Forget the 2009 Aprilia RSV4-that's a bike that was designed for road use all along. The RS3 Cube is untamed and built for the track, but it doesn't stop us from wanting one. Colin Edwards once famously made the comparison of riding the Aprilia Cube to that of, "...chopping the balls off the meanest bull you can find, waving them in front of him then hopping on the back."
Such was the ferocity of the engine and the vagueness of the handling. If the RS3 is such an animal for a MotoGP rider, then why the hell would we want it as a road bike? Because it was probably the most powerful bike in the class in 2002, making near 240 hp from just 990cc and precisely because it's such an animal. One of the reasons the inline three-cylinder configuration was chosen was its suitability as the basis for a roadbike powerplant, but with the RSV4 due to make an appearance in WSB the Cube has been consigned to history. Somewhere in an Aprilia warehouse is a caged beast, balls dangling from the steel bars. Fancy a ride?
Engine
The original 990cc motor made almost 240 hp. Our road tune makes a more modest 190 hp but it's endowed with arm-wrenching torque from tickover right up to the 11,500 rpm redline and sounds like nothing else on the planet. The 3-into-2 Akrapovic exhaust differs from the single outlet original thanks to stringent modern-day emissions regs. Still present are the pneumatic valves and fly-by-wire. There's an option to dial in traction control too.
Chassis
Using the Cube frame, the swingarm is lengthened slightly to tame the wheelie-prone nature of the bike and increase stability. Forged OZ wheels, Brembo brakes and hlins suspension units are borrowed from last year's RSV1000 Factory. Owners will be pleased to hear the riding position is less extreme than the Cube-the bars are higher and the pegs are lower. There is no budget model to be confused with though, only the full-on, high-spec, no compromise version exists here. That means no passenger seats.
Bodywork
Naturally, as a MotoGP bike for the road it's all made from lightweight carbon fiber. It's based on the original Cube but modified for mass production. The engine runs cooler so gets away with a smaller radiator and less extreme venting. It also borrows styling cues from the RSV-R such as the ridges on the top cowl to push air around the rider's hands and useful storage space in the seat hump for the Marlboros-how else will you stop shaking?