APRILIA RSV4 RF
Iadmit it, I’m an addict. I just can’t go ten minutes without contemplating my next blast on the Aprilia. I’ve had so many awesome bikes over the years, but there’s something spell-binding about the RSV4. It’s more than just a sexy looking motorcycle that also happens to sound like it’s straight off the GP grid; it’s addictive. I’m a big fan of it, and over this year and the thousands of miles I’ve clocked, I’ve come to appreciate its pure brilliance. It’s an uncompromising bike but I like that. So much so that I’d say to those who aren’t after a genuine race bike for the streets, stay well clear – there’s a Fireblade out there for you. You have to get used to its idiosyncrasies, which include harsh suspension, harsh brakes and a harsh power delivery, because this leopard can’t just go changing its spots. It’s been ‘crafted’ for performance and that’s exactly what you get from it, from the minute you turn the key and fire that booming V4 into life.
I’m not afraid to ride in the winter, but there’s no way I’ll muller this bike for the sake of my own ego. With that in mind, I’ve been craving opportunities to get out and indulge in the Aprilia’s sheer delights. I had a right old do the other day, during that freak weather spell at the start of October. The weather was mint, being around 20oC, which was the perfect sparring partner for the bike’s stock fitment Pirelli Supercorsa SPs. They’re a great tyre, I’ve found. They warm up quickly, give good feedback and grip impressively.
I’d headed out to one of my favourite places, taking a route littered with twisties every step of the way. The riding was immense, varying in pace and corner tightness. But it didn’t matter what came our way; the Aprilia nailed it all. The two biggest allures to this bike are the way it nimbly flicks from one side to the other, and the way the motor monsters itself out of bends.
It’s so deceivingly fast, because the bike always feels so planted. You only have to look at the throttle and you’re doing some serious speeds in no time, delivered in the most effortless of ways. I don’t think this bike wants for anything. For me, it’s plenty fast enough, great handling and more than smart enough with its stack-load of rider aids. I bought this bike at the end of last year, just before they brought the latest version out.
There’s a part of me that’d be curious to try the Euro 4 spec, but I don’t reckon I’m missing out on much, if anything. I’m satisfied, and that’s a nice feeling. If anything, I’d sooner spend my money making this bike more customised to myself. I’ve never known a model with so many bolt-ons to buy. I’m a sucker for carbon fibre and not just because it saves weight. This thing’s already light enough, but the stock infills, which are carbon lookalike just don’t do it for me. So I’m on a mission to find a decent manufacturer of direct replacements. If you’ve got any pointers, I’m all ears.
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Letting it have it.”