Aprilia and Racing
With 36 world titles already under its belt, Aprilia has no intention of slowing down its incredible commitment to racing. Leo Francesco Mercanti, Aprilia's Vice President for Product Development and Racing, talked openly about the company's commitment:
"In the beginning it was our decision not to race in Moto2, but we have a very close relationship with a lot of teams through 125 and 250GP racing and they asked us to use our experience to create not only the chassis, but also a whole bike for Moto2. At this moment we do not know if they will run with the Aprilia name on them, it is most likely it will be something like 'Racing by Aprilia'. A bike is only as strong as its weakest link, something Aprilia found out at the ill-fated launch of the new RSV4 R...We will make everything, excluding the engine and parts associated with it such as the electronics, and it will be something different visually. It will not look like the RSV4 or the 250GP bike.
I believe that sooner or later Aprilia will be in MotoGP. But, on the other hand, before we are 100 percent committed in starting a new project we need to consolidate the WSB project, and this means to win. Until you are a winner you cannot consider the company's goal achieved. First, we need to be at the top in WSB then we will be ready to start working on the MotoGP project. Frankly speaking, we are still convinced the three-cylinder format could be competitive in MotoGP, especially today with the 800cc rules." Conclusion
The RSV4 R is in no ways a compromise option to the Factory. The difference between Öhlins and Sachs/Showa suspension is only noticeable at the very last 10 percent of its working ability, the minimal horsepower lost due to the lack of variable intake trumpets is indistinguishable, and who the fuck wants to adjust the position of the motor in the frame anyway?
The R puts what is basically a race bike with a mental V4 engine on the market for only a few bucks more than a Japanese liter bike. It's a thrilling, no holds barred bike that is compromised in practicality but certainly not in performance, and you just have to love it because of this very fact. I leave you with the genius words of one of the Aprilia bosses when a picture of the frankly pathetic passenger seat appeared on the presentation screen: "No one believed us it was a two-seat bike-they thought it was a homologation special and complained about it in WSB. It is actually quite comfortable on the back, but that is relative I suppose..."
What Went Wrong?
Romano Albesiano - Aprilia R&D Dept
"Each bike had the same problem: The conrod snapped due to the wrong machining in the big end area during the manufacturing process by an outside supplier. It is unbelievable. We are very upset. The hole is slightly off-center which has left one side of the rod weaker than the other. It has only affected this one batch of bikes. It will only delay production by two weeks at most."
Engine:
65-degree V4 engine with double overhead cams. The exhaust cam turns via a gear on the intake cam, meaning each cam chain only turns a single cam, reducing the head's width. Monster 48mm throttle bodies with eight injectors and ride by wire as well as a choice of three fuel maps. Aluminum crankcase with a cassette gearbox, slipper clutch, titanium intake valves.
Chassis:
Fixed position swingarm pivot, head angle and engine mounting points on an aluminum frame with cast sections. The fuel tank is located partially under the seat to allow for a larger airbox, while the forks are 43mm fully adjustable Showa units and the monoshock and steering damper are Sachs. The shock is fully adjustable while the steering damper is fixed. Wheels are cast aluminum.
2010 Aprilia RSV4 R
MSRP: $15,999
Engine: 65º V4, four valves per cylinder, 996cc
Claimed Power: 185 HP (crank), 84.5 ft-lbs torque
Compression Ratio: 13:1
Weight: 395 pounds (dry)
Suspension: Showa 43mm forks, Sachs rear shock, Sachs steering damper
Brakes: Brembo monobloc front calipers with 320mm rotors, Brembo rear caliper with 220mm rotor
Contact: apriliausa.com