#ApriliaRsv41100Factory

When MO received a last minute invitation to ride all of the liter bikes in one day at a track in Sicily, we initially thought that we’d have to decline this superbike comparison since MO Hot Shoe, Troy Siahaan, was committed elsewhere. Then Burns reminded us of the great story that Mark Miller wrote for us a while back. Given Mark’s racing history (former AMA class champion, 50 Isle of Man starts and current fast-lap-by-an-American record holder, 17 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix entries, etc.), we knew that he had exactly what we were looking for in a hired MOron. Read on and enjoy. It’s a long one. —Evans

Nothing excites motorcyclists – who are often in a forced staycation from riding this time of year – like new model season. The manufacturers have revealed their new mounts, but most are not yet in show rooms. So, all we’ve got is highly produced photos, minimal specifications, and our fantasies to go on. This is the time of year that we motojournalists live for. Not only do we get to pad our frequent flyer miles, but we also sample the latest and greatest that the manufacturers have produced so that we can come home to tell you all about what the upcoming model year has in store for all of us.