Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128088
Stone Mountain cornering speed, without worrying too much about pushing the front end exiting any of what on the Aprilia are the many second gear corners at Valencia. The compliant response of the Ohlins forks helps make this possible, effectively ironing out the .bumps in the second infield right-hander which upset the factClty Kawasaki I was also riding that day: the Aprilia just shrugged them off. Ditto for the last turn before the main straight, where you sweep into the dip in the apex and the front suspension compresses just as you want to get on the gas, even after you've let off the brakes. With the same latest-spec radial· mount 320mm Brembos as most of the rest of the Superbike grid, the Aprilia has no special edge in this area - except that it's extremely stable under heavy braking, like at the end of the main straight as you back off three gears while squeezing for all you're worth for the third-gear sweep' er that follows after it. The fact that the Mille doesn't move around at all when stopping hard from high speed makes 'it easier for someone who really needs to convince himself he hasn't gone in too deep to choose the right line and get around okay. Phew! This could get addictive. No problemo for the Ohlins front end, and none either for the rear shock, once the team had fitted a stiffer spring to stop me from having to move my weight backward down the main straight to prevent the April· ia from wobbling under power. Traction out of turns after you've dialed up wide-open power is really good: you can feel the rear tire dig in and drive, as the Aprilia chassis makes the most of what the engine delivers. Put this down somewhat to the Ohlins' progressive rear link, and the extra grip delivered by the 70mm longer swingarm that the 60-degree motor's more compact architecture delivers, compared to the gO·degree L·twin Ducati. Side grip from the rear 16.S·inch Dunlop is excellent, again a key factor in getting the drive out of the turn while still cranked over which repays the momentum you've obtained by doing so, though you do have to be ready to - ooops! - pick it up hard on the exit to avoid running off the track occasionally, if you go for the high, wide and handsome Corser cornering technique, and don't quite judge your exit line correctly. But the balanced handling of the Aprilia frame is really forgiving - it makes an average rider feel good, and more importantly, lap fast. It's too bad Aprilia has decided to defer by one more year the introduction of the small series of hand-built RSV1000 Superbike replicas they plan to make for sale to privateers but when it comes in 2002, the Cors- Harley-Davidson & Buell Buell DIFFERUT II EfEn SUSE Et:OOAM - 5:00 PM 770-979-7999 2060 Ross Road Ulburn, GA 30041 www.stonemountainharley.com 9-time Grand National Champion Flat Track Racer and Team Harley-Davidson VR1000 Road Racer World Renown Artist SCOTT JACOBS Will be here to unveil his painting capturing Parleer In action. Prints and autographs will be available. ITell them you saw it in Cycle News! .NDOOR OM. sc KID KID • IE. .In _IE 111M AlIA E4ch RtJce Oay rrtlu1es Amatm GIld Pro 's --~- cue I • n • _ S • JANUARY 24,2001 15 I