Aprilia Tuono 2012 Review

If being seen with naked Italian supermodels is your thing, Aprilia has your bike. The Tuono V4 R APRC is a stripped down version of the RSV4 Max Biaggi won last year's World Superbike Championship on and it's a much more user-friendly product in street guise.

VALUE

Given the features, it's a bargain. The brakes are Brembos, the suspension is Sachs and the whole machine is designed to entertain.

TECHNOLOGY

The Tuono's claim to fame is the software suite that controls everything from the amount of front wheel loft to the degree of rear wheelspin.

It is a full factory set-up and the extent of the adjustments can easily take 10 minutes to diagnose and weeks to master. Just think superbike-style launch control off the lights and you'll see why it's worth sorting through the menus.

SAFETY

The same electronics that keep the bike upright on the track will do their best to keep you on the road.

There's not much they can do about traffic, but they will cope with radical manoeuvres as you avoid the selectively blind four-wheeled  fools who increasingly inhabit the roads. The upright ride position helps avoid fatigue too.

RIDING

This is the best naked sports bike rolling out of showrooms. The electronics only intervene when they're told too but give as much reassurance as having training wheels once you are used to them.

Ride it under 6000rpm and there's a condescending intake whine that hints you're not really having a go. Beyond that there's a V4 bellow and thrust best suited to movies with three Xs on the cover.

VERDICT

Sportsbike performance without back-breaking seating will make this a go-to bike for many. The remapped RSV4 engine may be down on peak outputs but has been tuned to be a much more rideable road bike and the electronics will be worth the cost of a track day as you explore the thresholds.

Aprilia V4 R Tuono

Engine: 999cc V4 119kW/110Nm
Transmission: Six-speed quickshifter with slipper clutch, chain drive
Tank: 17 litres
Seat height: 840mm
Weight: 179kg (dry)
Suspension: 43mm fully adjustable Sachs inverted forks, rear fully adjustable Sachs swingarm
Brakes: Dual 320mm front discs with Brembo six-piston calipers,
single 220mm rear disc with four-piston Brembo caliper