Road test of ApriliaRSV4 1000 FACTORY 2009 Aprilia's dream V4

the Curvone curve approaches me at over 200km/h. This V4 missile, which I had the privilege of riding here in Misano, swallows curves with an ogre's appetite. At 10,000 rpm, the shift-light crackles and the next 3,000 rpm scroll across the speedometer as quickly as a guitar chord by Yngie Malmsteen (for neophytes: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS_IYe5JTZ4 ). The performance of the V-4 and the adjustable chassis would almost make me proud to be a gnat squashed on the RSV4 Factory's bubble.

aprilia RSV4 Factory launch at Misano - Aprilia's dream V4

it's raining hard outside as I watch a video recording of the Aprilia press conference in which Max Biaggi greets us from Bologna airport. The two previous groups of journalists had the privilege of riding with the charismatic Romain, while I had to make do with watching a video of Alex Hoffman. Go figure, I felt I hadn't drawn the longest straw....

but, as the sun shines the following morning, I enjoy my breakfast with the prospect of having the ideal conditions to test Aprilia's most accomplished bike.

at Misano, I set off and, as I'd expected, faced a very difficult track. Putting the ignition on the V4 might intimidate some, but it puts a smile on my face. As I settled into the RSV4 Factory and fired up the engine, I knew right away that I was in for one hell of a day! A day to remind us that Aprilia continues to make two-wheeled history.

from the very first laps, I sensed that the RSV4 needed to be ridden very quickly to give its best. We all started on the middle level of the new Aprilia "Ride by wire" system, which controls throttle mapping (Track - Sport - Road). After just one lap, I switched modes by pressing the start button to select a more appropriate mode: with one press, I chose Track mode. I'm not one to believe in muzzling beasts; now the RSV4 can express itself. To quickly explain the differences between the 3 maps: Track = full-power and no restrictions, Sport = limited torque in the first three gears, Road = power limited to 140 hp. A dual processor gives life to the Marelli 7SM control unit.

at the end of my first 20-minute session, I decided to go faster and push my riding skills a little further. I love the front end and the way it reacts to heavy braking, and I love the moment when you mash the brakes at the very end of the pit straight. That's when you feel the rear end gently wagging its tail behind you. Whereas on a Factory model we're used to talking in Ohlins and Brembo, here we also discover a fully adjustable chassis (steering column tilt, swingarm and engine position).

after the pit straight, a nice straight followed by a tight left ends up with the handle in the corner. Several times during the day, I said to myself that I liked the Misano circuit and the way the 2009 Aprilia RSV4 Factory handled here. Steering changes are very quick, which is the result of the almost hand-crafted work of the chassis developers: a chassis adjustable for steering column angle, swingarm position and engine height. Suzuki had lodged a complaint with the World Superbike Championship authorities, accusing Aprilia of running a prototype. Aprilia's response, announcing that it would produce 1,000 units of its so-called "prototype" by June 2009, put paid to Suzuki's accusation. If you prefer, the RSV4 Factory is a racing prototype...homologated for the road.

aprilia studied 4 different frame options before settling on this one. One of them used exotic materials that made industrialization too costly, and Aprilia finally abandoned this idea, even though it would have been the most efficient. The final double-beam chassis is made of cast and pressed aluminum. The new chassis is considerably stiffer than that of the old RSV, but retains the same glossy finish. At its Noale factory, Aprilia explains that the frames are treated like real jewels to avoid problems of unethical rendering. The new frame weighs 5.1 kilos. Aprilia has managed to further reduce the weight of the RSV by cutting the weight of the rims by 1 kilo. However, and this is an important piece of information, Aprilia has stated that they have reached the technical limit of rim weight that allows them to maintain acceptable stability and avoid vibrations.

add the high-performance Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa to the rims, and the RSV4 Factory will be ideally shod to transmit the 180 horsepower from the wheel to the tarmac. Tire sizes are standard, 120/70-ZR17 for the front and 190/55-ZR17 for the rear (which can also be fitted with 190/50-ZR17). You might think that the massive power of the RSV4 Factory must attack the tires like cheese, but inspecting my Pirelli after each session, I was amazed at how well the edges had been preserved. So, what can I say about Ohlins that hasn't already been said? Well, the 43mm front fork is stunning in its performance and feel. I could really push hard without ever losing the trajectory and always having the feeling of perfect control. The same goes for the Brembo monoblock caliper, which is extremely easy to use and never flinches. In my opinion, the front end is absolutely perfect. The RSV4 Factory relies heavily on its front end, but its weight balance is also designed to be perfect. If the rear wheel starts to slip when exiting a corner, it's barely noticeable, the Ohlins monoshock and new swingarm working and accompanying my right hand's demand to perfection.

