History of Aprilia
When you think of Italian motorcycling, the first name that comes to mind is "Aprilia." The company was founded in 1945 by Cavaliere Alberto Beggio and has won multiple international competitions since it began racing in the 1970s.
But what would motivate a man to found a company that would change the face of motorcycle racing forever? Let's find out.
Origin Story
The story of Aprilia Motorcycles began in 1945 when Alberto Beggio opened a small shop in the Italian town of Noale dedicated to the production of bicycles.
In 1968, after honing his company's craft for 23 years, Mr. Beggio's son Ivano joined the family business. He decided to focus on scooters and small-capacity motorcycles and helped it grow into the largest producer of motorcycles in Italy.
Today, through the hard work and dedication of generations of Beggios, Aprilia is one of the most recognizable names in motorcycle racing. From Grand Prix championships to Superbike titles, Aprilia has established itself as a hallmark of quality and innovation in racing, production, and design.
It is now a subsidiary of Piaggio, the largest European manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles and the world's fourth-largest motorcycle manufacturer by unit sales.
History
When it comes to motorcycles, Aprilia is one of the most famous names in the world. But what do you know about their history?
Here are some key milestones in the evolution of this iconic motorcycle manufacturer.
Key Milestones
First Motorcycle
Aprilia began manufacturing motorcycles in the late 1960s and in 1970 introduced a 50 cc motocross bike that evolved into a 125 cc machine and eventually produced its first competition motocross bike in the mid-1970s.
Racing Triumphs
After a successful début in 1975, Aprilia entered the World Championship Motorcycle Racing series, going up against Japanese competitors in the fiercely contested 250 class.
The Rise of Aprilia
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1987List Item 1
Aprilia's 250cc AF1, with a new chassis and engine advancements, climbed to the top, taking second place in the world championships (Salzburg and Rijeka). The race victory came at Misano on 30 August 1987.
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1988List Item 2
Aprilia started to race in the 125 class, and in its very first event—the French Grand Prix—it achieved its first podium finish.
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1991List Item 3
The RS250V, is a radical departure from its previous designs. It immediately proves to be an exceptional machine and wins in the first year that it is raced by Chili (Assen) and Reggiani (Paul Ricard). Max Biaggi then explodes onto the scene with the European 250 championship. Aprilia also won its first class victory in the 125 class in Czechoslovakia: Alessandro Gramigni.
First World Championship Win
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1992List Item 1
Aprilia wins its first-ever world championships with Alex Gragmigni riding to victory at the 125cc World Championship. Chili won races at Hockenheim, Assen, and Donington Park, while rival company Reggiani won at Jerez and Magny-Cours. In offroad racing, Aprilia took two manufacturers' titles, as well - with Tommy Avhala winning the Trial World Championship.
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1994List Item 2
Max Biaggi won races in Malaysia, Australia, the Czech Republic, Holland, and Barcelona, becoming World Champion in the 250cc class on an Aprilia.
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1995List Item 3
This season was a particularly successful one for both Max Biaggi and Aprilia. The two racked up a total of nine victories. The season was capped off with confirmations of their status as World Champions and with their first Manufacturer title. In the 125 class, Sakata was unable to repeat his previous year's performance and ended up taking second place the season.
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1996List Item 4
This was a great year for Max Biaggi, who won three world championships in a row. The year was so good that it even brought the manufacturer title to his team, thanks to victories fromTokudome, Perugini, Valentino Rossi, Oettl, and Gary McCoy.
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1997
Aprilia dominated the racing world, winning two World Championships: one for 125 class riders and another for manufacturers. The team's star was Valentino Rossi, who won 11 out of 15 races.
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1998
Aprilia dominated the 250-class. The brand took 13 of the 14 available victories in GP races, with its riders taking every spot on the podium four times. Aprilia also won the Manufacturer Championship by a large margin over its competition.
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1999
Aprilia's 250 RSW was piloted by Valentino Rossi, who won 9 races to become champion of the 250 class. Battaini, Waldmann, McWilliams, and Lucchi were in the top 3 as well. With their collective efforts, Aprilia won the Manufacturer Championship for the second time in a row. It was also when Aprilia entered Superbike racing for the first time with their RSV Mille.
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2000
Aprilia offers more than just a brilliant performance in their first year of Superbike, with five victories and four Superpoles to their name. That same year, they won the World Motorcycle Racing Championship's 125 class. That win marked the 15th world title in Aprilia history.
21st Century Aprilia
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2001List Item 1
Aprilia took three SBK victories (two for Corser and one for Laconi), eight podiums, and three Superpoles. In the World Motorcycle Racing Championship, things were a little spottier. They took five victories in the 250 class but only two in the 125 class.
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2002List Item 2
Aprilia had won four world championships—two in the 125 and 250 classes and two rider championships in the 250 class with Marco Melandri and 125 class with Arnaud Vincent. The eighth-litre Aprilia won 8 of the 16 races in 2002, but it was the fourth-litre RS Cube that made its début in the brand new regina MotoGP class.
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2003List Item 3
Aprilia won three titles: 125 Manufacturer (with 10 wins), 250 Rider (Manuel Poggiali won in his debut season), and 250 Manufacturer (with 14 victories). In MotoGP, the RS Cube made a fine début with the fastest race lap time recorded during the French GP and showed promising performance.
