VOL. 53 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 23, 2016 P91
RR and includes the previous ma-
chine's eight different traction control
settings, three wheelie and launch
control settings, ABS and the Aprilia
Quick Shift for clutchless upshifts but
not downshifts, ala Ducati Panigale
and BMW S 1000 RR. And, for a very
small extra fee at purchase, you can
get the Aprilia V4-MP software, where
you can do a hell of a lot more than
just see what top speed you got
(see sidebar for more).
I had the use of the RR at
what is now one of my very
favorite racetracks in the world,
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
A circuit that provides absolutely
no rest for the rider, it's one of
the best places in the world
to test a bike's stability, accel-
eration, handling and braking,
through places like the iconic
Corkscrew, Rainey Curve and
that balls-to-the-wall bend of turn
one. Riding Laguna is another
bucket list track checked off.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST
Since my last ride on an Aprilia
V4 superbike in 2012, not a lot
has changed. Internally it's com-
pletely reworked as mentioned
above, but the feel of the bike
is still the same. Thank god, be-
cause the original RSV4 was so
damn good it has never needed
a complete redesign, just little
touch ups.
The chassis is delectably
small and the ergonomics initially
make for pretty hard work to fit
Don't think for
one second that
single muffler
can't blow the
doors off the
sound meter at
Laguna Seca!
The aesthetics
have hardly
changed since
2010. Who
cares?
