NORTON Commando 961 - 2ride.ca Motorcycle Magazine

Roman Emperor For a Day
Riding the 2010 Aprilia RSV4 R
I
am perched atop an imperator’s
throne; all other superbikes bow
down before me. I weave my way
through my subjects, one by one,
dismissing the Italian pretender
from Bologna with nary a glance behind
me. I pass all manner of Japanese
warriors, samurais of slide and ninjas
green with envy. My pace is confident as
I stride ahead, and my subjects push and
shove each other to fall into line behind
me. This is the seat of power: 180hp of
V4 fury that propels an emperor to the
top step of the podium of production
motorcycle racing. this is the aprilia
RsV4, the latest offering from the
manufacturer with the most victories in
the history of GP racing.
I am Max Biaggi, if only for a day.
as his RsV4 Factory leads the World
superbike Championship by 60 points
with only 6 races left, the Roman
emperor (as he is known) seems certain
to bring home aprilia’s maiden victory
in this series. so it was with great
anticipation that I clambered aboard
his ride, to find out what makes a
championship-leading bike tick, and to
feel like a superbike Caesar for a day.
Built as a replacement for the aging
RsV 1000 R, the RsV4 is a clean-sheet
design that adds two more cylinders
to the 1000 R’s V-Twin configuration.
and what an engine! a narrow 999.6cc
65˚ V4 allows the bike to carry quite
slender proportions. In fact, every
dimension of the motorcycle seems
much more compact than your average
litrebike, seemingly built around
Biaggi’s diminutive frame. Being of
similar stature (though lacking both
racing talent and a dodgy Peter sellers
moustache & goatee), I found the seating
position and ergonomics very aggressive
but track-friendly. the 33.3” seat is
stORY BY GeNe lee
pHOtOs BY
MARCO FeRNANDes
higher than most Japanese sportbikes.
to compensate, the footpegs are also
mounted higher for cornering clearance,
folding your knees and legs up above
them, and there is a long reach to the
low-slung clip-ons. this is a focused bike
that puts the rider in a good position
to move around the motorcycle while
railing around the corners of assen,
Misano, Brno and um… shannonville…?
However it is probably not a good
position for crawling around the curves
on the dVP at 5PM on a weekday. I know
this from first-hand experience.
Our 6’2” tall, 1098-riding photographer
Marco swung a leg over the RsV4 and
remarked that the position was not too
uncomfortable for him. I suspect Marco
also enjoys poking his eyes out with a
sharp stick and lying on a bed of nails as
a relaxing pastime.
an interesting feature of the engine
is the ability to switch between three
different riding modes, purposely
crippl.., I mean, offering differing
levels of maximum output and throttle
response in each mode. the modes are
labeled track, sport and Road. the most
aggressive track mode will deliver all
180 horses to the whim of your right
hand and grow hair on your chest (and
upper lip and chin), while the Road mode
magically transforms the bike into a
CBR125R. Sport Mode: um, a CBR1000RR?
Just kidding! an indicator on the
dashboard may let you know which
mode you are in, but a twist of
the throttle will quickly confirm
whether you are in track mode, or
in the wrong mode.
the engine comes alive around 6500
rpm, whereupon a butterfly valve in the
exhaust opens up to optimize power.
It’s best to keep the revs around this
clip-level, in ready response to the fun
grip in your right hand, but be prepared
to re-fuel the 17L tank within 150 kms
sept/OCt 2010 [14] sept/OCt 2010 [15]