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BIKES: 2012 Aprilia Tuono V4R APRC First Ride
The Aprilia Tuono returns, redesigned around the World Superbike-winning RSV4. Motorcycle USA gets its first ride aboard the 2012 Aprilia Tuono V4R APRC.
Racetrack performance in a street-friendly package. It's the goal of every streetfighter, and one of the best interpretations returns to American shores in the Aprilia Tuono V4R APRC. (Photo: Kevin Wing, MOtorcyclesUSA.com)
The Aprilia Tuono once ruled the Streetfighter roost. A perennial winner in MotoUSA’s annual Streetfighter Shootouts, the two-cylinder Tuono turned the Noale factory’s RSV Mille Superbike into a thrilling street bike. When Aprilia engineers scrapped the long-in-the-tooth Mille for the all-new RSV4 Superbike, a new Tuono seemed to be the logical progression. The result is the new Tuono V4R, which after early release in Europe is finally arriving on American shores as a 2012 model.
Tuono means Thunder in Italian, and thumbing the starter on our test bike the nomenclature immediately rings true. Aprilia’s stout exhaust tone gives riders an audible inkling of what’s on tap. Crack the throttle and things start to get interesting. Even bozos lacking clutch finesse (not that I’m talking about myself…) can yank the front end up with a stern twist. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves… For now let’s just say engine performance is exhilarating, with the impressive V-Four the defining feature of this latest Aprilia.
It should surprise no one that the Tuono mill is a ripper. Remember, this is the 65-degree V-Four engine platform that has won numerous World Superbike races, as well as the 2010 SBK Rider and Constructor titles with Max Biaggi at the controls. Adding to that impressive feat, the Aprilia RSV4 engines are powering the majority of the new Claiming Rule Team (CRT) entries in the 2012 MotoGP series. Now in its fourth year of development, this engine already boasts an impressive racing byline.
While the Tuono engine architecture is identical to the RSV4, including 78mm bore and 52.3mm stroke, Aprilia engineers didn’t plop in the Superbike engine without alteration. Valve timing has been revised, with the RSV4’s variable intake system tossed for a fixed intake ducts that are 20mm longer. These modifications target improved performance in bottom and mid-range. Meanwhile a heavier flywheel aims to smooth out the power delivery. The engine's redline drops to 12,300 rpm, with peak horsepower and torque also arriving at lower revs than its racy SBK sibling.
Such “street-friendly” alterations in the Streetfighter class can translate into a restrictive de-tuning that neuters the Superbike-derived powerplant. Thankfully the Tuono doesn’t suffer. The new Aprilia registered 152 peak horsepower on our in-house dyno, which ranges from 16 to 43 hp more than its class rivals (as measured in our 2011 Streetfighter Shootout). Compared to the RSV4 R we tested last summer, the Tuono’s 152.1 peak horsepower and 76.18 lb-ft torque register earlier in the revs. And compared to its Twin-powered predecessor, the V-Four Tuono churns out 40 more ponies.
Visit MotorcycleUSA.comfor the rest of this story
Tuono means Thunder in Italian, and thumbing the starter on our test bike the nomenclature immediately rings true. Aprilia’s stout exhaust tone gives riders an audible inkling of what’s on tap. Crack the throttle and things start to get interesting. Even bozos lacking clutch finesse (not that I’m talking about myself…) can yank the front end up with a stern twist. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves… For now let’s just say engine performance is exhilarating, with the impressive V-Four the defining feature of this latest Aprilia.
It should surprise no one that the Tuono mill is a ripper. Remember, this is the 65-degree V-Four engine platform that has won numerous World Superbike races, as well as the 2010 SBK Rider and Constructor titles with Max Biaggi at the controls. Adding to that impressive feat, the Aprilia RSV4 engines are powering the majority of the new Claiming Rule Team (CRT) entries in the 2012 MotoGP series. Now in its fourth year of development, this engine already boasts an impressive racing byline.
While the Tuono engine architecture is identical to the RSV4, including 78mm bore and 52.3mm stroke, Aprilia engineers didn’t plop in the Superbike engine without alteration. Valve timing has been revised, with the RSV4’s variable intake system tossed for a fixed intake ducts that are 20mm longer. These modifications target improved performance in bottom and mid-range. Meanwhile a heavier flywheel aims to smooth out the power delivery. The engine's redline drops to 12,300 rpm, with peak horsepower and torque also arriving at lower revs than its racy SBK sibling.
Such “street-friendly” alterations in the Streetfighter class can translate into a restrictive de-tuning that neuters the Superbike-derived powerplant. Thankfully the Tuono doesn’t suffer. The new Aprilia registered 152 peak horsepower on our in-house dyno, which ranges from 16 to 43 hp more than its class rivals (as measured in our 2011 Streetfighter Shootout). Compared to the RSV4 R we tested last summer, the Tuono’s 152.1 peak horsepower and 76.18 lb-ft torque register earlier in the revs. And compared to its Twin-powered predecessor, the V-Four Tuono churns out 40 more ponies.
Visit MotorcycleUSA.comfor the rest of this story
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