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/128091
(Opposite page) The 2001 Aprilla RSV Mille In action at the Homes1ead Mo1orspor1s Complex In Florida. The bike features numerous changes In what Is the second-generatlon Mille, Including a completely different look. (Above and below right) The R version features a Troy Corser-like look and a Troy Corser-like ride. ground on rival Ducati in sales in such important overseas markets as Germany and the U.K. There is a lot of good around Homestead - Miami to the north, the Florida Keys to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Everglades to the west - but that's the real problem with the town: everything good is around it, and not in it. The exception is the Homestead Motorsports Complex. Pristine in a Miami Vice sort of way, the Homestead Motorsports Complex is a top-notch racing facility (even the AMA Superbike guys like it and wish they were still racing there) and it served as an ideal locale for the launch. The track is fast, yet features both slow and mid-speed corners and there are a few bumps and ul]even pavement patches along the way to give a real-world impression of.what a motorcycle is capable of. CHANGE IS GOOD According to both Giorgio and Mariano, Aprilia addressed three basic issues when they sat down to begin work on the "rebirth" of the Mille: style, aerodynamics and performance. As always, increasing performance was a top priority. In order to com- pete, you have to go faster. And you have to get to that top speed quicker. There was also a lot of thought put into redesigning the look of the Mille family, not only for the sake of appearance but also to make the motorcycle more aerodynamic which in turn would help performance. In all, the aerodynamic changes have accounted for an additional 1.5 to 2.5 mph gain. The bodywork is completely new for 2001 and in a word it is better. Monumentally better. Somewhat bulbous looking in the past, the new Mille is sleek and sexy with a pointed nose rather than the rounded, Jimmy Durante look of the previ0us issue. One of the noticeable changes (other than the colors, obviously) is the new wing-type additions to the front of the fairing directly in front of the handlebars. The headlight has also been redone; ditto for the turn signals at the front. The windscreen is also narrower, providing for both better aerodynamics and rider protection, according to Aprilia. The fairing lowers, meanwhile, have also been retooled in an effort to increase airflow for cooling. The tank is an all-new design, both in shape and the use of different materials. Last year's steel tank is a thing of the past with the new plastic and nylon tank taking on a new shape, while also getting shorter to help the rider get closer to the controls (the handlebars are now also 5mm lower). The tank, thanks to the use of the lighter materials, also lost some weight over last year's model. Another thing you'll notice at first glance on the Mille is the metal mesh that resides on each side of the seat, under the subframe. This mesh plate was designed to improve airflow around the intake. The seat itself is new, basically in an effort to improve both styling and aerodynamics. The seat works in cue I _ n conjunction with the fairing to do just that, with wind-tunnel testing proving that the new Mille glides through air much easier than the old Mille. New footpegs are also featured on the Mille, with an eye toward bettering racetrack grip - something that was lacking on the old pegs, according to the two engineers. Changes to the dashboard are minor, with new backlight colors making the digital portion of the panel easier to read in varying light conditions. A lot of the weight loss came with the new muffler on the RSV, with higher quality stainless steel allowing engineers to use a thinner gauge - all of which resulted in a loss of 3.3 pounds, just from the canister. Meanwhile, the changes did nothing to alter the bike's emission requirements. The Brembo brake up front is completely new - from the disc and caliper to the rotor itself. The rotor was changed to reduce weight, and it is now half-a-millimeter thinner. There's also one less fixing bolt holding the rotor to the wheel. The pads themselves are now two pieces instead of one, and are full-floating. The rear brake is unchanged from last year's model. The rear shock is also new, with a new spring rate and a new bottom linkage. The frame has been altered, raising the engine some 5mm with the steering-head angle now set at 25 degrees as opposed to the 24.5 degrees in last year's chassis. The changes were made to make the bike more compact in an effort to improve overall handling. The swingarm pivot has also been raised 3mm in an effort to improve traction. __ S • FEBRUARY 14, 2001 23