Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC 2014 — Specifications

When Noale decides to transfer its expertise from World Superbike directly into the hands of the general public, the result is the RSV4 Factory APRC. Not just another sportbike with a few riding modes on display, but a machine designed for those who want the best of competition technology without going through FIM homologation. The SE version initially served as a test bed in a limited edition; now, Aprilia Ride Control Performance is standard on the Factory, and the price falls just below €19,000. The price/performance ratio becomes difficult to ignore.

What lies behind the APRC acronym deserves attention. The ATC traction control can be adjusted in eight positions and even memorizes behavior based on the tire fitted, a subtlety that is truly race-oriented. The AWC wheelie control, also adjustable, prevents the 180 horsepower V4 from being wasted in unwanted wheelies. The ALC launch control offers three levels of management at the start: full throttle, clutch released, the bike manages the optimal acceleration alone without you turning your rear tire into smoke. Add the AQS quickshifter to upshift without releasing the throttle or touching the clutch, and you have an electronic toolkit that would have made any Superbike rider drool ten years ago.

The perimeter double-beam aluminum frame receives fully signed Öhlins suspension, 43 mm upside-down fork with Tin surface treatment, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound. The 120 mm stroke is calibrated for the track but remains livable on the road. Brembo calipers bite on double front discs, the entire braking system being among the absolute references in the segment. The 999.6 cc V4, with a 78 mm bore and 52.3 mm stroke, revs to 12,500 rpm to deliver its 180 horsepower, with a torque of 115 Nm available at 10,000 rpm. All in 179 kg dry weight, which immediately relativizes the seat height of 845 mm. Faced with a Ducati 1199 Panigale or a BMW S1000RR from the same era, the RSV4 plays in the same league but with a distinct sound identity and a transverse V4 architecture that gives it a distinct character, more compact in its reactions and more homogeneous in its torque management.

A few developments deserve to be noted for those comparing with the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC 2011 or the original Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE: the redesigned exhaust is noticeably more elegant, the rear tire width goes to 200 mm for better grip at high speed, and the gearbox ratios have been reworked to better match the engine's character. The lubrication system has also been revised, even though maximum power remains the same. These gradual adjustments, also found on the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC 2013, testify to a methodical evolution rather than grand communication campaigns.

This is not a motorcycle for beginners, and Aprilia does not seek to hide it. The seat height, the V4's temperament at high rpm, and the theoretical top speed of 304 km/h clearly define the target audience: experienced riders, comfortable on the track, who are looking for a machine capable of progressing with them without ever imposing a glass ceiling. The price positions the RSV4 Factory APRC in the high end of the supersport market, but the equipment largely justifies the sum. It is one of the few production sportbikes where the electronics do not give the impression of having been added to tick a box in a catalog.