2000 Aprilia Falco SL1000V - Motorcycle.com

Based on the same mill that fits into the Mille's chassis, this 997.62 cubic centimeter motor features an identical 97x67.5 mm bore and stroke but combusts its mixture at a 10.8:1 compression ratio. It's racier cousin, by comparison, opts for an 11.4:1 setting.

Double over head cams are operated via a combined gear and chain mechanism that open and close four valves per cylinder. Two spark plugs per cylinder ignite the fuel/air mixture that comes in through 51 mm throttle bodies. Indirect multiport injection is integrated with the ignition module for precise timing. Top this all off with a six speed transmission that comes straight out of the Mille's cases and you have the makings for ample power and character no matter how the package is wrapped; race plastic or almost naked.

The lack of bodywork helps to highlight the part of the bike that deserves the most attention: the lusciously sculpted aluminum and magnesium alloy double twin beam frame. Read that again -- it's the "double twin beam" part that gets us. Looks like something from an old Buck Rogers flick, straight out of 1960's sci-fi, wrapped around a thoroughly modern powerplant. Where most frames have a single beam on each side, this frame is split down the middle and offers something extra for our eyes to dissect. Not to mention the fact that it helps to set this bike apart from the rest of the crowd. We don't wanna blend in, ya know?

As nice as the bike is when it's sitting still, it's no parking lot queen. On the road, the frame does a good job of blending chassis rigidity with the sort of vibration damping characteristics that are imperative in a road-going motorcycle. Especially when that motorcycle is a large displacement V-twin.