All Duels – Duel Tuono V4R APRC Vs Speed ​​Triple R: roadsters with big Rs – Day of thunder on the small roads …

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Duel Tuono V4R APRC Vs Speed ​​Triple R: roadsters with big Rs

All Duels - Duel Tuono V4R APRC Vs Speed ​​Triple R: roadsters with big Rs - Day of thunder on the small roads ...

Equipped like racing motorcycles, the ultra sporty roadsters reach new heights in terms of pure performance. The proof with this MNC Duel between two European motorcycles that send the R: Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC and Triumph Speed ​​Triple R !

Day of thunder on the small roads…

Essentially designed for sporty rides (arson, what!), The Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC and the Speed ​​Triple R reveal their full potential on the secondary network. Preferably on small roads as winding as they are well paved !

Because both offer a typical "rat-monkey" suspension accord, favoring pure efficiency over comfort. But that, we suspected a little! However, these two motorcycles have nothing of a piece of wood "slapstick" and "daredevil": the Ohlins damping of the Triumph works wonders even when the asphalt is uneven.

Able to keep the wheels riveted to the ground on a field of bumps and absorb the largest mass transfers with the same responsiveness, the Swedish suspensions benefit from perfect cohesion. And cherry on the pudding: it is possible to manually adjust the rebound and compression of the TTX 36 shock absorber via very accessible notched knobs.

If they throw less on the terraces of cafes, the Sachs suspensions of the Aprilia do not have much to envy their prestigious rivals handlebars in hand. The damping of the Tuono V4 R APRC is also top-notch and contributes to reinforcing this enjoyable feeling of confidence and efficiency provided by the cycle part of the Italian..

A less progressive chouïa on successions of small irregularities, the superb Sachs mono-shock absorber (fully adjustable hydraulically, but with a screwdriver) transmits the imperfections of the bitumen more sharply than its Swedish rival..

In reality, on bumpy roads, it is above all the difference in rigidity of the chassis that favors the Triumph: originally designed to withstand the 180 hp of the RSV4, the frame of the Tuono V4 APRC shows less flexibility than that of the Speed ​​Triple R. Result, the Aprilia is certainly more precise and stable on "billiards", but reacts more sharply when the "carpet" crumbles.

This Superbike chassis, combined with a higher caster angle and a higher wheelbase (25 ° against and 22.9 ° and 1445 mm against 1435), allows the Italian to swallow fast curves as if placed on a rail, where the Englishwoman can be more nervous. Nothing alarming, however, because we are talking about bends swallowed up at speeds … shameful: rare are the roadsters to withstand such constraints so easily. !

Much more agile at low speed than the standard version, the Speed ​​Triple R dives to the rope of each turn with the same fluidity as Alain Bernard attacking a 100-meter freestyle. Thanks to the stylish forged rims which save 1.7 kg on unsprung weight !

Less maneuverable in small corners, the Tuono V4 R APRC requires more effort to enter a very tight turn. On the other hand, it contrasts its British rival with ergonomics that are certainly more exclusive, but also more suited to sporty driving: its high and rear footrests, like its handlebars fixed lower, generate a position naturally tilted forward..

Likewise, its narrow 17-liter tank squeezes more easily between the thighs, which makes it easier to move around when driving "edgy". Stockier, the Triumph is a little more difficult to understand because of its flared saddle on the front, which hinders the installation of the knees against the tank for bikers of about 1m75.

Still, the Speed ​​Triple R easily catches up to the few meters that it sometimes allows the Tuono V4 R APRC: just turn the right handle to erase its delay in less time than it takes to write it down! Because below 5500 rpm, the 3-cylinder in-line leaves absolutely no chance for the 4-cylinder in V: the Englishwoman severely deposits idle at 10,500 rpm from the breaker !

Much better constrained than the Aprilia engine, the "3-legged" benefits from a slightly higher torque and above all available much earlier: the 100 Nm of the French version tumble from 4950 rpm while the 98 Nm of the V4 are perched at 7,500 rpm. Add to that a very long final reduction on the Tuono V4 APRC, and the tests of times at low speeds turn to the punishment for the Italian.

Despite everything, the rital unit also displays a sacred elasticity: while its design inspired by and for racing could give rise to fear of a "sharp" operation, it is able to resume without grazing at 60 km / h in sixth, the needle its readable and complete tachometer (read the "Instrumentation" section of the "Practical aspects" table on the following pages) barely exceeding 2500 rpm.

After 4000 rev / min, acceleration gains badly in intensity and the two motorcycles are then equal game from 5500 rev / min. The quick and precise shifter then serves the cause of the Aprilia rider who can shift gears without cutting the throttle. More character and less linear than the three-cylinder, the V4 is also endowed with one of the most beautiful soundtracks of motorcycle production. Yes, just that !

If the hoarse sound interspersed with cracklings when the Triumph decelerates is already a pure delight, the impressive "MotoGP-esque" (or rather "CRT-esque") rumble of the Aprilia is for its part a real auditory feast. for music-loving bikers – and a little less for onlookers or neighbors, who will never believe that such a sound intensity can receive any approval…

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