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Driving report Aprilia RSV Mille

thousand grazie

Thanks to Aprilia, the Italians dare to attack the two-cylinder crown. The RSV Mille is set to finally break the dominance of the Ducati 916.

Modesty has never been a typical Italian virtue. Nevertheless, Gaetano Cocco, head of development of the RSV Mille project, admitted only behind closed doors that internal test and comparison drives against a Ducati 916 have brought very promising results. After some initial difficulties, everything is now ready for the first big performance. An appearance that means for Aprilia the departure into a new dimension.
The Circuit de Cataluña in Barcelona, ​​Spain, is the stage for the premiere of the RSV Mille. Ten machines are ready to offer the world press a first test of talent. But before there is first physical contact with the main actors, press chief Francesco Rapisarda defines the location for the two-cylinder. "A sporty motorcycle for the country road, suitable for everyday use and still able to impress on the racetrack." Very modest, thesis Italians.
Because the technical effort behind and above all in the new RSV Mille is considerable. The 128 hp 60-degree V-twin cylinder built by Rotax alone devoured 15 million marks in development costs. An injection system from the Japanese specialist Nippon Denso supplies the two intake manifolds with a diameter of 51 millimeters with the correct amount of fuel, which is calculated from the values ​​of a good half a dozen sensors in the engine area. “A catalyst? No, you don’t have that ”, chief developer Cocco has to admit, somewhat embarrassed. "But," he adds, "the RSV emissions are sensationally low."
The time has finally come, you can sit down. The first impression: small, much more delicate than expected. The Mille in the tank area is extremely narrow, the handlebars are not too far forward and not too deep. Everything is very similar to the RS 250. The deep rumble of the Vau-Zwei quickly makes it clear what it is all about: power and torque, powerful acceleration from the low revs and a power range as wide as the Po plain.
What the two-cylinder suggests when idling, it puts into practice on the route. From just over 2000 rpm he sprints off without jerks, seems to literally explode in the middle area and is not afraid to turn up to the limiter at 10500 rpm. Even though it lacks the liveliness and pressure of a Suzuki TL 1000 R at the last 1500 revs. The switching point is signaled by a switching light in the form of a small red lamp in the digital cockpit, which, as with the RS 250, is freely programmable using a few function keys.
The fact that a cylinder angle of 60 degrees does not represent the optimum in terms of mass balancing cannot be completely concealed by the two balancing shafts. The two shafts (one in front of the crankshaft and one between the camshafts of the rear cylinder head) are still in control of the situation up to 6000 rpm. But then quite massive vibrations on the hands and soles of the feet become noticeable.
Except for these vibrations, however, the Aprilia drive is free from any criticism. It impresses with its velvety response when applying gas, and disturbing load change reactions are alien to it. The individual stages of the six-speed gearbox can be changed without great effort and lock in exactly. Even too early or rough downshifts when applying the brakes do not disturb the Mille. A special coupling prevents annoying rear wheel stamping. When the throttle is closed in push mode, the pressure on the clutch disks is reduced by around 20 percent thanks to servo assistance via intake manifold vacuum. The load peaks that occur are simply filtered out by the resulting slip (see also the great technology story in MOTORRAD 4/1998).
As convincingly as the drive unit built by Rotax is presented at this first rendezvous, the chassis also makes has a positive impression. The aluminum bridge frame with the mighty, banana-shaped swing arm on the right-hand side of the exhaust not only makes an extremely stiff impression when you look at it, it is too. The Mille runs through the long, very fast radii of the Spanish race track without the slightest wobble. In the manner of a Ducati 916, it follows the line once it has been chosen, but feels easier to throw into a sloping position. Ground clearance is not an issue, any more than the dreaded slap in the handlebars when you accelerate. Aprilia has taken precautions in the form of a steering damper mounted transversely under the cockpit bracket. It works so well that disadvantages are hardly noticeable at slow speeds.
In addition to the rigid chassis, the spring elements are also responsible for the direct and precise handling. At the front a sensitive upside-down fork from Showa ensures the necessary directional stability, at the rear a shock absorber from Sachs. Both components can be adjusted umpteen times, as it should be for a super sports car. Which is not entirely unimportant, especially with the shock absorber. This heats up after a short time, despite a shield plate, due to the closely adjacent exhaust manifold. Once readjusted, the damping characteristics then remain stable.
The series tires can also convince. It comes straight from racing, is called the Pirelli MTR 01 A at the front and MTR 08 at the rear, and with the "only" 180 millimeter wide rear drawn, it contributes to the playful, precise handling of the RSV. The grip is great, even though the rear wheel struggles with the torque of the two-cylinder when it is overheated. But everything is nicely controllable and without any insidiousness.
The brakes, on the other hand, are less easy to control. A step on the foot brake lever shows little effect, at the front the Brembo system lacks the clean pressure point and bite of Japanese top systems. For once, the Aprilia technicians shouldn’t have turned to Ducati on this point.
I.On the whole, the RSV Mille was able to convince at its first appearance. In terms of wind protection and ergonomics, much more suitable for everyday use than a Ducati 916, in terms of chassis and engine power significantly more sporty than a Honda VTR 1000, Aprilia has combined the positive characteristics of these two two-cylinder concepts in the RSV.

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