APRILIA

Lighter and slicker than ever... but you might not tell

Calling Aprilia’s engineers perfectionists isn’t stretching it. This year’s highest-spec Tuono has a repositioned widget informing all the electronic rider aids, reworked ride-by-wire that saves 590g, a smarter ECU, tweaked engine internals for an extra 500rpm (and greater reliability), Öhlins suspension that’s 400g lighter, plus new discs and calipers. You might not feel any difference... but their focus on getting it spot-on is amazing. The electronic and engine changes also reach the RR version, and both versions of the RSV4 sportsbike (regular RR, swanky RF) also receive similar updates. The RSV4 RF also has revised colours for 2018.

Bike says: ‘The fabulous V4s didn’t need serious changes. Good job’

After years of same-same small bikes and scoots the Chinese-owned Italian brand’s rediscovered its mojo