BRUCE ON TRACK

You’ve got to hand it to Aprilia, because this bike is an absolute weapon. It’s one of the quickest, yet easiest to rinse, litre sportsbikes on the market and my adoration for it hasn’t dwindled in the five years I’ve been a part of Fast Bikes. If anything, it’s got greater, cranked up last year by the introduction of the powerful but usable 1100cc motor, and this year by the brilliant Gen2 Öhlins suspension… and that new paint job has got to be worth a few tenths, surely? No other bike handles so well out of the box, and no other V4 motor powers you forward so tractably and effortlessly as the Aprilia’s. Okay, it’s a bit flat low down, but if you’re sub-6000rpm on track you’re probably in the wrong gear. Anything over that threshold and the RSV4 playfully romps away until you reach its 206bhp climax. I like the tech too, being so simple even Carl can figure it, and very beneficial to fast laps. The brakes are another big talking point, and not just because the Brembo monoblocs are painted with a stealthy black look. They are unreal at anchoring this bike up, and the switchable ABS only adds to their appeal. The frame is still largely the same unit that hit the scene in 2009, but it works so well and ensures an agile, stable ride through the corners. The Öhlins leccy pogos are a big factor in the RSV4’s cornering prowess, and I was impressed at how well they worked with the bike and sucked up imperfections without any issues. The feel of this bike is exceptional and the grip levels at the rear wheel are the stuff of dreams. It’s genuinely hard to think of ways to criticise the Aprilia, with my only reckoning being it’s firm and tall, but that’s what you want in a track-focused sportsbike. I like it more than cake.