Roadster – Tuono V4 1100 RR test: Apocalypse (tuo) now! – Tuono V4 1100: MNC technical point

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

Roadster - Tuono V4 1100 RR test: Apocalypse (tuo) now! - Tuono V4 1100: MNC technical point

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…

Tuono V4 1100: MNC technical point

Engine

Directly taken from the RSV4, the 65 ° V4 of the Tuono V4 1100 benefits from most of the mechanical improvements made to the sports car in 2015, such as the lightening of moving parts (nearly a kilo saved on the crankshaft and connecting rods) and improved injection and lubrication circuit (read our).

To boost the roadster’s mid-range, the Italian engine manufacturers increased its displacement from 999.6 to 1077cc, a "simple" and effective modification to fill the torque curve. On the RSV4, this increase is not possible under penalty of excluding it from the Superbike world championship (maximum displacement of 4-cylinders limited to 1000 cc in WSBK).

This reaming is achieved by increasing the bore from 78 mm to 81 mm. The 52.3 mm stroke remains identical to the previous model (read our).

Thanks to this increased displacement, the Tuono V4 sees its power increase from 170 hp to 175 hp, but above all its torque increase from 113 Nm to 121 Nm. A high value (10 Nm more than a Z1000!), Which more is obtained 500 revs lower (9000 rpm against 9500 in 2014). Obviously, the raises gain in punch, especially as a gain in power of "20 hp at 8000 rpm"is announced !

Unlike the RSV4, the air-fuel mixture is sprayed through a single injector per cylinder (two on the sports car), but each cylinder bank retains the two 48 mm throttle bodies. This power supply is managed electronically by a servomotor, itself informed by the potentiometer located in the throttle..

It is therefore a "full ride by wire" accelerator, that is to say without any cable. Unlike the 2015 RSV4 which has a lighter gearbox with new ratios, that of the Tuono V4 1100 is identical to the previous vintage. This box, extractable type, receives an anti-dribble and a shifter as standard.

Same thing concerning the variable height admission, unchanged compared to 2014, while the dimensions of the cones are reviewed on the sports car. On the other hand, the final transmission by chain of the Tuono 2015 is generously shortened, going from 16×42 to 15×42.

Cycle part

The cycle part remains faithful to the double aluminum beam frame originally developed for the Superbike. In order to handle the additional power, the swingarm has been lengthened by 6 mm. And so as not to hamper agility due to this aspect ratio, the caster angle goes from 25.1 to 24.7 ° and the trail from 107.5 mm to 99.7 mm.

In its basic "RR" version, the Tuono V4 1100 retains Sachs suspensions as in 2014, but more recent. The 43 mm diameter fork and the mono-shock with separate cylinder are fully adjustable. Their calibration has been completely revised to improve the "sport-comfort" compromise.

The top-of-the-range "Factory" model receives luxurious Ohlins suspensions which are also fully adjustable, including at the level of the steering damper (photo below). The fork tubes are coated with titanium nitride (TIN) treatment to reduce friction.

The brakes are the same as on the previous model: Brembo M432 radial-mount 4-piston monobloc calipers at the front, a notch below the RSV4 (the superb and devilishly efficient M50). The pads have a higher coefficient of friction than in 2014.

What to stop without forcing the 184 kg dry announced (a kilo less than in 2014), especially as the ABS configurable on three levels and disconnectable keeps watch. On the other hand, if we appreciate the presence of reinforced hoses, the absence of a radial master cylinder on such a motorcycle makes it tick…

Finally, the pneumatic equipment goes upmarket: the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II are replaced by Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa on the Tuono V41100 RR and by Diablo Super Corsa SP on the Factory (same as RSV4).

Like the previous model, it is possible to vary the size of the rear wheel in 190/50/17 or in 200/55/17 (re-parameterization of the on-board electronics, preferably carried out by a technician from the brand , is then necessary).

