Category: EICMA 2014

As expected, the 2015 Aprilia RSV4 RF joins the 200bhp club. Litre-bike wars will be very interesting next year…

We think the RSV4 is an awesome sportsbike and it would seem that Aprilia tend to agree with us. “The new Aprilia RSV4 RR is the natural evolution of a revolutionary project which has successfully dominated World Superbikes, with seven world titles won in six years, establishing itself as the best superbike of all times. The RSV4 is a global reference point for sportiness and performance,” claims a press note from the Italian company.

For 2015, Aprilia have improved the RSV4, with the goal being “to be the absolute best uncompromising superbike, the street bike that comes the closest to being a real racing bike in terms of performance and effectiveness.” That’s the new RSV4 RR. And for those who want even more, there’s the new RSV4 RF that gets Aprilia’s ‘race pack’ as standard, which includes forged aluminium wheels, race-spec Öhlins suspension and a special paintjob that’s exclusive to the RF.

Aprilia say that they’ve thoroughly revised and updated the RSV4, with the 2015 model getting a redesigned front end, a more protective front fairing, improved aerodynamics, restyled headlamps and mirrors, and LED parking light and turn indicators. Power output of the bike’s V4 engine goes up by 16bhp, taking the total output to a 201bhp at 13,000rpm and 115Nm of torque at 10,500 rpm. Combined with the bike’s 180kg dry weight, this provide performance that’s truly entertaining. And maybe just a bit scary. Reworked internals include a redesigned engine lubrication system, new oil sump, redesigned exhaust system, and revised gear ratios that fully exploit the new engine’s power delivery characteristics.
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The new Tuono V4 1100. 175bhp. 184kg dry weight. And a smart race assistant that tells you how to ride faster!

Aprilia have a new Tuono V4 – the Tuono V4 1100 – for 2015, which they unveiled yesterday at the EICMA in Milan, Italy. The V4 engine's capacity has been bumped up to 1077cc and power now goes up to an impressive 175bhp, along with 120Nm of torque. The bike is available in RR and Factory versions, with the latter getting a bunch of high-end bits as standard.

In a nod to our collective obsession with our smartphones, Aprilia are using PMP (Piaggio Multimedia Platform), which allows you to connect your smartphone to the Tuono. You can then use your smartphone to control the bike's electronics (traction control, anti-wheelie, engine mapping etc.) Using GPS via your smartphone, the Tuono V4 1100 can use an active electronic setup, wherein the bike automatically adjusts engine and suspension settings when the bike is being ridden on a racetrack. Immersive virtual telemetry allows your smartphone to record data from the engine, compare your performance to other riders and even gets tips from the bike's adaptive race assistant, which analyses your performance and tells you how to go faster, by providing tips on where you can brake later and where you can open the throttle earlier. Wow!!

Other changes on the new Tuono V4 1100 include a more protective front fairing, improved aerodynamics, inclusion of LED parking lights, revised ergonomics and a more comfortable seat (seating position is also lowered by 15mm), and a narrower handlebar. The chassis has also been revised, with reduced rake and trail figures and a longer swingarm. A fully adjustable 43mm Sachs USD fork and shock handle suspension duties on the Tuono V4 1100RR, while the Tuono V4 1100 Factory gets higher-spec Öhlins fork, shock and steering damper. Twin 320mm discs at the front, with Brembo monobloc M432 4-piston callipers at the front, provide massive stopping power, while the Tuono V4 1100 also gets lightweight aluminium flanged discs and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa rubber, with a wider 200/55 section rear hoop. The bike weighs 184 kilos, dry.
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