As modern-classic and neo-retro motorcycles continue to grow an audience, more and more manufacturers are venturing beyond café racer-styled naked bikes. Triumph recently slapped a beautiful bubble fairing and svelte tail section onto its Speed Triple 1200 RR and Yamaha drew from its decorated 1980s Grand Prix days for the heavily-updated XSR900.
As retros get racier, we can see other brands getting in on the trend as well. Aprilia seems to be prepping a commemorative 30th anniversary livery for a potential RSV4 Trenta, but that nostalgic paint scheme doesn’t go far enough for some fans. One such Aprilia die-hard is French blogger Le Week-End De Course and his RS250-inspired RSV4 bodywork and paint show just how far brand enthusiasts are willing to go to capture the charm of a bygone era.
Gallery: RS250 Replica: Aprilia RSV4
Aprilia produced the road-going RS250 between 1995 and 2002. Created as an ode to the firm’s Grand Prix intermediate class success, it held out as one of the last street-legal two-strokes. While the RS250 and RSV4 have sported similar graphic treatments and colorways over the years, the two models couldn’t be any more different.
The RS250 repurposed a Suzuki RGV250 V-twin engine with a modified ECU, expansion chambers, and airbox. The liquid-cooled, 249cc, 90-degree V-twin mustered 65 horsepower but only tipped the scales at 310 pounds. By comparison, the 445-pound RSV4 cranks out 217 horsepower thanks to its 1,099cc, 65-degree V4 engine.
The French blogger wanted to pair the Superbike’s modern-day power, technology, and performance, with RS250's old-school aesthetics, though. To achieve such a lofty goal, he contracted Carbone Junkie Switzerland to create the carbon fiber fairing while Corbex SA provided the paintwork and headlight mounting system.
Of course, wiring the old RS250 headlamps to the RSV4 electrical system proved a formidable task but the team pulled it off in the end. A Biman saddle and a newly-polished frame complete the retro makeover. More brands may be venturing into the modern-classic segment, but Le Week-End De Course proves that enthusiasts can be the change they want to see in the market.
