We rarely get to see an entirely new and truly amazing addition to the supersport category, but the year 2009 has been very bountiful from this point of view and, at least now, nobody has reasons to complain. While Japan carried on the refinement side, manufacturers in Europe concentrated on adding new, fierce competitors to challenge the old square in Japan. Ducati was already a strong player on the market, BMW introduced their all-new and extremely potent S 1000 RR and Aprilia comes with a unique recipe for success, one that is resumed by the RSV4 Factory model name.
Features such as the new 65-degree V4 engine displacing 999.6cc and the new ride-by-wire engine management system as well as the multi-adjustable perimetral aluminum alloy frame and Öhlins Racing suspension are sure to position the 2009 Aprilia RSV4 Factory on a well-deserved place in the top three greatest liter bikes on the market today.
The RSV4 is being launched this week so Aprilia releases the promotional video of their all-new superbike just so that they have some track action to play on and on again at the world launch.
Ordering an Aprilia RSV4 can be as easy as checking your mail as long as you’ve got a great will to buy one and £2000 for a down payment. It’s really that easy. All that future owners have to do is go to the Aprilia RSV4 dedicated webside and place their orders. Then, they have to make a £2000 deposit at the local dealer and count the days until their new acquisition arrives.
All those interested should hurry up as the first 10 RSV4s already have names on them. It seems that the much awaited Italian bike brings that refreshing feel of a totally different engine (at least that’s what we think it sells best).
Piaggio Group USA President and CEO Paolo Timoni told Hell for Leather how the Aprilia RSV4 will eventually be sold in the United States during the final quarter of 2009. Although first revealed last September, Aprilia’s 180bhp, 85lb/ft, 179 kg (dry) superbike barely makes it for the 2009 introduction and mostly because of SBK homologation requirements. Accordingly to these, a returning manufacturer must build at least 250 units for initial homologation and 1000 units by June of the first year in racing and that’s precisely the scenario we’re witnessing.
Independently of their motives for introducing the Factory version of the RSV4 till the end of the year, we’re extremely happy to find a potent European contender going against the dominating Japanese crowd.
Aprilia has just presented the final graphic version of their RSV4 superbike that will debut in the World Superbike Championship this weekend. As seen, Aprilia makes an entry on the WSBK scene without the help of a main sponsor so the fairing displays the traditional colors of the Italian company, the most visible logos being RSV4 and Aprilia.
Recent test have shown that the new Italian V4 is capable of great performances and with the help of Shinya Nakano and Max Biaggi, the Noale house aims towards as much presences on the podium as possible.
It is now less than a month until the WSB championship will debut on March 1st and the factory Aprilia World Superbike team makes the final optimizing of their all new Aprilia RSV4 basing on the wind tunnel results.
Aprilia race technicians are trying to find ways of improving both bike and rider aerodynamics in the 2009 racing season and, obviously, they needed a rider. So who better (for the moment) to tuck into RSV4’s fairing than Shinya Nakano? The Japanese rider spend a day in the wind tunnel at the Department of Industrial engineering at the University of Perugia, Italy and has shared his impressions.
Nakano said: "It has been a very positive and interesting experience and I was impressed by the ability of engineers and the staff at the University of Perugia.
"We conducted several tests on my riding position, making the last little adjustments to obtain the best possible aerodynamics. The data that we collected will work to bring new solutions during the course of the season.
"I have to say that the current aerodynamics of the RSV4 are already good and did not need any immediate action.”
Shinya Nakano now completes Aprilia’s team for the 2009 World Superbike Championship after signing a contract for 2009 with the possibility to carry over to 2010. The event took place yesterday after the racer visited the Racing Department of Noale. Apparently, that wasn’t a tough decision to take as the idea of racing side by side with Max Biaggi thrills Nakano.
Taking in consideration what Aprilia go us accustomed with, this is a pretty lame video that doesn’t reflect RSV’s true racing abilities. Part of the freshly launched micro-site for the RSV4, the new ad is suppose to make as fan of the bike before it even starts racing in the Superbike World Championship, but I consider that these new pics do more than the video. > More
With 31 world championship titles, 250 MotoGP wins and 8 Superbike victories in the last sixteen years, Aprilia is a legend in modern motorcycling. Aprilia motorcycles have dominated circuits all over the world thanks to unconventional technical solutions, experimentation and innovation and, sometimes, by revolutionising technology thought to be unchangeable.
