Sporty – The Aprilia RSV4 Factory takes the lion’s share! – Mechanical thunder in the Cevennes!

Posted on by admin

The Aprilia RSV4 Factory takes the lion’s share !

Sporty - The Aprilia RSV4 Factory takes the lion's share! - Mechanical thunder in the Cevennes!

Beautiful to die for, equipped with the best components and an incredible V4, the new Aprilia RSV4 Factory is the scathing revenge of the Lion of Noale in Hypersports. Sensitive souls abstain: it is a barely civilized race animal… Test !

Mechanical thunder in the Cevennes !

Placed on stand crutches on the tortuous route of the Alès Mechanical Center, the four RSV4 Factory provided by Aprilia France immediately attract the retina. Designed by Miguel Galluzzi – the man behind the Monster – the RSV4 clearly displays its ambitions with tapered lines and a radical design: the beast sweats the race !

According to Aprilia, however, the design of the machine was not an end in itself: each part would have been studied "to be not only unique and beautiful, but also and above all effective !". A phrase loaded with promises, both the quality of workmanship and the aggressiveness of the triple headlight and the ultra-thin and refined rear set the bar very high….

Beautifully highlighted in its red and black color, the RSV4 Factory reveals a high-ranking finish: the carbon parts slid along the superb aluminum frame blend perfectly with the Ohlins suspensions and the magnificent footrest plates … unfortunately not adjustable.

The esthete will undoubtedly appreciate the presence of a hardware stamped "Aprilia Racing", of magnesium casings, pretty retro-indicators – chipped with the RSV1000 -, impressive air intakes located under the headlights and this engine, compact and very narrow, barely concealed by well-cut fairings and minimalist volumes…

As thin and attractive as a model from Eastern Europe, the bike cultivates the same disdain for those under 1.75 m: the saddle is perched at 845 mm and displays the same finesse as a slice of carpaccio! However, the 17 l tank fits with disconcerting ease, while the fairly high and set back footrests, as well as the racing-style driving position, plunge – but not excessively – the pilot into the short bubble..

Tilted forward – the weight distribution is 52% at the front and 48% at the rear – the position is entirely geared towards racing but without sinking into exacerbated radicalism. Thus, the size worthy of a 600 Supersport makes it possible to quickly feel at ease and to move easily around the motorcycle. The dashboard – the design of which recalls that of the RSV 1000 – is full of information and indicates the gear engaged – difficult to read while driving -, the temperature, the time, the average and maximum speed and consumption..

The tachometer with needles also rubs a reserve indicator, a stand reminder, a totalizer, a shift-light, the selected mapping and a single trip kilometer. Complete, the instrumentation is rather sober, but has the merit of being governed by the left commodo: grazie Signore Aprilia !

As at the start of a Superbike round, the technicians take the bikes to the pit lane and the Pirelli manager checks the pressure of the formidable Diablo Supercorsa SP one last time… The tension rises and the few spectators present hold their breath when the V4 Aprilia snorts and begins to give a glimpse of his: mazette, what a noise !

Hoarse, powerful and enchanting – while it’s only in the warm-up stage! – the sound delivered by the imposing silencer literally takes to the guts and its intensity leaves you wondering: how many cases of Chianti are needed for the homologation services to close their eyes to this blunder reminiscent of MotoGP’s Suzuki GSV-R ?!

"We have worked a lot on the muffler of the motorcycle so that the noise is unique! Thanks to a catalyst and a throttle valve, the RSV4 fully meets the standards in force.", however assures us Alain Roger, communication manager of the brand in France..

Faced with so many barely veiled promises, the return of the pits will be carried out like a dream, rocked by the symphony of a V4 set to "Road" mode which already delivers 140 hp with the smoothness and availability of a 750 … Light – 179 kg dry – and instinctive, the RSV4 Factory lets itself be carried along with your fingertips, while the engine begins its recital: little brings under 4000 rpm – without knocking for all that -, the mechanics Aprilia then extends the stride with conviction up to 7,000 rpm, before releasing a good ladle of power between 10,000 rpm and 13,600 rpm of the breaker !

In just three turns, the last Pirelli casings – no more and no less than re-cut slicks! – are already at temperature! The Noale Superbike then shows the incredible potential of its chassis: after a few sequences, the Aprilia RSV4 already provides absolute confidence to its rider, who benefits from a front axle as sharp and precise as a scalpel. !

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *