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Aleix Espargaro to Auction One of Aprilia's Key MotoGP Machines

Aleix Espargaro is putting one of Aprilia's most significant MotoGP bikes under the hammer, offering collectors a rare chance to own a piece of the brand's racing history.

MotoGP Correspondent · · 2 min read
An Aprilia MotoGP race bike on display under dramatic lighting in a garage setting
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A Landmark Aprilia MotoGP Bike Heads to Auction

Aleix Espargaro is set to auction one of the most important Aprilia MotoGP bikes ever raced, according to a report from motors-addict. The sale represents a rare opportunity for collectors and motorsport fans to acquire a machine that played a direct role in Aprilia's competitive resurgence in the premier class.

Espargaro spent more than a decade with Aprilia, becoming the cornerstone of the Italian manufacturer's MotoGP project. His years on the RS-GP were central to transforming Aprilia from a struggling backmarker into a genuine title contender. The bike going to auction sits at the heart of that story.

Details on the specific model year and auction house have not been fully disclosed at this stage, but the significance of the machine is not in question. Any RS-GP ridden by Espargaro during Aprilia's breakthrough period carries both historical and emotional weight.

Why This Sale Matters for MotoGP Collectors

Factory MotoGP machines rarely surface on the open market. Manufacturers typically retain their race bikes for museum displays, promotional use, or internal archives. When one does become available, particularly one linked to a defining era for a constructor, demand from serious collectors tends to be high.

Espargaro officially retired from full-time MotoGP competition at the end of the 2024 season, closing a chapter that saw him record Aprilia's best results in the modern MotoGP era. He finished on the podium multiple times and pushed the RS-GP to heights the brand had not reached in years. Parting with one of the bikes from that run signals a personal milestone as much as a commercial transaction.

For Aprilia, the auction also serves as an indirect endorsement of how far the program has come. A factory bike reaching collector status confirms the marque's standing in the sport.

Espargaro's Legacy With Aprilia

Few riders have shaped a manufacturer's MotoGP identity as directly as Espargaro did with Aprilia. He joined at a time when the RS-GP was difficult to ride and uncompetitive against the Japanese factories. Through years of development work alongside Aprilia's engineers, the bike evolved into a machine capable of fighting at the front.

His efforts gave Aprilia the credibility to attract additional factory riders and expand its competitive program. The motorcycle heading to auction is therefore not just a piece of hardware. It represents a development journey that changed the trajectory of an entire manufacturer's involvement in the world's premier motorcycle racing series.

Original reporting on this auction was published by motors-addict, which first broke the news of Espargaro's plans to sell the machine.

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Luca Moretti

MotoGP Correspondent

Luca Moretti is 21.fun's MotoGP correspondent, following the championship from free practice to the podium with an eye for race strategy and tech.

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