The concept of a beginner bike differs vastly for many people. There are tons of variables when it comes to your “ideal” beginner bike. What type of riding do you plan on doing? Who do you plan on riding with? Where in the world are you from? All these and more greatly influence what your ideal beginner bike would be.
For someone in Florida, perhaps the perfect beginner bike is a clapped-out Suzuki Hayabusa with upwards of 150 horsepower and barely working brakes. But for folks in Europe and many other parts of the world, a bike like this isn’t something remotely possible for first-timers.
And this is where the so-called A1 beginner bike segment enters the picture. And tiny pistons aside, there are some seriously cool bikes in this segment—bikes that prove that performance doesn’t always have to mean what we generally think it to be.
Take for example, Aprilia’s new RX and SX machines. One of them is a go-anywhere dual-sport, while the other one is a road-going supermoto. They’re both based on the same platform, which is incredibly simple and affordable. How affordable? Think south of $5,000 USD (it's a shame they're not sold in the US).
But because one of them is a dual-sport and the other one is a supermoto, well, they’re very much different, and appealing to vastly different riders.
Both bikes are powered by a 125cc thumper restricted to around 15 horsepower. Both bikes are underpinned by the same steel double-cradle frame, and make use of the same 41-millimeter inverted forks. Both bikes get a basic suite of rider assistance tech, which is to say none, other than the mandatory ABS.
That said, beginners and seasoned riders alike who opt for this bike do get the convenience of a gear indicator.
In true dual-sport-versus-supermoto fashion, the main differentiator between these two bikes are their wheels. The RX, on the one hand, is equipped with enduro-proportioned 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. The tires on this thing are proper enduro, too, with knobby, albeit budget-focused tires from CST. Meanwhile, the supermoto SX gets 17-inch wheels fore and aft—also from CST.
So one of these bikes is at home in the woods or on gravel roads, while the other one will be seen popping wheelies at stoplights and getting its tail out on the twisties. Clearly worlds apart.
At the end of the day, it’s pretty cool to think how two very different machines can come out of pretty much one platform. And judging from the way Aprilia’s marketing these refreshed models, they’re designed primarily for fun and accessibility. In the hands of a capable rider, these things will surely move in ways newbies could only dream of. And in the hands of first-timers, well, these things will surely inspire confidence and breed the next generation of hooligans.
Sources: Aprilia, Motorcycle Sports, EICMA
