Twin
beam aluminium frame with mixed cast and pressed sheet sections. Adjustments
for headstock position and angle, engine height, swingarm pivot height.
Front Suspension
Öhlins Ø43 mm upside-down fork. Lower fork
bottoms for radial calipers. Adjustment for preload, compression and
rebound.
Front Wheel Travel
120 mm / 4.7 in
Rear Suspension
Double arch aluminium swingarm; mixed thin-wall
casting and pressed sheet construction. Öhlins monoshock with piggy-back
cylinder. Adjustments for compression, rebound, spring preload and length.
APS rising rate linkages.
Rear Wheel Travel
130 mm / 5.1 in
Front Brakes
2 x Ø320 mm lightweight stainless steel floating
discs, Brembo monobloc radial calipers with 4 opposed pistons.
Sintered pads. Radial master cylinder. Metal braided brake line.
Rear Brakes
Single Ø220 mm disc. Brembo floating caliper with
2 insulated pistons. Sintered pads. Master cylinder with integral reservoir.
Metal braided brake line.
Front Tyre
120/70 ZR17
Rear Tyre
190/55 ZR17
Steering angle
24.5°
Trail
105 mm / 4.1 in
Dimensions
Length: 2040 mm / 80.3 in
Width: 735 mm / 28.9 in (at the handlebar)
Height: 1120 mm / 44.1 in
Aprilia will build two versions of
the RSV4 – the basic and Factory models – both of which will be powered by
Aprilia’s all-new 65-degree V4 engine. The new V4 is expected to make around
180bhp in street trim (in a package that weighs barely 190kg), while the racing
version will pump out around 210-220bhp.
Apart from that formidable V4 engine, the 2009 RSV4 gets aluminium twin-spar
chassis with adjustable engine mounts, aluminium swingarm, fully adjustable
Öhlins suspension, ride-by-wire throttle, three different fuel-injection maps
(which vary the power delivery intensity), variable-length inlet tracts and
electronic traction control.
A revolutionary design project has led to a truly
unique motorcycle and Aprilia’s return to the Superbike World Championship.
With 31 world championship titles, 250 MotoGP wins and 8 Superbike victories in
the last sixteen years, Aprilia is a legend in modern motorcycling. Aprilia
motorcycles have dominated circuits all over the world thanks to unconventional
technical solutions, experimentation and innovation and, sometimes, by
revolutionising technology thought to be unchangeable.
With this unique sporting heritage behind them, Aprilia is proud to present the
RSV4, the bike with which Aprilia will return to the Superbike World
Championship in 2009. This extraordinary machine has been conceived, designed
and developed entirely by Aprilia Racing for competition use.
The RSV4 will make its debut in the 2009 Superbike
World Championship. With four cylinders, 999 cc and top of the class power in
the race-ready version, this revolutionary machine is packed with innovative
design and manufacturing solutions of the sort we have come to expect from
Aprilia. A V-four engine with total electronic management, and an exceptionally
light and compact chassis are just some of the features that make this bike
unique in the world of motorcycling. The revolutionary design of the Aprilia
RSV4 comes directly from Europe’s biggest and most successful racing team.
The road-going version of the RSV4 also benefits from the extraordinary
technical know-how that Aprilia Racing has accumulated over two decades of
success in MotoGP, and is packed with advanced solutions from GP racing. In
short, the RSV4 stands alone as a exclusive, genuine, and in many ways unique
racing replica.
The Aprilia RSV4 is powered by the most
revolutionary and most powerful engine ever developed by Aprilia. This 65° V
four unit is based on an architecture that is unique in the world of supersport
motorcycles, and features refined engineering combined with prestigious
materials and advanced electronic management solutions.
The new engine uses multi-mapping ride-by-wire technology, a solution that opens
up new horizons in engine control, and offers virtually infinite opportunities
for power delivery and traction control (present as standard on the racing
version).
The choice of a narrow V layout has led to the development of an incredibly
narrow engine. This in turn has permitted weight to be centralised and chassis
performance dramatically improved (thanks to a short wheelbase and long
swingarm). The narrow V-four configuration permits a longer stroke to be used,
with clear benefits in terms of improved engine breathing. High engine speeds
can therefore be reached without having to extend the width of the crankcase.
This is fundamentally important to aerodynamics and manoeuvrability (two
characteristics for which Aprilia motorcycles have always been universally
acclaimed).
The monobloc cylinder block features integrated
liners for maximum rigidity and consistent efficiency. The air intake trumpets
are variable in length. Each bank of cylinders has a servomotor dedicated
exclusively to the operation of their two throttle bodies. The aperture of the
four butterfly valves, and therefore the volume of air inducted, can therefore
be controlled independently. This solution opens up new horizons in electronic
engine and power management, resulting in truly advanced integral traction
control. A cassette type gearbox and a slipper clutch demonstrate the racing
character of this engine.
The Aprilia RSV4 has been designed and developed with competition in mind, and
naturally offers all the adjustments normally found on racing machines. In
particular, this most powerful Aprilia ever made stands out for its complete
range of chassis adjustments. The variable geometry frame not only allows you to
change parameters like headstock angle (thanks to interchangeable steering
bushings), but even lets you adjust swingarm and engine position. Racing
technology has been used for all aspects of construction. The RSV4’s aluminium
frame and swingarm are constructed from a clever mix of thick-walled parts and
variable section sheet.
All components are naturally of the highest calibre. They include an Öhlins
fork, rear monoshock and steering damper, Brembo monobloc brake calipers and
forged aluminium wheels.
The styling of the Aprilia RSV4 has followed the
same approach as the rest of the design. The RSV4’s racing character is clear
from every component, and from the absence of solutions chosen only for
appearances. As a result the overall design of the RSV4 and the advanced
technology of its component parts merge into a uniquely harmonious whole that is
superbly functional on the racetrack – the natural habitat of this latest
Aprilia.
The fairing has been developed in the wind tunnel. Minimal in size, it in no way
detracts from the stunning technology of the engine. The frame/engine system is
fully visible and bulges like muscles beyond the fairing.
The triple headlight cluster makes the RSV4 instantly recognisable and unique
from the very first glance.
The superbly lightweight tail slopes upwards to emphasise the dynamic nature of
the Aprilia RSV4. Even when stationary, the bike simply exudes a desire for
speed and competition.