RSV4 now easier, faster ride
Aspiring racers will get plenty of thrills from the flagship RSV4 RR, reports Paul Owen.
The corporate slogans of superbike-makers say a lot about the finely track-biased focus of the machines they create.
KTM’S is ‘‘ready to race’’ while Suzuki once boasted that you could ‘‘own the racetrack’’ with its GSX-R1000, something that was certainly true enough in this country.
Aprilia’s is ‘‘be a racer’’, something that is made a lot easier by the bike you see here. It’s the new RSV4 RR sportsbike enhanced by a Race Pack that takes the price to a potentially budget-busting $32,590. But expense be damned: this fullykitted-out RSV4 delivers all the extra handling finesse and increased corner speed that you’re paying for.
That’s despite being slightly old-school instead of state-of-theart. The basic chassis bones of the RSV4 date back to 2009 – the time when it quickly began to add seven more world championship road-racing titles to Aprilia’s overstuffed warchest and take the latest tally out to 54.
It therefore depends upon whether you prefer constant refinement of a proven design rather than clean-sheet-of-paper revolution to determine whether the RSV4 is for you. By 2016 superbike standards, it’s a little generous in its dimensions and about four kilograms heavier than it should be.
The riding position places the handlebars further away than frames designed this decade, and despite the large Bosch sticker below the seat, the RSV4 lacks the latest piece of must-have from the brand – an inertia measurement unit (IMU) to refine the performance of the traction controllers, engine braking, and ABS anti-lockers by accounting for multidirectional G-forces.
None of the above matters of course once you fully get to grips with the RSV4. The race packequipped RR has a fine substitute for an IMU – a pair of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa radials that have such secure levels of grip and informative rider feedback that an IMU would virtually be rendered redundant were one fitted to the alphaaprilia.
As for that riding position, it’s a bit of an arm stretch to the bars and the seat is placed at a lofty height, but it sure provides plenty of room to tuck a Kiwi male-sized body into. Changes to the upper fairing increase both the aerodynamic hygiene and weather protection of the RSV4, and you quickly appreciate that the redesign has been made in the interest of function rather than fashion.
The latest RSV4 also remains the great-looking bike it always has been, and is instantly recognisable by its tripleheadlights and minimalist tailpiece with sharp ridges that evidently increase stability at speed.
It looks even better in Race Pack form, thanks to the way the gold Ohlins suspenders fitted front and rear light up the highly-polished alloy frame spars and rear swingarm. Forged wheels add further bling, and with the ordinary RSV4 already possessing Brembo M50 front brake calipers and discs the size of satellite dish the enhanced version is certainly ready to hit the track.
It offers plenty of opportunities to fine-tune the handling via the height adjustable swingarm pivot and the further changes it allows to the geometry of the front forks. Coupled to all the suspension adjustments possible on the Ohlins forks and rear shock, there are possibly a thousand ways to set up this RSV4, and conversely therefore a thousand ways to get it wrong. With all my riding on (mostly wet) roads, I ignored all the possible permutations of the RSV4 and left it as delivered although it was tempting to back off the spring preload a little at the rear.
Despite the track-oriented robustness of the spring rates, the Ohlins suspension kept both wheels in faithful contact with the road despite some of the recent rain damage the chosen test roads began to chuck at it.
And oh what a ride this bike provides – not in terms of comfort, but in terms of excitement. The RSV4’S innate high centre of gravity and the lighter wheels of the race pack make turning it into corners absolutely breathtaking.
You quickly learn to delay the moment where you initially counter-steer to avoid apex-ing the corner too early and having to pick the bike up again. You also begin to a little brake later and less aggressively for the next one in the knowledge that this chassis can carry more speed mid-corner.
But I’ve left the best bit of the 2016 RSV4 for last – the revised V4 engine.
The Aprilia now joins the 200+bhp club with its revised Cnc-milled cylinder heads and new Pankl connecting rods, forged camshafts, and titanium valves.
A nice touch is the way the new ride-by-wire throttle retains cable operation for the initial connection between the rider and the engine, as this allows throttle twist-grip free-play to be adjusted.
Equally appreciated are the variable-length intake tracts, which refine the power delivery.
You’re always aware of the potential of the new V4 at every point of the tacho needle, but the overwhelming impression is just how progressively and smoothly it now delivers its race-winning levels of riding force.
Not so wonderful when riding on the road are the sky-high gearing of the RSV4, and a seat that could use thicker cushioning.
I’d be changing both within the first month of ownership (nice thought).
That’s quite a mouthwatering prospect because you can get Ducati Panigale R -levels of finesse here for $22,000 less.
Aprilia wants you to be a racer, and this enhanced version of the RSV4 RR is certainly the strongest encouragement yet.