Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 and Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory

As often seems the case when opportunity knocks its timing can be less than optimal. The

RSV4 & Tuono models have long been on my motorcycling bucket list however never during

my wishful thoughts had I imagined doing so across the east Anglian Fens in the depths of

winter. An opportunity it still most certainly was and one I’d be foolish not to accept.

First up was the RSV4 1100 Factory. Picked up on a sub zero day with a smattering of snow

involving an 80 or so mile of mostly A roads. My initial impression of the RSV4 was how

compact it felt despite its large exterior. A long, low looking machine with its deeply

impressive superbike aping rear swingarm and MotoGP styled aero winged front fairings.

Despite being towards the top of the weight list of the current crop of superbikes (205KG

with fluids) this is not apparent at a standstill, feeling nicely balance with its weight seemingly

carried low.

A much shorter seat/ footpeg/handlebar ratio than I was expecting for a standard road bike.

Feet rearward and tucked up almost perfectly (on track) for myself at 5ft 10in however it

could well be considered as some form of torture for those over 6ft.

The first hurdle to overcome was to check through the various rider mode settings taking the

weather conditions and Supercorsa tyres into consideration. This was easier said than done.

Trying to figure out the nuances between the various buttons and the operating system saw

me simply increasing the traction control using the easily understandably plus/minus

finger/thumb operated paddles on the left hand switch gear and a note to self to try again

later in a bid to get moving as quickly as possible.

A notably long reach to the non adjustable for span clutch lever and the need to use more

revs than expected for a clean getaway are the only things of note during the first few miles

of roundabouts. Rock hard tyres aside the rest of the package is taking the sedate pace in its

stride. The electronic suspension is maintaining a suitable level of dive/pitch during braking

and turning generating much needed heat into the tyres and in turn increasing my

confidence that we will make it home in one piece. Despite the lower rev levels involved the

shifter/blipper are working impeccably along with the small throttle opening fuelling. The rear

brake is effective and progressive, a massive help negotiating the icy roundabouts with the

front Brembo stylema setup again showing why it’s still the OE. package to beat with

amazing feel and progression.

The mirrors worked, wind protection was good and the seat was comfortable. The only fly in

the ointment being the shape of the petrol tank, manging to offer little in terms of real grip

with its shape angular sides falling just within my inside thighs, rather than above my legs

which after an hour or so of riding was making itself known in the form of some dull pain.

Despite its high state of tune, size and V4 configuration the engine was the epitome of

smooth despite never troubling more than 5000 rpm for the whole journey. The extra heat it

was providing was more than welcome on this cold day, however it was noted how quickly its

temperature rose to cooling fan inducing temp at several of the longer traffic-based waits

during the journey. I can well imagine the pain that could be felt during a hots summer ride in

traffic or sitting in pit lane exit waiting for your track day session to start could bring.

Overall for a 200bhp plus superbike the RSV4 handled our first ride admirably and left me

looking forward to the next ride on more familiar roads in hopefully better suited conditions.

My next time out happened to be on a closed runway for the photoshoot of the article. A

cold, bright and very breezy day. For the shoot we were using a disused corner of the facility

which could be ridden as a large figure of eight in either direction. One way offered slow in,

fast out corners onto its short straights whilst the other, more tricker on the day fast in with

consistent radius ever decreasing speed turns before driving hard from a significantly lower

apex speed.

As well as dealing with the strong crosswinds the process was made all the more

treacherous with the damp and very green surface of the unused area.

The strengths of the package highlighted during my first ride were working together to make

the whole experience much more enjoyable than it should have been. The electronic

suspension was again maintaining the level of pitch for each given level of braking/corner

exit, again generate much needed heat into the tyres. The feel from the brakes was perfect

as was the fuelling at the low (0>10% range) and higher (50%) plus the track layout was

suited to.

Excellent feedback from the chassis from corner entry to corner exit, with its mid corner

poise and stability being a highlight and a testament to long lineage. Everything I’ve ever

read or been told about the chassis is immediately confirmed to me. Whilst it’s easy to

critique the fact that the RSV4 has been a package that has been evolved over a long time,

with many stating that a completely new model is long over-due I can understand the

dilemma the engineers at Aprilia must find themselves facing – With what? and at what

cost?

During this more playful encounter the gearing of the RSV4 began to be highlighted. Using

2 nd to 4 th for both directions it was clear just how long the final drive ratios were, something

the 1 st gear pull away clutch slip/rev combo backed up.