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2004, 2005List Item 4
Aprilia's off-road department, Noale Racing Division (N.R.D.), focused its efforts on the Enduro and Supermotard categories. Jerome Giraudo, Aprilia's test rider, won the S2 class world championship in 2004. In the Motocross World Championship, Aprilia claimed the title of Manufacturer Champion.
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2006
The Piaggio Group's reorganization of the Racing Division helped Aprilia set a record for 6 world championships in 2006. Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo (in the 250 class) and Alvaro Bautista (in 125) win the Rider title, and Van Den Bosch takes home the two World Supermoto titles (S2).
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2007, 2008
Aprilia wins the Manufacturer title in 125 and 250 cc during the 2007 season, joining Lorenzo's last two championships in those two classes. The S2 Manufacturers title comes from World Supermoto. In 2008, Aprilia won the Manufacturer title again in 125 and 250 cc.
Aprilia’s Return to Superbike Championship
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2009List Item 1
Aprilia, which launched its RSV4 on the market in 2009, returns to the World Superbike Championship. In its first year, the bike scores its first victory at a race in Brno. Aprilia also won three world titles from MotoGP.
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2010List Item 2
Aprilia rider Max Biaggi has won the World Superbike Championship, becoming the first Italian to achieve such an accomplishment. He also helped Aprilia win the World Manufacturer's title.
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2011List Item 3
Aprilia Racing won the Supermoto S1 World Championship. Aprilia rider Adrien Chareyre, who raced for the Fast Wheels Team, won both the Rider and Manufacturer titles at stake in the final French GP.
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2012List Item 4
Max Biaggi won the 2012 Superbike World Championship for the second time, with Aprilia taking the title of World Manufacturer.
Worldwide Recognition
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2013List Item 1
Aprilia finishes the season as World Superbike Manufacturer World Champion, posting an undefeated season. The manufacturer has taken five of the six spots on the podium at the 2013 Phillip Island round, ensuring its place in history.
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2014List Item 2
The Aprilia RSV4 won the 2014 World Superbike Championship, with French rider Sylvain Guintoli earning the Rider title and Aprilia winning its third consecutive Manufacturer title.
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2016List Item 3
The year's championship saw the début of Aprilia's new MotoGP bike, the Aprilia RS-GP. The bike is the first to be designed and built by the Italian team. It sports a narrow V4 engine that has become Aprilia's signature feature. Riders Álvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl consistently scored points, finishing 26 races in the top six for the 18-race season. This placed the team seventh at the season's end.
Noteworthy Statistics
Here are some noteworthy statistics about Aprilia motorcycles:
- Aprilia has earned more Grand Prix victories than any other European motorcycle manufacturer with 294 wins in Road Racing World Championship. It also boasts 54 world titles in racing including 38 road racing titles, 7 Superbike wins, and 9 off-road victories.
- Aprilia was bought by Piaggio & C. in 2004, forming the fourth largest motorcycle group in the world, with sales totaling 1.5 billion euros, an annual production capacity of 600,000 vehicles, and a presence in 50 countries.New Paragraph
Models by Type
At its inception, Aprilia was known mainly for its scooters and smaller bikes. But in the years since its founding, the company has gone on to produce a vast range of motorcycles, including some of the most powerful bikes on the market. Below we've compiled a list of all the different models by type of Aprilia motorcycles that are currently available.
List of Services
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ScootersList Item 1
Scooters are a popular choice among first-time motorcycle riders because of their ease of use and high fuel efficiency. They have small wheels, step-through frames, and automatic transmissions that make them easy to ride around urban areas or on short trips down dirt roads or through forest trails. Aprilia produces a wide variety of scooters ranging from 50cc to 850cc in both sporty and vintage styles. These include: SR 125; SR 160; SXR-160; SXR-125; Storm 125.
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SportbikesList Item 2
Aprilia Sportbikes are fast, sleek, and agile machines that provide exhilarating rides on the street or track. They are perfect for riders who want to experience the thrill of high-speed acceleration and cornering at an affordable price point. Sportbikes are designed for racing or other high-speed endeavors. Some examples of Aprilia sportbikes include the RSV4 RF LE and the RSV4 RR LE.
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Motocross BikesList Item 3
Motocross bikes are designed for use on rough terrain. Also, fit for track racing on dirt surfaces, these bikes have long suspensions with lots of travel so they can jump over obstacles without bottoming out or being damaged. They also have high suspension and a powerful engine for fast acceleration. Aprilia offers the RX 125 series for those who want a motocross bike with a smaller engine and the SX 125 series for those who prefer a larger engine capacity.
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Supermoto BikesList Item 4
A supermoto bike is similar to a motocross bike, but with larger wheels that make it easier to ride on pavement. It has off-road capabilities but also can be used on the street and is designed to handle both types of terrains. Aprilia offers two options: the SXV 450 & 550 series and the RXV 450 & 550 series.
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Naked Bikes
The different models of naked bikes Aprilia offers give riders options to suit their needs and budget without sacrificing performance or style. Aprilia's naked bike line includes its RSV4, Shiver, Dorsoduro Supermoto, Tuono V4 Factory Superbike, and Tuono V4 1100 Factory.
