Aprilia RSV mille review

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Aprilia RSV mille review

Al dente

This is how Italians like their pasta. And so Aprilia also serves the new RSV mille. Not cooked unnecessarily soft, but really with a bite.

You can see that Italians know fashion. You can taste that Italians know how to cook excellent. You can find out whether the Italian knows how to build good motorcycles. Of course, only if the coveted specimen is available as a test motorcycle. And that can take time. The Milan trade fair, at which the RSV mille was presented for the first time, was a few days ago. But the southerner is also known for that: making appointments only to postpone them at least half a dozen times shortly afterwards.
But all anger about the delays at the Aprlia RSV mille is gone when the first test copy from Italy finally arrives safely at the editorial office. It is “only” one of those handpicked machines that were ready at the first presentation in Barcelona, ​​but at least. Despite the official announcement, the promised delivery of the series machines has not yet taken place.
The curiosity is great, and so the mille is about to take its first test the next morning: performance measurement on the roller dynamometer. And lo and behold, not only the promised, but also measured 128 hp – all rumors about insufficient power of the Austrian Rotax engine are eliminated with one blow.
The second exercise did not cause the mille the slightest problem either. In just three seconds it catapults itself from a standstill to 100 km / h, despite a poorly controlled clutch. And when it comes to pulling through, the new entry in the V2 class doesn’t need to fear the Italian or Japanese competition either. The Mille burns top marks on the asphalt in every discipline. However, she succeeds in her masterpiece when measuring the maximum speed. XXX km / h demand a lot of praise for the aerodynamicists in Noale (see also wind tunnel comparison, MOTORRAD 13/1998).
After the RSV had already proven its talents on the racetrack at the presentation (MOTORRAD 16/1998), it should now show its qualities on the country road. And again she surprises positively. Because it is refreshing to the heart how easily and naturally this 223 kilogram two-cylinder storms through the narrow valleys of the southern Black Forest. The neutrality with which the Italian masters both long curves and tight bends. As if the Mille hadn’t done anything else for generations. Precise turning, a clean curve radius and easy change of lean angle even in fast changing curves, these are your strengths. Another plus point: the low tendency to erect when decelerating in an inclined position. Thanks to the super-sporty series tires from Pirelli. The MTR 01S sport rubbers at the front and MTR 08 at the rear are characterized by great handling, good damping properties and excellent grip. A slightly spongy feeling in fast corners at moderate lean angles is due to the zero-degree steel belt construction of the front wheel and only slightly spoils the good impression. However, the Pirelli tire technicians should quickly change something about the terrifyingly poor grip on wet roads. With such a high-performing athlete, this can quickly become obvious.
The fork and shock absorber each have a wide and useful adjustment range for rebound and compression damping. The very tight basic set-up prevents a bumpy ride even on bumpy and undulating roads without sacrificing comfort.
And that doesn’t just apply to the suspension elements, the Aprilia is a motorcycle overall that, despite all its sporting ambitions, does not neglect everyday matters. A fairly upright sitting position, excellent knee grip thanks to the narrow tank, good wind protection and a multifunctional cockpit leave little to be desired. Perhaps a somewhat harder seat pad, that could prevent sitting down to the plastic on longer tours. Thanks to the moderate drinking habits of the V-Zwei and a generous tank volume of 20 liters, they are no problem with the Mille.
Longer tours, however, reveal another flaw. Thanks to the injection system, the Mille hangs neatly and easily on the gas, but the RSV engine is a rather rough-legged fellow. Even two balancer shafts are of little use. At over 6000 rpm it shakes the aluminum chassis vigorously and stimulates the handlebars and footrests to annoying vibrations. Subjectively, the muscle man sounds mechanically harder and louder than other sporty two-cylinder engines. The chain whipping when pulling the accelerator at low speeds is also much more pronounced than with the competing models from Ducati, Suzuki or Honda.
While the rude behavior of the drive can be excused with character, there is no explanation when it comes to braking. Why on earth do Italians always hold on to these brembos? The controllability of the front double-pane system is insufficient, the required hand force is far too great, an exact pressure point cannot be made out and the required effect is only mediocre. Not much can be said about the dosage of the rear brake, as even a courageous step on the beautiful aluminum lever actually has no effect. So, at least when it comes to brakes, nothing bella Italia applies.
VApart from this lack, 22,920 marks for the Aprilia is a very fair price. Provided, of course, that the delivery of the machines, customer service, spare parts supply and the quality in series production do not cause any major problems. But what should go wrong with an Italian motorcycle manufacturer?

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