2019 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory Review – Video
In this internet age, we understand everyone’s attention spans are very short. So we get (even if we’re a little saddened) if you didn’t get to read all the way through my First Ride review of the 2019 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory. It’s a couple thousand words long, and though I thought it made for a good read, inevitably some of you didn’t get all the way through it. Thankfully YouTube exists, and while at the glorious Mugello Circuit in Italy, I recorded my thoughts and impressions of the RSV4 for the video you can view below. It’s complete with a short overview of the bike and some action footage, including a blast down the 1.1km Mugello straight where the 1100’s speedo flashed 307 kph at one point! Later, my GoPro GPS revealed my top speed to be only 180 mph, but it was still a rush all the same.
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What’s there to say about the RSV4 family that we haven’t said already? First introduced in 2009, a decade later and the latest iteration of the machine is as relevant now as it was then – maybe even more so. As the name would suggest, powering the 1100 Factory is the 1078cc V4 we first saw in the Tuono 1100 – except different. Compared to the Tuono, the RSV4 uses a different head, cams and pistons, while also incorporating shower injectors, a lighter crank, and several other tweaks to get the RSV4 to not only spin higher than the Tuono, but to make more power, too – to the tune of 217 horses at the crank!
Of course, extra power means a few subtle tweaks to the suspension and geometry were made to cope, but the bike loses none of the excellent agility and handling characteristics that have always made the RSV4 a favorite among moto-journos worldwide. Then there are the MotoGP-inspired winglets, which Aprilia claim add downforce and stability at high speeds, which is especially felt during initial braking from those speeds. I cover that in the video also.
Full details of the changes can be found in the review link above. Enjoy the video!
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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As much as I like this bike, the all black paint is really boring. The standard RR and RF are so much more visually appealing.
Great review, both video and 'digital paper'. I am a little beyond the age where ultra powerful sportbikes are right for me, but I still enjoy reading about them and vicariously enjoying a 180 mph jaunt down Mugello's straight.
On a side topic, did you hear from anyone at Aprillla about their race plans? I think you mentioned the RR remaining 999cc to allow homologation, but I am interested in how that will work, and if they are planning to race the RSV4 in WSBK again.