During yesterday’s Aprilia Factory Team presentation and press conference in Milan, five time World Champion Max Biaggi let it slip that 2012 will be an all important season for the Aprilia Superbike team as it will be the penultimate year for the RSV4 Factory, as development on the bike will be halted in 2013 and that it will be replaced at the end of 2013.

What Aprilia has in store for fans has yet to be leaked, but if they want to compete against the stunning 1199 Ducati Panigale, we could see another important step forward in Italian design and performance.

....

0 comments

According to Speedweek Alex Hofmann will be testing an Aprilia based CRT machine at Valencia this Wednesday to Friday.

Hofmann is Aprilia’s test rider and also a MotoGP commentator, will be testing the RSV4 in its CRT form for Aspar Martinez’ MotoGP/Moto1 team, as the Spanish manager has yet to announce which rider they’ll be fielding in 2012.

The German website is also reporting that the Aprilia RSV4 will be equipped with the gear driven camshaft that was outlawed in World Superbikes in 2011 and the Noale based company wants around 1.3 million euros per a complete bike, but the chassis maker hasn’t be named.

Hopefully Hofmann who is avid on Twitter will tweet a photo of the new machine on Wednesday, so stay tuned.

Photo source | alex66.com

....

2 comments

Aprilia’s range of sportsbikes, supermotos and naked bikes will not receive any dramatic turnaround for the next season. RSV4, Dorsoduro 750, Shiver 750 and Dorsoduro 1200 for the year 2012 will just get some aesthetic change that, apparently, will be enough to earn them the “Model Year 2012″ tag.

The R APRC version of the Aprilia RSV4 will be available in a flashy all-yellow livery which will join the current white and black color schemes, whereas the Factory APRC will stick to its golden rims and black plain color pattern, although some red inserts can now be spotted here and there.

Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 will enter the 2012 with a couple of two-tone color schemes: black-white with red inserts and black-red with grey inserts, while the Factory version remains the same. Aprilia Shiver in 2012 will also be available with two new color schemes: gray-white and red-black with the same layout of the previous restyling. Check the whole lot out in our large photo gallery.

View the full Aprilia 2012 color schemes at the 2011EICMA photo gallery

....

0 comments

When World Supersport winning team ParkinGO lucked out on taking over the Yamaha Superbike team effort, it seemed that the squad would move into the 2012 Superbike championship with Chaz Davies and field a Ducati, however yesterday at Portimao, in what was supposed to be a secret test, Davies was riding an Aprilia RSV4.

According to motosprint.it, who also has a spy shot of Davies at the helm of the Aprilia, has offered Giuliano Rovelli’s squad a factory backed RSV4 to run next season.

If ParkinGO decides to go the Aprilia route instead of Ducati (this change of heart could also based on the new rules which will see the twins get a further weight increase), the Noale based manufacturer will have their own factory team with Max Biaggi and Eugene Laverty, ParkingGo with 2011 Supersport champion Davies and privateer team Pata, who still has to announce who will be their rider next season, but rumors have it that Pata team owner Marco Borciani wants Randy de Puniet.

....

0 comments

Max Biaggi had to sit out both races at Nurburgring ( missing a race for the first time in 19 years of his career), thus giving an even more freer reign to Carlos Checa’s march to this year’s championship title.

The Aprilia Alitalia rider fractured his left foot in Friday’s free practice in a strange incident where he was hit by flying debris, and his partecipation in the upcoming round at Imola is still in doubt as his recovery is not as going as fast as he expected, even if he didn’t have to undergo surgery to correct the fracture he sustained.

Biaggi wrote this update to his fans in his personal blog:

Hello people! Here I am at 10 days after my bad injury (damned unlucky) to write about my physical condition. The pain from the fracture started letting up only yesterday. Moreover, the fracture was displaced and I knew it would be more difficult than expected. I’m working all day using magnetic therapy and doing small movements. But the thing is more complicated than expected. Time is short and the difficulties are huge … but I’m trying with all my strength. I really want to go racing again.

I am sending you a photo of me, and this was the first time I left my house in Monaco since I returned home … finally! This week will be important in trying to step up my recovery and I’m putting my body and soul in being at Imola. I can’t assure you anything, except the fact that I’m going to fight to be there. I’m constantly in contact with Dr. Claudio Costa and with my physiotherapist. These long days at home made me I realize that the time never passes, but my kids give me joy and keep up my moral … it’s a great sensation. Well now I leave you and give you an update next week. ”

Source | motoblog.it

....

0 comments

What does the Aprilia RSV4 and the Space Shuttle have in common? Nothing … but that didn’t stop Aprilia USA from paying tribute to the space shuttle program and the last flight that ventured into space for the final time, marking the end of an era that lasted 30 years and the courage of all the people behind it.

The video has some marvelous footage of both the shuttle and the RSV4 and contains some interesting comparison facts, so helmets off to Aprilia and Piaggio for this tribute. Enjoy the video.

....

