Aprilia RX 50

What I immediately noticed after firing up the engine and giving a go on the new RX 50 was that the engine is truly effective and able to deal with virtually every situation that a rider could encounter while discovering the trails and his great, hidden passion for motorcycles along the way. Backing up the high performance thumper is a versatile chassis. In fact, the combination between these two units is what makes the RX 50 so great and well balanced.

The two stroke single cylinder is liquid-cooled and features Aprilia’s reed valve induction. The cylinder is made out of light alloy, resulting into an engine that weighs only 15 kg. It is amazing how that kind of power can be obtained while keeping the weight so down.

It is very easy to get used to the RX as the bike’s is very user friendly, but this is no boring machine. The Italian manufacturer made sure that once the rider gets a handful of its throttle it will totally forget the displacement of the engine that powers this baby. I was impressed by how the thumper pulls easily from down low and all the way through its rev range, leaving the rider promising not to underestimate a 50 cc bike ever again.

The very best of the bike’s capabilities, especially good power delivery, are also the result of a six speed gearbox that works effectively and precisely, just how a begging rider needs.

On last year’s model, Aprilia made sure that the RX’s frame would be the single piece that connects the steering head and the swingarm pivot and it feels as you go down the trails. Maneuvering the bike is made with complete ease, no matter the speed of which we’re talking, and passing above obstacles is a real piece of cake on the smallest RX. The versatile behavior is indeed implied by the frame, but dealing with the rough terrain are the Marzocchi fork at the front and the hydraulic monoshock at the rear. Both offer satisfying wheel travel space (195mm and 180mm), so this is how a true innovative bike deals with the tough terrain. It feels great when making slalom between tries, although I wouldn’t recommend that to beginners.

The only thing that this bike needed to be absolutely great for teenagers was a good set of brakes, which make their presence felt out on the trails. Actually we’re talking about two piston units and 300mm discs. This is not heard of on a daily basis, is it? Not when 50cc motorcycles are the subject of the discussion. At the rear, things get back to “normal” as we encounter a 180 mm stainless steel disc. Hitting the brakes on this baby is when reality hits you right in the face as the stopping power is at the highest performance level (for the class, of course) and the low weight helps a lot.

For people who are interested in a great performing off-road bike, but they didn’t quite developed their skills yet, the RX 50 is the best instructor ever. Friendly at first and demanding afterwards!