I recently covered around 3,500 kilometres
aboard an Aprilia RSV 1000 Mille and formed quite a bond with the Latin lovely
during that time.
The Aprilia felt very high at first. With a seating
position that made me feel as though I was sat on top of the bike rather
than part of it. This left me feeling a little disconnected with what the
bike was doing and it took me a little while to trust the package,
particularly the front end. However, once I started giving the bike it's
head I was rewarded with excellent performance.
Suspension is a little on the stiff side but the
initial part of the stroke is supple enough to absorb all but the biggest of
hits. Stability is quite good but I feel that, like Honda's SP1, the Aprilia
may benefit from a some minor suspension mods to the valving. I have found
this in all the V-Twin sportsbikes I have ridden so the Mille is definitely
not alone in this department.
The engine is extremely well engineered with little of
the trademark shudders and shakes that are normally associated with V-Twin
motorcycles. If Aprilia can do this why can't the rest? Bottom end pull is
excellent and builds into a very strong mid-range. It does suffer a little
at the top end compared to the 4-cylinder opposition but so do all V-Twins.
On a run through some of the mountain roads Southern
New South Wales has to offer, fellow riders following me commented that
large black lines were peeling out from behind the rear tyre on the Aprilia
when exiting the corners, can't complain about that much drive!
Braking is typical Brembo, a bit more effort through
the lever than most but plenty of power when pulling the lever hard. Feel
seems to be a little wooden at first but I had no trouble performing some
excellent rolling stoppies for the camera so it can't be all that bad!
Practicality is excellent with my Aprilia experience
being completely fuss free, fire her up in the morning and off you go with
no complaints. The headlight is excellent. I rode the RSV around 200
kilometres during the night and found the headlight to be unequalled in my
experience, the high beam is wide and penetrating.
Fuel range is ample, with the 20 litre tank giving a
touring range of well over 300 kilometres at legal touring speeds.
The dash layout is complex enough to confuse a 747
pilot. A large digital speedo sits to the left of the conventional round
tachometer which features a flashing shift light.
The RSV is the easiest sportsbike I have ever ridden
to keep to the speed limit. I don’t know what it is, maybe it is the aid of
the large LCD speedo, but in 60 and 70 zones I found myself doing pretty
much the exact limit and sitting there quite happily. This in itself maybe a
reflection on how pleasurable and comfortable the bike is to ride.
The dash records your highest top speed since you last
pressed the reset button. It also has the facility to store up to 40 lap
times that you set by pressing the headlight flash switch each time you go
over your chosen start/ finish line. A clock, fuel light, side stand light
and temperature gauge are also easily read.
Strapping luggage to the Mille is a bit of a hassle. A
lack of good tie down points make things harder than it should be. A tank
bag sits reasonably well on the fuel tank but if you need to carry more gear
than that, a backpack and/or some sort of luggage rack will have to be
fitted to the Aprilia. That aside, many kilometres can be ridden with a
minimum of fatigue, as the Mille is an extremely comfortable mount.
This bike turns heads. At various times during my time
with the Mille I parked the bike next to various other high-end sports
models but passers-by would always comment on the attractiveness of the
Aprilia. If I was in the market for a big V-Twin I think the Aprilia would
probably be at the top of my shopping list.
Source MCNews.au
Often manufacturers take it to heart when
their new toys are criticised by the press. But they can either learn from it,
or run from it. Here's what Aprilia did
You have to hand it to Aprilia. Within two years it has gone from Superbike
world championship debutant with its RSV1000, finishing 12th at the hands of
Australian Peter Goddard, to major championship contender in 2000. Troy Corser,
caught the series regulars napping when he started the first half of season 2000
as a title threat, leading the points chase at one stage, until a spate of
crashes and a very rare mechanical failure eventually relegated him back to
third - only 25pts behind runner-up Noriyuki Haga (West Yamaha).
You can't take anything away from newly-crowned champion Colin Edwards and the
all-new Castrol Honda VTR1000SP-W, but Big Red has been in the World Superbike
game for 13 seasons now, compared to Aprilia's two. Nothing can make up for that
amount of experience.
Although determination surely comes close. Just look at Aprilia's efforts. Since
the RSV made its debut a few years back Aprilia has ended up with a
three-pronged RSV attack - the $22,770 RSV1000 Mille (last tested Vol 49 No 7),
$29,370 RSV1000R (Vol 50 No 4), and the limited edition $60,000 RSV1000SP (Vol
49 No 3).
THE LIST
For 2001 the base model Mille will sport some of the upgraded components that
are featured on the R. These include the revised fuel-injection mapping for the
liquid-cooled 997.6cc (97mm x 67.5mm) 60-degree V-twin. On the R the remapping
eliminated any hesitation from idle and smoothed out the delivery as the revs
made their way into the meaty part of the curve - anywhere above 6500rpm.
