Aprilia RSV-R 1000 NERA 2004 — Specifications

When it seemed Aprilia had already played its final hand with the RSV-R Factory, Bologna pulled one more card from the deck. A rare card, in the most literal sense: 200 numbered examples, dubbed NERA, intended for those who found the Factory too ordinary.

The concept is simple; the execution is anything but. Every superfluous gram was hunted down with the rigor of sleep-deprived engineers. The full fairing and tail section move to carbon fiber. The wheels abandon aluminum in favor of forged magnesium. The fasteners migrate to titanium. The result of this methodical weight-loss program: 175 kg dry, roughly ten kilograms less than the Factory. On a V-twin sportbike with a 60-degree layout, that figure deserves a moment's consideration. The four-cylinder machines from Japanese competitors generally weigh more, and their owners know it.

The 997 cc engine also benefits from refinement. 141 horsepower at 10,000 rpm and 101 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm, with an 11.8:1 compression ratio that has no tolerance for low-grade fuel. The six-speed gearbox delivers all of that to the rear wheel shod in a 190/50-17, and the 280 km/h top speed is no idle promise. The Öhlins suspension at both ends — a 43 mm inverted fork up front and a rear monoshock — was already a compelling argument on the Factory. On the NERA, it forms part of an overall technical coherence rather than serving as a mere marketing talking point.

At €24,990 in 2004, this is not a motorcycle for beginners, nor for the weekend tourer. It is as much a collector's piece as a track tool, aimed at the rider who already knows the RSV-R, who wants its very essence, and who has the means to secure one before all 200 numbers are spoken for. Alongside Honda's RC211V or Ducati's exotica of the same era, the NERA tells a different story: fewer cylinders, greater lightness, an overall mechanical coherence that commands the respect of purists.