Few manufacturers imbue a sporting pedigree as rich as Aprilia, so when a significant milestone rolls around it rarely passes up an opportunity to mark the occasion in fitting style.
This time, it is the Aprilia Racing department taking centre stage as it prepares to celebrate 30 years of title-winning success across various disciplines with the special edition Aprilia RSV4 Trenta.
Spotted undergoing development at the Cremona circuit in the hands of ex-WorldSBK racer Matteo Baiocco, the RSV4 Trenta looks set to be the gift that will keep on giving as the latest in an illustrious line of very exclusive, track-only sportsbikes.
While the finer details this particular Aprilia RSV4 - which you’ll notice wears the ‘Trenta’ moniker on the belly pan - remains unverified, it would seem logical to suggest it will bear resemblance to the 2019 RSV4 X, a honed bullet of a sportsbike producing 225bhp and weighing only 165kg that was limited to just ten (or ‘X’) examples.
A bit of educated guesswork would have us assuming the RSV4 Trenta will be limited to 30 examples, while it is understood this model might be less about the power and more about the clever design trickery, namely an aero device known as ‘the spoon’.
So-called because of its scooped shape, the appendage - which Aprilia pioneered for use in MotoGP - sits in front of the rear-wheel to help direct airflow and improve rear stability.
Now we’re just waiting for the day this curious (and rather comical) aero solution also trickles its way down to the RSV4…
'Trenta' years of Aprilia Racing success
While Aprilia’s two-wheeled sporting roots stretch right back to the 1970s when it first rode out into Motocross competition, much of its glory in motorsport has occurred on asphalt, with Alessandro Gramigni securing the firm’s maiden international title in the 1992 125cc Grand Prix World Championship.
Thereafter Aprilia evolved into a force of the small capacity GP classes, going on to clinch a whopping 18 Grand Prix World Championship titles in both the 125cc and 250cc classes.
It added three more world titles to its repertoire from its stint in the WorldSBK Championship with the RSV4, which debuted in 2009 and went on to secure title glory in 2010 and 2012 with Max Biaggi, before landing the 2014 title with Sylvain Guintoli.
While eight years have passed since Aprilia’s last world title, the Trenta comes at an exciting time for the firm’s racing division as it prepares to begin the second-half of a breakthrough 2022 MotoGP season.
Headlined by a long-awaited first MotoGP era win in Argentina with Aleix Espargaro, the experienced Spaniard is gamely chasing down Fabio Quartararo at the head of the standings.
Aprilia’s first win and five podiums in 2022 alone come after seven seasons that yielded just a single rostrum result.
