produce 201 bhp at 13,000 rpm
at the crankshaft, up from 184
bhp at 12,500 rpm previously.
That 17 bhp power increase has
been obtained at the cost of a
2Nm drop in maximum torque
to 115Nm at 10,500 rpm, but
with the benefit of a much fatter
midrange drive.
This has conveniently coincid-
ed with a rewriting of the World
Superbike rules that brings the
bikes seen in action in the series
much closer to stock than before.
According to Aprilia's chief R&D
engineer Piero Soatti work on this
upgraded version of the RSV4
began almost three years ago, so
its arrival in the marketplace has
dovetailed nicely with the new
rules dreamt up in the meantime.
This allowed Aprilia rider Leon
Haslam to mark the new bike's
debut (and his too, for the team)
by winning one of the two races
staged on in the opening round
of the 2015 World Superbike
series at Phillip Island, and place
second in the other.
VOL. 52 ISSUE 21 MAY 27, 2015 P93
Check out the
angles Sir Al is
getting! The new
Aprilia RSV4 RF
is capable of
incredible turn
speed and lean.