For the days conditions the long gearing was certainly helping to calm things. The turbine

smooth power delivery of the V4 coupled with a chassis appearing to offer a high level of

mechanical grip meant even though I had the various electronic aids on their lowest setting

(with the wheelie control off in preparation for the photos) the only time the traction control

made itself known was whilst trying to instigate said wheelies. First gear, 30>40mph a

handful of revs and a suitable amount of dropped clutch would only see a foot or so of height

before traction was temporary lost, cue traction cut and loss of photo op!. Had the conditions

been better I would have tried without any traction control, however they weren’t, and I

wasn’t brave enough on the day. Especially with a camera pointed at me. My hypostasis

based purely on the limited experience I currently have on the RSV4 is that dynamically the

chassis is very well setup to limit unwanted font wheel lift and that the very long gearing

aides this.

Full marks must be given to Aprilia and the tuned induction noise they’ve endowed the V4

with. Addictive and sounding loud enough to alert anyone within a 5 mile radius from on

board it left me questioning the need to fit a performance end can just on the basis of

unleashing more noise.

My final excursion on the RSV4 was a two day road ride, prominently riding around the north

Norfolk coast, again in patchy conditions albeit at a more balmy 8ish degrees.

Having spent time during the photoshoot day and sometime in my garage before leaving

experimenting with the user interface of the various electronics the road element of this test

never saw me fully at one with the system. Despite largish buttons my attempts to

alter/engage a particular feature would be made up of frustrating interactions involving many

reattempts at pressing the correct button in the correct sequence to achieve my goal.

Consistently managing to engage high beam, usually whilst attempting to reach for the

indicators (not ideal seemingly flashing people whilst approaching a junction) and or alter the

traction control setting by accident. As a rider I’m a big user of either speed limiters/cruise

control specifically in built up areas. In the case of the RSV4 with only cruise control

available many attempts were made trying to engage the system smoothly. Unlike other

systems on the market it requires a steady throttle and I’m still unsure whether it’s a short or

a long push to the side of the speed toggle switch. This often found me in a village dropping

for 30mph to near 20mph whilst too much of my attention was drawn to trying to engage the

system. This would have the drivers of following vehicles wondering what I was upto. A pitfall

of the reduction in speed would also then mean depending on which gear I was in the

minimum speed threshold was not met adding another potential reason as to why I couldn’t

get the cruise control activated.

Once again the long gearing of the RSV4 would be brought to the fore with 1 st gear being

required for pullaways and 2 nd gear being needed if you wished to use cruise control with

revs higher than feels comfortable/sociable riding through villages and 3 rd being too low in

the rev range for those with any mechanical sympathy.

With conditions being more favourable for a more spirited pace than before another issue

began to make its presence known. Part throttle fuelling, namely within the 10>20% opening

at a working rev range on the unknown roads I was riding of 4000 to 6000. The sensation

was of a particularly lean fuelling map coupled with an inconsistent amount of back-pressure

with what I believed to be the exhaust noise/emission valve opening and closing at in-

opportune times.

A set of circumstances that are very unlikely to arise during a summer ride on a familiar

stretch of road or on a track day for example are part of the norm for real road riding

throughout the year. Unfamiliar roads and inconstant conditions do mean several attempts at

corner entry are made. On/off throttle applications at semi sensible speeds and for want of a

better word this experience was ‘lacklustre’ where was the bike from the airfield?

Another sensation from this ride which became apparent on occasion once I had started a

relatively hard level of braking and then having to release and then re-apply the brakes was

a feeling of being just ahead of curve whilst the electronic suspension re-adjusted. I can now

understand the polarising effect electronically adjusted suspension has on riders, in

particular track day riders/club racers as the sensation is one of inconsistency. Most

noticeably when hard on the brakes approaching a corner. Weight transfer, namely dive

through the stroke of the suspension is a fixed and usually compromised set-up. A balancing

act of not too stiff for slow speed whilst being ideal for fast hard braking, high load cornering

providing a muscle memory of the faster you go the more the bike dives. With the electronic

suspension it virtually dives the same amount at all braking forces/speed. Couple this with

being able to catch it out, again changing the feel I can see why some immediately write it off

as inferior.

For me outside of noticing this quirk I hadn’t once thought about the suspension set up,

despite negotiating what the Fens refer to as roads (ploughed fields with tarmac painted on).

This is a major coup for a superbike on the road. Of course there are several fixed

suspension modes available which would remove this issue, however I personally would

spend time building confidence with the active systems nuances as the benefits are plentiful.

