RSV4 1100 Factory test: high volume operation at Aprilia !
The Italian 4-cylinder V feel decidedly cramped in a single liter: the RSV4 1100 Factory crosses this symbolic volume like the Panigale V4 like the 220 hp! Head for the sumptuous Mugello circuit (Italy) where the Journal moto du Net tested the Aprilia "Super (be) bike" and its spectacular fins this weekend… MNC test.
RSV4 1100 Factory test page 1: aspen, Ducati Panigale !
The race for performance is the ultimate obsession of sports motorcycle manufacturers despite the punitive repression, the liberticidal road context and a now negative connotation of speed … Never mind: the ratio "200 hp / 200 kg "has become the standard on Superbike motorcycles, aided by their electronics to overshadow the Ariane rocket !
- MNC special file :
- 2019 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory video test :
- MNC comparative test : Aprilia RSV4 RF Vs BMW S1000RR Vs Ducati Panigale V4S
But on the other side of the Alps, that’s not enough: Ducati shook the coconut palm at the end of 2017 with its, which not content to abandon the twin-cylinder dear to the brand also exceeds the traditional liter of displacement (1103 cc). A double revolution in short, insofar as the threshold of 1000 cc is a historical and regulatory limit in World Superbike.
The arguments of the Bologna V4 – 214 hp! – could obviously not leave indifferent its neighbor of Noale: Aprilia "turns up the volume" in its turn on its 2019 which passes to 1078 cc (). A matter of pride, but also of principle since the RSV4 has been using a V4 since. Almost ten years before Ducati: and knock, in your face "Pani-galeuse" !
Unsurprisingly, the diva of the Piaggio group intends to pee further than its designated rival: 217 hp (+16 hp Vs 2018) and a “truckload” torque of 122 Nm (+7 Nm). High-end Ohlins and Brembo equipment are on the program, as well as forged rims and 5 kg less (199 kg) than the RSV4 RF already. More watts and less pounds: promising equation !
To drive the point home, this new RSV4 1100 Factory – the RSV4 RR remains in the catalog in 999.6 cc – adopts carbon fins as in MotoGP! As an option, it can even receive air ducts in the form of "nozzles" to cool its sumptuous Stylema monobloc radial calipers. A series first that also throws a max !
He’s not free, Max ?!
Speaking of "Max", a certain Massimiliano Biaggi is one of the guests at the launch of this RSV4 1100 Factory during the … The Roman Emperor intervenes as with whom he won three titles in Grand Prix 250 cc ( 1994, 1995 and 1996) then two more in World Superbike (and). A long family tradition, in short !
At 47 years old, Max Biaggi has certainly taken a few wrinkles but his eyes are still just as piercing … Great emotion to rub shoulders with the famous n ° 3 on such a legendary circuit. Oh yes, we didn’t tell you? The test takes place at Mugello, the scene of bloody fights at the time when Biaggi, Capirossi, Melandri and Co stumbled against Rossi, unbeaten from 2002 to 2008 in his Tuscan "garden"! Another time. Sigh…
Unfortunately, our hopes of trying to try to consider (let’s be modest) to take the wheel of this immense champion quickly came to an end: Biaggi, face and attitude closed, is satisfied with a flash appearance, ostensibly fleeing contact with the journalists. Always so cordial, the Italian … Laurent Voulzy could improvise: "He is free, Max. There are also those who say that they saw him ride". But not us !
Maybe the 217 nags of the RSV4 gave him the chips ?! Or that his electronics gave him a headache? It is true that Biaggi is more of a rotary phone generation than iPhone X: what to be unsettled by all the information legibly displayed on the small "slab" in color ?! The RSV4 1100 Factory even offers an indicator of angle reached and brake pressure (!), As well as the level of intervention of the multiple "safety nets"….
Traction control, angle-sensitive ABS and anti-skidding are very easily adjustable while driving, while engine braking and electronic throttle responsiveness change according to the mode chosen: Sport (the most docile), Track and Race. Double-acting shifter and pit-lane speed limiter are also on the program, as well as a complex "V4-MP" multimedia system for connecting to a smartphone. The total !
Top ergonomics
MNC selects the "Track" mode with a flick of the engine starter on, then carefully sets the traction control to the fifth notch out of eight available: the Pirelli Supercorsa SC1 (glue!) Are stiff nine, that would be silly to stick one from the start! There will always be time to lower its intervention threshold via the + / – paddles under the left stalk: a significant advantage.
The cavernous sound so characteristic of the V4 echoes through the Tuscan valley as it ascends the pit lane, carried by the standard Akrapovic titanium silencer. The engine delivers a hoarse and almost irregular musicality at low revs, before performing a sensational melody with "MotoGP-esque" tones: there is life in this engine with a voice as broken as Joe Cocker !
