Roadster – Tuono V4 1100 RR test: Apocalypse (tuo) now! – La Tuono finally has a good head!

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Tuono V4 1100 RR test: Apocalypse (tuo) now !

Roadster - Tuono V4 1100 RR test: Apocalypse (tuo) now! - La Tuono finally has a good head!

To boost the career of its Tuono V4, Aprilia improves its appearance, its comfort and increases its displacement to boost its mid-range. MNC briefly tested it on bumpy roads where this explosive roadster found itself well cramped…

La Tuono finally has a good head !

With only last year, to say that the Tuono V4 does not find its audience in France is a no-brainer. In comparison, its direct rivals are doing up to six times (6 times!) Better over the same period, with 677 units for the S1000R and 614 for the 1290 Super Duke R. And that sad ratio even reaches 1 to 10 with the queen. of the category, the Z1000, with 1140 registrations (read our !

However, Aprilia’s – very – sporty roadster has an incredible sum of qualities, starting with its rigorous chassis, its exceptional 4-cylinder V and its advanced electronics. All directly derived from the RSV4, one of the most exciting motorcycle in Hypersport production and reigning Word Superbike world champion (read our) !

But despite this enviable pedigree, its sales do not take off … Admittedly, its price in the middle range of the category does not predispose it to mass distribution either: € 13,999 in 2014, against € 11,999 for the Kawasaki and € 15,690 for the KTM. But its luxurious equipment justifies this positioning: aluminum Superbike frame, inverted 43 mm fork and fully adjustable separate cylinder mono-shock, Brembo radial callipers, shifter … !

One of the explanations for its sluggishness is its radicalism: extreme and devoid of any concession to practical aspects, the Tuono V4 is considered an "insider’s motorcycle". With good reason, both the powerful V4 and the ultra-rigid chassis demand space and know-how. To play "jump-plugs" in town or to dawdle on a small bumpy road with the hands of a license A2, very little for her !

Aware of the constraints linked to this aspect of its personality, Aprilia has made every effort to make it – a little – more frequent for 2015. The comfort has therefore been neat, the mechanical approval improved – thanks to a reaming of 999.6 to 1077cc – just like the design. Because if the Tuono V4 sells like burnt matches, its puzzling facies may not be foreign…

Static: much more beautiful !

Exit the fork crown evoking the look of an insect: place a front face modeled on that of the RSV4. Topped by a smoky gale, the triple optics characteristic of the sports car (but also of the Caponord, the RS4 and the SRV850) lighten its line. Both literally and figuratively, since this optical unit would weigh "1.5 kg"also thanks to the use of LEDs on the position lights.

Much more elegant, the Tuono V4 1100 even becomes attractive, especially as its rear part – unchanged – is really stylish. Thin and surrounded by polished metal on its end, its shell has a superb design. To avoid spoiling anything, a small, very visible LED light and notches find room there. Real grab handles would obviously be more practical, but the attention is there.

In terms of comfort, the redesigned saddles completely forget the previous versions, padded with peach cores coated with cement … MNC’s buttocks confirm this after having landed a few moments on a 2014 model during this initial contact: The seat is incomparably softer, a sensation further enhanced by the relaxation of the suspensions (read our Technical point on page 3).

The shock absorber of the previous version does indeed hardly sink under our 69 kg, while the very "racing" Sachs fully adjustable of the new Tuono V4 2015 offers a very promising progressively braked dead stroke..

Another immediately noticeable ergonomic change when passing from one vintage to another: the handlebars of the new version are slightly narrower and raised, again for the benefit of comfort. The Tuono V4 1100 does not, however, become as comfortable as a road motorcycle – far from it! -, but the progress is palpable.

Too bad, on the other hand, that Aprilia did not go further with this "de-radicalization" approach by increasing the ridiculous volume of the trunk (even a disc lock does not fit), by covering the footrests with rubber, by installing a Gap adjustment on the clutch lever and easier to unfold kickstand…

We console ourselves with a finish as neat as ever, even if the presence "in broad daylight" of certain parts designed to be hidden behind the fairings of the RSV4 continues to bother. These include the exhaust valve and its cable mechanism on the right, or the V4 cooling hoses on the left side, like a gas plant..

The instrumentation appears as always as rich and its functions scroll from the handlebars thanks to remote controls. It is structured around an analog tachometer and a monochrome digital window on which two trips appear, the gear engaged, the time, the engine temperature, the driving mode engaged and the average and instantaneous consumption ( complete list in our Technical sheet page 4).

By navigating through the numerous and complex menus and sub-menus (similar to those of the RSV4 2015), it is possible to adjust the sensitivity of the anti-wheeling, the ABS – or even to deactivate them – or to choose between the three driving modes (renamed Sport, Race and Track). As on the sports car, on the other hand, traction control is adjusted directly from the "+/-" paddles to the left stalk. Practical and rewarding: it feels like a racing motorcycle !

Unfortunately, this contact begins with a false start: just before leaving, the instrumentation of our motorcycle "hangs" on the main screen, making it impossible to access the ABS or anti- rearing up located on another screen … Time to jump on another Tuono V4 1100 RR and this time, let’s go !

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