Aprilia Tuono 125

Which Tuono 125 is on sale in 2026?

Aprilia France still sells the 2025 model-year Tuono 125: it is the version listed on its model page, and nothing new has been announced since. Unveiled at EICMA in Milan in November 2024, it carries over the 2021 bike with an engine recalibrated for Euro 5+, standard traction control, a black-painted frame, a new exhaust cover and two colours, Viper Yellow (yellow and black) and Mamba Grey (matt grey and red).

The Tuono 125 is the naked version of the RS 125 sportbike: same engine and frame, but with a wide, raised handlebar and a small headlight fairing whose triple LED lights echo the Tuono 660 Factory. It has nothing in common with the Tuono 457, a twin for A2 riders, or with the Tuono V4. Aprilia already sold a two-stroke Tuono 125 in the early 2000s (2003-2004 according to Moto.it), before reviving the name in 2017 with a four-stroke single.

How much does it cost?

Aprilia France lists it at €5,400 including VAT, in a single version. Until 31 October 2026, an €800 offer brings it down to €4,600, and the Aprilia Days campaign adds two years to the standard two-year warranty until 1 November 2026. The listed price is the same in Italy and Germany. As accessories, the quickshifter costs €143 and the multimedia platform €159.

Against its rivals on sale in France it sits at the top end: the Honda CB125R costs €5,149, the KTM 125 Duke €5,399 (€4,799 on offer), the Yamaha MT-125 €5,799 and the CFMoto 125NK just €3,399.

Which licence do you need?

The Tuono 125 is a light motorcycle under French law: 124.2 cc and, according to Aprilia, 11 kW (15 hp), right on the 11 kW limit. In France, it can be ridden:

• on an A1 licence, available from age 16;
• on a car (B) licence held for at least two years, after a 7-hour practical course at an approved riding school (two hours of theory, two hours off-road, three hours on the road), costing €250 to €300 according to Service-Public.fr;
• on an A2 or full A licence.

French riders who got their B licence before March 1980, or who rode a 125 or a three-wheel scooter between 2006 and 2010 with a B licence held for two years or more, are exempt; so are those who took the old 3-hour course before 2011. Keep the course certificate with your licence, as it can be requested at a roadside check. In the UK, MCN points out that it sits right at the limit for CBT and A1 riders.

How good is the engine?

The 124.2 cc single (58 x 47 mm) is liquid-cooled, with four valves, twin overhead camshafts and a six-speed gearbox. Aprilia quotes 15 hp (11 kW) at 10,500 rpm and 11.4 Nm at 8,500 rpm on its French website and spec sheet; the launch press release and the 2025 brochure say 11.5 Nm. Recalibrated for Euro 5+, it keeps the performance of the 2021 version according to Aprilia, which was rated at 11.2 Nm at 8,000 rpm (figures reported by Moto.it and BikeSocial). That 2021 update had brought a new cylinder head, a Marelli ECU and a 58-tooth rear sprocket for livelier pick-up.

No review of the current version could be found. On the first generation, MCN found very little torque below 5,000 rpm and Motorbox a lazy engine below 7,000 rpm that needs keeping on the boil with frequent gear changes, through a precise but stiff gearbox. The optional quickshifter (which lets you change up without the clutch or closing the throttle) helps with exactly that. Aprilia does not quote a top speed; on a short track straight, MCN saw an indicated 110 km/h with a bit more to come.

Aprilia describes it as the only Italian-made 125 with an aluminium frame. In 2017, MCN pointed out that the engine was built in China and the bike assembled in Italy.

How does it ride?

The chassis is its strong point: an aluminium perimeter frame, rare on a 125, a 40 mm upside-down fork (110 mm of travel), a monoshock on an asymmetric swingarm (120 mm) and 17-inch wheels shod with 100/80 and 140/70 tyres according to Moto.it. It weighs 144 kg ready to ride, with an 810 mm seat. The brakes combine a 300 mm front disc with a four-piston radial caliper and a 218 mm rear disc, with two-channel Bosch ABS whose anti roll-over function limits rear-wheel lift under emergency braking.

Reviews of the first generation praised the chassis. For Motorbox, the Tuono 125 has “nothing to envy” the small middleweight sportbikes in the corners. MCN found it less sharp than the RS 125 but effective, with “superb” brakes, while regretting non-adjustable, slightly soft suspension. BikeSocial’s main gripe was the original Mitas tyres; since 2021 Aprilia has specified Michelin tyres and an ABS that also works on the rear wheel.

What equipment does it have?

The 2025 version adds switchable traction control (ATC), which cuts power when the rear wheel spins, to the two-channel ABS. Lighting is full LED, with the front indicators built into the headlights. The dash is still a digital LCD (fuel level, instant and average consumption, remaining range), whereas the CB125R, 125 Duke and 125NK have a 5-inch colour TFT. Smartphone connectivity comes through the optional Aprilia MIA platform. The under-seat compartment takes an 8-inch tablet, and Aprilia claims the largest fuel tank in the class, at 14.5 litres.

Fuel consumption and maintenance

Aprilia does not publish a fuel consumption figure for the Euro 5+ version. The 2021-2024 version was rated at 2.6 L/100 km on the WMTC cycle according to Moto.it. On the first generation, owners reported around 75 mpg (3.8 L/100 km) according to BikeSocial, or about 380 km per tank. The service schedule is not published online: Aprilia refers owners to the user manual, sent on request with the frame number.

Who is it for?

The Tuono 125 targets 16-year-old A1 riders and car licence holders who want a 125 with the looks and chassis of a real sportbike. It costs more than the CFMoto 125NK and the Honda CB125R, and its dash is less modern, but its aluminium frame, radial brakes and traction control remain rare in the class. If you want a sportier riding position, the Yamaha R125 is the other option. When you move up, Aprilia offers the Tuono 660 Factory in a 35 kW version for A2 licence holders.

Recalls

No recall was found for the four-stroke Tuono 125 (2017 to 2025 model years), either on RappelConso in France, in the EU Safety Gate database, in the UK DVSA database or in the US NHTSA database.