“I DID THREE LAPS … AND I WAS CRYING”

1994-2000

RSW500

500cc V-twin two-stroke

THE IDEA OF the RSW500 was born at the 1993 British GP, where the 500 race was just 0.37km/h faster than the 250s, thus Aprilia believed it could get good results in the premier class with a big 250. Its first 500 – an RSV250 bored and stroked to 410cc – arrived at Jerez the next year, where it qualified on the second row.

By 1999, the RSW was close to a full 500cc and scored its first podiums, beating a bunch of faster but more unwieldy 500 V4s. The following year Jeremy McWilliams came within 0.9sec of winning the British GP at Donington Park, after a long battle with V4 riders Valentino Rossi and Kenny Roberts Junior.

“The 500 twin was an awesome little bike – it was so light and so good for corner speed,” McWilliams recalls. “I think we could’ve got better results at tighter circuits like Donington and Sachsenring, where we didn’t make the most of it with the gearing.

“It had so much midrange, maybe even too much torque, so it wheelied everywhere, so instead of gearing it short and using all six gears at Donington, we should’ve geared it