VOL. 52 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 P65
The Aprilia is not a one trick
pony, either. The Sachs suspen-
sion was beautifully compliant
over almost every road surface
we threw at it, soaking up cor-
rugations and still offering a com-
posed yet slightly sport-biased
ride, ready for the next sweeper.
It's not the most comfortable here,
but it's damn close, and provides
one of the best compromises
between sport and sensible in
the test.
It's second only in the expense
stakes to the highly priced KTM,
but it's far more motorbike than
the cheaper Suzuki or Kawasaki,
and about on par with the option-
loaded BMW in terms of value. If
it had cruise control, it'd be even
further in front.
The Aprilia scored points for
the intuitive electronics suite, its
scope and its ease of adjustment.
Easily switchable traction control
on the left switch is – like when
BMW came out with numbered
clickers on the suspension five
years ago – something each bike
with the ability to house TC should
have. The switchgear itself feels a
little cheap, and is probably due for
an update as it's been with us for
a while, however those are small
gripes for a bike that's such a bril-
liant execution of design. It's not a
naked superbike, it's a fast naked
road bike, combining the best
elements of the RSV4 while still
making the whole ride comfortable
and so, so damn fun.
C
learly the old 1000 Tuono
wasn't fast enough. Why
the hell else would you
add another 78cc to what was
already a deranged example of
Italian engineering? But the addi-
tion of those extra cubes makes
the new bike so much more than
the sum of its parts. Where you
really feel the punch is in the
midrange—whereas the old bike
was like a superbike in that it had
to earn its ponies through tall-ish
gearing and big speeds, the new
1100 will punch like Mike in the
6000-9000 rpm range, the area
where we spend the majority of
our time on the road.
Another tick for the Aprilia
was its sublime throttle response.
Side of the tire, upright, on the
back wheel, whatever, the initial
opening of the go juice roll was
smooth, precise and unintimidat-
ing, unlike the Kawasaki and
Suzuki. Couple that with the
lightest gearbox of the five bikes,
and a smoother action of the
quickshifter than the BMW, and
it all adds up to one hell of an
engine package.
Oh, and did I mention the
noise? My God. Talk about
summoning the demons! The
Aprilia's V-four motor sounds like
someone's wedged half a NAS-
CAR engine into a bike frame. It's
the most visceral, blood-pumping
noise this side of Chaz Davies'
Panigale or Bautista's weekend
banger.
