Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R in the test
The three tenors
Your stage is the race track. And a joint appearance by Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R is always a pleasure – and not just for the ears. But which of the three sets the tone in a direct comparison?
Italo athletes in comparison part 1
Even if the Japanese manufacturers are currently leaving the sports community on dry land when it comes to innovations, there is still a lot going on with superbikes. The Italian manufacturers in particular are seizing the opportunity. Ducati has presented with the sensational 1199 Panigale S, Aprilia and MV also do nothing and send the revised Aprilia R.SV4 Factory APRC and MV Agusta F4 R into the race. The fact that they come up with gorgeous shapes is a matter of honor for Italy’s motorcycle manufacturers. And they throw against the inline four-cylinder monotony of Japan V2, V4 and inline four-cylinder with radial valve heads. Italy celebrates diversity. Space frame, classic aluminum bridge chassis, monocoque. One-sided swing arm and two-arm banana swing arm. And of course the full arsenal of electronic helpers: from ABS to automatic gearshifts to traction control.
Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R in the test
The three tenors
MV Agusta F4 R came to the test without an anti-lock device. In the meantime, the press release arrived at home that this is available immediately. The electronics repertoire of Aprilia, which still offers launch and wheelie control, goes the furthest. While the Ducati Panigale 1199 S can also adjust the engine braking torque. Despite all the diversity, all three have one thing in common: performance on the racetrack was at the top of the list of priorities. Great, because what calibers beyond 180 hp are capable of can only be explored on the circuit. So MOTORRAD arranged a meeting on the Spanish route from Alcarrás. And for the very fast laps, ex-Supersport World Cup driver Christian Kellner did not ask twice. While the winter was still stubbornly stuck back home, in Spain the sun was already ensuring absolutely wholesome temperatures and perfect conditions. The fact that the technically demanding route is astonishingly wavy and does not impress with smooth asphalt gives the test additional flavor.
The energy the twin releases is tremendous
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The three sports machines Aprilia, Ducati and MV Agusta plunge light-footedly into the curve.
The most recent and certainly the most innovative construction is the Ducati 1199 Panigale S. A monocoque construction in which the engine is fully integrated as a load-bearing element replaces the classic frame. The strut is arranged horizontally on the side and is supported by the engine. In addition, its work can be changed from linear to progressive by simply repositioning a sliding block.
This "frame" construction is much cheaper to produce than the previous characteristic tubular space frames. And it saves weight. In terms of lightweight construction, Bologna sets the standard anyway. And so the 195 kilos of the Ducati 1199 Panigale S are best in class. It’s 195 hp for a serial twin anyway. But the effort that Ducati puts into this is also enormous. Huge 112 mm bore, pistons with extremely short shirts, huge suction throats for maximum gas throughput at high speeds. In fact, the energy the twin releases as soon as the 7000 mark is surpassed is a force. Up to 10,500 rpm, the V2 almost seems to burst with power. Then the power cube still has 1000 / min over-rev reserve ready before the limiter takes action.
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This eruption of power is always impressive
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From the box to the slopes. With just a few simple steps, the RSV4 Factory is ready for use on the racetrack in no time.
And that costs time at the corner exit, which Christian largely regains with bearish, gripping Brembos and impeccable braking stability at the corner entrance. As nimble as no Ducati before, it threads its way through the chicane, flies precisely and in a tight line through the two following tricky left turns. And there at the exit of the curve – as well as at the start / finish line – promptly struggles with the translation again. In the second the speed is too high, in the third too low – hey presto, a few tenths are gone again.
This eruption of power is always impressive. However, the V2 is not a fine spirit and quiet, it does not hold back acoustically or with vibrations. An equally impressive and intense experience. But the fiery performance in the upper speed range requires concessions. The V2 volcano is boiling on a low flame below 7000 rpm. As a result, the gear ratio doesn’t really fit for Christian when chasing times in some of the slower corners. In second gear the engine speed is too high, in third there is no thrust.
Hard acceleration in an inclined position hardly embarrassed the traction control. More like the bone-hard rear suspension, which could not completely prevent the well-known pumping. The throttle response on a gentle level in the electronics menu brought at least some relief. Very fine and easy to dose, but not rough, the V2 tackles it. This bad habit could not be overcome even with various setups. Just as little as the somewhat nervous straight line running on the home straight. “It works best if you drive around and don’t grip the Ducati 1199 Panigale S too tightly,” Christian puffs after his chase for times. "Despite the great seating position, the great handiness and the extremely powerful engine, the Duc challenges you quite a lot," he said.