2 comments

Not all bikes vs cars videos are quite as exciting as this one. The old favourite Ducati vs Ferrari pairing has been replaced by the new Aprilia RSV4 APRC and the Nissan GT-R. The Aprilia is the latest superbike from the company with added technological goodies making it one of the best specified bikes on the market. In this video, we can see that the track is the true home of the RSV4 APRC with its traction control, launch control and quick shift transmission. The numbers at the end of the race with the GT-R only prove to show what we already know - bikes are better! The video was produced in conjunction with Hell for Leather, sent to us by Wes - who has done a fine job with the video and who actually said expectations were the GT-R would have been faster.

....

0 comments

Here are the first couple of pics of our test of the 2011 Aprilia RSV4 R with APRC traction control from Aprilia. As we get ourselves organised, we’ll be bringing you more pics in the future and our riding impressions, but for the moment a word on the APRC. It’s currently the trend to borrow technology from Superbike and spec-up a bike, and the Aprilia Performance Ride Control has eight different traction settings that can be adjusted in relation to the riding conditions, tyres being used, acceleration control and electronic transmission.

After Max Biaggi’s Superbike championship win last year, Aprilia has lost no time in taking advantage of the marketing boost and providing some extra technology on its top-end bike. While many purists would be happy riding the RSV4 Factory APRC on the road, it is designed as a track motorcycle for high performance, although Aprilia says that it’s also designed to be a communicative bike for riders of different levels of experience.

It’s definitely at the height of the superbike game right now, and for those on the market for a new motorcycle, the Aprilia RSV4 R APRC is probably the best choice out there at the moment. The 2011 model gets some other goodies as well, like Ohlins suspension and dedicated livery. We’ll be bringing you our riding impressions in the next couple of days where we find out whether the APRC system lives up to the hype.

Aprilia RSV4 R APRC first test pics from Adria

....

0 comments

There’s a hush, hush rumor going around regarding Max Biaggi’s Aprilia RSV4 which he used at Assen and wasn’t exactly Superbike kosher.

Apparently during one of the usual technical sporting checks they found that the fuel injection pump on the reigning World Champion’s bike wasn’t the same issue as the ones found on Leon Camier’s and Noriyuki Haga’s Aprilia’s and it may have given Biaggi a couple of more ponies to use, max.

It seems that Aprilia got a very light slap on the wrist and was told not to do it again so Biaggi won’t be loosing any of his precious championship points, and you can bet that when the Monza round (the Aprilia is favoured at the ultra fast circuit after last year’s double victory) rolls around next May everything will be kosher again.

Source | moto.caradisiac.com

....

0 comments

During the first real photoshoot of the 2011 World Superbike season, Max Biaggi finally displayed the #1 plate that he’ll be using and you can see, if you look hard enough, that it incorporates his favourite #3 racing number in it.

The reigning world champion admits that he’ll try his best during Sunday’s double header, however believes that the fast and technical Phillip Island circuit doesn’t suit his Aprilia RSV4 (the Italian has never won at the Australian track since he debuted in Superbikes in 2007).

“I feel very good of course to start in the best way possible,” said Biaggi. “I feel good with the bike and the team, we have all the same equipment and the bike gets a little better, but there’s going to be a big question-mark for this weekend. I’ll try to be there. This track looks like it doesn’t suit the Aprilia like the other tracks but we will try to get a good result and the best points possible. Testing was OK and I’m quite optimistic to get a good result on Sunday.”

....

0 comments

If you really want to splurge out this Christmas and get that carbon look, the Aprilia RSV4 now has a dedicated carbon bodykit from the Racing Aprilia division. While keeping its performance more or less as is, the carbon kit seems to be purely a styling option for this superbike, and one that’s very fashionable at the moment. With the pricing involved, though, it looks like it will only be for people with quite a lot of spare cash, who want their RSV4 with the matte finish.

The carbon kit comes in three layers, with the first inner layer costing about 780 euros. Each side fairing costs about 500 euros, while the rear part is 425, tank cover is 215 and front air intake is 285 euros. If you want the whole kit and caboodle over the front that’s about 1,350 euros.

After the jump is a video of the new RSV4 carbon kit vibration resistance, which so far is the only real technical benefit to be mentioned. Below you’ll also find the approximate pricing in euros for each component. The kit can be bought separately or as a whole and will be available from January 2011.

Continue reading: Aprilia RSV4 Carbon kit pricing

....

0 comments

After last week’s Aprilia celebration bash at Noale, Leon Camier has announced that he’ll be at the Aragon circuit in Spain next week to take part in the three-day unofficial tests.

Camier missed the final two rounds of the season after fracturing his scaphoid during qualifying at Nurburgring two months ago and after surgery and rehabilitation is ready to climb back on his RSV4 in preparation of the 2011 season.

“My wrist is pretty good now and I am all ready to go testing at Aragon next week. I have no more medical checks to do, and have been having a lot of physio on my wrist, trying to get more movement in it. But I need to get back on a bike to push it as far as I can; it is difficult to do any training to replicate that kind of use. The first test for us is not about trying any new things, and the bikes will be the same. It is about learning the new circuit, and seeing how my wrist is.”

....

0 comments