Aprilia RSV4-RR Superbike - Customer Clone

"It was very embarrassing, and I felt so sorry for Badovini after all his hard work," says a blushing Aprilia Racing technical director, Gigi Dall'Igna. "But in preparing the bike we just used all the same bolts and brackets as the Superbike, without considering the restrictions of the Superstock class that we weren't used to competing in. But after disappointing performances earlier in the season from our privateer customer teams, we wanted to demonstrate the true potential of the RSV4 in the Superstock class with a mechanically stock bike, which I believe we achieved. Now we have developed the RSV-RR for national-level Superbike race series such as the USA, Germany or Britain, or indeed as an exciting track day bike for Aprilia customers. The chassis and suspension are identical to Biaggi's bike, as are the electronics and data acquisition, and the main differences in the engine are that it uses stock steel conrods rather than titanium, and three-ring pistons rather than two-ring. This means reduced revs, with a 13,800-rpm limiter compared to 15,000 rpm on our factory machine, and a consequent reduction in horsepower. But the rest of the engine is identical to Biaggi's bike, including the high-lift camshafts and large-diameter Akrapovic exhaust system."

The chance to compare and contrast the first RSV4-RR to be built with the bike it was developed from, Magic Max's works racer, came at my Mugello test, where I had three separate sessions switching back and forth from one to the other between the two near-identical looking bikes, each clothed in Biaggi bodywork. But the RSV4-RR was equipped with 17-inch wheels shod with Pirelli's Superstock tires identical to those on Badovini's RSV4 on the other side of the pit garage, reflecting the fact that in some countries like Germany and Australia, such size wheels and even the same type of rubber is mandated for Superbike racing. "But we can deliver the bike with 16.5-inch wheels for slick tires at no extra cost," stresses Dall'Igna. "It all depends on the local requirements of each customer."

The 17-inch Superstock tires didn't have as much grip as the slicks on the factory superbike, but that's where the Aprilia's brilliant traction control system came into play, harnessing those 190 horses and the V4 engine's same mega-torque quite seamlessly. You can hear it working more on the RR with those tires than on the superbike, but the result is the same: better control, great drive, and no slides, so you feel more and more confident with each passing lap. Every bike should have this, especially with this sort of power and torque at the rear wheel.

Aprilia's turnkey superbike is an affordable way for privateer teams to reap the benefits of the R&D program that is unquestionably the coming force in World Superbike racing. "Our method of working with our customer teams is well established in 125/250GP racing," says Dall'Igna. "We offer them continuous upgrades throughout the season, especially electronic ones, based on our factory team's own development, and in Superbike we'll be happy to work with them to learn lessons from their own experiences which we can pass on to other Aprilia teams in different countries. We have an established record of looking after our customers, because we have the structure to do so and the desire to see them do well. If they end up beating our own factory bikes, as has happened many times in 125/250GP, then so be it—it's the best form of sales promotion, and at least an Aprilia is still winning! But we want to work with teams in national-level racing to help promote the Aprilia marque. We understand the critical importance of racing in promoting sales of our street models, and this is why success in superbike racing at every level has become Aprilia's key objective in competition in future—hence the reason we've developed the RSV-RR."