Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2007 — Specifications

Noova, Ducati, Honda — at the end of the 2000s, the segment of Italian superbikes was engaged in a merciless war on the asphalt and in the catalogs. Noova? No, it was Aprilia that responded, and with a particularly distinctive cartridge: the Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory. Not a simple variation of the base RSV. A statement of intent.

The 60-degree V-twin with a displacement of 997.6 cc produces 143 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and 101 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm. On paper, these figures rival those of a R1 or a CBR 1000 RR of the time, but the Factory plays a different score. The V2 has that particular grain, that power build-up that seems drawn from a racing engine, without the rotational hysteria of a Japanese four-cylinder. In 2006, Aprilia refined the electronic management and revised the exhaust valves to gain five extra horsepower on the standard version. The Factory also benefits from this, but that's not where its identity lies.

What distinguishes the Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2004, 2005, or this 2007 version, is the level of equipment. The list is long and serious. The suspension is entirely entrusted to Öhlins: 43 mm inverted fork with 120 mm of travel at the front, adjustable mono-shock absorber for preload, compression and rebound at the rear. And not just any one: it is adjustable in length, a detail that recalls that Aprilia thought as much about the track as about the road. The steering damper is also signed Öhlins, with a double chamber. Faced with a Ducati 999 that offered adjustments but not this level of precision, or a R1 whose original suspensions remained average, the Factory established itself as the reference in terms of cycle parts accessible to the general public.

Forged aluminum wheels, 25% lighter than classic cast models, contribute to containing the total weight to 211 kg fully fueled, or 185 kg dry. The latter figure deserves to be noted: it corresponds to the weight of the old RSV 1000 SP, a machine reserved for Superbike, official competition. Over a few years, the technology had filtered down to the series. The double-beam aluminum alloy frame, tinted with a slightly golden hue that visually extends the color of the rims, does not betray this lineage. It is beautiful, coherent, almost too refined to admit out loud in a motorcycle café.

Carbon fiber panels dress the front and rear mudguards, ventilation vents, fork deflectors and side panels. This is not cosmetic carbon fiber plated to look pretty. The work is both structural and aesthetic. Pirelli SuperCorsa Pro tires in 120/70-17 at the front and 190/50-17 at the rear close the file: we are in track gear, not city shoes. The double front discs of 320 mm with radial four-piston calipers bite with precision. The announced top speed flirts with 280 km/h.

At 15,900 euros, the Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2007 represented a notable commercial effort, with a significant price reduction compared to previous years. For those looking today for a used Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory, well-maintained examples remain lively and communicative machines, far from being museum pieces. Those who need spare parts for the Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory 2005 or 2006 will find a common mechanical base across several years, which simplifies the search. This motorcycle is aimed at an experienced rider who wants to feel the road rather than endure it, and for whom the track-road compromise is not a matter of half measures.