Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

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Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

15th photos

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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The Aprilia racing department is based in the northern Italian town of Noale. There they build individual racing motorcycles – even with wings. Fire free for the concert you want!

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

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Minus ten kilograms. Plus 15 hp. Anyone who puts an RSV4 Factory Works in the garage has all the trumps in hand when it comes to race training. But absolutely no more excuses either!

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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Neat chassis set-up and pressure on the front wheel. Precise maneuvers are possible in the braking zones without the rear wheel wrenching wildly.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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Complete system from Akrapovic made of titanium with carbon rear silencer. Minus 5.5 kilos and about six more horsepower for 2,926 euros.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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Tank from the racing department: about a liter more capacity than the standard part and 1.5 kilos lighter. Price: 634 euros.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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The optimized ECU (part of the cylinder head kit) ensures that the beefed up engine (parts will follow in the photo show) and the exhaust system harmonize.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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Light triple clamp (saves 0.25 kg) made of aluminum. The milled part costs around 410 euros. A lithium-ion battery (two kilos lighter than the series, not in the picture) costs around 190 euros.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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In Noale’s racing department, super athletes are created according to customer requirements: One of these machines could become your new RSV4 Factory Works.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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It’s showtime. The side wings not only look like MotoGP, but also bring clear advantages in terms of driving behavior.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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The motor kit parts on this page were built into the test motorcycle (215 hp). If you are interested in any kind of Aprilia kit parts, the hot wire directly to the racing department: factoryworks@aprilia.it, phone + 39/033 71 53 78 19

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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Lighter pistons with DLC coating and one compression ring and one oil control ring. The piston kit for the Aprilia Superbike is available for 3,413 euros.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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Aprilia delivers the airflow-optimized kit cylinder head fully assembled. It creates a higher compression of 14.0: 1 instead of 13.6: 1. Its inlet and outlet channels as well as the combustion chambers are polished.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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The cylinder head kit, including the ECU, costs 5,755 euros.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018
Aprilia

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The valves, springs and also the camshafts correspond to the series.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

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Aprilia racing director Albesiano has petrol in his blood. He spoke to PS about the stakes in the MotoGP and Superbike World Championships.

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW (2018) in the test

Super sports car refined with kit parts

Content of

The Aprilia racing department is based in the northern Italian town of Noale. There they build individual racing motorcycles – even with wings. How does the Aprilia RSV4 RF FW fare in the test?

With 300 and X things, you clamp tightly folded on the wiry machine and duck behind the windshield. At the height of the pit exit that is flying by, you board on the far right over the Italian flag on the ground. Full pipe! In the last third of the 1.1-kilometer straight lurks a gentle bend to the left, which briefly hides the rest of the route behind it. But you know: after the bend it goes straight ahead – stop the gas! In the braking zone you throw the anchor brutally, but in a controlled and precise manner. Direct hit. Nobody can slow down – not guaranteed! Four downshifts and just as many thunderbolts, the machine stabs in the second on a perfect radius into the San Donato curve. There are three other drivers strolling uphill in the intermediate passage off the racing line. But before they can block the next corner entrance, you have already swept through to the right. This goes on all afternoon and into the evening. Round by round. Turn by turn. The Mugello course and the Aprilia R.SV4 RF FW. What a wonderful combination!

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Aprilia RSV4 RF FW test 2018

Aprilia RSV4 RF FW (2018) in the test
Super sports car refined with kit parts

What exactly is an Aprilia RSV4 RF FW?

At this point two questions arise: why Mugello and what exactly is an Aprilia RSV4 RF FW? Question one can probably best be explained by the proximity to the Aprilia plant or the racing department in Noale. It’s no more than 240 kilometers from there to the legendary MotoGP slope in Mugello. In addition, Mugello simply offers the greatest driving pleasure with such a fine superbike. There are no sharp hairpin bends or rough chicanes where you don’t know whether you should take them in first or second gear. Everything goes smoothly and with verve. The famous Arrabiata curve combinations one and two are particularly tough. To the right, the route leads in a never-ending incline first down the mountain and then up again. If you want to beat a superbike with over 200 hp here in the third, you need a stable and precise chassis. A dose of courage and confidence will definitely help!


