2006 Aprilia Tuono - Motorcycle.com
Italians are renown for their enviousness in romantic issues.
Well, seems like Ride height adjustmentthe tradition extends to bikes matters too. Envious of BMW's K1200R ESA system for suspension regulation on the fly, Aprilia just had to come up with a system of their own. It's only that in the Tuono R's case the system doesn't rely on pushbutton electronics gadgetry. By twisting a black rubber grip at the handlebar's right end you can regulate front-end height in a range of zero to about 3-4 feet in the first three gears. A shiny lever connected to a hydraulic piston receding just ahead of that rubber grip regulates rear end height by about the same amount regardless of the gear you're in. This smart system might not be as sophisticated as the K1200R's but it sure works, I can tell you that much?
Do I sound nerdy? Had to find a calmer way to start this review. Opening a road test with a bang-in-your face claim about how mind boggling this new Tuono R could cause MOridians to suspect I've
As before, this thing is "just" an RSV1000 that's been stripped naked but when you think about it, it's the only scoot that is remains faithful to the streetfighter philosophy. Only the unobtainable Benelli TNT (the factory isn't really functional right now) and the horrendously expensive MV Brutale come close to the Tuono in their brash morphing of a supersporting base tool into a high-bars street berm blaster. All the rest, Japanese nakeds that is, pale next to the Tuono R, extremely diluted interpretations of the streetfighter theme. The 919, Z1000, Fazer 1000? C'mmon, don't make the Tuono laugh, these are very blunt blades compared to this extra sharp razor.
Just like with the previous model, Aprilia took the base RSV1000, ripped off all bodywork and in order to cover up exposed non flattering areas, new smallish and technical looking panels been created. The bigger ones cover the coolant overflow reservoir and the external oil tank. The radiator received some covers too and these extend upwards to form little air deflectors. According to Aprilia, these stabilize the airflow around the bike and improve high-speed stability as well as looks. The old Tuono was characterized by a D-cup sized bikini fairing, a size imposed by the use of the old Mille light unit. By using the 2003 RSV's tiny headlamp cluster the hard mounted front shield can be much smaller and indeed, it has much better proportions than the old one.
This is your view of Yossef's arms being pulled out of their sockets.system is used on the Tuono, and just like in the RSV (and some Kawis), it routes pressurized air through two passages in the frame flanking the steering stem. Nice touch, a first on a naked. The fact that a Ram-Air system starts to deliver it's boost only above 120 mph, a speed at which your arms are being pulled out of their sockets, is of course another issue?
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