Biaggi and Aprilia. Rule-breakers

MAX BIAGGI has had a colourful opening to the defence of his World Superbike title with on-off track skirmishes with rivals, but now it seems that the rule-flouting behaviour extends to the Alitalia Aprilia outfit after the team were found to be using illegal components on the RSV4 at Assen.

The rumours coming out of the paddock from the Assen race are that following a rudimentary tech inspection of the factory Aprilia RSV4, after the Biaggi's two podium appearances, it was found that the fuel injection pump used by the Roman Emperor was not compliant with the governing rules and different from the machine of Leon Camier and the privateer Aprilia of Noriyuki Haga.

The rules speculate that the entire injection system must remain original, this includes the pump, lines and injectors. The advantages that Biaggi may have gained from this would be a slight decrease in weight and as little as 2-3 bhp to utilise at Assen.

Luckily for the factory Aprilia squad and Biaggi's title offensive the pairing will keep the points earned at the Dutch WSB round and have received only a warning to remove the parts for the next round at Monza - where the Aprilia is expected to replicate the tremendous speed demonstrated on the way to Biaggi's double at the legendary Italian circuit last season.

When the Aprilia first made it's appearance on the scene in 2009 there were bated discussions surrounding the legality of the gear-driven camshafts in the V4 engine, with this latest episode it seems that the Italian manufacturer will always court controversy with the RSV4.