SX 125 (MY2025)

The SX 125 is a proper supermoto scaled down to 124 cc, not a commuter wearing a costume. Aprilia took its off-road racing know-how and built a steel perimeter frame, a 1.6 in (41 mm) upside-down fork, 9.4 in (240 mm) of front travel and 17-inch street wheels around a liquid-cooled single with 15 hp and a six-speed gearbox. Wet weight is 295 lb (134 kg). Rider aids stop at ABS. You also get an LED headlight and a dash with a gear indicator. Hardly any mainstream manufacturer still builds a real supermoto this small. Aprilia does!

This is a momentum bike. With 8 lb-ft on tap you don't blast out of corners: you carry speed through them, and the SX rewards that with handling so light it feels like cheating. In town it's in its element, squeezing through gaps and sipping fuel at 67 mpg, and a simple single with a chain keeps ownership cheap over the years. It's for you if you want to learn real corner speed, or simply want the most fun per gallon on tight roads. The caveat is simple: 15 hp, a 34.6 in (880 mm) seat and suspension you can't adjust. Know that going in.