New Aprilia RSV4 R it still handles like a dream

2011 Aprilia RSV4 R Action

The Aprilia RSV4 R monoblock Brembo brakes are the same as on the Factory, and they are immensely powerful and impressive. The deceleration from 165 mph going slightly downhill is certainly a job the Brembos do very well. The forces are dampened through a 43mm adjustable Showa fork rather than Ohlins on the R and the front tyre is a 120/70-ZR17 Metzeler Racetech rather than a Pirelli Diablo SuperCorsa. I know that the Factory setup is a better one that'd given me even more confidence and feel; however I'm still impressed with the RSV4 R chassis as it's more than good enough for road and track day use. At the rear Aprilia have swapped the Factory's Öhlins for a fully adjustable item from Sachs. The 6-spoke aluminum wheels are not as light as the forged items on the Factory, and overall the 395-pound Aprilia RSV4 R weighs in at 11 pounds more than the Factory.

The interesting thing about the 2010 Aprilia RSV4 R is that, despite these 11 pounds, it still handles like a dream. The frame and swingarm can't be adjusted in the way the Factory can, but you really need to spend a lot of time on a racetrack to utilize that adjustability. The Aprilia RSV4 R's tech specs also reveal that the variable intake ducts are not in place, but acceleration from 9500 rpm and up to 13,000 is still immense, whilst the midrange is also powerful and very useful particularly on the road. The Aprilia 999cc V4 acts in a way that you'd thought it was a turbo kicking in above 10,000 rpm, but it's just Aprilia's masterful natural big bang engine coming seriously alive. The Aprilia V4 is very addictive and I felt no significant difference in this area between the two RSV4s, apart from perhaps a slightly "milder" throttle response.

The one good thing about Estoril being slightly damp in the morning was that I finally got a good chance to ride a lot more using the powerful midrange. The Aprilia RSV4 R torque peak of 85 ft/lbs arrives at 10,000 rpm, but at these rpm the engine was way too powerful for the level of grip we experienced in the morning session. Between 7 and 10K rpm the midrange produces great pull, and even below 7000 rpm there's plenty of go that's exclusively reserved for the roads. Through the Gancho chicane that everybody loves to hate the speed is down to 35 mph, and the flick from left to right is done with ease, as there are no high revs or speed.

On the Estoril circuit there's plenty of hard acceleration through second and third gear as the corners are so slow. This gives a good feel with what the Aprilia RSV4 R is capable of in terms of pure acceleration from low speed. Imagine a 600 supersport with 180 horsepower and you'll get the idea. Under both braking and acceleration, the RSV4 R feels very solid. It's down to the tires what sort of grip you can achieve and, since it was cold and not completely dry, the Metzeler Racetechs performed well. Had it been hot and dry, I'm sure I'd been begging for the Pirellis.

2011 Aprilia RSV4 R Pictures

2011 Aprilia RSV4 R Front View