The Aprilia RSV4 has always set the bar in terms of sportiness and performance, the best example of just what can be accomplished drawing from the valuable experience of a winning Racing Department like Aprilia’s which, in its brief history, has earned 54 world titles, seven of which in the World SBK championship. Skills honed on the track and transferred to the factory product to provide everyone with the same excitement that the motorbikes prepared by Aprilia Racing do.
Unmistakeable in its design lucidity and applied technology, the RSV4 is conceived around a 65° V4 engine never before seen on a factory sport bike, a frame which is the heir to a dynasty that has won 18 titles and 143 Grand Prix races in the 250 GP class, enhanced by the most modern applied electronics systems to manage the engine and the bike’s dynamic performance. This is a true vocation of Aprilia, which was the first manufacturer to adopt the Ride-By-Wire multimap accelerator as standard equipment, but above all the first to patent the APRC dynamic control system, with the exclusive features of self-calibration and wheelie control, in the spirit of maximum effectiveness at the service of top performance.
The RSV4 project has always pursued a stated goal: to be the absolute best and fastest uncompromising superbike, the one that comes the closest to Aprilia racing bikes in terms of performance and effectiveness. A premium product at the top of its category dedicated to extremely demanding customers who want top shelf performance and refined technical equipment, provided thanks in part to the use of prestigious materials like aluminium, titanium and carbon.
Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory – the latest step in this evolutionary line – boasts exceptional performance combined with a racing frame and suspension and an electronic controls package, both evolved even further.
In line with the exclusivity of this model, the Aprilia Style Centre has worked hard to make the RSV4 1100 Factory unique and recognisable even by its colours and attention to detail. The colour combinations aim to enhance the exclusive nature of prestigious materials such as carbon (on the front mudguard, the side panels, the exhaust terminal guard and the aerodynamic winglets), in contrast with the titanium finish of the street-legal Akrapovic exhaust terminal, the same colour as the forged aluminium wheels. For the graphics of the superstructure, an attractive total matt black look was chosen that enhances all the beauty of the sculpture-like twin-spar frame and swingarm made of aluminium. Given the incredible performance achieved by RSV4 1100 Factory, for the first time on a factory superbike, Aprilia introduces aerodynamic winglets on the fairing, thanks to the developments made by Aprilia Racing on the RS-GP prototype from which they are derived. The particular shape designed in the wind tunnel and the inclination at which they are mounted take advantage of the downforce of the channelled air to let the winglets increase stability at high speeds, contributing to decreasing the tendency for wheelies coming out of turns and at the same time increasing stability in hard braking.
Record performance for the Aprilia 1100 V4.
With the introduction of RSV4 1100 Factory, Aprilia makes all the top performance a sport rider could desire available, combined with that character and inimitable sound of the V4 from Noale. There is no other powerplant of its kind that can boast a ten-year-long history of wins. A platform capable of satisfying the needs of the most advanced sport rider and also representing an exceptional base to develop a racing bike. After reaching the benchmark of 201 HP in the street-legal factory configuration in 2017, the V4 from Aprilia reaches another evolutionary crossroads, increasing displacement to 1078 cc. This change was decided based on the experience and the outstanding feedback from critics and the public already obtained with this solution on the Tuono V4, the sport naked version of the RSV4 which went from 1000 to 1100 cc in 2015.
