Aprilia is set to take part in this year's edition of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup with a factory team. The Italian manufacturer, which has just returned to Superbike after a six-year absence, will be tackling the highly-competitive Superstock championship for the first time.

The Superstock version of the RSV4 machine will be run by the JiR team, which raced in MotoGP for a number of years with Honda RC211Vs. Aprilia and JiR will have two ambitious young riders within their ranks: 19 year-old Federico Sandi, and 20-year Federico Biaggi. Again a Biaggi, the Nephew of Max Biaggi.