Electronics, piloting assistance

As in 2014, the aid pack Aprilia Performance Ride Control of the Tuono V4 1100 is taken directly from the RSV4. For 2015, this APRC device therefore logically receives the same evolutions as for the new vintage of the sports car, with a few exceptions for settings and sensitivities..

The Tuono V4 1100 thus incorporates all its "learned chips" such as anti-skating and anti-nose-up provided by an inertial platform installed under the saddle. This is made up of acceleration (lateral and longitudinal), roll and tilt sensors..

The starting assistant and the shifter are renewed, while an engine brake control is introduced. Its action is correlated with the driving mode engaged, now renamed "Sport", "Race" and "Track". As in 2014, the change from one to the other is carried out by pressing the starter, engine on.

The more sporty the mode selected, the less the engine brake is present, especially above 6000 rpm: ideal for taking care of when entering curves without sweating! Another novelty in 2015: the power is no longer restricted on the softest modes and only the way it is delivered differs (soft in Sport, slightly filtered in Race and instantaneous in Track).

In addition, the ride-by-wire accelerator is improved for better precision, which also makes it possible to refine the entry into action of the traction control and anti-wheeling. As before, the traction control can be configured (while driving) on ​​eight levels from the left stalk.

By entering the dashboard sub-menus using the "Mode" button on the left stalk, the anti-nose-up can be adjusted on three levels, just like the ALC (Aprilia Launch Control) start assistant or the ABS. Not the most intuitive, navigating through these settings requires some getting used to: on site, even the technicians of Noale’s coat of arms sometimes got their brushes tangled. !

It is true that the instrumentation offering two separate screens (one for the road, one for the track) is literally overflowing with information, which does not facilitate their assimilation when discovering the motorcycle at a standstill. So imagine while driving…

If the absence of the downshift function on the shifter did not necessarily surprise us – much less in any case than on the 2015 RSV4 – that of electronically controlled suspensions, even as an option, seems really regrettable. On this type of extreme motorcycle, being able to soften or harden the damping from the handlebars is a real plus in terms of versatility….

The Bosch 9MP ABS – identical to that used on the Superbike – is also configurable on three levels and has electronic control of the lifting of the rear wheel during braking.

Finally, Aprilia is proud to announce the arrival of a telemetry system that can be linked to a smartphone via a free application: V4-MP (only available on iPhone for the moment). Released by the Piaggio group on the latest generation of MP3s, this device has of course been improved and its functions enriched for the V4 range (RSV4 and Tuono).

Thanks to the motorcycle’s sensors, the smartphone’s GPS and the module with optional Bluetooth connection (around € 250), it is possible to visualize on graphs the opening of the throttle, the engine speed, the intervention of the engine. ‘anti-skating or the gear engaged, turn by turn. A real data acquisition whose use is however limited to the circuit.

Better: thanks to the GPS present in the phone, this V4-MP (Multimedia Platform) can intervene in real time on the level of anti-wheeling and anti-skating, within a range of predefined settings. These adjustments are carried out using data pre-recorded by Aprilia’s Racing department on numerous circuits..

All you have to do is enter the track at the start of the run and these "data" collected by the Aprilia test pilots appear on the phone screen. All for every curve of the track, just like on a real racing bike !

Naturally, the pilot retains the possibility of driving "with his hand", with his own anti-wheeling and anti-skid settings. The application then serves as a model, for example by indicating in real time the zones where it is possible to use less assistance to accelerate harder. Impressive !

Due to the extreme brevity of this test (60 km) and the frankly inappropriate driving conditions (narrow, bumpy and slippery roads …), MNC was not able to explore any functionality of this tool. , and therefore to gauge its real usefulness…

Discovered a – little – a little more in detail during our, this V4-MP appeared to us as complex as it was moderately developed … Certain data thus seemed very surprising, such as the angle values ​​reached (at 2.5 ° from those of Lorenzo!), the lap times achieved (surprisingly fast in our opinion) or the speeds recorded on the different parts of the circuit (read the Electronic section of the)…

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