The RSV4 1100 Factory engine displacement is achieved thanks to new pistons with bore that went from 78 to 81 mm; the 52.3 mm stroke remains unchanged with respect to the 1000 V4 engine that still powers the RSV4 RR. The compression ratio of 13.6:1 also remains unchanged. To improve wet sump lubrication, there is a new oil pump with greater flow capacity; the piston temperature has now been lowered thanks to the use of a double oil jet. The timing system boasts optimised intake valve timing, while the primary drive now counts on a longer ratio for fifth and sixth gear. The electronic injection system now uses a throttle valve support with a more aerodynamic profile in order to improve fluid-dynamic permeability. The Magneti Marelli 7SM ECU has a new specific map with limiter management set at 13,600 rpm. This brings maximum power to 217 HP at 13,200 rpm, setting the bar in the category; maximum torque also benefits from these changes, obtaining a clear increase along the entire range of more than 10% compared to the 1000 cc engine and reaching a maximum value of 122 Nm at 11,000 rpm. This is a very important value that makes the RSV4 1100 Factory not only more effective in acceleration even from low speeds on the track, but also more thrilling to ride on the road. Last, but not least, the exhaust system was optimised, not only in the layout of the manifolds, but also adding the street-legal titanium Akrapovic terminal as standard equipment, significantly lighter than the previous unit. The new Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory also benefits from finer calibration suited for the revamped performance of its APRC electronic controls package.
Chassis: even more effective going through corners and in braking
Aprilia is known as one of the best chassis manufacturers in the world and the RSV4 represents the synthesis of the technical prowess Aprilia has acquired in top level world championships. A particularity which is still exclusive to the RSV4 RR and Factory (and which has always been a characteristics of the previous generations) is the exceptional range of possible adjustments that the standard equipment chassis is able to provide. In fact, the Aprilia is the only superbike that allows the rider to adjust the engine position in the frame, the headstock angle, the swingarm pivot and the rear end height, naturally in addition to the fully adjustable suspension. Just like a real racing bike.
The super popular and winning structure of the Aprilia RSV4 frame has remained unchanged and it takes advantage of the forged and moulded aluminium elements capable of guaranteeing exceptional performance, thanks in part to the perfectly balanced rigidity and torsional flexibility values. Precisely because of the wide range of possible adjustments provided by the frame, the frame and suspension setup and the weight distribution on the RSV4 1100 Factory have been revisited. Thanks to new steering bushings (+ 3 mm both upper and lower), the inclination of the headstock decreases and the offset of the new steering yoke also changes, now reduced by 2 mm. This results in a 4 mm shorter wheelbase. The overall result is that it brings the front end closer to the rider, increasing the load on the front wheel (and therefore stability), but without decreasing agility. One of the points of excellence of the RSV4 (and unequalled to date by any other bike) has always been its performance in the delicate and important braking-turning-cornering speed phase which Aprilia has managed to further amplify on the RSV4 1100 Factory, not only thanks to the changes to the front end, but also thanks to the new setup of the Öhlins NIX fork, with 5 mm more travel (125 mm total), a choice that lets the rider corner even better.
The suspension system is completed by two other prestigious Öhlins elements: the adjustableseries TTX shock absorber and the steering damper, also adjustable. In order to guarantee and further increase stability coming out of turns, RSV4 1100 Factory has also undergone some changes to the swingarm which is now stiffer with a significant increase of yaw and torsion, guaranteeing more precision coming out of corners.
The braking system, already top shelf in the previous version, has also benefited from important upgrades: the Brembo Stylema front callipers, lighter and more efficient, take the place of the M50 callipers and are now fitted with pads with higher friction coefficient performance. The new brake callipers can be combined with the pair of carbon air ducts (similar to those used by Aprilia Racing on the RS-GP), which let you keep the operating temperature under control, ensuring the same exceptional braking performance even in the most extreme use. The kerb weight of the RSV4 1100 Factory with a full tank is 199 kg, thanks to the introduction of the new titanium exhaust terminal and the new ultra light Bosch lithium battery.
APRC: APRC: from Aprilia, the cutting-edge in electronics
Aprilia RSV4 1000 RR and RSV4 1100 Factory are fitted with an exceptional dynamic controls package designed and patented by Aprilia. Each one of the two models benefits from a specific calibration of all the controls in line with the different performance levels the two bikes can boast. APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) is the well known dynamic control suite derived directly from the winning technology in world Superbike, one of the most complete and refined currently available on the market. The particular positioning and orientation of the inertial platformthat governs the operation of the system allows for optimum possibilities of detecting the bike’s dynamic conditions and, consequently, more effective electronic control strategies.