The full grumbling V4 is a pleasure
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Comparison test of the Italian athletes Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R..
But the time of 1.41.5 min has been set. And that’s not bad. Can the weaker Aprilia RSV4 Factory counter this? It not only competes with two world championship titles in the back, but also spiced up with ABS and now 186 hp and thus 4 hp more peak performance. But that means a nominal 11 hp are missing from the Duc, which the test bench still reduces to 7 hp.
What a difference to the Ducati. You sit higher and more compact than on the 1199 Panigale S, more oriented towards the front wheel, your legs more angled. Feels like a thoroughbred racing motorcycle. The full grumbling V4 is a pleasure. First of all, it comes across as surprisingly unspectacular. When the throttle valve is opened, it releases its power precisely at the apex of the curve. Pulls through to the limiter as powerfully as it is even. That seems surprisingly tame at first.
But the perfectly even, linear power output is not stressful, is a model in terms of much invoked drivability. The Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC ABS encourages you to pull the tap early when you exit the bend and leave it standing. Because at 10,000 rpm, where the performance curve of the basic RSV4 has a dip and then drops again towards the end, the intake funnels of the Factory rise. They release short intake paths and allow the performance curve to strive upwards without a dent and culminate in 183 hp.
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Italo athletes in comparison part 2
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Was it brave or foolish to turn away from the tubular space frame? The Panigale is always innovative and a visual highlight.
But the power of the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC cannot yet be fully implemented. The Ohlins fork requires more compression, the traction control intervenes too early, and the ABS sent Christian twice straight on when braking into turn three. In addition, the wheelie control inhibits the forward thrust too much for his taste. So switch it off and tighten the fork with a few clicks, TC set to level two and ABS set to level one, back out – and that’s it. In contrast to the Ducati, the setup tinkering is done quickly. It is enormous how easily the Aprilia whips through the chicane, how easily it turns in and circles out of the corners with a neatly drawn arc. "The thing is more manageable than some 600", Christian will later report with a grin at the report.
In the ultra-fast downhill section, the chassis instills enormous confidence, and in the long right-hand bend that follows, its spring elements absorb the many waves in a sporty and firm manner, over which the hard hindquarters of the Ducati 1199 Panigale S rumbled dry. The gear steps of the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC do not fit perfectly either – Christian glows in first gear due to the chicane, but it hides this shortcoming better with its even power delivery. The automatic gearshift ensures wonderfully smooth gear changes, the grip on the rear wheel is enormous. And unlike at the presentation in Estoril, the traction control on level two regulates inconspicuously, the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC remains largely quiet even during hard braking maneuvers. The new ABS, which regulates late at level one, but has a sensitive control, largely pauses in transmission due to the high grip level of the track. And the newly shaped tank offers excellent support when propping up while braking.
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The MV Agusta F4 R warms up with a hoarse bark
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As usual, the MV chassis shines with fantastic stability. She is the only one who still carries the exhaust under the seat.
Her light-footedness and the suppleness with which she throws herself into curves make it much easier to work on lap times. It hits the home straight with breathtaking momentum, and despite its lack of performance, it reaches exactly the same top speed as the more powerful Ducati 1199 Panigale S at 251.5 km / h. Nevertheless, it takes the lead with 1.40.82 minutes. For now.
Because the MV Agusta F4 R warms up with a hoarse bark. And every burst of gas sounds like a cheer. Because by the time it got to that point, the Italian had put us in suspense. On the first day of the test, a defective plug connection on the ignition lock paralyzed the F4 R. The same error also occurred during the presentation on a machine. The MV stubbornly struck, valuable time for voting was lost.
The telephone wires between Alcarrás and the MV plant in Varese were glowing. And that evening two technicians left the factory in Italy with a replacement F4 in their luggage. They drove all night and the next morning a new MV Agusta F4 R was ready on time. But after a few laps it was stranded with the same defect. Thank goodness the MV Agusta technicians had repaired the original test motorcycle in the meantime! A passable basic setup was available – so we went hunting for times. After all, the schedule showed no mercy.