It is impossible not to suppress a smile at such a promising introduction, especially as the extremely well thought out ergonomics of the RSV4 1100 Factory help to quickly find its marks. Despite its super compact size, the Italian offers enough space to move around its confusingly narrow tank.
Blindly, one would swear to be on a small 750 cc when it cubs almost 330 cc extra! The stance is exactly similar to that of the 999.6cc RSV4: picked up on the front and legs folded. A hypersport, what. The only notable difference: the rise of the saddle – from 845 to 851 mm – results in ground contact on the tip of the boots for a 1.75 m rider.
No problem: this is not a motorcycle to pass the slow part of the license! Its demands as a sportswoman are therefore forgivable, including its non-adjustable clutch and its turning radius as ridiculous as its passenger space: even the hidden son of Mimi Mathy and Andre Bouchet – Passe-Partout in Fort Boyard – would be at the narrow. To take a slightly strong "ragazza" you will have to find something else, otherwise her buttocks will make saddlebags !
217 hp at triple gallop at Mugello !
Well, if not, what is this V4 with its additional 78.4 cc worth? Because it is him the main evolution: the rest is almost identical, except the aerodynamic appendages. Too bad, moreover, because if the bike is beautiful, its sharp design is starting to be known. Especially its triple optics improperly installed on other Aprilia, from trail to scooter …
No more “technical-aesthetic” considerations: time for action! Throttle welded to the exit of Arrabbiatia 2, an uphill curve negotiated in third … The dashboard lights up like the Galeries Lafayettes at Christmas and the electronics come into action in an instantly salutary manner, while the ‘front sheds over ten meters under the explosive thrust and the rear takes full rubber for not a round !
Time for action !
Not possible, there is an error on the report: the bike had to be in second to react so quickly and powerfully ?! Well no: the number "3" appears clearly on the instrumentation. The 999.6 cc block wasn’t lazy already, but this new 1078 cc is a real brute! Its powerful breath leaves you blissful from mid-revs, to the point of having your arms stretched out like rubber bands and your senses disturbed !
The brain is still trying to understand where the previous turn has gone and the next one (Scarpeta) is already pointing! Panic on board and oil leak in the underpants: it will never pass in this tight right, the bike reaches Mach 12! Several thoughts pass in a flash: guaranteed fall on fracture, flight over a nest of gravel in a perch-style pole vault, hospital that doesn’t give a damn about gravity, bits of motorbike over 5 km, national funeral à la Johnny…
What would local idol Valentino Rossi do ?! Pull straight? To implore divine grace? Do it all for all? Quick Doctor, there is an emergency! No answer … Our excess of optimism does not make him "boob or cold": on the way to, the n ° 46 must be busy imagining the best way to stick the mark on Marquez. And anyway it rolls in Yam ‘ !
Fingers crossed, hoping to avoid crossing skis … Right hand on the brakes and suddenly hope is reborn: Brembo calipers literally plant the RSV4 1100 Factory in the asphalt, as if the anchor had been dropped! The power is phenomenal – this is not a surprise – but its control is just as much: you would swear to push the pistons with your fingertips. Dosage and progressiveness are perfect !
The Ohlins fork is not offended by this deceleration worthy of a Rafale on landing: the bike retains foolproof stability, without "waving" around its steering column under stress. Tilting forward is finely managed by deftly calibrated stroke hardening.
Light pressure on the selector to enter the second: the "downshift" function acts with speed and precision, causing a frank locking of the report. The anti-dribble eliminates any parasitic movement of the rump, while the ABS distributes the forces to keep the rear wheel on the ground in complete transparency. Reassuring all that: finally, it will maybe pass !
Senior
We put the rosary under the combi ‘and we extinguish the candle: the trail reflexes – survival ?! – take over, boosted by this delicious overall efficiency. In reality, the RSV4 1100 Factory mocks our agony: its limits are located light years away, as evidenced by its serenity to finally plunge into this dreaded turn….
Putting it on the trajectory requires no effort, aided by exceptional liveliness and absolute stability on the angle. The motorcycle turns with breathtaking speed towards the point of rope as if he had insulted his "mama"! The front end, extremely communicative, is so sharp that one expects to see the track "bleed" of tar !
In this, the RSV4 1100 Factory remains true to its reputation for excellence: feedback worthy of a racing bike and reactions quantifiable to the millimeter inspire absolute confidence. A 600 cc is hardly more agile: the Aprilia is a feather – but the sharp kind – like the and .
This recital continues with the go-around: the connection between the electronic handle and the 200 mm tire is exquisitely precise, except in "Track" mode which generates rather brutal reactions. The "Race" and "Sport" modes allow you to better tame the almost 220 hp in vilo: not luxury, in view of their savagery !
Everything (feels like) is under control !
