2017 APRILIA TUONO 1100 RR & FACTORY
FIRST TEST
P94
didn't get any street time in this
test but when I simulated mellow
street riding on the racetrack, I
missed having the more direct
analog feel to my throttle hand
which comes with having a cable
in series with the throttle bodies.
The new handlebar-mounted
controls for 2017 worked about
as expected. There's lots to
learn at first but with increased
tries you get a better hang of
SCIENCE OF SPEED
I think when the bike is ridden
flat-out on the racetrack, the
fully integrated electronic setup
is working in its ideal way. But
when less extreme throttle inputs
are engaged, like at sustained
mellow speeds, I felt a slight
detachment from hand to rear
wheel. It's nothing drastic but
I wouldn't be doing my job if it
didn't call attention to itself. We
perform as top racing-only bind-
ers, eventually over-heating a tad
after several massive pulls back
on the newly designed front
brake lever. Some full-fledged
synthetic brake fluid would prob-
ably help this issue immensely.
For the electronics, there's
a newly enhanced Bosch 9.1
ABS system, which now adds
a lean sensor. While tearing up
the racetrack I could, for the first
time in my life, feel confident
grabbing a big heap of extra
front brake (just to test the ABS)
while still leaned over into a
corner. Even with the Cornering
ABS system set at its least in-
trusive, Level 1, which is still ac-
companied by Aprilia's new RLM
(Rear Lift Mitigation) system,
the attitude of the bike would
not stand up during braking, nor
would the front wheel lock no
matter how hard I tried.
The new Demand Sender and
Control Set—which effectively
changed the throttle's twist grip
from physical cables connected
to throttle bodies to a full ride-by-
wire scheme utilizing only sen-
sors at the wrist (for a total weight
savings of 1.3 pounds)—for me
worked only fair-to-good. I could
feel slight or not-so-slight varianc-
es between my requests for more
or less throttle verses what the
engine was actually delivering to
the tire and therefore my senses.
Attention to detail is stunning on the Factory Tuono.
Luckily, your passenger doesn't have to sit there.
Even without the extra bling
of the Factory, the RR is still a
serious track weapon.
