Aprilia Tuono 1000 Factory Pikes Peak motorcycle test

Menus

• Survive and win
• V4 at 65 ° of 1.078 cm3, 170 hp, 170 kg, victory and record at the Pikes Peak
• Genesis
• Discovery
• Test
• Conclusion

Survive and win

V4 at 65 ° of 1.078 cm3, 170 hp, 170 kg, victory and record at the Pikes Peak

Motorcycle racing is inherently perilous, but there aren’t many races as dangerous in the world as the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Everyone knows by name at least this race which has been held every year in Colorado since 1916. Which makes it the oldest motorcycle race and the second oldest motorsport event in the United States after the Indy 500. The Pikes Peak is 19.99 km long on average slopes at 7.2%, with a route made up of 156 bends winding above all along a peak of 4,302 m and therefore a cliff. Imagine moreover that the route was not entirely asphalted until 2011! The race begins at an altitude of 2,743 m and therefore takes place entirely above a threshold where the average person gasps … not to mention the motorcycles whose fuel is not at best at this altitude. And while there have been a few token attempts to line up a few safety barriers and even AirFences, there are still countless portions along the unfenced precipice where the penalty for a mistake is to dive into the ravine to certain death. Even taking the road at a normal pace like I did is impressive, the road is so narrow. The idea of ​​running there on a motorbike fills me with dread. And yet, I have done the Tourist Trophy several times, finishing four times in the top 10 … No, the Tourist Trophy is almost a walk next to the Pikes Peak.

Aprilia Tuono Factory Pikes Peak motorcycle test

Genesis

Which made me all the more proud when I heard that 36-year-old Rennie Scaysbrook had finally become King of the Mountains. He won the 2019 event on an Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 Factory after three years spent on a KTM with which he had finished second twice and once fourth. He thus became the first Australian to win the event, breaking the course record in 4.662 seconds with a time of 9: 44.963. He also achieved his goal by winning the Heavyweight Division category. Sadly, his closest rival Carlin Dunne, a four-time race winner who was heading for a fifth title, was killed after an inexplicable crash in the very last corner on the handlebars of Ducati’s Streetfighter V4 prototype. Now see why I was so relieved that Rennie arrived in one piece ?

Rennie Scaysbrook at Pikes Peak 2019

This is because the young (well, he is to me) Australian has been a semi-detached member of the Cathcart family since he came with us to England at the age of 11. My friendship with his father Jim – the first Australian to compete in the AMA 500MX Championship and who was Mike Hailwood’s teammate with Ducati at the 1978 TT, has made us best friends in the world. As such, I was initially horrified when, after a part-time road career since he was 18, I learned that he had decided in 2016 to race the Pikes Peak. He even persuaded KTM North America to back him up by loaning him a 1290 Super Duke. Horror turned to awe as Rennie qualified on pole for the race ahead of previous event winners like Jeremy Toye and Carlin Dunne. Then came the relief following his fall when he had been in the lead for 5 seconds, then climbed to finish fourth at 27 seconds behind the winner, the Frenchman Bruno Langlois then on Kawasaki Z1000.

It also meant that Rennie had no choice but to come back the following year. Especially since KTM, starting to see the benefits of racing, placed him in a factory-backed team alongside their former AMA Superbike rider Chris Fillmore. The latter also broke the lap record to win just ahead of Rennie, allowing KTM to double. In 2018, he made his comeback on the KTM 1290 Super Duke R with the hope of securing the victory, but finally lost for 0.692s against Dunne and his Ducati Multistrada who crossed the 10-minute barrier for the first time. the Pikes Peak, both for cars and motorcycles.

Scaysbrook also set the event record

Rennie Scaysbrook :

This one really stung, so there was no question for a comeback in 2019 to beat Carlin. But that meant changing brands and teaming up with Aprilia, mainly because KTM wasn’t going to get me a new bike ready for this year’s race because they had the 2020 Super DUke coming up. I was about to start figuring out who could help me when Shane Pacillo from Aprilia took me to lunch and asked if I would be interested in racing a Tuono 1100 Factory. I only had one word in response: "Absolutely!"