the new 65° V-engine features the Aprilia "ride by wire" system first seen on the Cube3 MotoGP. The nature of the beast is quite extreme, as Jeremy McWilliams and Sakey Byrne can attest. It's been several years now since the system was born, and it's evolved well.
The beastly nature of the RSV4 Factory is that kick as soon as the needle passes 10,000 rpm. In first gear, the front wheel never touches the exit of the tight straight that precedes the Misano pit straight. The explosion arrives at 9,500 rpm, as soon as second gear is engaged. However, this has no effect on rear tire grip, even at the line. With all this horsepower, it's not so easy to do wheelies on purpose. The RSV4 Factory lifts lazily, then suddenly rears up faster than a teenager watching Pamela Anderson's sex tape for the first time... To accompany this presentation in Misano, the tenèbres had invited themselves to Valencia but, fortunately, left before I arrived. I was mortified, but luckily I didn't have to ride in the rain like the two previous groups.

the 999.6 cm3 V4 is loaded with raw power that explodes after 10,000 rpm. At 12,500 rpm, the final assault is made, and the aggressive but exhilarating torque limiter kicks in, allowing good acceleration between each bend without having to upshift and without wasting time. On certain sections of the circuit, I simply didn't dare to use all the power, but in the corners where I felt more at ease, the RSV4 went with me without batting an eyelid. The RSV4 Factory is a fantastic production superbike that allowed me to be faster than I've ever been on the Misano circuit. At mid-range, the V4 feels like it's resting like a lazy pussycat, but this is in contrast to the discharge of watts delivered at high revs. This feeling is deceptive, as I revved very quickly, often at less than 8,000 rpm. Thanks to the available torque and the high-performance chassis, you can and will certainly use the red zone of power most of the time. However, I did a few laps in "Road" mode (not the engine mapping, just the driving style!) and it turns out that the mid-range has the necessary power (and even much more!) required for overtaking and other road "tasks". But I can also assure future RSV4 owners that riding this machine on the road will be horribly frustrating, but enjoyable of course.

claudio Lombardi, the main designer of Aprilia's V65, gave us a more detailed presentation of the new engine at the press conference. I found this V4 engine very interesting, and as it's a real novelty, a few technical details were welcome. Lombardi explained that the V65 design had resulted in an engine with a perfectly balanced weight distribution, surpassing the usual V90s. Aprilia preferred a V4 to a V2 or an in-line 4-cylinder, as this configuration offered the best compromise between weight distribution and power. Leo Mercanti reminded us that the V65 project was made possible thanks to a 25 million euro investment by Piaggio. A 60° V4 was initially considered, but Lombardi and his team found that only a V65 could achieve the desired balance in power. What's more, the V65 leaves the door open to future developments. Lombardi continued his demonstration by explaining that the width of the V4 is only 225mm, compared with an in-line 4-cylinder which rises to 400mm. The narrowness required on the outside, however, does not prevent high compression on the inside. The 13:1 compression ratio is achieved through the use of special butterflies. Lombardi points out that the RSV4 features a highly efficient afterburner system. Each bank of cylinders is equipped with a servomotor that works exclusively on the two respective butterflies. In this way, the opening of the four throttle valves, and therefore the quantity of air injected, can be managed independently.

during my first session, I rode bike n°11, where the gear pedal was ill-suited to my boots. Fortunately (and unfortunately for him), Alan Catchcart crashed with it later on, so I got the n°3 bike back, much better adjusted for my morphology. The 6-speed cassette gearbox responds with a minimum of effort, and all you have to do is wait for the shift-light to flash to move up a gear without having to touch the clutch. I found the engine brake noticeably more intrusive than on a conventional 4-cylinder, but much less so than on a V90. I quickly got used to this feature, which I was able to use to my advantage with the clutch and brakes. The Aprilia RSV4 Factory's corner entry really feels rough.

aerodynamics are also very good for such a compact bike. For a 180-hp Misano, aerodynamics aren't the most important aspect, but the RSV4 Factory is capable of making big dents in the air. Alex Hoffman, on the other hand, said he thought the RSV4 was best suited to smaller people. Miguel Galluzi, the RSV4's chief designer (and, by the way, a giant at over 2 metres tall!) replied that he was able to sit comfortably on the RSV4.
Galluzi added that the design team had worked towards an RSV4 without superfluous rear ends. The end result is indeed a tiny posterior. Despite this, the RSV4 will still be sold with a seat and passenger footrests...delivered in a bag!

whether at high speed in a straight line, or rocking the bike from side to side, the RSV4 Factory shines in its ergonomic efficiency.

As far as I'm concerned, the new RSV4 Factory is ideally placed between the Yamaha R1 09 and the Ducati 1198 S, and it's even possible that on the road it's more efficient and faster. What I can say now is that Aprilia offers a superbike designed primarily for the track, sharing its place on the podium with the Ducati 1098 R.

when asked about traction control (cf. Ducati's DTC), Aprilia retorts that, for the moment, these models don't need the kind of assistance that other manufacturers do. However, it has announced that it will be developing traction control in the future.

By Tor SAGEN - Tradaptation: Sebastien de Malfin