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TunerGP 2015 – Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance in the single test

Endurance athlete

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The private team Aprilia Grebenstein shows staying power. It contests the German Endurance Cup with an Aprilia RSV4 from 2013 and competes in the Endurance World Championship.

On the evening before the TunerGP, the author strolls through the paddock and lingers in front of his "godchild" for the next day. A good-humored Thuringian named Karsten joins them. Together with his brother Thomas, he founded the Zweiradtechnik Grebenstein company in 2003. With the brand AT.prilia, the two have been involved in racing events for a long time. In the past, for example, in the Supermoto with an SXV 550, now with the Aprilia RSV4 at various long-distance events.

TunerGP 2015 – Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance in the single test

Endurance athlete

Bike has to be able to cope with minor crashes

Falls happen sooner or later on the long haul, no question about it. That’s why the bike has to be able to withstand at least minor crashes. For this reason, the footrests from HH-Racetech, for example, are made more stable. Round hard plastic dampers from the Eigenbau brand protect the sensitive plugs of the revised Ohlins fork. At the rear of the Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance there is also a specially adapted TTX shock absorber from Ohlins. The quick-change system for the fork and swing arm as well as the axle mounts were made by the tuners themselves.

The Gera technicians are convinced that an endurance setup can only be a compromise when it comes to chassis tuning and engine design. After all, three riders have to share the motorcycle on the long haul. The greater the distance, the more important it is to have a balanced driving behavior, gentle throttle response and not too aggressive braking. According to Grebenstein, the Brembo Z03 pads in conjunction with the 5.5 millimeter thick and tenfold floated discs in Oschersleben last a full eight hours.

Rear tire only lasts four hours

A front tire also manages this marathon, but a rear tire only lasts four hours. In the Magdeburger Borde, the team calculates around seven pit stops, with a wheel change at the Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance taking 13 seconds, including refueling, it takes 24 seconds. Such an event quickly needs up to 35 helpers who take care of everything from preparing the machine to setting up the box to catering.

The next day the Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance proves on the slopes how wonderfully balanced it is: the chassis is not too hard, the suspension elements dampen relatively smoothly. In addition, the Aprilia is surprisingly stable and reacts calmly when changing direction, which is still not at the expense of handiness. You quickly build trust in the narrow machine, because even at top speed you don’t notice any nervousness at the front. With a current Aprilia RSV4 with series setup, this would not be a matter of course.

Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 fully endurance capable!

On the other hand, the Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance does not turn in as sharply as you know it from a sprint motorcycle. In slow bends and in the partial load range, it does indeed incline in a jagged position, but when pulled in fast passages, it struggles slightly. On top of that, the engine lacks a bit of toxicity. As Karsten later notes, the engine is about to undergo a major overhaul, and the Aprilia at the Sachsenring unfortunately has to deploy with a dB killer. That means: ten hp are with the devil. Nevertheless, the V4 unfolds its power enormously evenly and easily. The engine brake works smoothly and disappears precisely at the apex of the curve as soon as you apply the gas again. Only if you pay close attention to it, do you notice the sensitive intervention of the APX traction control when firing.

In addition, the brakes are a poem, despite their design for durability. They don’t bite extra brutally when they are put on, instead they suck up nicely with increasing pressure on the lever and slow down to the full. In addition, there is hardly any pitching moment between applying and releasing the brakes, no trace of unrest in the whole motorcycle. Without a doubt: the Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 is fully endurance capable!

Technical data Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance

Grebenstein-Aprilia RSV4 Endurance.

Weight
196.8 kg
front / rear 52.3 / 47.7%

power
190 hp

Remodeling costs
approx. 45,000 euros

Readings

PS

On the test bench, the RSV4 can breathe out freely without a dB killer and sends a good 190 hp to the crankshaft.

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