Pacillo is the PR and Events Manager for Piaggio Americas, covering the entire continent from Canada to the tip of South America. He looked at the media coverage that Ducati and KTM had obtained during their successes with envy.

Shane Pacillo :

The Aprilia brand philosophy has always been racing and the American market needs so much representation at important events here. So I pitched the idea of ​​supporting Rennie to my bosses here and in Italy and they loved the idea..

Rennie and his Tuono Pikes Peak

Rennie knew very well how to go about winning with Aprilia and that involved hiring Jeremy Toye as a team leader. Toye, 38, is considered one of the best American open road riders with two participations in the Tourist Trophy, a podium at the Macau Grand Prix and a victory in 2014 at the Pikes Peak on a Kawasaki he had himself. built.

I wanted Jeremy to be on the Pikes Peak trip because I knew he knew what was needed to win there. I especially wanted his opinion on the chassis because I thought the KTM was too stiff in 2018. So this year we went the other way and made the Aprilia a much more accommodating bike, I thought. with the slight less torque we had with a V4 versus V-Twins, it would be better to have a feeling closer to a road bike.

Discovery

So a brand new 2019 Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory was shipped to Toye’s store in San Diego to be prepped as a machine for the Pikes Peak with several parts salvaged from an RSV4 Factory. Aprilia has chosen not to enter its Superbike in the race because the Heavyweight category is reserved for production bikes delivered with a one-piece handlebars, so a naked roadster like the Tuono. Motorcycles equipped with bracelets are only allowed to compete in the Exhibition Prototype category, a class mainly open to factory prototypes and home-made superbikes..

The Tuono de la Pikes and its production version

My Tuono’s 1,078cc 65 ° V4 engine was left in stock configuration, but with the addition of an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system from the official Aprilia catalog. After several tests, the team finally opted for a transmission ratio of 15/54 compared to the production 15/42! This is the kind of setting used by stunt pilots, but Rennie had a good reason for it:

During the tire test we did earlier in the month, I said to myself "how slow!". We knew we had exactly 170 horsepower at sea level, but when we got to 2,743m elevation we were down to only 160 when we first mapped it out, then we had issues with fuel and lost about eight more horses. We actually recovered up to 162 horsepower on race day, but it was a huge job for the team. So we decided to revise the transmission so that the three lower gears shift immediately and I can spend most of the time in the upper three gears, except in hairpin turns where you always have to be down to resume when exiting the turn. . It worked, I think we only reach 225 km / h on the bike, but here it happens very quickly !

With altitude, the V4 at 65 ° developed 162 hp after several adjustments

Toye spent the most time in the cycle part, first transforming Aprilia’s Naked roadster into a sporty one by fitting an Attack Performance rear buckle and a SharkSkinz replica of the saddle and fairing. the RSV4 which was then painted in Italian colors by Syndicate Racing in Denver. Toye then rotated the handlebars down ten degrees to accommodate the fairing, after shortening a bit to allow more movement..

The skin is a replica of that of the RSV4

Toye then installed the fully adjustable Ohlins NIX30 43mm inverted fork and 5mm longer from the RSV4 Factory as well as the TTX35 rear shock, also taken from the superbike..

My biggest concern with the Aprilia was that it wasn’t going to have enough ground clearance, especially with the belly pan we installed. You don’t have to install one, but I wanted it anyway for safety. So it took a bit of ground clearance, but the rear shock is also 10mm longer. When taking an angle, especially in Boulder Park, there are a number of bumps that can rub with the bottom of the bike as you go over it, so you really have to keep it straight by leaning as much as you can. possible to minimize damage. Even the KTM rubbed there and it’s a little higher than the Aprilia.