So after multiple rides and several hundred miles I’m left with two distinct memories.

The first is akin to a ‘fish out of water’. A 200 + bhp motorcycle, road riding in the depths of

winter. A motorcycle with such exquisite details and high capabilities it seems such a crime

to expose it to not only road salt but to the shame of only using a mere 10% of its potential.

Thanks to the ever increasingly stringent emissions and noise regulations with each passing

evolution its masterpiece of an engine becomes more restricted, not just through fuelling and

exhaust restrictions but I also believe the gearing that’s required to place the engine within

the correct boundaries to pass said noise tests. All of which fall at the exact rev range that

the majority of normal road riding is carried out at. With Aprilia already previously increased

the capacity from 1000 to 1100 in an attempt to counteract these problems; much inline with

my previous thoughts on the chassis I imagine the Aprilia engineers pondering How do they

improve it? And again at what cost?

The second memory of the RSV4 I have is the day spent revelling in the sound and power

delivery of the tremendous engine working in perfect harmony with a confidence inspiring

chassis. A day where realistically I was still miles off the bikes potential.

I do believe however, even if I’d carried out this test during the peak of summer I’d be left

with the same conclusion. That realistically the level of the RSV4 and its peers has long

surpassed what can be utilised at a visceral level on the road. You can never go fast

enough, for long enough. You cannot attack corner after corner at speed, you can never fully

commit to a point where the bike is working in its ‘sweet spot’ and therefore your time is

spent living for the stolen moments where you can say rev it out for a couple of gears, or

attack that corner you like with the 100% visibility before residing yourself to again falling

back to the numb zone.

That is unless you fully commit to your purchase and add ‘track days’ to your riding life. The

issues that are felt on the road, as proven during my time on the air field will not be present.

The longer gearing would bring first gear into a many of the uk tracks, something I know can

be disconcerting for many track riders, so a gearing change would more than likely be the

only modification I would suggest for track day attacks. This would also be a massive benefit

to the road riding, increasing that intoxicating feeling of ‘thrust’ as I later found aplenty on the

Tuono.

Whilst it would be tempting to add an end can with noise restrictions as they are on

trackdays I myself would save the money and put it towards brake pads and tyres.

Having spoken to Aprilia they’re aware of the wasted potential of the RSV4 on the UK roads

and as a company not only understand but WANT owners to take them on track. Something

which is reinforced with the revised track use service schedule they have in place for owners

to take confidence in the knowledge their warranty will remain in place should an issue arise.

As simple as this sounds this is not something all manufacturers offer, despite in some

instances having models marketed on the back of their track prowess.

To answer the ‘where does it all go from here’ question, one has to take on board the low

number of sales the superbike market as a whole generates and come from a place of

gratitude that bike like the RSV4 are still available and therefore apply realistic optimism that

an updated model is much more likely than an entirely new product.

On this basis I don’t believe the RSV4 needs any changes to its chassis or engine. They’re

both masterpieces. I personally feel a small suite of changes could be made which would

enhance both the ownership and rider experience. The devil as they say is in the detail and

should Aprilia look at items such as adjustable rearsets/handlebars/clutch lever span this

would allow the bike to be altered by each owner individually without the need to replacing

parts for both road and track use.

The shape of the tank could be improved to promote a better fit for larger riders and/or more

grip area.

Despite having all the information you need (and some you don’t – i.e.. Top speed reached,

which is just asking for trouble should a knowing police officer stops you) the switchgear

ergonomics and the user interface is lagging behind its rivals along with the TFT dash

display. This being a system spread across multiple models the costs could be shared

across multiple models.

And finally as per the Ducati playbook of the past, perhaps a F.O.C smaller tooth front

sprocket could be included within the new owners pack………………..

As a 2 wheeled equivalent of a hyper car despite having no real right to be as malleable and

compliant as it is on the road. It’s a testament to the development of modern motorcycles

that it is able to turn its hand to most things, something I’m sure hyper cars are not able to

do.

It is only because we are now lucky enough to have so many different motorcycle sectors,

each a champion in their chosen field that it highlights this minutia and affords us multiple

solutions at varying price points to the questions ‘what is the best bike for the riding I do?’….

and if the riding you do is fast road and track days the Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory needs to

be on your test ride shortlist.

To conclude I wish to be clear that I love the RSV4 1100. My criticisms are minutia.

