Aprilia RSV4 1000 FACTORY APRC SE 2011 — Specifications

When Max Biaggi completed his final lap in 2010 with the Superbike crown around his neck, Aprilia didn’t wait long to capitalize on this victory. The 2011 RSV4 Factory APRC SE is precisely that: a world title distilled in a limited edition, sold for 21,999 euros to riders who will never settle for an ordinary mount.

The 65-degree V4 remains identical in its stated power, 180 horsepower at 12,250 rpm for 112.8 Nm of torque at 10,000 rpm, but Aprilia has revised the deep lubrication. On 179 kg dry weight, this power-to-weight ratio is dizzying. The Ducati Panigale didn’t yet exist, the BMW S1000RR was just starting to appear, and the RSV4 held its own against them without complexes. Integral Öhlins suspensions, the 43 mm inverted fork, the Brembo Monobloc radial calipers on 320 mm discs at the front: the specifications are those of a race-ready Superbike barely dressed for the road.

What truly differentiates this APRC edition from previous Factory models is the onboard electronic arsenal. The ATC traction control can be adjusted on eight distinct levels and goes so far as to memorize the optimal behavior according to the type of tire fitted. This is track engineer work, not marketing. The AWC anti-wheelie prevents unwanted backflips under strong acceleration, the ALC launch control manages starts in three different configurations, and the AQS quickshifter allows upshifts without cutting the throttle or touching the clutch. On a track, these four systems transform a competent rider into someone fast. On the open road, they allow you to exploit the theoretical 304 km/h while staying alive.

Aprilia also took advantage of this special series to rework the exhaust line, thinner and better integrated than on previous versions, and to switch the rear tire to 200/55-17, a section that better adheres to the machine's dynamic requirements. The belly pan, painted in the Italian tricolor with Alitalia logos and the SBK 2010 badge, tells a story without needing words. The number 1, engraved on the airbox directly in the pilot's line of sight, completes the scene.

This RSV4 Factory APRC SE is not for beginners, nor for tourists, nor for urban riders. It targets the track rider who wants a road-homologated machine, capable of riding on a circuit on a Sunday with a quasi-professional level of electronics, then of returning home on Monday morning. The 17-liter fuel tank and the 845 mm seat height recall that we are on a tool designed to perform, not to comfort. The six-speed gearbox with revised ratios completes a coherent package from the first to the last screw. Aprilia has manufactured a limited-series war machine, and it shows.