Pit Pass: Marco Simoncelli's Gilera RSA250 - Last of the Breed

Not as many as me, but eventually I got it right. I pulled 12,500 rpm in top gear tucked in down the kilometer-long main straight. Force yourself to not even think about braking till the 150-meter board, then squeeze hard as you zip down through the gears all the way to first. Tip into the San Donato curve and start climbing the hill, noting as you do that you can powershift wide-open from first to second without any jerk from going through neutral as on many other bikes. I have to say the brilliant braking from the Brembo package, even with the smaller 255mm front discs, delivered so much confidence I ended up braking harder, later and deeper into turns each lap. 250GP racebikes are the perfect track tool, with a level of performance that is just within the ability of an average rider to exploit.

It's been too long since I tested the '03 Aprilia to make direct comparisons, but the revised RSA250 chassis package certainly seemed extremely agile in flicking from side to side, yet was stable powering around the fast high-speed sweepers. Above all it was predictable under braking and on turn-in, and didn't push the front wheel anywhere. The Gilera held a line well, even under acceleration with my extra weight and the power compressing the rear Öhlins shock. It turned in well to the second-gear chicanes without any feeling of oversteer in putting the power on at the apex, and didn't weave around when slowing hard. The Gilera felt pretty balanced and didn't lift the back wheel on me more than just a couple of times at the end of the straight. Again, it felt forgiving-not just the power delivery, but the carefully evolved chassis design's character, too. The Öhlins suspension delivers so much feedback coupled with the grippy Dunlop tires that you feel like you can trust the Gilera's track manners implicitly, and just focus on how to reduce your lap times. In spite of its class-leading engine performance, it's a bike you feel secure enough on to start pushing your own personal boundaries, knowing that the Gilera will allow you to deliver whatever you ask of yourself.

Indeed, this is the heart of the appeal of a 250GP racer: why it's so enticing to ride hard and fast in something approaching anger. Once you surpass the threshold of at least reasonable racetrack experience and two-stroke technique, bikes like this are the ones that make you feel master of the universe. It's fast enough to thrill without being frightening, yet handles, steers, and changes direction without requiring muscle or might, just skill and timing to do it just right. The more time you spend on the Gilera, the more addictive and engrossing it becomes, as you start polishing your technique, cleaning up your lines, working on your braking markers, and taking advantage of that fabulous Aprilia Corse traction control to work on opening the light-action throttle sooner and harder exiting every turn, each lap. Provided you're careful to keep the engine running in the optimum powerband and work the gearbox accordingly, I know of no other motorcycle as completely involving as a 250GP racer, and that certainly won't apply to a much heavier Moto2 bike. I feel sad to have said farewell to motorcycle roadracing's most enjoyable, fun and yes, most enthralling bike from a rider's standpoint. But I feel privileged to have been able to bid GP racing's quarter-litre class a fond farewell by riding the Simoncelli RSA250 Gilera in the company's centenary year. As I rode down the Mugello pit straight and into the Gilera pit box, I realized this was the end of an era-the last time I'd ever ride a current 250GP two-stroke.