Menus
Driving report Aprilia RSV mille R (2000)
R-amazing
You also thought that the Aprilia RSV mille R could hardly be improved? Not correct. Aprilia went to over 200 different places to prove otherwise. With success?
After years of silent preparation Aprilia got serious in 1997: The RSV mille shook the motorcycle world, won comparison tests straight away, duped the completely surprised competition, made fans with its good workmanship and reliability ?? A look at the long-distance test from page 48 should also reassure the last doubters.
The well thought-out bikes from Veneto were becoming more and more convincing, crowned, for example, by the super-sporty, technically-charged and affordable mille R. Remember the last super-sports comparison test (MOTORRAD 20/2000): best lap time, winner on the racetrack, in the road classification the podium – and the test team agreed that the »R« is one of the best motorcycles of modern times. Not good enough, Aprilia decided.
The 2001 RSV mille R is more classy than its predecessor. The small air deflectors on the nose of the fairing liven up its appearance, the rear end is significantly looser, and the tank is more delicate and somehow more dynamic. According to Aprilia, the fact that the »R« has also been improved in over 200 points makes the first test drive in Imola, Italy, all the more exciting. How clearly can something so good be improved??
Even when warming up, the new one trumps, because the more profiled footrests offer better grip, the much slimmer tank more freedom of movement. The Rotax-Twin convinces with good manners from the first meter: barely noticeable the previously typical chain whipping, softened the vibrations ?? Phenomena that are principally based on the inevitably non-round run of the double-leveled 60-degree V2. In the 2001 version, this is counteracted by a revised engine management map and more sophisticated clutch shock absorption. It also requires less hand strength and can be “dosed like my superbike when drifting into the corners” ?? says the visibly enthusiastic MOTORRAD employee and Superbike World Championship rider Markus “Sideways” Barth.
In any case, the engine has been fundamentally revised, now inhaling first through an optimized airbox, then through modified inlet ducts and larger-diameter valves. An externally unchanged, but significantly lighter, better damping silencer with U-Kat disposes of the cleaned exhaust gases into the environment with a barking sound.
Result: plenty of driving fun. The curve diva pushes out of the corners like the proverbial elk, hangs jagged and well-dosed on the gas, immensely powerful even in the middle of the rev range, so that a gear change is often canceled. The development work has paid off. The aerodynamically sophisticated athlete should run over 280 km / h? a credible value given the thrust presented. Only when shifting up on the racetrack should the Mille be a bit more cooperative. Fixed gear changes require that the throttle grip is fully closed, so that upshifting takes time, and a small load change jolt is hardly avoidable.
Also on the chassis? as described so far one of the best ever ?? Aprilia worked. The motor hangs higher in the bridge frame, to compensate for the best possible design of the chain hoist torque, the pivot point also wandered skywards. The noble Ohlins shock absorber and the geometry of its linkage have been fundamentally revised and the Ohlins fork has been retuned accordingly. As expected, the suspension elements give no cause for criticism, iron the track smoothly with super sensitivity, offer a wide range of adjustment, and keep the tires perfectly on the asphalt.
Speaking of tires: The Mille R is the first motorcycle to roll on the Pirelli Supercorsa, a tire derived directly from last year’s racing tire with ?? Nomen est omen ?? extremely super-sporty, yet everyday qualities. The front tire now shows a 70 mm cross-section instead of the previous 65 mm cross-section. The steering head angle shrinks by half to 65 degrees. And? Almost more than the old »R«, the new one can be seen as a reference in terms of steering precision and line accuracy. It owes its unbelievable maneuverability in alternating curves, especially at high speed, to the complex, super-light forged aluminum wheels, which of course also help the acceleration on the jumps.
The Mille is taking a big step forward with its new brake system: completely newly developed brake calipers from Brembo that press four small individual pads per brake disc onto the disc. Benefits? The massive center bar between the pads stiffens the brake caliper. The pressure point becomes more defined, fading due to thermal distortion of the covering panels is almost impossible. Practice confirms the theory, because the noble-looking stoppers can be perfectly dosed with relatively gentle use without diminishing in their effect. That’s the way it has to be.
A.prilia would not be Aprilia without thinking about everyday concerns. In the future, more powerful headlights will brighten the night, and an extra strong drive chain prevents excessive wear. Truly a good performance. Whether there is anything to improve on the motorcycles from Noale?
Related articles
-
Endurance test Aprilia RSV mille
Endurance test Aprilia RSV mille Aprilia freshness It was expected like the first ray of sunshine after a gray winter and wafted over the Alps like a…
-
Artist Top test Aprilia RSV mille Aprilia weather Bright blue sky, sunshine, cozy warmth on the skin, in and under the tires ?? An immeasurably precious…
-
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…
-
Aprilia RSV4 RF (2015) in the driving report
Aprilia 28 photos Aprilia 1/28 Aprilia RSV4 RF. Aprilia 2/28 With the extended Race Pack, you can enjoy corner-to-corner voting for 15 European routes…
-
Aprilia RS 660 in the driving report
New items 2020 Top topic Aprilia (Alberto Cervetti). 17th photos Aprilia (Alberto Cervetti). 1/17 The new Aprilia RS 660 generated a lot of enthusiasm…
-
Aprilia Shiver 900 hp driving report
Aprilia 9 photos Aprilia 1/9 Aprilia 2/9 Now the Shiver is coming out of the sinking – modernized and with a displacement upgrade. Aprilia 3/9 PS makes…
-
Driving report Piaggio MP3 125-250
Driving report Piaggio MP3 125/250 You shall be three wheels For the first time in recent history, a large-scale manufacturer of two-wheelers is…
-
Aprilia RSV4 RF (2017) in the driving report
Photo: Aprilia 22nd photos 1/22 On the track, Aprilia’s RSV4 superbike weapon is a force to be reckoned with. The revised RF version goes one better with…
-
Gargolov Top test Aprilia RSV mille R As well … as It’s a cross with these super athletes: not everything that’s right on the racetrack is cheap in…
-
Test in detail: Aprilia RSV Mille 2001
fact Test in detail: Aprilia RSV Mille 2001 Everything mille or what? Over 200 detailed changes should make the current Aprilia RSV Mille even better…