The history of Aprilia began in the late 1920s when Cavaliere Alberto Beggio, a charismatic and enterprising man, started a small factory in Noale, near Venice, to make bicycles. The company was called "Societa Anonima Rulli e Motori" and the first bikes were powered by engines bought from other manufacturers.
In the 1930s, Beggio's son, Ivano, took over the company and started to produce his own engines. The first Aprilia motorcycles were born in 1945, just after the end of World War II. They were called "Colibrì", "Diavolo" and "Gobbetto".
The first real success came in the early 1950s with the "Conte" model, which was followed by the "Mongolfiera" (1956) and the "Rondine" (1958). In the 1960s, Aprilia started to participate in racing and won its first world championship in 1967, in the 125cc class, with Giacomo Agostini.
In the 1970s, Aprilia expanded its range of products and started to produce scooters, mopeds, and larger motorcycles. The company also continued its success in racing, winning several world championships.
In the 1980s, Ivano Beggio's son, Andrea, took over the company and under his leadership, Aprilia became one of the largest and most successful motorcycle manufacturers in the world. In the 1990s, Aprilia won several world championships in the 125cc and 250cc classes with riders such as Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi.
Today, Aprilia is a subsidiary of the Piaggio Group and continues to produce high-quality motorcycles, scooters, and other vehicles.
With such a vast history, it’s hard to pinpoint just one Aprilia motorcycle that’s better than all the rest, so we’ve compiled a full list of motorcycles that stand out to help narrow down your search for the best Aprilia motorcycle.