Aprilia announced a new replica version of its entry-level RS4 125 sportbike, making it look even more like the company’s World Superbike Championship contender, the RSV4. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the eighth-liter sportbike to arrive in North American showrooms despite Aprilia‘s promise of a late-2011 availability.

The replica version features graphics including the #3 to match the RSV4 of Max Biaggi who captured the 2010 WSBK title on the RSV4. The Aprilia RS4 125 replica also comes with a color-matched tail cover which can replace the passenger seat.

The changes from the base model are more than cosmetic however. The replica version will also come standard with Aprilia’s quick shift, making it easier for new riders to upshift without having to worry about cutting throttle or operating the clutch. A quick shift is available as an add-on to the base RS4 125. Continue Reading »

Aprilia U.K. will offer a quick shifter as an optional add-on to the Aprilia RS4 125 entry-level sportbike.

Inherited from the Aprilia RSV4 R APRC, the quick shifter allows for clutchless upshifts without needing to close the throttle. While the racing and trackday applications for the quick shifter on the RSV4 R APRC are clear, on a beginner-level model like the RS4 125, it helps ease the learning curve for new riders.

There’s no word yet whether the quick shifter option will be offered in the U.S. when the Aprilia RS4 125 arrives later this year as a 2012 model. In the U.K., the quick shifter adds an extra 99 pounds (US$160) to the Aprilia RS4 125′s 3,999 pound (US$6,500) price tag.

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Press release after the jump.

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