Exiting the tricky downhill third gear Savelli corner at the Italian circuit of Mugello I let the RSV4 R drift towards the outside of the track, aiming at the bright orange and yellow curb while winding the throttle open. It's only five laps into the session but, having started to get into the groove, I've attacked the bend with a bit more gusto and the booming V4 exhaust note is indicating another gear is required. It's not often you get the chance to fully unleash a bike's motor, especially one as powerful as the V4 Aprilia, and I love hearing every note from the airbox's growl to the bark of the pipe. But, just as my foot prepares to upshift, a far more worrying sound emits from the motor and the revs drop as though I've hit the kill switch.
Some noises spell disaster, and the clatter from below is certainly one of them. Reflexes make me grab the clutch, and I coast to a rather relieved halt on the grass on the inside of the track. A quick prod of the starter confirms my initial diagnosis-the engine has let go...
The launch of the new RSV4 R rapidly turned from what should have been the introduction of a stunning new superbike into an absolute living nightmare, and as a result our test was abandoned and the bikes rapidly returned to their pit garages.
In full view of the world's press, Aprilia discovered that an outside contractor had screwed up the machining of the bike's conrods, and every one of its pre-production RSV4 Rs were basically ticking time bombs (four other bikes suffered the same fate).
As a result, we only got two sessions riding the bike, as a fragile engine and Mugello's 170 mph-plus straight are potentially a very bad combination. Aprilia's technical people have diagnosed the fault and whoever made the faulty conrods has probably since woken up cuddling a horse's head.
On the positive side, there are over 1,000 RSV4 Factory bikes charging around tracks and roads across the globe with no reported problems, and the problem with the preproduction RSV4 Rs has been isolated. We can't foresee any reason why the production run of RSV4 Rs will have any issues. But what were we able to determine in the time we had aboard the RSV4 R?
It succeeded in living up to every expectation, and then some. The RSV4 R delivers exactly what it promises: pure, brutal racetrack performance in a bike that feels like it has been dragged kicking and screaming straight from the MotoGP paddock. Compared to the Factory, the R might be missing the flashy Öhlins suspension (replaced by fully competent Showa forks and a Sachs shock and steering damper), and it has cast rather than forged wheels and no carbon bits. But to be brutally honest, the Factory is so far ahead of most riders' abilities that the chances of actually noticing these changes are absolutely minimal. What it all boils down to is the fact you get the same claimed 185 HP (at the crank) V4 engine in the same chassis with the same fly by wire throttle, slipper clutch, striking good looks and stunning handling in a bike that is five-grand cheaper. And, the R comes in a glorious white paint scheme. So what's the problem?
That depends on who you're asking. A "street only" guy who likes comfy sport rides might not appreciate all this animal has to offer. Despite Aprilia claiming that the R is a bike that "will enhance a rider's ability and potential and expand his boundaries," the truth of the matter is that the V4 is a full-on, raging, frothing at the mouth beast of a bike, especially in full power mode. And you just have to love it because of this. The ride is exciting, much like riding a full-on race-ready superbike.
Exiting the slower second gear chicanes was enough to get the R's front end flapping as it went light and the power came thumping in. In the past, Sachs shocks on Aprilias have come under fire for a lack of damping performance, but in this case the friskiness was simply a side effect of huge dollops of torque and lightning fast steering combining to make the bike twitchy.
Despite the slightly heavier wheels and different suspension from the Factory model, the R is still a fantastic track bike. Like the Factory, the R turns into corners with both speed and precision and once on its side is totally settled and more than happy to adjust a line, lean further or simply drive out with disturbing haste. It makes you feel like Max Biaggi when he is cranking his bike over in the heat of a WSB battle. Few, if any, bikes on the market today offer the handling performance of the Aprilia, and the R has lots of this ability. And the brakes, for that matter, are mind-numbingly strong.
The Aprilia RSV4 R is exciting, sometimes frightening, but always thrilling and one a hell of an experience.