2009 Aprilia

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Just ahead of the Intermot public unveiling Aprilia has released the full technical specs of the anticipated new V4 superbike. As expected this is a very powerful machine and the most powerful production V4 if not THE most powerful V4 ever. It looks like the RSV4 will rival the Japanese litre bikes straight from the crate. The RSV4 Factory produces a claimed 180 horsepower @ 12.500rpm and 115Nm @ 10.000rpm. With a 179 kilo dry weight this promises to be a very exciting sports bike indeed. The wheelbase is at 1424mm. More when we get to ride the beast! TS

From Italy we have these pictures of the production ready version of the 2009 Aprilia RSV4 Factory and also of the race ready RSV4 superbike which Max Biaggi and another unnamed rider will bee seen on in World Superbike. This is the highly anticipated V4 1000cc superbike set to replace the old RSV 1000 R. We have heard that the standard and Factory version features a 180 horsepower engine whilst the racebike more than 210hp. From Aprilia's 800 word (essay!) technical description we have extracted what we find interesting in many less words. The race version (not sure whether Aprilia are talking about the Factory or Max Biaggi's bike here...) features traction control similar to what we have seen on the Ducati 1098R and a slipper clutch. Ohlins all round and Brembo brakes. Aprilia claims that the RSV4 is their most powerful production bike ever which only means that it has got more than 160 horses. Word is of performance equal or above the modern Japanese litre bikes though as mentioned further up. Due to the construction of the new V4 engine Aprilia have enabled to keep the RSV4 narrow which enhances the aerodynamics. The triple headlight and minimalist tail section makes sure that there's no doubt which bike this is. Aprilia will announce the full technical details at a later date. Pictures here! TS Have you got news for us? E-mail Raptors & Rockets first

Enjoy this video clip from Mugello, probably filmed by an Italian punter with quite some knowledge about how different engines sounds like... Or maybe just a cunning Aprilia pr stunt. Who knows, here's the vid anyway.

2009 Aprilia SL1200 Shiver & SMV1200 Dorsoduro!

Recently I spoke with Aprilia about the new 1200cc V-twin that is the next big news from Noale along with the V4 race bike. I got both a 1200cc Shiver and Dorsoduro confirmed by a reliable factory source. It'll be the same motorcycles with the same frames (as this has been developed also with the 1200 in mind from the start) but with the new 1200 V-twin. I am not sure whether Aprilia will launch both models at the same time or just one at a time, but certainly one of them will be a 2009 model. We then had these mock-ups made to illustrate. Tor Sagen/CG: Luc1

I am now back from the outskirts of Rome at the Aprilia Dorsoduro launch. The new Aprilia street supermoto is aimed at the true hooligans amongst us and there's no soft approaches to the concept. For that you've got the Shiver. The white version we first saw at the Milan show is destined to become the Factory version. Now Aprilia offers the Dorsoduro in Black, Silver and red first. There'll be an update number 2 soon... Tor Sagen