GPR Camp: Replica Racers

Jensen Beeler wrote:11/06/2019
https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/bikes/ ... rs-250-sp/

A welcomed late-surprise at the EICMA show in Milan, two Italian names in small-displacement racing have come together to get young riders on the race track.

I am of course talking about Aprilia and Ohvale, which have collaborated to build the Aprilia RS 250 SP race bike.

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A purpose built racing machine, the Aprilia RS 250 SP is like a bigger Ohvale in its presentation, complete with 17″ wheels, and all the high-performance parts you would expect to see on a proper racing machine.

As such, the go-fast bits are brakes by Brembo, suspension by Öhlins, and a rowdy exhaust by SC-Project. The 17-inch Marchesini wheels will mount Pirelli rubber, making this a very Italian affair.

Though the engine is sourced from Aprilia, Ohvale will handle the production, with pricing set under €10,000.

To help groom younger riders, the Italian FMI Aprilia Sport Production Championship is being set up, which is a spec-series with the Aprilia RS 250 SP at its center.

The series will be a six-race affair and start next year, with the hopes of finding the next Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, or Valentino Rossi. It is a very interesting approach, and one that other locations should be keen to mimic.

“The new championship takes up a tradition that makes Aprilia unique, a brand that has taken generations of young people onto the track and that has raised up great champions,” said Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing.

“From 2020, thanks to the partnership with the Federation, we will once again be providing fun for young people who, in this championship, will find a way to make their dreams come true and perhaps, this is our wish, the start of a path in the world of competitive motorcycling.”

“This is why we have designed an easy bike and formula that will attract the highest number of young people to competitive motorcycling.”

Zaran Mody wrote:Nov 8, 2019
https://www.zigwheels.com/news-features ... ike/35910/

Aprilia Aims To Bring Racing To The Masses With Its RS 250 SP

• The RS 250 SP was unveiled at EICMA 2019.
• It has been developed with fellow Italian company Ohvale.
• A one-make championship for the bike will kick-off next year.

Aprilia was a dominant force in the smaller Grand Prix classes back in the '90s and early 2000s, producing some legendary two-stroke race bikes. But with the advent of the four-stroke era, the Italian manufacturer's fortunes suffered, and it eventually withdrew from the smaller classes altogether. It is now raring to get back into the racing scene, with a production series as its first target.

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To this end, it has unveiled the RS 250 SP race bike at EICMA 2019. This motorcycle has been developed in collaboration with fellow Italian brand Ohvale, known for its small-capacity race bikes. It’s powered by a high-performance 250cc single-cylinder motor. Sound familiar? Of course it does. This is the exact same engine configuration used in Moto3 race bikes all over the world. This is no coincidence: Aprilia is looking to build on the base of the RS 250 SP and eventually transition into supplying prototypes for the Moto3 class.

This is music to our ears, because the Moto3 field is currently populated by only two manufacturers: Honda and KTM. A third manufacturer, especially a highly accomplished and innovative one like Aprilia, will add some variety to the mix and make the racing a lot more interesting.

In the short term, though, Aprilia is looking to set up a one-make championship for the RS 250 SP which will kick off next year. Called the FMI Aprilia Sport Production Championship, it will be spread over 6 rounds and competitors as young as 11 years will race identical bikes, with the rider having to make the difference.

The motorcycle itself looks rather exquisite, with a beefy twin-spar aluminium frame and very compact dimensions. Being a race bike, it is dripping with the very best of technology. The 250cc motor will be designed and built by Aprilia and will exhale through an SC Project high performance exhaust system. The brakes are by Brembo and tyres are from Pirelli, making the RS 250 SP a very Italian affair indeed. The only exception is the suspension which comes from Swedish specialist Ohlins.

Remarkably, despite all the top-spec hardware, Aprilia is aiming to price the RS 250 SP under €10,000 (Rs 7.87 lakh). While this may sound like a lot of money for a 250cc motorcycle, it is actually rather reasonable as far as race bikes go, and the RS 250 SP will probably outperform most street bikes sold in this price range, at least on the racetrack. We look forward to watching these little crotch rockets battle it out on the circuit.