The Цhlins suspensions were also used on the RSV4

RSV4 RF forged aluminum wheels were fitted with a 200 / 60-17 Pirelli Diablo Superbike tire on the rear. It was also considered to install carbon fiber wheels, but this choice was abandoned due to the small difference in weight with Aprilia rims..

At the rear, the Pirelli Diablo Superbike 200 tire takes place

The longer suspension helped solve the ground clearance issue, mainly because Rennie opted for soft settings. I discovered it for myself a few months after his exploits when he and Shane Pacillo brought the victorious Aprilia to Buttonwillow Raceway near Bakersfield, Calif., To allow me to try this bike for the first time since winning Rennie on the 4.99 km circuit. The very flat terrain, although featuring a few man-made hills each with a blind turn at the top, is about the exact opposite of what one would expect from Pikes Peak. This was also the case for the scorching weather conditions with a scorching sun that caused the mercury to rise to 40.5 ° C. Hot !

Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 Factory Pikes Peak

I must admit it right away and declare my firm belief that the Tuono 1100 Factory is the best production road bike. An opinion forged after having covered hundreds of kilometers on his handlebars in various regions of Italy, including with a few days on the track. I could already imagine that Scaysbrook & Co didn’t have to worry about tuning the engine but just enjoying its wide torque range and appetite for revs. It was initially difficult for the team during the first tests at Pikes Peak:

In our Race mode with the standard ECU, the valves did not open at the rate I wanted. I was opening the throttle, but it just wasn’t accelerating to the speed I wanted and it was killing us, especially on the middle portion because there it’s just drag racing and you need to speed up instantly.

Aprilia tried to help by emailing various maps, but those were guesses. On the 3rd day, the factory therefore sent its engineer Nicola Marcato by plane to try to solve the problem. What he did.

Piaggio dispatched Nicola Marcato to adjust the ECU during the race

Nicola came with a red Marelli ECU to replace the small iPhone-looking element installed as standard. He plugged it in on Thursday morning, so the third day of testing and it completely transformed the bike. In less than 100 meters I said Ok Ok, there she is! It really gave me what I was looking for. He tweaked it for us until the race, then installed the same board in the original ECU as he had to bring his setup back with him. So now it’s supposed to be the same that I ran with.

Rennie confirmed this during a few warm-up laps during which he also kindly prepared the new set of Pirelli tires provided for this test..

Rennie gives me some advice before hitting the trail

Test

Climbing aboard the victorious Aprilia of the Pikes Peak for the first of my three 20-minute sessions revealed a slightly higher riding position (saddle at 840mm instead of 825mm) and roomier than the Tuono d ‘ Origin that I had just driven to relearn the circuit, mirroring Rennie’s slightly higher ride height. But this, combined with the original flat handlebars slightly tilted down to allow better wedging behind the screen in the straights, allows the bike to be handled with ease, especially in tight turns. You don’t have to hang on the bike to turn and it ended up being a lot less physical than I expected, even with the high temperatures..

At Buttonwillow, the V4 regained its 170 horsepower

However, that requires braking only in a straight line, if possible, and then diving late enough towards the chord point to give yourself enough room to maintain decent speed in the corners. Indeed, by braking hard while leaning, even more from the rear once on the angle, the Aprilia tries to get up and understeer, which must then be countered by pulling on the handlebars and moving on the saddle. So it’s best to avoid this, if possible.

Braking remains superlative thanks to the Brembo brakes with two 330mm floating front discs gripped by M50 four-piston radial monobloc calipers, with a radial master cylinder and metal braided hoses and original Bosch ABS disconnected. A single finger on the lever slows the Aprilia down from sixth to third gear to tackle Buttonwillow’s first blind corner, where the Tuono’s handling makes it possible to follow an almost perfect trajectory with every lap … a driving tip learned by following local experts. thanks guys !