In terms of the basic construction, the MV is the oldest of the three Signorinas. And you can also tell from the seating position. You have to stretch as hard as possible to grip the low-lying handlebar stubs. The high notches fold the legacy together neatly. The four-cylinder is an engine of real grist and grain, grinds and grinds, runs smoothly up to 4000 rpm, which has charm. But above all, the short-stroke row quad is a brutal animal.
From 10,000 rpm, the MV engine seems to literally explode
Like the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC equipped with variable intake funnels, it seems to explode from 10,000 rpm. With 186 hp, it also misses the factory specification of 195 hp. Such petty considerations, however, are torn away by the storm with which the MV races to the top of the speed range. An impressive experience. But that also has a downside.
Because in the narrower sections this aggressive performance is not easy to implement. “At the end of the eternally long right-hand bend, the MV Agusta F4 R tears again terribly, brutally, before the chicane,” Christian dictates into his notepad. In addition, throttle response and gearshifts supported by the gearshift are more on the hard side, the ride-by-wire is quite aggressively tuned. Overall, the manners of the four in a row are not as polished as those of his two opponents. This also applies to the coordination of the electronic helpers.
MOTORCYCLE Market: Used Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC
MOTORCYCLE market: Used Ducati 1199 Panigale
MOTORCYCLE market: Used MV Agusta F4 R
The sensitive, appealing fork is a boon
The traction control, now equipped with a lean angle sensor, rigorously cut performance in the fast and undulating downhill links, even at the sharpest level. In the end, the only thing left was to switch off so as not to leave too much time lying around. But everything is fine again when braking. Unlike the Aprilia and Ducati, the MV Agusta F4 R does not have the latest generation of Brembo brake calipers, but “only” the tried and tested monoblocks. But that’s not a disadvantage. Superbly coordinated, extremely easy to dose and with a monumental effect – the MV lies in the braking zone as if concreted in. Braking is a pleasure with the MV.
But it doesn’t turn in as quickly and in terms of handling doesn’t reach the high level of Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC and Ducati 1199 Panigale S, which also find their tracks more precisely at the exit of a curve. Increased commitment is required through the chicane. And the seating position doesn’t make it any easier. A boon on the undulating route is the wonderfully responsive fork, which provided a lot of feeling for the front wheel in the tricky passages. While the stiff shock absorber parried the numerous bumps despite the wide open compression stage rather bony.
"You have to drive the MV very concentrated", sums up Christian. And with a lot of effort, which requires the most strength. And the MV ultimately brought in the bronze rank with 1.43.54 min. To be fair, it has to be said that a few tenths would certainly have been possible if the first day had been used entirely for fiddling around with the setup. But the distance is too great to seriously distress Ducati or even Aprilia. But while the MV Agusta F4 R warms the heart of the lover and the Ducati 1199 Panigale S is very popular with sports fans, one thing in particular is astonishing at the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC in view of the award-winning performance: That it is the success that it is has fallen by the wayside, has so far been banned from the market.
Lap times and setup
The track in Alcarrás, near Lleida, has an undulating surface and many curves.
| Aprilia RSV4 Factory | Ducati 1199 Panigale S. | MV Agusta F4 R | Lap times |
| Christian Kellner (min.) | 1.40.82 | 1.41.50 | 1.43.54 | Top speed |
| Vmax1 (km / h) | 252 | 252 | 254 | Vmax2 (km / h) | 188 | 183 | 274 |
| Vmax3 (km / h) | 221 | 214 | 220 | Times section |
| Section 1 (sec) | 15.73 | 15.35 | 15.74 | Section 2 (sec) | 44.95 | 45.32 | 46.50 |
| Section 3 (sec) | 8.63 | 8.77 | 8.87 | Section 4 (sec) | 28.86 | 29.05 | 29.45 |
Set up
| Aprilia RSV4 Factory | Ducati 1199 Panigale S. | MV Agusta F4 R | Fork * |
| Rebound | 10K | Item 14 | 12 K | Pressure level | 4K | Item 10 | 6K |
| preload | 8 U | 6.5 U | 3.25 U | Shock absorber * |
| Rebound | 11 K | Item 8 | 12 K | Pressure level | 10K | Item 6 | 15K |
| preload | hours. | hours. | hours. |
*) K = clicks, spring base
U = revolutions counted from the open state
Pos. = Position
Std. = Standard
Performance measurement
Power on the crankshaft. Measurements on dynojet roller dynamometer 250, corrected according to 95/1 / EG, maximum possible deviation +/- 5 percent.
