The Goodwood Test: Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR – Naked

Heritage

The super-naked class is arguably the most vibrant in motorcycling, and it all began with the Tuono. Sure, there had been fast and capable unfaired roadsters before; bikes including Ducati’s Monster and Triumph’s Speed Triple. But when the firm from Noale in northern Italy ripped off the fairing of its RSV Mille super-sports V-twin to create the original Tuono in 2002, it raised the bar dramatically. That first bike named Thunder (in Italian) held a stonking, 130bhp motor in a light, sweet-handling chassis, and on a twisty road was as fast and fun to ride as anything on two wheels.

Rival marques raised their game to compete but Aprilia again took super-naked performance to new heights in 2011 with the Tuono V4R. This was a 999cc, 16-valve V4, closely based on the firm’s super-sports RSV4. Its barely detuned powerplant produced 167bhp with copious midrange, its ultra-sophisticated electronic system incorporated a quick-shifter and traction control, and its aluminium chassis was majestically light and responsive. The V4R was also undeniably impractical and uncomfortable. For 2014 it was revamped with a larger petrol tank, thicker seat and anti-lock brake system to create the Tuono V4R ABS.

Design

Aprilia had succeeded in civilising its super-naked missile with the Tuono V4R ABS, and the firm’s aim with the current Tuono V4 1100 was to make its stripped-down sports bike more rider-friendly still. As well as sharpening its styling, tweaking the chassis, revising the riding position and updating the electronics, they enlarged the 65-degree V4 engine from 999 to 1,077cc and lightened its internals. That gave smoother low-rev response, booted midrange output by as much as 20bhp, and increased peak power to 175bhp at 11,000rpm.

The chassis was modified along similar lines to that of the super-sports RSV4. The aluminium twin-spar frame gains slightly steeper steering geometry, while the super-stiff swing-arm, also fabricated from aluminium, is lengthened to improve stability and traction. The standard Tuono V4 1100 RR has Sachs suspension and steering damper while, in Aprilia tradition, the upmarket Factory model is fitted with components from Swedish specialist Öhlins.

Performance

The Tuono V4 1100 is outrageously quick, and its sophistication is as impressive as its power. The bigger motor revs with fierce yet deliciously controllable force, sending the Aprilia leaping forward with its wide handlebar twitching slightly as the front wheel goes light. Flawless throttle response and cutting-edge electronics combine to help keep it accelerating with spine-tingling force, the quick-shifter notching gears seamlessly and the exhaust emitting a stirring V4 bark.

The revised chassis is also impressive, the V4 1100 RR test bike’s light weight (184kg dry) and steeper geometry helping it steer through tight turns with minimal pressure on the handlebar. The longer wheelbase helps keep it stable, without restricting the wheelies that are effortlessly possible when the adjustable traction control is on its lower settings. The front brake blend of 320mm discs and Brembo Monobloc calipers gives ferocious stopping, backed up by a Bosch ABS system that works superbly, at least on its less intrusive racetrack setting.

Passion

Even this more civilised Tuono is a super-fast, taut and aggressive naked sports bike that is as well suited to a racetrack as to the road. On a closed circuit you’d have a chance to reach its top speed of around 170mph, though not without giving your neck muscles a work-out because the redesigned half-fairing, which holds new lights, doesn’t give much wind protection. This updated Aprilia might be a more flexible and refined streetbike than its predecessor, but it hasn’t gone remotely soft.

For that reason some riders will prefer the extra versatility of rival super-nakeds, some of which offer features including cruise control, cornering ABS and semi-active suspension. By comparison, even this more civilised Tuono is singleminded, almost spartan; and even the cheaper RR model is more expensive than most. But if you’re looking for speed, excitement and charisma, this latest version of the bike with which the super-naked story began remains very hard to beat.

Price tag of our Tuono V4 1100 RR: £13,136 (Tuono V4 1100 Factory £14,636)

Photography courtesy of Milagro