Aprilia

The side wings bring advantages in driving behavior.

The second answer has to do with the impressive performance that the bike delivers here in Mugello. FW simply stands for Factory Works and means something like “refined with kit parts”. On request even by the racing professionals in-house. Aprilia puts immense effort into racing activities in MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship. In Noale, the manufacturer has a huge racing department with 75 employees and state-of-the-art equipment. Currently, the focus is clearly on MotoGP. Before joining the GP circus, however, it was the RSV4 that brought Aprilia laurels in the form of three drivers ‘and four manufacturers’ titles in the Superbike World Championship. “With the Aprilia RSV4 we have won everything, what should we still prove internationally?” Said an Aprilia spokesman confidently to PS before the first turn in Mugello.

Less weight and more power

“Let’s do something for popular sport with the RSV4 as a basis”, seems to have been the motto in Noale when the decision was made in 2017 to set up the FW program. Customers can choose what they like from an opulent range of factory tuning parts for the RSV4 RR or RF built in 2017 or 2018. The parts then go either directly to the customer or to a trusted dealer, depending on what you want. If you want a pure racing motorcycle, you can even order an Aprilia RSV4 FW (without RF in the name affix). Such a machine without registration papers would even be assembled by the specialists from Aprilia’s racing department in Noale and handed over to the customer there. In the end, only the customer or his wallet decides which funds should be used. Regardless of whether national or international Superstock / Superbike regulations (FW-SSTK-Kit / FW-SBK-Kit): Aprilia can deliver.


Aprilia

The complete system from Akrapovic costs 2,926 euros.

For our test machine in Mugello, Aprilia opted for the middle ground. The motorcycle was not prepared for a special racing series, but built for a hobby racer with an affinity for the racetrack. It had to be lighter and stronger, of course. But also mechanically durable and easy to use without having to take an entire factory team to the racetrack for each commissioning. The Aprilia RSV4 RF FW, which we drove in Mugello, should be on the scales and on the test bench with a gross vehicle weight of less than ten kilograms (around 200 kilograms) and an additional 15 hp (around 215 hp). The weight saving results mainly from the racing titanium system from Akrapovic (5.5 kg lighter than the series), a two kg lighter lithium-ion battery, a 1.75 kg lighter tank plus little things like the milled fork bridge (minus 0.25 Kilos) and other levers. By the way, if you want the full package, you can order the RSV4 FW-GP (over 250 hp, approx. 164 kilos total road weight) for 165,000 euros plus tax.

Even more performance possible

Theoretically, the V4 engine could produce a lot more power than the 15 additional horsepower in our test machine. With the changes made, Aprilia speaks of a balanced ratio of more power with the same maintenance effort as in the series. The RF FW has a new cylinder head with higher compression (14.0: 1 instead of 13.6: 1) and optimized air flow. The inlet and outlet channels as well as the combustion chambers are polished. The lighter pistons have a new compression ring and a DLC coating to reduce friction. Other parts in the cylinder head such as valves, springs and also the camshafts correspond to the series. The Akrapovic complete system makes a significant contribution to increased performance. The Aprilia RSV4 RF FW has an optimized ECU especially for this purpose. The engine control installed here is only used to harmonize the slightly mechanically pepped engine with the exhaust system. It must not be confused with the so-called APX kit electronics, which also allow deeper interventions in the engine mappings or the ABS – that brings us back to professional racing, because you need a completely new wiring harness.

The FW is ten kilograms lighter in comparison.

During the full throttle afternoon in Mugello, there is the opportunity to compare the Aprilia RSV4 RF FW directly with a standard RSV4 RR (the standard motorcycle without Ohlins chassis). The result: For an ambitious trackday hero, the question does not arise as to whether he will go for the RR version or rather this RF FW. It’s the subtleties that make the difference. But it is precisely these details that count on the racetrack. The optimized motor of the RSV4 RF FW delivers its extra power evenly and accurately. It’s not as if it almost knocked you out of the saddle in the upper speed range with explosive additional power. Rather, the 15 additional horsepower are nicely distributed over the entire speed range. The RF FW simply makes slightly thicker jaws than the standard motor and therefore fires a bit more powerfully and more motivated out of the curves. Once you’ve experienced that, however, you don’t want to know much about the series engine anymore!

