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/452615
VOL. 52 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 27, 2015 P101 rear wheel lifting in the air and street-sweeping the tarmac, as has happened to me in the past when riding the RSV4–it was a weakness that was addressed during the 2012 season, and has now been fixed for good. Once you're sitting aboard it, the Aprilia cockpit is a busy, if generally rider-friendly, place. Especially with the analogue tachometer you can read at just a quick glance, matched by a small digital panel to the right which has two different pages. One is for the team's engineers to monitor that everything is A-OK before they send you out on to the track–oil pressure, oil temp, water temp etc. The other is the one for you to use on track. This shows the gear ratio selected, last lap time, which of the three engine maps carried in the ECU you have selected and on the far right of the screen the traction control setting chosen. It also shows whether the engine braking control program is op- erative. The TC is selected via the two buttons on the pad attached to the left clipon–green for more, red for less. With a choice of eight different settings—level 1 as the least intrusive—I rode with Guintoli's level 5, while Melandri uses level 4. So as Aprilia's six-year fac- tory participation in Superbike racing comes to an end with its third World Riders title, it's ap- propriate to assess this unique motorcycle in the rear view mirror of history. With seven World Championship titles (three Riders and four Manufacturers), a total of 41 race wins, another 89 podium finishes, and 10 pole positions, this remarkable bike has clearly been the class of the Superbike field. It's performed at the highest level ever since it was created with the intention of dominating first on the race- track, then in the showroom. And with the introduction of the new more restrictive Superbike rules for 2015, it's certain the Aprilia will go down in history as the benchmark Superbike, the fastest, most powerful street- bike-derived racer ever built. Yet it's an achievement that yields satisfaction, but also frustration for Aprilia and its sup- porters. "The philosophy of the RSV4 is that it's a racebike with lights that any customer can buy at a reasonable cost and ride to the shops on, but which has the basis to be turned into a championship-winning racebike in full compliance with Superbike rules" Albesiano said. "It makes me very frustrated–angry, even— that Aprilia has this unjust image of a company that pulls unfair tricks to go Superbike racing with a MotoGP bike. No! We simply set out to produce a great streetbike which gave birth to a Superbike racer which is fully compliant with the rules, and has now proved three times it's the best Superbike money can buy." Can't argue with that! CN SPECIFICATIONS Aprillia RSV4 Superbike Engine: ..................Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 65-degree V-4 four-stroke Valve Train: ..... 4 valves per cylinder and modular gear/chain camshaft drive Displacement: ...............................999.6cc Output: ..... Over 240 bhp at 15,000 rpm (at gearbox) Compression ratio: .............................. 15:1 Fuel/ignition system: ........................... EFI and engine management system, with Aprilia Racing APX2 ECU and 4 x 48mm Dell'Orto throttle bodies, each with dual injectors Transmission: ........... 6-speed extractable cassette-type with straight-cut primary gears Clutch: .... Multiplate oil-bath ramp-type slipper clutch with cable operation Chassis: .......Twin-spar aluminum frame with vertically adjustable engine location Front suspension: ....... 43mm TIN-coated Öhlins TRSP25 inverted telescopic forks Rear suspension: .. Twin-sided aluminum swingarm with single Öhlins RSP40 shock and progressive rate linkage Front brake: 2 x 328mm Brembo steel discs with radially-mounted 4-piston 4-pad Brembo monobloc lithium calipers Rear brake: ................1 x 218mm Brembo steel disc with 2-piston caliper Front wheel:... 3.50 in. forged aluminium Marchesini wheel Rear wheel:.... 6.25 in. forged aluminium Marchesini wheel Front tire: .................... 120/75R420 Pirelli Rear tire: .................... 190/65R420 Pirelli Top speed: ........ 204 mph (Aragon 2012) Head angle: ...........................24.8 degrees Trail: ................................................107mm Wheelbase: .....................................57.6 in. Weight: .... 365 lb. with oil/water, battery and 7.7 lb. starter motor, no fuel Weight distribution: ...........53/47% static Top speed: ........ 204 mph (Aragon 2012) Year of construction: ......................... 2014