APRILIA RS250 Two-stroke tomfoolery
These days the only two-stroke you’re likely to see (or hear) is your wife’s chainsaw… or the kid next door’s remote control car. I’m sure I speak for many others out there when I say that it saddens me to think that such an important technology is all but redundant in today’s motorcycling world.
Be that as it may, there are still a fair few good examples of recent(ish) two-strokes out there, and not all of them will require you to re-mortgage your house to own one. Take my dad’s Aprilia RS250 for example; it set him back £4,000 and it’s in pretty decent nick. I say decent-ish because it’s not a minter, and the truth is that it’s a thoroughbred two-stroke, which means it craves more maintenance than a needy missus. Funnily enough, this little outing at Cadwell Park was no exception to the rule, as the carbs needed stripping before it was running properly. Still, my dad was in his element, whipping the spanners out and getting stuck in.
Fettling finished, the actual riding proved even more satisfying than the fixing. Weighing in at only 138kg it was the lightest bike on test by a good chunk, with its agility consequently knowing no bounds. Cadwell Park’s one of the windiest tracks in the country, and it’s on such technical circuits that the Aprilia really comes into its own. In reality, on the right day with the right rider and a fistful of ear-piercing revs, this little whippet would show-up the majority of trackday riders. And that latter point is the real linchpin to mastering decent lap times; this featherweight fancy demands being screamed to high heaven, which takes some getting used to if you’re more used to doing battle on torquerife four-strokes. I’ve raced this bike, so I knew that was always going to be the case, readily anticipating the thing being flatter than a fart at anything under 10,000rpm.
You will get the most out of this Suzuki RGV250-derived V-twin by buzzing it from 10,000 to 12,000, but if you go above that then you’re starting to take liberties, as two-strokes do have a penchant for seizing solid when overworked. And as forgiving as my old man is, I reckon he’d have disowned me if I’d harmed his pride and joy.
Thankfully, there was none of that nonsense on this little outing, which proved a really enjoyable experience. It took a few laps for me to re-adapt to the bike, and not just owing to its funky motor, but the way in which it effortlessly launched itself into bends. At times, it’d fall into corners so quickly and so sharply that I’d have to adjust my line and pick the thing back up. The Aprilia’s built for high corner speeds, and that’s where it makes all its time up. It’s certainly not a quick bike, but it’s got an unparalleled ability to egg you on into tackling bends faster and faster. The way in which it dismembered Cadwell’s curvatures felt as effortless as the way a politician tells lies and that’s the reason why this bike is so desirable. It’s the reason I can forgive it for being a little steady on the straights, and maybe a tad too small for my 5ft 11in frame, because the odd bit of cramp and discomfort is well worth suffering for the joys this little stroker has to offer. But that’s the nature of this bike; it’s a compromise. The sensible bloke would always opt for the easy route, which this Aprilia certainly isn’t, and not just because it’s
unreliable, but because it’s difficult to ride and can be a nightmare to start. It’s a kickstart motorcycle, which is a quirky feature nowadays, but you should always be prepared to have a few mates on hand to shove you into action after your calf muscles have thrown in the towel from unsuccessful bouts of kicking. You’ll laugh about it post-incident, but it’s not all that funny when your trackday group’s been called and you can’t fire the bloody thing into life. Still, that’s the reality of the situation, and it’s one which thousands of two-stroke lovers know better than anyone, along with all the idiosyncrasies of fouled plugs, heat seizures and the necessity to keep the all essential two-stoke oil pumping through the bike’s veins.
There are many folk out there who are quite prepared to spend evening after evening, weekend after weekend, stripping and rebuilding engines, balancing carbs and mixing fuel, but, I would wager, the majority of us are neither willing, nor capable of such things. If that’s the kind of guy (or gal) you are then I’m happy for you, enjoy your RS250, but if you want something that requires a little less dedication in the workshop for just as many grins on the track, I’d suggest you look elsewhere.