Research your APRILIA with our VIN Checker

Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle brand and a subsidiary of Piaggio. In addition to motorbikes, Aprilia manufactures racing bikes and scooters. The company was founded after World War 2 in the Province of Venice, Italy. However, it was not until the late 1960s that the company began manufacturing motorcycles. In 1970, the company produced a 50 cc motocross bike, the Scarabeo. The bike would later be produced in a 125 cc version as well.

Following 1980, Aprilia used the Austrian Rotax engine in its motorbikes. Aprilias’s bikes would win numerous racing competitions, thanks to more advanced bikes such as the 125 and 350 STX. Eventually, after 1990, Aprilia manufactured its first scooter as it entered the scooter market. It produced the Amico, a scooter made entirely out of plastic, the first of its kind in Italy. At the turn of the century, from 1998 to 2003, Aprilia produced its flagship model, the 1000 cc RSV Mille.

As Aprilia’s success grew during the beginning of the new millennium, it acquired Moto Guzzi, Italy’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer. It also acquired the Italian motorcycle brand Laverda. However, in 2004, Aprilia would itself be acquired by Piaggio, and to this day remains its subsidiary.

Aprilia has seen immense success in motorcycle racing. In 2010, it achieved the most wins ever in the sport’s history. Most notable is their participation in the Grand Prix World Championship, where they reigned supreme in the 125 cc and 250 cc category. Their participation in the larger, 500 cc class was not as successful however, spurring them to build newer and better bikes.

Even after the introduction of newer vehicles, Aprilia would experience limited success. This was attributable to Aprilia’s lighter-weighing, V2-engine vehicles, which gave them an edge over their competitors in handling but not in power. Aprilia would quit MotoGP in 2004, before eventually returning in 2012. Riders who have won the Grand Prix on Aprilia motorbikes include Max Biaggi, Valentino Rossi, and Alvaro Bautista.