was about right, especially as we’d earlier seen 10,000rpm in top down a particularly long hill. Importer Robert Jackson was a bit disappointed (the Italian magazine Moto Sprint got 97mph) but it’s still quick.

On the standing quarters the clutch developed the sudden, graunchy, notchy feel which we noticed on the Gilera 125s last year. It wasn't that much of a problem; it just seems to be a characteristic of Italian lightweights. But in case it was doing any damage I limited the quarters to three runs. The bike’s too high geared to produce scorching ETs anyway.

High gearing also made it difficult to pull wheelies off the throttle, and as using the clutch for frontal aviation is hideously uncool the best method turned out to be whacking the throttle open at six grand whilst simultaneously riding over a bump. On the other hand the AF1 pulls the best stoppies in the business. It's quite easy to get the back wheel in the air whilst still travelling at a reasonable speed. No other 125 I’ve tried seems to want to do this. Naturally we can’t recommend such behaviour on the public highway.

So the AF1 goes, stops and handles beautifully. Equally importantly, it cuts a certain dash on the street. The rising rate linkage, single sided swingarm is the first in the country, even beating Honda’s RC30 into the showrooms. The electric start is more than any current Japanese two stroke has got. The fairing’s internal panelling is a luxury usually reserved for big touring bikes. Then there’s the gold plated chain, Dymag-type wheels, CBR-style rear mudguard and indicators that are works of art — all these things heap lashings of street cred on an already impressive design.

All the more sad, then, that the Aprilia’s major flaw is its finish; despite Windy Corner’s immaculate preparation the demo bike was starting to get tacky after only a day or two of rain. The fairing screws were corroding. The paintwork round the filler cap was stained yellow. The rear mudguard, which appeared to be made of the same soft material as a washing up bowl, was proving almost impossible to wash effectively. Cleaning also showed up a poor fitting bellypan, and the bike as a whole didn’t have a new Japanese bike’s ability to shrug off dirt and grease. The AF1 could be kept looking good, but it’d take a hell of a lot of loving care.

Two point three grand is far too much money for a 125. Is it worth it? A TZR, plus servo motor, plus optional full fairing retails at £1700 so in strict cash terms you could get the same performance, handling and basic spec for less if you bought a Yamaha. Against that the AF1 is the trickest road 125 in the country, and the factory’s decision to pitch it at the high tech end of the market is a very brave one. Besides, it’s aimed at rich full licence holders rather than penniless learners.

We think it’s great that the Italians are ending years of stagnation and are starting to produce bikes that don't require rose tinted spectacles, a subscription to Motorcycle Sport and blind loyalty for their proper appreciation. All we need now is for Guzzi, Morini and Laverda to catch up.

RP

SIDEBAR: Stop Press

Lusting learners don't have long to wait; the first 12bhp AF1s will arrive in January. The first ten unrestricted ones sold out before they even reached the country.

At the time of going to press USAB had signed up 15 dealers throughout the UK. Spares availability should be reasonable — USAB are stocking everything the factory recommend. Tricky items can be air freighted across the channel in seven days if you’re desperate but it will be expensive. Meanwhile Rotax are working on a tuning kit which should be available after Christmas.

Aprilia will be racing in 250GPs again in ’88 and three works bikes have just been sold in Britain. If all goes well you'll be reading about the 250 AF1 race replica this time next year.