Aprilia Motorcycle reviews

Aprilia’s Dorsoduro line added to its stable for MY2017 with the all-new Dorsoduro 900. This supermoto-inspired ride serves as the successor to the popular Dorsoduro 750. It brings over 95-horsepower to the table with a ride-by-wire throttle, variable power delivery, traction control and ABS to help riders cope with the extra power. Not only does this show a certain amount of model-maturity, but it promises some security and safety for those who would use it in their day-to-day riding. Officially billed as a sportbike-supermotard hybrid, the factory also refers to it as “the fun bike.”

Aprilia takes the RS660, removes a bit of the bodywork and relaxes the riding position to create the semi-naked Tuono 660. A little less power but revised gearing to make it feel just as fast, electronics normally only seen on larger bikes and a dynamic chassis make a convincing argument. The only blot on the landscape is the price.

Aprilia revamped its RS 125 ahead of MY2021 with a number of improvements on its proven eighth-liter platform with a fresh design, newer more powerful plant, and updated electronics. All of this comes on the heels of a quarter-century of racing success to bring a bona fide racebike experience to all those nascent pegdraggers out there. Choose between the base-model RS 125 and its GP Replica variant that brings even more racetrack yummygoodness to the table.

Aprilia rolls into 2021 with an all-new addition to its stable of race-capable street-legal machines, the Tuono 660. Billed as a cross between the Tuono V4 and the RS 660, this bike carries a mid-size parallel-twin with all the appropriate ride-control and safety electronics, all under a windtunnel-tested bodywork style inspired by its larger race-tastic stablemates. Perhaps best of all is the sticker that barely breaks the $10k mark to put this magnificent model within reach for a significant portion of the would-be sport-riding public. This is one of those rare machines that will cover a wide range of riders from beginner to pro.

Aprilia reinforces its reputation as the Piaggio Group’s racebike division with its RSV4 “Factory Works” family line that delivers out-of-the-box track readiness, and the “GP” version resides at the top of the totem pole. This is Aprilia’s flagship public-sale racebike with all the best of what the Italian marque has to offer, and part of the overall price and delivery process involves factory training so you can get the most out of the machine. Make no mistake, this is a track-only bike with none of the equipment you’d need for safe and legal road operation.

Aprilia rolls into the new decade with its racebike-inspired Tuono V4 1100 RR. The factory drew on its own not-inconsiderable WSBK experience to turn out this track-capable ride, and the targeted demographic would be those riders who actually aspire to hit a closed-circuit or road course. A 175-horsepower V4 plant delivers the goods with a full array of revamped, race-centric, ride-quality electronics and corner-sensing technology to complete the package. Essentially, what we have here is a liter-sized superbike with some of the bodywork stripped down to produce a very capable naked streetfighter.

Aprilia created the 2020 Tuono V4 1100 Factory to deliver real racebike experience in a naked-sport package for riders who may actually get beyond the parking lot at the local track. Since Aprilia acts as the racebike division of Piaggio & C. SpA, it brings considerable trackside expertise to the end product for a genuine racebike experience no matter where you ride. V4 power drives an aluminum chassis with robust ride-control electronics with a definite bias for track use, and it comes adorned with weight-saving carbon-fiber bits and bobs to minimize mass. This is a serious bike for serious riders. Don’t be fooled by the relatively low price that slides in just below the $19k mark. That accessibility doesn’t fully express its overall worth as you shall soon see.

Aprilia, the racebike-building division under the Piaggio & C. SpA umbrella, treated us to a glimpse at the future during 2019 EICMA with the unveiling of its new RS 660. The RS 660 rolls with windtunnel-tested bodywork that aids comfort and stability over a new, parallel-twin powerplant. A robust electronics package comes standard, so you can count on top-shelf safety and ride-quality gadgets to help you keep it between the lines.

Ahead of MY2018, Aprilia gave the RSV4 RF a significant rebuild that included a new set of Öhlins stems and beefed-up electronics along with improved anchors, all of which are driven by a race-proven, 201-horsepower V4 engine. This is a bike built for the would-be racers and fiery-eyed stoplight burners out there, and it comes with all the street-legal goodies you need to enjoy it on the public roads. If you’re into actual track use, the factory would like you to know that this machine is a full second faster than the outgoing model; take that for what it’s worth. Additionally, the factory offers the RSV4 RF in a limited-edition build with its own special design and livery that sets it apart from the standard version.

Aprilia put together the Tuono V4 1100 range for folks who want racebike performance but have no intention of ever taking it past the parking lot at the track. The “RR” serves as the base model with the aptly-named “Factory” as a factory-custom model that pulls exclusively from the top shelf for the most discriminating elbow-draggers out there. Both versions rock newly-revamped electronics suites, but of course, the Factory takes that a step or two further, as well, with the new RSV4 superbike’s DNA in evidence across the board. If you’re looking for a street-legal bike that’s also a racer-like bike, Aprilia’s Tuono V4 line may be your Huckleberry.

Most of the major players have some sort of street-legal racebike on the market, and for Aprilia, that honor falls to the RSV4 1100 Factory. Aprilia pulls from the top shelf for the electronic safety and comfort systems to put together a machine that delivers track-like performance with a veritable alphabet soup of under-the-hood features. Aprilia gives you everything you need to manage the power that sets a new standard for a production V4 with over 200 ponies on tap.

As a general rule, Aprilia’s sportbike line falls in the superbike displacement range, but the factory ventures into new territory with its Concept RS 660 supersport. That’s right; Piaggio’s racebike subsidiary has designed an all-new ride around an equally-new, mid-size, twin-cylinder engine. The new engine borrows from the 1,100 cc V4 that powers the Tuono V4 and RSV4 1100 Factory for both its design and its electronics to make this a very well-rounded road machine. Add some comfort-related features and you’ve got yourself a fun-bike with some real potential. Details are still a bit sparse, but here’s what we know as of now.

The words “supersport scooter” are not ones that we see put together very often, but that’s exactly what the Aprilia SR 50 Motard brings to the market. Aprilia drew on its own extensive Supermotard experience for the design high points of this model, and the racetrack DNA is plain to see. A four-stroke 50 cc engine delivers clean power that meets U.S. and Canadian emission standards, and the under-seat storage compartment makes it an effective commuter.

Aprilia brings the full weight of its not-inconsiderable racing experience to bear in its revamped Shiver 900. Nicknamed “the naked bike from Noale,” the new Shiver carries changes and improvements all the way across the board with a new 900 V-twin engine, new body details, new instrumentation, and Aprilia’s advanced traction-control feature for increased safety right along with its increased capabilities. This is arguably the closest thing to an entry-level machine that the factory offers, and toward that end, it comes available in an A2 license compliant version for riders in areas with the tiered licensing system.

The “RR” version of Aprilia’s race-tastic 2019 RSV4 superbike is something of a dual-purpose ride. The "RR" is essentially a racebike made street-legal that can easily be set up for trackday through the use of the optional Track Kit. The liter-sized mill cranks out over 200 horsepower, and the “RR” comes with an electronics suite packed with top-shelf ride-quality gadgets to help you keep it rubber-side down.