It has had exactly the same effect on Aprilia's new very yellow terror - as
you'd expect since they both sport identical powerplants. Which means you'd
expect to end up with the same measured horsepower figures too - 113ps at
9800rpm and 9.3kg-m at 7200rpm. Incidentally, our testbike came fitted with a
$1690 titanium slip-on system, which gave an intoxicating note any time the
twistgrip was tweaked.
Efforts had been made on the R to improve the injected V-twin's throttle
response and smooth out the throttle action, eliminating the jerkiness that
makes it difficult to get confidence from the delivery in slow speed corners.
The improvement on the R is now evident on the base model as well.
It would have been nice if the Italians had also added the R's revised clutch
plates and springs, which are also used on the SP. I found it to offer a
smoother, more progressive action than the Mille's all-new assembly, and
honestly can't see why it hasn't carried over.
I guess I shouldn't complain. Two out of three engine gripes rectified - even
the Japanese giants struggle to respond to criticism as quickly and efficiently.
LOOKING BACK
When it came to the chassis, there was one point which let the original RSV
Mille down - the suspenders. Not so much with the 43mm inverted Showa forks, but
more so the Sachs rear shock.
Let me refresh your memory from my test in Vol 49 No 7:
"It's common that a shock's damping rate changes slightly as its movement
increases the heat and thus reduces the viscosity of the oil. That is why many
suspension technicians on a race team will check the setting straight after a
session on the track, when the suspension is at its operating temperature. But
the extreme change from cold to hot on the Aprilia's shock revealed there was
more than just friction affecting the shock.
As the engine temperature rises so does the temperature of the exhaust headers -
and the heat radiating from them. With the rear exhaust header only centimetres
from the shock this heat is transferred to the shock and in turn has an adverse
effect on its performance."
Well the Sachs shock continues on the 2001 bike, and remains mounted just as
close to those headers as before, but its performance has improved out of sight.
HOT SHOT
The range of the adjusters is just as effective, while the spring rate has
remained unchanged. But the damping rates and the quality of oil have been
improved substantially. Although it's more likely the latter which has made the
biggest difference.
As before the Sachs shock gets quite hot during a hard strop, but the effect it
has on the damping, hot to cold, is now acceptable. It makes the ride much more
consistent and simplifies getting the setup you desire, eliminating the guess
work.
Unfortunately, though, the same little Italian is setting the suspension on the
production line. The 'out-of-the-crate settings are so far off the mark that
it's almost impossible to notice the improvement. The compression damping is way
too soft, while the rebound will see the shock return to its extended length
about a week after you hit the first big bump.
The end result sees the shock pack down and virtually become inoperable - it's
that bad. Thankfully the adjusters make a difference, so take advantage of them.
You'll need to carry a long flat-head screwdriver with you for the rebound
adjuster, as the toolkit offering just isn't long enough.
DON'T THINK, FEEL
Although the press kit doesn't say it, the front forks also feel as though
they've improved. Technically the shim stacks and springs are the same, but I
question if the oil quality still is. They're more progressive and tend to deal
with the bumps better than I remember the Mille did before. Mind you, it could
simply be a case of the back being so much better that the front feels more
planted and rides the bumps better because the chassis as a whole is more
stable.
But as with the shock, the only way to find out how good the forks really are is
to dial them in - this time that Italian on the production line wound on too
much compression and not enough damping!
The rest of the Mille remains virtually the same, aside from the gold Brembo
calipers, which have replaced the bright red ones, and the pads. These have
migrated over from the R and offer a better feel and less brake fade under heavy
use.
As for that colour, it would have me considering buying the up-spec R, just to
avoid it. If that's not an option due to the price premium, there's the red and
the black Mille options too. Mind you, there were those who liked the all-yellow
look - styling is after all a subjective thing.
A motorcycle manufacturer that listens to criticism and then acts on it? Sounds
like the attitude that could take this marque to its first World Superbike
championship in 2001.
NOTE:
Some of the photos on Motorcycle Specs are owned by somebody. If you see any of
your photos, you can let me know so that I can acknowledge it, or if you
object to it, I can remove it altogether. If any copyright holder objects
to their articles being placed on Motorcycle Specs, it will be removed upon
request. Any correction or more info on these bikes will kindly be
appreciated.
Contact MePrivacy
Policy Website
Stats
