For some, there’s nothing more exciting than a sleek modern sportbike. We head out to Idyllwild with Isle of Man TT and 250GP racer Jamie Robinson on some of SoCal’s twistiest mountain roads to put a Yamaha R6 and an Aprilia Tuono V4R through their paces.
Back in 2010, Aprilia released a Biaggi replica RSV4. It made 200bhp and cost €50,000. Only a handful were ever made. Slightly more accessible is this Aprilia RS4 125 replica being made by Aprilia UK. It makes 15bhp and costs just £4,299, bringing with it a Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIs, wavy discs and a quickshifter as standard. Might sound like all that pales in comparison, but if I were 17, a bike like this would literally be the stuff of dreams.
What do you do if you’re a tiny British motorcycle company making mega-expensive parallel-twin throwbacks, struggling with funding, but still want to compete in the Isle of Man TT? Well, you call up your old friends at Piaggio, ask nicely for an RSV4 SBK motor, then commission English chassis legends Spondon to build you a bespoke frame. Hand paint the Norton logo on the raw aluminum tank and call it a day. :continue:
The Aprilia Caponord 1200 will receive electronic damping adjustment, the Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX will cost $15,990, the 76bhp Aprilia SRV850 scooter will come to America and Vespa will import the retro-futuristic 946, Piaggio Group told its dealers last week. The new models form part of a new push into the North American market that will also see an Advanced Design Center opened in Pasadena. :continue:
Piaggio Group North America’s annual dealer meeting took place this week. But, while the Aprilia Caponord 1200 prototype was present there and will be sold in America, these photos actually come from its European equivalent. These photos reveal additional angles and details of the new 135bhp ADV bike.
Photos: Aprilia Forum :continue:
The Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 has been updated for 2012 with lightweight forged wheels, revised engine management software, slimmed-down bodywork and new graphics. While smoother throttle response and slimmer exhaust heat shields were both needed, it’s the new wheels that are going to make the biggest difference to the supermoto-style naked roadster. Shedding 5.07lbs over the previous items, the new forged wheels will improve acceleration, braking, ride and traction. No word on when we can expect the 2012 model Stateside or if our version will include traction control this year.
“I’m 40, why am I still racing?” Asks 2010 SBK World Champion Max Biaggi. But, growing up in a home without motorcycles, he didn’t even see a racetrack until he was 18 years old. Then, putting everything on the line in pursuit of a new found dream, Max’s father helped him start 125cc Sport Production, eventually becoming 250cc World Champion just a few years later. An old friend, I sat down with him in his Los Angeles home to talk about that past, his present racing an Aprilia RSV4 and, something any 40 year old thinks about, the future.
Photos: Max Biaggi archives/Clive Challinor/Aprilia Racing
2012 is going to be a big year for Aprilia Racing. After a definitive Championship in 2010, the team suffered an embarrassing defeat to a privateer rival last year. This is also probably the last year before the 1199 heads to SBK and a year in which Japanese budgets will continue to be low while their bikes remain relatively uncompetitive. These are the bikes Eugene Laverty and Max Biaggi will be campaigning in the series. New graphics reflect the changes made to the consumer 2012 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC, accentuating that bike’s graphic swoosh with Italian tri-colors.
These are the first images of the Aprilia’s new adventure tourer, snapped earlier today by Motociclismo.it at Piaggio Group’s annual dealer convention in Monte Carlo. Based on the frame and 130bhp, liquid-cooled V-twin of the Dorsoduro 1200, the Aprilia CapoNord 1200 is equipped with much taller suspension, a two-piece seat and low-mount exhaust. Equipped with 17-inch wheels and monster 320mm brake discs, think of this as a tall, comfy sports tourer rather than something that’s ever going to venture off-road. More info as we get it.
These images come to us from Copiapo, Chile where Francisco Lopez is performing some final testing ahead of the 2012 Dakar aboard his Aprilia RXV450 Tuareg. Lopez finished the grueling 5,000km rally in 4th last year and 3rd in 2010.
Photos: Alfredo Escobar
