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/1544888
P108 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 APRILIA RSV4 FACTORY 1100 The new exhaust muffler is a touch slimmer than in 2024 but still emits a mighty bark. Ӧhlins SmartEC3.0 suspension resides in the RSV4. There are so many options for how the suspension can be set up, you'll need a week to get through them all. haven't, you'll have to get in touch with them to have them do so). Then, you individually select the various levels you want at a given point of the racetrack. This effec- tively brings a level of trackside tuning previously reserved for professional racing teams to a production motorcycle. After your ride, you can export the data in VBO format, which is compatible with Racelogic's professional analysis software. If all this sounds familiar, it should be. Aprilia offered GPS-controlled electronics to customers back in 2021, but you needed a separate GPS module from Aprilia to enable the corner-by-corner function. All this is an evolution of the Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) system that debuted in 2010, making Aprilia the third manufacturer to fit traction con- trol to a production superbike, after Ducati (1098 R) and BMW (S 1000 RR). Aprilia was actually the first to use a basic IMU in the 2011 gears at a time and braking for the near dead-stop, first-gear left-hander at the end of it. Both upshifts and downshifts are ex - ecuted with remarkable smooth- ness, but it's not perfect in that you still need to be precise with your shifts. No pussyfooting. Do it right, and the RSV4 will reward you every time. Right, now onto the special part. One of the standout features carried over—and further en- hanced—for 2025 is the integrat- ed GPS-based data-logging sys- tem. The 2026 RSV4 Factory (and Tuono V4 Factory), in conjunction with the Aprilia MIA app, allows for corner-by-corner changes to the bike's eight-level traction con- trol, three-stage wheelie control, and three-stage engine-braking parameters, as long as you set the limits yourself. The system works by having you select a circuit in the MIA app (hopefully Aprilia has your circuit loaded in the app; if they package never feels overwhelm - ing, which is an incredible party trick to pull off. Much of that is down to April- ia's electronics package, which brings the very fancy corner-by- corner GPS traction control to the game (more on that later). The electronics have been further refined, with smoother throttle calibration, improved traction- control intervention, and im- proved engine-braking strategies. A new slide-control feature has also been introduced, giving riders greater confidence when pushing the limits of rear grip and giving you a little more life out of that poor rear Pirelli that you're sending to the slaughter- house with every passing lap. The RSV4's reworked quick- shifter deserves special mention because it is so damn good at what it does, whether you're cranking up through the gears on the front straight with the noise tube slammed against the stop or going down multiple