Aprilia TUONO 1000 V4 R APRC 2012 — Specifications

When a Superbike world champion loses its fairing, what remains? The question deserves to be asked plainly, because the answer Aprilia provides with the Aprilia Tuono 1000 V4 R APRC is both obvious and brutal. Take the RSV4, strip the bodywork, fit a flat handlebar, optimize the ergonomics to accommodate a passenger, and keep strictly everything else. The twin-spar perimeter aluminum frame, the 43 mm inverted fork, the radial four-piston Brembo calipers biting two 320 mm discs. Nothing gets thrown away. It's an engineer's philosophy that refuses compromise, and you feel it from the first glance at this machine dressed in civilian clothes but armed to the teeth.

The 65-degree V4 of 999.6 cc spins to 167 horsepower at 11,500 rpm, a handful less than the original track version. This calculated sacrifice is explained by careful work on torque, brought to 109.8 Nm available from 9,500 rpm, with a heavier crankshaft and lengthened intake tracts to thicken the mid-range response. The first three gears of the six-speed gearbox are closer-ratio. The result is a motorcycle that pushes you in the back before you've even reached the redline. Comparing this Tuono to a Streetfighter V4 or a KTM Super Duke 1290 R is legitimate on paper, but in use the Aprilia V4 plays in a category of violence all its own. Opening the throttle wide in third gear means agreeing to negotiate with physics rather than against it.

What truly distinguishes this APRC version from the standard model is the onboard electronics package, inherited directly from the RSV4 Factory APRC SE. The Aprilia Performance Ride Control combines an eight-level adjustable traction control, adjustable wheelie control, a three-position launch control, and an upshift quickshifter. The traction control even memorizes behavior according to the fitted tire, placing it technically above many competing systems of the era. These aids don't make the motorcycle tame; they simply allow you to exploit its 167 horsepower without ending up in the scenery at the first throttle management error.

To contain all of this within 179 kg fully fueled, Aprilia shaved two kilograms from the exhaust and another two from the wheels. That is precisely the dry weight stated for the RSV4 Factory, which says everything about the level of care given to the scales. The geometry was slightly reworked compared to the base sportbike: rake increased to 25 degrees, fork offset reduced by 10 mm, wheelbase lengthened by 20 mm. The motorcycle gains stability without losing agility, with the engine lowered 5 mm in the frame helping to reduce the center of gravity. The 835 mm seat height naturally filters out riders under 1.75 m, but the rest of the roadster ergonomics remains reasonable for daily use. Three engine maps — Road, Sport, and Track — allow the character of the machine to be adapted according to mood or environment.

At €13,499 at the time of its launch, the Aprilia Tuono 1000 V4 R APRC is not aimed at beginners — that much is obvious. It targets experienced riders who want the sensation of a high-level sportbike without suffering the folded-in-half riding position. For them, it likely represents the best-armed roadster in its segment in 2012, ahead of a Ducati Streetfighter 848 or a BMW S 1000 R yet to come. For everyone else, to be honest: this machine is a permanent invitation to exceed your own limits, and that is not always good news.