Having sampled the single mindedness of the RSV4 I now found myself in the lucky position

of swapping it straight out for its super naked Tuono sibling in matching Factory

specification.

Feeling immediately familiar albeit much less intimidating and focussed than the RSV4. With

its more upright riding position my feet were both firmly on the floor allowing all my weight to

be carried down through my spine leaving my arms relaxed and feeling light on the wide flat

bars which in turn seemed to offer a much larger steering lock than the RSV4. Peddling the

bike backwards and forwards whilst trying the carry out the near 3 point turn in order to exit

the yard felt effortless.

A quick check of the wing mirror positions left me disappointed, offering far less rear vision

than is expected from a naked bike. Seeming very much like an afterthought fighting for

space on the handlebars from the RSV4 clip on derived switchgear (minus the plus/minus

TC control paddles on the left hand side). The fact the cruise control operation is hindered by

the proximity of the lefthand wing mirror stalk further underlines this issue.

The still too wide clutch lever is present, however with the change of riding position taking

the strain off your hands it is more manageable than the RSV4.

Pulling away for the first time was a revelation. No clutch slipping, no throttle feathering. It

actually felt as though I was on an 1100 cc V4. So much so, for the sake of experimenting I

immediately stopped and tried again, only this time in 2 nd gear. Easy. So much so that for the

majority of time riding the Tuono for the next few weeks I mostly only used 2 nd gear for

pullaways, especially in towns. Another benefit of the gearing was the ability for the cruise

control to be operated all the way down from 20mph in 4 th gear. This making controlling your

speed through various (20/30/40/50mph) controlled routes so much easier.

The Brembo M50 callipers although offering slightly less initial feel/bite than the Stylema

equipped RSV4 still represent a high water mark in the world of braking and not once during

my time on the Tuono was I left feeling wanting.

The overall riding position was not as I’d imagined it would be with the footpegs being

slightly lower and more forward biased. This gave a slightly disjointed feeling of my upper

body being canted forward with my lower body statically vertical. After longer periods of

riding I experienced pressure point pain on the thumb muscle parts of each hand. I put this

down to the handlebars having a slightly strange angled cant which rotates your wrists

outwards.

Although feeling initially comfortable, again after a short period of time I began to feel some

discomfort in my lower back, which I feel could be alleviated if my foot position was further

rearward to match the angle of the reach to the bars. Despite all of this the overall riding

position and comfort is far higher than that of the RSV4. The added height and angle of your

head providing an excellent field of vision including being able to see over vehicles and

hedge rows.

With your legs being lower the petrol tank discomfort found on the RSV4 isn’t present

however it smallish size and shape does mean you can find yourself sliding further forward

and up onto the back of the tank unless you really brace yourself against it at all times.

Another major bug bare of the tank size is that of the mileage range it offers, which even with

the limited pace I could utilise with the wintery road conditions was never more than 80 miles

before illuminating the fuel light. This was a constant annoyance during my rides as I have to

travel at least 40 or so miles for exciting roads, which are also some distance from any petrol

stations. It always meant a precursory fuel stop during every ride with many rides resulting in

two fuel stops. Add to this a fuel filler that made it almost impossible to completely fill the

tank without getting blow back spray from the fuel pump I spent a lot of the time frustrated at

every fuel stop.

Outside of these various issues the Tuono is very nearly a masterpiece. Despite having over

20bhp less than the RSV4 it feels the other way round. It feels like it revs faster and harder.

Everything feels like it’s been turned upto 11. It barks and booms as it squats rearwards on

the power causing the front wheel to go light and all manner of lights start to flash on the

dash as the various electronics try to stop the rear spinning and the bike from flipping. The

bars wiggle and move around whilst you’re holding on for dear life. It is a bike that has you

questioning ‘how is this legal?’ each and every time you open it up in anger.

It feels alive. Raw would be a poor choice of word as it would do a disservice to the

completeness of the package. It’s superbike routes are still very much present. The chassis

and mechanical grip unlike many other models in the sector doesn’t feel like its moving and

flexing.

The difference in its handling characteristics when compared to the RSV4 outside of the

obvious change in its riding position and handlebars feel more a result of

suspension/geometry changes such as fork height, rear shock length etc. So should you

wish you could adjust the Tuono to more closely mimic the feeling of the RSV4.

However, for the types of roads I ride the way the Tuono is set up from the factory is perfect.