In comparison, significantly better handling

In terms of handling, the Aprilia RSV4 RF FW stands out even more clearly from the standard RR. The Ohlins chassis has a tight basic setup, but it responds considerably better in all speed ranges and dampens more finely. On the RF FW you hit every corner entrance precisely and take the line as tight as you like. That doesn’t work with the production RR because it always pushes a bit further outwards and looks more sedate when turning. The lower vehicle weight of the FW version certainly also contributes a large part to the easier handling. It is simply sensational how precisely and effortlessly the machine goes on course! In addition, it remains calmer when accelerating out, where an RR starts pumping with the rear.


Aprilia

Precise maneuvers are possible thanks to the clean chassis set-up.

The MotoGP-inspired winglets on the flanks of the fairing leave a positive impression on the Aprilia RSV4 RF FW. Anyone who suspects a marketing gag is mistaken. Compared to the RSV4 RR, the RF FW is more stable and completely calm, especially at the end of the spectacular straight. The positive effect can even be felt on the brakes when turning, because more pressure is on the front wheel. If you want to do ambitious racing, Aprilia could be the right place for you. The factory tuning has a wide variety of options ready to be inspired in the truest sense of the word!

Interview Romano Albesiano (Aprilia Racing Director)

PS: Mr Albesiano, let’s talk about racing. How important is MotoGP for Aprilia?

Romano Albesiano: Very important! We absolutely want to be successful in MotoGP. This project is close to our hearts and currently requires 99 percent of our strength and attention.

PS: Aprilia is a comparatively young team in the very hard-fought Grand Prix circuit. What is the goal for the current season?

Romano Albesiano: At the beginning of the season, our aim was to be among the top five or six in any case. But the level and the power density are incredibly high. In the first few races we were unable to fully utilize the potential of our machine due to problems with fuel consumption. Our opponents simply have a lot more experience, and we need to close that gap now. The potential for places in the top ten is there in every race.

Romano Albesiano is Aprilia’s Racing Director.

PS: Is there a route that suits or suits your MotoGP machine??

Romano Albesiano: I would say that there are tracks that are particularly suitable for a particular rider / motorcycle combination. In the end, the driver’s feeling is usually the decisive factor. We were strong at Phillip Island last year. But to be honest, I don’t think that our machine dominates or has major disadvantages on a particular track. There are tracks on which we are very competitive and tracks where things don’t work so well. Our machine is not an extreme motorcycle, but rather balanced.

PS: In the 2019 season, Andrea Iannone will drive one of the Aprilias. How did the deal come about?

Romano Albesiano: Convincing Andrea wasn’t difficult. As an Italian pilot, it is good for him to drive an Italian machine. The fans love that and we will all do our best together.

PS: Were there any considerations to put Superbike World Championship rider Lorenzo Savadori on the MotoGP motorcycle?

Romano Albesiano: There was and he has even tested the GP machine once or twice. His job right now is the Superbike World Championship. The MotoGP World Championship places completely different demands on the driver. Switching between the two classes is not easy. I mean, in the past, only Cal Crutchlow made that jump.

PS: Speaking of superbikes. After three drivers’ titles, the RSV4 is no longer leading the way in the World Cup as often as it used to. There will soon be a successor to the RSV4?

Romano Albesiano: Of course I hope that RSV4 will win again in the World Cup. But as I said, our focus now is on MotoGP. At the moment there is no reason to build an RSV4 successor. Our production motorcycle continues to win a lot of comparison tests, for example with you.

PS: To what extent is the RSV4 currently being further developed?

Romano Albesiano: There are always minor developments and changes. But as far as the character of our RSV4 is concerned, it was mainly Max Biaggi who significantly influenced the development of the machine and made it what it is today. In the positive as in the negative.

PS: In the negative?

Romano Albesiano: Concerning racing. I can’t reveal what exactly. But one thing remains to be said: Our RSV4 is more than just alive!

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