Braking is provided by Brembo M50 calipers and 330mm discs

Despite the limited-slip clutch, the additional engine brake provided when downshifting to 3rd allows the curve to be approached in the same Race mode that Rennie used during the race. This is where the engine brake mapping that Nicola Marcato did on the 4th day of testing at the Pikes Peak really appeared and which, once you learn how to take advantage of it, is very effective..

Overall, from the breaker located at 12,500 rpm (and which I triggered twice per revolution) up to 9,000 rpm, the Tuono is almost coasting. But from there up to around 4,000 rpm, a speed that you must not fall below if you want to keep the power to get out of a slow turn without jerking the transmission, the engine braking increases constantly. This not only helps to stop the bike, but also takes you pleasantly to the chord point, with the slip clutch ready to prevent any rear wheel slamming. In addition, there is little sign of instability even when applying the brakes hard, which effectively causes some forward dive due to the smooth, but accommodating suspension settings, without compromising steering control..

This Tuono is also lighter than the original with only 170 kg

This engine is as much a gem on the Pikes Peak machine as it is on the production models I have driven in Italy. The V4 engine begins to deliver serious performance when the tachometer needle reaches 5,000 rpm and acceleration gets stronger and stronger. From 7,000 rpm, acceleration becomes explosive. There is just no other word to describe it, in the mode used by Rennie in racing and with maximum torque delivered at 9,000 rpm, this is where we see that the front wheel at a annoying tendency to leave the asphalt at the exit of the curve on the second. Fortunately, the Ohlins steering damper is there because Rennie has disabled the anti-wheeling and limited Traction Control to level 1 of the 8 available..

But by maintaining speed, we discover a new dose of power at 10,000 rpm that propels you like a rocket as the engine approaches the switch. We then appreciate the softness of the perfectly calibrated bidirectional PowerShifter.

The Цhlins NIX30 fork is fully adjustable, like the TTX36 shock absorber

The fourth gear on the Pikes Peak setting is particularly useful at Buttonwillow since the wide torque range allows you to stay in the same gear without losing momentum. At first I had to force myself to be at least one gear above what I normally would due to the low final gear ratio. But the flexibility of the Tuono and the torque range which culminates at 9,000 rpm with 122 Nm make it ultimately less important to know which speed to resume. However, it still pays to do it in the red zone because there is definitely more power here..

The flexible suspension is only really perfectible during hard braking, when the mass transfer is felt. The bumps on the asphalt at Buttonwillow still helped me understand why Renni had opted for such a setup on the Pikes Peak. I tried using his thumb brake and was impressed. It is useful for keeping the front wheel on the ground when exiting a turn, but it is best to use it just before squeezing the front brake lever. This preloads the rear suspension before mass transfer to the front, which allows for a more stable approach to corners and ultimately helps maintain good cornering speed. At the end of my third and last session, I was finally starting to understand the bike perfectly. To be continued !

Aprilia Tuono Factory Pikes Peak test on the Buttonwillow circuit

Conclusion

The sequel will unfortunately not be for this Aprilia Tuono, the last winner at the Pikes Peak since after the tragic death of Carlin Dunne, it has been confirmed that there will be no motorcycle racing there in 2020. He It is therefore very likely that Rennie Scaysbrook will ultimately be the absolute two-wheeler record holder on this course and that the Aprilia will become a historic machine. No wonder Piaggio sent the bike by plane to Europe for the last EICMA show. After all, it had been a long time since the brand had experienced success in competition. But I have to say I’m surprised he didn’t concoct a limited edition road replica, like Ducati consistently did after his victories..

The Tuono should remain the fastest motorcycle in Pikes Peak history

Rennie Scaysbrook, meanwhile, is shifting his attention to something much safer by committing to the Isle of Man TT.

They call it a tourist trophy, so I go there as a tourist. For sure I have no ambition or hope to compete with Peter Hickman !

Yeah, but I remember he said the same thing four years ago when he told me he was going to do Pikes Peak and look what happened there! No pressure, Ren…

Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory Pikes Peak technical sheet

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