With its rearwards weight bias its all about firing out of the corners. It has excellent stability

under hard braking, a reluctance to turn unless off throttle meant I was entering corners far

slower than I would on the RSV4, getting the bike turned before then using the throttle to

complete the turn. Overall, not only is this a safer way to approach road riding it was also

much more exhilarating. The lower gearing of the Tuono meant brutal acceleration was

always available regardless of gear at each exit.

As with the RSV4 the Tuono has to meet the same noise and emission standards however

the issues highlighter with the RSV4 are significantly minimised. The exhaust valve

operation/fuelling point is still there but massively reduced with the gearing and drive

available to become a quirk rather than the annoyance it is on the RSV4.

With weather conditions virtually the same as with my time with the RSV4 I found myself

much more confident to ride roads I hadn’t dared navigate on the RSV4, despite being on

the same summer based Supercorsa tyres. A testament to the confidence inspiring setup.

The weight transfer offered by the softer suspension and chassis setup gave confidence that

heat was being generated in the tyres, the suspension itself in active mode was reacting to

everything that the fen roads could throw at them and although the engine performance was

so much more accessible highlighted by the various electronics kicking in (which had been

largely absent with the RSV4) gave a feeling that the Aprilia had your back. That we were

both in it together to have as much fun as possible yet still arrive home in one piece.

Playing around on the Tuono I found the wheelie control to be a little hit and miss at times, it

seemed happiest in a setting which stopped it from lifting at all. The less intrusive levels

would often allow the wheel to lift too quickly which in turn then seemed to surprise the ecu

which would then cut everything causing the wheel to drop, before everything came back in

with a bang, lifting the wheel again too quickly … resulting in a kangarooing effect. This isn’t

uncommon with wheelie control however it is something other manufacturers have over

come in recent years with updated software and does perhaps suggest that Aprilia has some

catching up to do with its peers on this front.

On the subject of the electronic suspension, I purposefully tackled a stretch of road several

times, both with static and active suspension modes. The stretch of road is one of the

bumpiest roads I’ve ever encountered yet also has some of the best series of corners. It has

completely open visibility throughout, cambered hairpins, fast direction changes, hard

braking zones, straights (like ploughed fields) to name but a few and after an hour or so of

testing I can confidently saw that the active setting was considerably better on the Tuono

than static presets.

Where the static lost all control after several bumps were hit in succession the active kept a

noticeable more composure. Don’t get me wrong, this road is one where you’re up on the

pegs like a jockey, however where the static mode caused me to back off the throttle the

active allowed me to carry on accelerating each time. The feeling of being able to catch the

front suspension stiffening up at certain times whilst coming off and going back hard on the

brakes is still there but far less noticeable than it was on the RSV4 at similar speeds.

In comparison to my time with the RSV4 I found myself actively making excuses to get the

Tuono out on the road. With the RSV4 and the winter roads I knew I was in for frustrating

rides searching for a suitable road in the right condition in order to try and be able to ride fast

enough to ‘activate’ it. Whereas the Tuono feels exciting as soon as you pull away on it for

the first time. It can navigate busy towns and traffic, it can do all of the boring stuff well whilst

turning any type of open road into your own dragstrip/race track. Not only does it do this it

also does it for considerable les money than an RSV4 Factory with the Tuono Factory RRP

£16,700 vs RSV4 Factory RRP of £21,300.

I’ve no doubt that on track the Tuono would be tremendous fun but at least 30% less

capable than the RSV4. I do believe that the majority of riders on track would be far more

confident however on an RSV4 as the lack of front end feel a naked can offer when

compared to a traditional sports bike when on track. So should you be someone looking to

do more track days than road riding the RSV4 base model (£16,700) with money to spare for

upgraded manual suspension would most likely be a better choice.

However, for road riding with the odd track day I would pick the Tuono Factory every time.

The electronic suspension of the Factory does command an additional £2300 over the base

model (£14,400) but I feel this is very much worth it on the Tuono.

The Tuono being 30% less capable on track is the price that has had to be made to make it

in my eyes 70% more exciting on the road. It really is an astounding motorcycle and worthy

of all the awards and test wins it has received over the years. As with the RSV4 despite

facing stiff competition with each passing year, it really only needs a series of small detail

changes to keep it at the head of the pack. These being as per the RSV4 with an upgrade to

the switchgear/electronics, a change in tank design (more range and support required) and

the ability to fine tune the ergonomics (footpegs/handlebars/levers/mirrors) would make a

considerable improvement to the overall package.

With thanks to Aprilia UK, Piaggio for the loan of the bikes.