Aprilia RSV4 official launch video
I'M IN ITALY on the launch of Aprilia's latest superbike, the RSV4. And what a bike it is. The weather today was better suited to sailing than riding extremely-fast motorbikes, but with the help of full-race wets, I could see what the RSV4 was all about.
The first thing you notice is how small this bike is, sat in the pits it feels more like an R6 than an R1. Although when you shift the bike around you can feel it weighs more than a 600, it still feels neutral, well balanced, not too top heavy.
Despite claims of 180bhp at the crank, the RSV4 is deceptively easy to ride. The engine is sublime, delivering power with a predictable edge as only a V4 can, there's no need to rev it out like a modern 1000cc inline-four to feel like you're getting on the pace. In fact at times exiting a corner I felt like I wasn't going fast, but taking a look at the speedo you realise you're racking up speed at an alarming rate.
The RSV4 has three power modes; track, sport and road. In Track mode, you get the double-espresso RSV4, throttle response is instant, eager even and horrible in the wet I might add. A handful of bikes were slung down the road by other journalists, too keen to see if they could exploit the RSV4 in tough conditions. Or perhaps they lost the front end on a wayward haddock, but either way, it's not a bike you can mess around on in this mode.
In Sport mode, you lose none of the power, but throttle response is softened-off and the delivery is smoother, making it easier to tap into the power available while not upsetting the rear-tyre mid corner. In Road mode, the engine management lops 25% of the power off and I can see this would be handy in certain situations, but even on a soaking-wet track it felt like the bike had been turned into a soft and cuddly sports-tourer.
The bike's setup as standard is very stiff which made the track feel remote at first but once you're dialled in, you appreciate the feedback. Especially from the front end, which is backed up by imposing-looking Brembo brakes, which look like they could haul a speeding HGV to a halt in seconds. Their feel is phenomenal and that coupled with the brake lever's sensitivity made hard-braking a precise and enjoyable game.
If you like the first generation Mille because you can go to the South of France on it, then you'll hate the RSV4. It is totally race focussed and doesn't plead any allegiance to anything else. That said, the riding position is comfortable, there's no huge reach to the bars, you're not splayed out across the tank like a monkey clinging to a wet rock - you're sat over the front wheel and in a position of control.
And one of the most magical things about this new RSV4 is that Aprilia have kept that finish and pure racing ethos that make you want it so badly.
The details, the finish, the intricate engineering all gel in this package making the RSV4 one of the most desirable bikes I've ever seen. It's clear that Aprilia have been spunking large amounts of Piaggio cash up the wall in order to produce a bike that can win the World Superbike Championship.
And we should thank them for it, because it's not every day you get the chance to buy a motorcycle that's made it from concept to reality without having its meaning chiselled away by accountants, focus groups and marketing hype.