With this unique sporting heritage behind them, Aprilia is proud to present the RSV4, the bike with which Aprilia will return to the Superbike World Championship in 2009. This extraordinary machine has been conceived, designed and developed entirely by Aprilia Racing for competition use.
2009 Aprilia RSV4
The RSV4 will make its debut in the 2009 Superbike World Championship. With four cylinders, 999 cc and top of the class power in the race-ready version, this revolutionary machine is packed with innovative design and manufacturing solutions of the sort we have come to expect from Aprilia. A V-four engine with total electronic management, and an exceptionally light and compact chassis are just some of the features that make this bike unique in the world of motorcycling. The revolutionary design of the Aprilia RSV4 comes directly from Europe’s biggest and most successful racing team.
The road-going version of the RSV4 also benefits from the extraordinary technical know-how that Aprilia Racing has accumulated over two decades of success in MotoGP, and is packed with advanced solutions from GP racing. In short, the RSV4 stands alone as a exclusive, genuine, and in many ways unique racing replica.
2009 Aprilia RSV4 Street Version
The Aprilia RSV4 is powered by the most revolutionary and most powerful engine ever developed by Aprilia. This 65° V four unit is based on an architecture that is unique in the world of supersport motorcycles, and features refined engineering combined with prestigious materials and advanced electronic management solutions.
The new engine uses multi-mapping ride-by-wire technology, a solution that opens up new horizons in engine control, and offers virtually infinite opportunities for power delivery and traction control (present as standard on the racing version).
The choice of a narrow V layout has led to the development of an incredibly narrow engine. This in turn has permitted weight to be centralised and chassis performance dramatically improved (thanks to a short wheelbase and long swingarm). The narrow V-four configuration permits a longer stroke to be used, with clear benefits in terms of improved engine breathing. High engine speeds can therefore be reached without having to extend the width of the crankcase. This is fundamentally important to aerodynamics and manoeuvrability (two characteristics for which Aprilia motorcycles have always been universally acclaimed).
2009 Aprilia RSV4
The monobloc cylinder block features integrated liners for maximum rigidity and consistent efficiency. The air intake trumpets are variable in length. Each bank of cylinders has a servomotor dedicated exclusively to the operation of their two throttle bodies. The aperture of the four butterfly valves, and therefore the volume of air inducted, can therefore be controlled independently. This solution opens up new horizons in electronic engine and power management, resulting in truly advanced integral traction control. A cassette type gearbox and a slipper clutch demonstrate the racing character of this engine.
The Aprilia RSV4 has been designed and developed with competition in mind, and naturally offers all the adjustments normally found on racing machines. In particular, this most powerful Aprilia ever made stands out for its complete range of chassis adjustments. The variable geometry frame not only allows you to change parameters like headstock angle (thanks to interchangeable steering bushings), but even lets you adjust swingarm and engine position. Racing technology has been used for all aspects of construction. The RSV4’s aluminium frame and swingarm are constructed from a clever mix of thick-walled parts and variable section sheet.
All components are naturally of the highest calibre. They include an Öhlins fork, rear monoshock and steering damper, Brembo monobloc brake calipers and forged aluminium wheels.
The styling of the Aprilia RSV4 has followed the same approach as the rest of the design. The RSV4’s racing character is clear from every component, and from the absence of solutions chosen only for appearances. As a result the overall design of the RSV4 and the advanced technology of its component parts merge into a uniquely harmonious whole that is superbly functional on the racetrack – the natural habitat of this latest Aprilia.
2009 Aprilia RSV4
The fairing has been developed in the wind tunnel. Minimal in size, it in no way detracts from the stunning technology of the engine. The frame/engine system is fully visible and bulges like muscles beyond the fairing.
The triple headlight cluster makes the RSV4 instantly recognisable and unique from the very first glance.
The superbly lightweight tail slopes upwards to emphasise the dynamic nature of the Aprilia RSV4. Even when stationary, the bike simply exudes a desire for speed and competition.
Keeping an eye on the Mugello circuit seemed to be an inspired idea as Aprilia has finally came out to test the RSV 4, a heavily bragged about supersport motorcycle, especially after its first official presentation last February at the International Piaggio Group Convention in Milan.
This is actually the street version of the RSV 4 superbike being tested on the Italian track by an also Italian pilot, Fabrizio Pellizzon. As you can see, it looks 99% ready to hit the streets with its new design kit, and a very important feature that distinguishes a race bike from a street legal one, the headlights. They have received their final shape, leaving us anxiously expecting the first official pictures from the EICMA show in Roma on the 21st of September.
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