Aprilia RSV4 RR Bike

Aprilia RSV4 RR Bike Overview

Aprilia’s mighty RSV4 superbike was bored out to 1100cc in its top-end Factory version for 2019 – but the firm has kept a 999cc option in its range, to give a cheaper ‘entry level’ into RSV4 life. The RSV4 RR uses the old sub-litre version of the firm’s 65° V-four engine, which still puts out a very healthy 201bhp, in a ‘budget’ chassis package. The semi-active Öhlins forks and shock on the 1100 Factory bike are replaced by perfectly decent fully adjustable units from Sachs at both ends, which is more than good enough for 95 per cent of riders out there.

The rest of the bike has pretty much the same performance as the posh versions though. You keep Brembo’s Monobloc M430 radial-mount brake calipers up front, which are a little less flash than the 1100 Factory’s Stylemas, but work just as well. The APRC rider aids package includes wheelie, traction, launch and quickshifter, and the ABS is Bosch’s excellent 9MP cornering setup with anti-rear-wheel-lift function.

You also get the super-trick adjustable frame on this RSV4: you can tweak the head angle, swingarm pivot position and even the engine mount location – essential to get the right chassis ‘feel’ for your daily commute of course!

The price for all this? A very decent £16k – which is actually a good bit cheaper than most of the Japanese competition. An exotic, passionate Italian V-four superbike, or a mass-produced, functional piece of Japanese engineering? It’s a tough choice to be fair…

Take a look at the Aprilia RSV4 RR in action…