THE TEST - Ducati UpNorth

THE
TEST
‘The RSV-R has
morphed into a
more useful bike
at the cost of
some flair’
Aprilia RSV-R £8572
New bike, new name but the aims remain. Does it still cut it?
REMEMBER NEIGHBOURS? The hit Aussie TV
soap that gave us a bevy of beauties who would
evolve from bratty-child actors into glamorous
young Kylies after a two-week summer trip?
Truth is, they switched the actresses (sorry to
spoil it) and now I’m at the end of my own
two-week trip and feeling just as confused.
I’ve ridden into the office on my 2001 Aprilia
Mille RSV-R, to ride the new 2004 Aprilia RSV-R.
But it’s not the same bike at all. It’s been
completely revamped – and now the ‘R’ version
isn’t the special OZ-wheeled, Öhlins-sprung,
carbon-clad beauty. It’s the new basic-level bike.
Give it a few years and you won’t have a clue
what you’re buying second-hand. So ‘R’ means
entry-level, and ‘Factory’ means ‘R’. Got it? Let’s
see what all those changes really mean.
Change the bodywork, switch the name,
but that 60° V-twin engine can’t be mistaken.
The sound is as distinctive as a Harley and easily
distinguished from the Ducati and Benelli bikes
on test. It sounds and feels more Japanese than
Italian – and that’s no bad thing. Starts first time,
has a cool burble from the twin exhausts and
gives you that confident feeling.
The trademark punch of the earlier Milles
has gone, the power now following a more-linear
curve with a kick at about 7000rpm. Top-end
power is the greatest here at 117bhp and it
feels the quickest on the road. The gearbox is
a master stroke, all the ratios being well-spaced
for either road or track and there are no missed
gears or false neutrals. Combined with the
torque of the V-twin, this makes riding relaxing
and overtaking a cinch.
With all that go, you need good brakes and
the RSV-R delivers the most feel back to the rider.
The levers are adjustable for span, with a small
plastic wheel that can be fiddly with a gloved
hand but allows you to set it just right. The
master cylinders are beautiful in their
compactness and long lever-blades. Apply, and
the stopping force is immense. Not as grabby as
the Ducatis when they get hot or as un-hungry
as the Benelli. If you want instant, controllable
deceleration, the Aprilia’s your man.
LIVING WITH IT 14 days of real life with an RSV-R
+ Pillions get the least comfort of the
bikes on test here. Come on, would you
want to go for miles on that with no rail,
high pegs and a seat that’ll disappear
with the slightest hint of flatulance?
+ Insurance takes the whole group
17 biscuit. It should be clear by now
that exotic bikes don’t come cheap
to buy or run.
+ The new clocks finally get rid of the
Eighties-style Vauxhall Astra dash of the
Stability is on a par with the Ducatis – the
Aprilia feels long and roomy. Fast A-roads are
where this bike belongs and that engine means
fewer gear changes, leaving you time to
concentrate more on braking points and apexes.
It’s almost untouchable in these conditions.
On the tighter, bumpier Bs, the RSV-R can
have a tendency to run wide on the exit. This
wasn’t helped by the stiff and notchy headstock
on our test bike. This showed up during our
eventful day at Bruntingthorpe. Standing water
and a headwind made for horrible conditions
and the Aprilia was easily spanked by the 999 –
not just in lap times. The Ducati felt more
friendly in this time of need, offering more
confidence on the long corners and better
manoeuvrability in the chicane.
At Cadwell, the Aprilia was ace on the brakes
and supersonic on the straights but, again, get
on the gas too early and the back digs in and
pushes the front to the edge of the track. Once
you know it’s going to run wide you can square
the corner and get the bike slightly more upright
before you feed in the gas. That’s the way to
tame this bike and get lap times down.
While the old model stands out for looking
slightly tall and awkward, with its huge tail and
comic-book rear lights, the new one falls more
into the ‘norm’ of race-inspired twins. It could
be Japanese in styling and execution. Panels are
large and smooth, wiring’s tucked away and the
pose is more practicality than pomp.
Mirrors house the front indicators and that
extra weight might account for the vibration
at most speeds. They’re wide enough to allow
a look at this blurry image and fold in for easy
parking in tight spaces. The speedo is all-youneed
beautiful, the seat better than average
(though that’s no real boast) and the underhump
storage has shrunk with the smaller back
end. Faired-in rear indicators are a stylish touch.
Like the Ducati 999, the RSV-R has morphed
into a more focused bike at the cost of some of
the original’s flare. Whether this represents
progress or not comes down to personal feeling.
But I’m not swapping… >
old model.You still get all the range of
info (lap timer, max speed, trip, clock etc).
+ The Factory model, which offers
fancy wheels, suspension, brakes and
bodywork, costs £2200 more. How much
do you want?
+ You still get adjustment on both
footbrake and gear levers.
+ The mirrors fold in for easy van
transportation for, say, getting home after
a trackday spill at Cadwell.
IN A NUTSHELL
It must be the RSV-R
because...
You want it to go
everytime.
You like the
flexibility of that
torquey engine
and gearbox.
The black looks
bad, man.
TEST
ROUTE TM
Weather At least
it’s constant.
Constantly wet
Traffic Wipered
cars everywhere
Time taken
7 hours 45 minutes
Average speed
58mph
Fuel used 52 litres
Average mpg 39
Motorway
Seemed a tad
uncomfortable,
but then I rode
the others. Now
it’s near luxury.
45mpg
Top-gear cruising
70mph = 4000rpm
100mph = 5800rpm
Speedo accuracy
70mph = real 66
100mph = real 93
Town
Less taxing than
the Dukes, though
still not the place
to be.
Fast A roads
The Aprilia flies
over this section
of the route. Hardly
need to trouble the
gearbox.
40mpg
Twisty B roads
Stiff suspension
means air over
some of the bumps
and it’s a handful
if you use all
that power.
33mpg
Summary
Feels the most
relaxed thanks
to spread of power,
ease of gear
changes, ace
brakes and general
flowing nature of
the bike. Known
reliability helps
keep you sane
on longer journeys.
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