The fourth evolution of Aprilia’s APRC is perfectly integrated with the electronic fine tuning guaranteed by the full Ride-by-Wirethrottle control which is completely built-in and requires no other components for electronic throttle valve management.This provides clear benefits in terms of weight (compared to a traditional system, the savings can be quantified at 590 grams).
- L’APRC, which comes as standard equipment on the Aprilia RSV4 RR and RSV4 1100 Factory includes:
- ATC: Aprilia Traction Control, adjustable on the fly (without having to release the throttle) to 8 settings thanks to a practical joystick, boasts high performance operating logic.
- AWC: Aprilia Wheelie Control,the wheelie control system that can be adjusted to 3 levels, has extremely precise operating strategies. Wheelie control can be adjusted on the fly without closing the throttle, like the ATC, thanks to the practical left side electric block.
- ALC: Aprilia Launch Control, for use on the track only, with 3 settings, uses highly effective operating strategies.
- AQS: Aprilia Quick Shift, the electronic gearbox that allows shifting without closing the throttle and without using the clutch, also equipped with the downshift function, to allow clutchless downshifting. Its open-throttle downshifting feature is exclusive.
- APL: Aprilia Pit Limiter, the system that lets you select and limit the top speed allowed in pit lane at the track or simply to make it easier to comply with posted speed limits on the road.
- ACC: Aprilia Cruise Control. Electronic management has allowed cruise control to be introduced, very convenient on longer trips because it lets you maintain the set speed without touching the throttle.
In addition to the fourth generation APRC system, RSV4 RR and Factory come from the factory standard with advanced multimap Cornering ABS, developed in collaboration with Bosch to guarantee not only extreme safety on the road, but also the best possible performance at the circuit. The 9.1 MP system, with truly contained weight and dimensions, is able to optimize braking and the ABS intervention in corners, thanks to a specific algorithm that constantly monitors various parameters such as lateral acceleration, the pressure applied to the front brake lever, the lean, pitch and yaw angle, modulating the braking action in order to better guarantee the ratio between deceleration and stability. The ABS system works in unison with the Aprilia RLM (Rear Liftup Mitigation) system that limits the lift of the rear wheel during more abrupt braking. Cornering ABS, fine tuned in accordance with Aprilia’s specific indications, is adjustable to 3 levels of sensibility. Each of the three Cornering ABS maps can be combined with any of the three engine maps(Sport, Track, Race), allowing riders with different experience and skill levels to find the best possible combination for their style. The three maps are “full power” and differ in the way they unload the power onto the asphalt of which the Aprilia V4 is capable in the two available configurations (1000 cc for the RR and 1100 cc for the Factory), in addition to the percentage of engine brake dedicated to them.
The colour TFT instrumentation is a true digital computer with exceptional display features, now further improved thanks to increased brightness. The two selectable screen pages (Road and Race, both with night and day backlighting) correspond to as many represented indexes. Available as an accessory for both the RSV4 RF and the RSV4 1100 Factory is APRILIA MIA, the Aprilia multimedia platform that lets you connect your smartphone to the vehicle via Bluetooth, introducing for the first time a true corner by corner electronic settings calibration system with data that can subsequently be downloaded to your laptop (or displayed directly on the smartphone) for analysis, just like they do at the races. APRILIA MIA is characterised by a new connection protocol that reduces smartphone battery consumption to a minimum, in addition to providing a wide range of circuits already mapped in which you can manage the electronic settings corner by corner, as well as user acquisition of a new circuit that is not in the list Aprilia has provided. APRILIA MIA also includes the infotainment system, introduced by Aprilia for the first time on the RSV4, to manage voice commands and incoming/outgoing telephone calls with your smartphone. These activities are also displayed and managed by the digital instrumentation.
