ericomotorsports.com

Yee Haw.

So the first RSV4 Factory bikes just arrived last Tuesday! By Friday the first one was heat cycled and prepped to go to the track on Sunday. I have spent time on the Ducati 1098R on the track and have been chomping at the bit to find out for myself if the RSV4 is in the same sandbox.

As far as apples to apples is concerned, both bikes are being tested as they come out of the box, albeit the Ducati had the included full race spec exhaust system and ecu installed and the Aprilia did not.
The 1098R came with suspension settings that actually worked right out of the box for me up to a fairly respectable lap time at HPR this Summer.

The RSV4 came out of the box and stunned us all with how compact it is. Immediately, I removed the rear turn signal and license plate assembly as the tail on the bike is a sheer piece of art in and of itself. The front turn signals are in the mirrors and with two nuts, they are gone as Aprilia set two handy outlets in either side of the front fairing mount to make track-day prep an absolute snap. I would say that if you were to ride out to the track, the mirrors and signals can be completely removed in about 3 minutes.
Warming the motor, even with the stock pipe on it, is a dream. The sound that this bike makes is absolutely grizzly. I went out for a few laps at a quiet pace to site the track and put some heat into the bike. The first thing you'll notice is how tiny this superbike is. I liken it to riding a Triumph D675 with big-bike power.

The suspension was definitely set for street use and made for a perfect first ride up Golden Gate Canyon on Saturday. The settings were a bit soft for the track but it was easy to turn a few Ohlins knobs here and there and get the bike to act right once it started seeing more aggressive angles. Once tightened up, there was no squirm coming off a corner on the gas. This chassis is very rigid and will respond well once at true speed.

There are 3 riding modes; adjustable on the fly from the bar switch. I only used the bike in 'Track' mode and did notice that the rear would spin quite easily on exits. Most of the tests I have read say that it is more controllable in 'Sport' mode but I did not try it as control never became an issue at the pace I was riding.

I saw a top indicated speed of 156 on Sunday at the end of the front straight which left me with plenty of time to look at the gauge. Once up to street-tire speed on the 1098R, the last chance I had to look down showed an indicated 174 so the pace on the Aprilia on Sunday was definitely more relaxed. I was also not bringing the motor up to it's full potential rpm wise; short shifting by a good 3k rpm. With all that said, I do feel that overall the bike has what it takes to compete on the 1098R level. Once the correct pipe is on it, suspension is dialed, and the motor is allowed full rpm, the Aprilia should meet the Ducati pretty much head to head. The Ducati is nimble but feels a bit larger and at my size, the Aprilia does seem to fit me just a touch better.

I left some notes on the track below as well.

*Come to "Bikers and Bingo" this Friday night at the store, help us raise some $$ for the Samaritan House Homeless Shelter and see the RSV4 unveiled in true "Justin Watson Style".

---john


Bike is off power until 7k rpm. At 8-9k it comes alive and at 10k is ballistic.
Only used it in Track mode.
Bike wallowed a ton after getting up to speed with factory suspension settings. The bike seemed to be set well for the street but was too soft for the track. After adding more preload front and rear and turning all 4 damping settings to the middle of the suggested "track" range, the bike was much more planted on the gas on corner exit.

-a little too rigid now?
-try less preload in rear and 1 click less PL and RB in rear?
-2nd gear too low for 2/3 & screw
-coming out of 11 at 6k rpm in 3rd gear about 1k below powerband at present pace
-156 top speed could be geared a little lower as not using 6th gear -never was above 12k rpm -could wind up a little more and gear down to take advantage of 6th.
-current is 2nd for 2, 3 (then to 6th)
-4th for 4
-3rd for 5
-2nd for 6
-3rd for 7
-2nd for 8
-3rd for 9, 10, 11, 12
-2nd for 13, 14, 15 (then up to 4th)
-try 3rd for 13-15 & 2-3 w/current gearing. Would be different with 1 tooth lower counter spkt.