2009 Aprilia RSV4 Factory review

That’s not to say nothing happens down low – far from it. The versatility of the engine is another standout as there is no need to be doing a Nureyev on the gear level. It’s often a case of “set and forget” to let the massive amounts of enthusiastic torque on tap take over.

The RSV4 is happy to sit in top gear and tootle along in the lower part of the rev range with the engine eager to answer the call from as low as 3500 rpm. There’s a steady pull to 8000rpm then the action arcs up as the true power and acceleration of the RSV4 is unleashed. This in turn intensifies the orchestral sounds when the RSV4 is given its head producing a celestial crescendo unlike any other road bike.

It takes a while to settle into the bike but to help in getting to know the RSV4 and gain confidence to work the masses of power, the RSV4 comes with three maps. At the lower end is a “Road” map that limits the power to a claimed 140hp at the crank, a “Sport” mode that limits torque in the first three gears and then a “Track” mode where you get all 180 ponies of the claimed power. Selection is made by pushing the starter button while on the go but off the throttle. Obviously I tried them all but for the majority of my time I kept it in Track mode as it is so much fun.

Another bonus is the lack of a twitchy throttle that can be an unwelcome feature of some fuel-injected bikes. No need for the trepidation that the likes of Colin Edwards and Garry McCoy felt when riding the Aprilia Cube in the early MotoGP days waiting to be launched higher than the space shuttle with the early idiosyncrasies of the fledgling ride-by-wire system that Aprilia were first to introduce. The development team led by genius Gigi Dall’Igna certainly did their homework in that regard. (Gigi is the man responsible for the later day GP success of Aprilia and the RSV4 is his baby.)

The slipper clutch is sensational and provides effortless down changing. Going through the gearbox to first from top gear and dumping the clutch produces no rear wheel lock up or chattering.

The cassette gearbox is a treat for effortless gear changes and can be flat changed on the down shift with the right throttle application.

“All this within a 1420mm wheelbase adds up to an almost perfect bike.”

The brakes are another standout for as fast as it goes ballistic so it can be slowed in a remarkable distance with the front Brembo “Serie Oro” monobloc four-piston radial calipers. These are truly state of the art in racing braking technology with outstanding power, and exceptional fade resistance that clamp onto the completely new 320-mm double floating steel disc to haul up the bike.

Weight reduction has been high on the list with some impressive figures as the frame weighs only 10.1 kg and the swing-arm is 5.1 kg – both have been strengthened over the previous RSV frames for more rigidity and stability. Also the new engine makes extensive use of ultra-light materials as all valve covers and external housings are made from magnesium.

This all adds up to weight distribution direct from a GP bike, the bias of 54% 52% on the front and 48% of the weight on the rear.

Machine adjustments are not limited to the Ohlins suspension and steering damper as in another example of how much of a racebike the RSV4 is, the Factory comes standard with a number of adjustment options. First the headstock position and rake are completely adjustable with interchangeable bushes, the swing arm is adjustable via variable pin position and the engine can be moved in the frame for millimetre precise chassis tuning. All this within a 1420mm wheelbase adds up to an almost perfect bike.

This is one truly remarkable motorcycle.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 2009, Aprilia, Australia, Max Biaggi, review, RSV4 Factory

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 11:37 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.