Mugello’s last bend: the famous "Correntalo", a long left 180 ° downhill in which a million trajectories seem possible … The RSV4 1100 Factory rushes into it with the bit on its teeth, despite braking retained for far too long followed by a hesitant inscription. In short, a rotten curve entry !
Not the slightest shudder or resistance in the steering to sanction this new approximation: the Aprilia does not widen by a centimeter, sticks to the traj ‘and even agrees to tighten more! Other motorcycles would have been less permissive under the constraint of this braking "cata" in the tilt phase … Not the RSV4 1100 Factory.
Things get tough when it comes time to put on a ladle to tackle the very long straight line of the Tuscan layout… Confidence by all his good dispositions, MNC had neglected a "small" detail: the incredible violence with which the Italian stallions come out. from the stable at the slightest stroke of the whip !
The Aprilia rushes forward with colossal energy, as if "pulled" from a giant cannon: the contours of the edge of the runway stretch until they become completely blurred, while the digital increments of the rev counter darken to a staggering speed. Inertia? The 4-cylinder does not know !
The thrust is all the more impressive as it never weakens! On the contrary: the acceleration begins to crease the asphalt from 6000 rpm, before reaching its explosive paroxysm between 10,000 rpm and the breaker at 14,000 rpm. A punch-packed extension during which the RSV4 evokes a stick of dynamite with a very, very short wick !
But this demonstration of absolute power is not without consequences, in particular on the TTX shock absorber which ends up letting out some protest movements with its original settings. Movements that cause micro-slips from the rear, immediately regulated by the electronic guardian angel: the acceleration on the angle is noticeably "blocked" as long as grip is not regained.
The radical geometry does not help channel all this mechanical ardor: the RSV4 1100 is as light as it is short (only 1,439 mm of wheelbase), two qualities that are at the origin of its enjoyable liveliness but which require physical involvement when explodes his mechanical fury. Flexible arms on the steering, pelvis and legs forcibly glued to the tank and nose in the bubble are all imperatives to maintain control.
Ailerons to hit the 300 km / h !
And yet, confidence does not drop a notch: yes, the bike moves and tends to come out of the curves "nose in the air" on too sharp acceleration. But the precision of her reactions is never affected: everything remains perfectly limpid on her handlebars, as if she were playing on certain universal physical laws..
The imperturbable rigor of its chassis plays a large part in this perception, as does the transparent effectiveness of its electronic aids: in addition to its remarkable management of traction, the inertial unit allows exits from curves with the front wheel a few centimeters from the asphalt. , MotoGP way !
Enough to let go and let the cavalry gallop without restraint during the 1141 meters of the Mugello straight line … To draw two conclusions: the protection of its short bubble and its fairings is honest with regard to its compactness, much better for example than on the Honda Fireblade.
Chin resting on the tank, the turbulence is bearable despite the speed reached. Fourth full, fifth full, sixth passed under the "Mugello" footbridge: Noale’s beast exceeds 300 km / h (314 km / h recorded on "our" speedometer!) Before braking suddenly to negotiate "San Donato" in second with 200 km / h less! Here again, control remains absolute despite the delusional constraints.
Is this irreproachable behavior at these supersonic speeds to be attributed to its famous carbon fins, which are supposed to keep the front on the ground? MNC could not objectively decide for lack of being able to compare with a standard RSV4. One thing is certain: the bike remains riveted to the bitumen despite the terrain of the circuit. And then, what style !
Verdict: the most sensational Superbike
Aprilia takes a further step with this RSV4 1100 Factory, both literally and figuratively: not only because it crosses the liter of displacement, but also because its "big" V4 delivers stunning performance. The border with the world of competition is increasingly thin !
As monstrously powerful as it is, this engine retains an ease of operation almost unexpected given its strong temperament: the Aprilia is able to go up a pit-lane in 6th at 60 km / h with relative flexibility, without giving the impression of being about to take a piston in the helmet! Its rival Ducati is not so accommodating.
On the price side, the RSV4 1100 Factory is priced at 22,999 euros, barely more expensive than a standard Panigale V4 (22,790 euros) less richly endowed. Another good initiative on the part of Aprilia: to offer an entry level, the RSV4 "RR" at 16,999 euros, with the already very powerful block of 999.6 cc.
However, this attractive offer risks coming up against a sad reality: the image in reconstruction of Aprilia in France, following years of mistakes in terms of after-sales service. Some have also not forgotten the first generation RSV4…
Despite all its qualities and numerous comparative victories, Noale’s bombshell only seduced when references such as the Ducati Panigale and Yamaha R1 exceeded 400 units. Will its volume gain in cubic centimeters affect its sales volumes ?! Hopefully, cause she deserves it !
- All the details of our RSV4 1100 Factory test in
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