MOTORCYCLE test results
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Test results of the racing machines: Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R..
Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC
The revised RSV4 Factory stands out convincingly. Excellent chassis, great realizable engine power and lots of race feeling, plus the ingenious V4 sound.
Ducati 1199 Panigale S.
This speed-hungry V2 really gets under your skin. The right gear ratio is a must on the racetrack. The chassis impresses with its maneuverability, but is not an easy partner when looking for a setup.
MV Agusta F4 R
It is very pretty, has top brakes and a bomb-proof chassis. But the others have escaped her. There is a lot of catching up to do in electronics as well as in performance.
9 Pictures
Pictures: Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R in the test
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15th Pictures
Pictures: Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R in the test
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Pictures: Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Ducati Panigale S and MV Agusta F4 R in the test
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Technical specifications
| Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC | Ducati 1199 Panigale S. | MV Agusta F4 R | |
| engine | |||
| type design | Four cylinder four stroke 65 degree V engine | Two cylinder four stroke 90 degree V engine | Four-cylinder, four-stroke in-line engine |
| injection | Ø 48 mm | Ø 68 mm | Ø 49 mm |
| coupling | Multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti-hopping) | Multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti-hopping) | Multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti-hopping) |
| Boron x stroke | 78.0 x 52.3 mm | 112.0 x 60.8 mm | 79.0 x 50.9 mm |
| Displacement | 1000 cm3 | 1198 cm3 | 998 cm3 |
| compression | 13.0: 1 | 12.5: 1 | 13.4: 1 |
| power | 135.3 kW (184 hp) at 12500 rpm | 143.0 kW (195 hp) at 10750 rpm | 143.5 kW (195 hp) at 13,000 rpm |
| Torque | 117 Nm at 10,000 rpm | 132 Nm at 9000 rpm | 111 Nm at 9600 rpm |
| landing gear | |||
| frame | Bridge frame made of aluminum | Aluminum monocoque | Steel tubular frame, engine is load-bearing |
| fork | Upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm | Upside-down fork, Ø 43 mm | Upside-down fork, Ø 50 mm |
| Steering damper | hydraulically | hydraulically | hydraulically |
| Brakes front / rear | Ø 320/220 mm | Ø 330/245 mm | Ø 320/210 mm |
| Systems assistance | SECTION | SECTION | – |
| bikes | 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17 | 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17 | 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17 |
| tires | 120/70 ZR 17; 200/55 ZR 17 | 120/70 ZR 17; 200/55 ZR 17 | 120/70 ZR 17; 200/55 ZR 17 |
| Tires | Pirelli Supercorsa SP | Pirelli Supercorsa SP | Pirelli Supercorsa SP |
| Dimensions + weights | |||
| wheelbase | 1420 mm | 1437 mm | 1430 mm |
| Steering head angle | 65.5 degrees | 65.5 degrees | 66.0 degrees |
| trailing | 105 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm |
| Front / rear suspension travel | 120/130 mm | 120/130 mm | 120/120 mm |
| Seat height * | 840 mm | 820 mm | 850 mm |
| Weight with full tank * | 209 kg | 195 kg | 211 kg |
| Payload * | 197 kg | 175 kg | 167 kg |
| Tank capacity / reserve | 18.5 / 4.0 liters | 17.0 / 2.0 liters | 17.0 / 0 liters |
| Service intervals | 10,000 km | 12,000 km | 6000 km |
| Price / additional costs | 22503/287 euros | 24 690/305 euros | 20,290 / 275 euros |
| MOTORCYCLE readings | |||
| Top speed ** | 290 km / h | 296 km / h | 297 km / h |
| acceleration | |||
| 0-100 km / h | 3.2 sec | 3.2 sec | 3.3 sec |
| 0-140 km / h | 4.5 sec | 4.6 sec | 4.8 sec |
| 0-200 km / h | 7.5 sec | 7.6 sec | 7.6 sec |
| Draft | |||
| 60-100 km / h | 3.7 sec | 3.9 sec | 4.8 sec |
| 100-140 km / h | 3.5 sec | 3.6 sec | 3.7 sec |
| 140-180 km / h | 3.4 sec | 4.7 sec | 3.9 sec |
* MOTORCYCLE measurements; ** Manufacturer information
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