Bike test APRILIA RSV4

Until recently, Aprilia has been lagging behind in the world of ultra-sport bikes; leaving the four cylinder Japanese bikes and Ducatis to lead the way. But the all-new RSV4 seems to have all it needs to bring the others in the category to their knees.

Click here to see the france version of this video.

2010 Aprilia RSV4

The 2010 Aprilia RSV4 is the most technologically advanced motorcycle ever produced by the Italian manufacturer. The 999.6 cc, liquid-cooled V4 with the GP-inspired rigid aluminum chassis is available in 2 models, the R and the Factory, both of which underwent recalls for the models imported to the U.S. due to faulty connecting rods. Susan Carpenter reviews the 2010 RSV4 R post engine replacement.

2010 Literbike Motorcycle Shootout: Aprilia RSV4 Factory vs. Ducati 1198S vs. KTM RC8R

Another year, a bigger battle.
With BMWs S1000RR and KTMs updated and new-to-the-U.S. RC8R as an all-new model, the field of liter-ish superbikes expands considerably for 2010.
Apologies to MV Agusta for not counting the 2010 F4, but no ones yet signed up to race it in a large-scale series the KTM was the runner-up in the 2009 IDM (International German Superbike Championship). We sure wouldnt mind a spin on the MV, though. (Hint, hint, MV Agusta.)
Like the race grid, well now expand the roster of contestants in our annual liter test.
No longer limiting the battle to the Big Four from Japan, well eventually include the BMW S1000RR on the list of participants powered by the popular inline-Four configuration. But for now, to start off what has become a literbike mêlée, were first evaluating all the Vee configuration contenders.

2010 Literbike Shootout: RSV4 R vs S1000RR vs CBR1000RR vs ZX-10R

The performance of modern literbikes may be intoxicatingly fabulous, but we were becoming a little bored in recent shootouts by having to resort to splitting hairs among the Big Fours similarly specd 1000cc sportbikes. Yamaha gave us a taste of something different last year with the crossplane-crankshaft version of the R1, but it has a small power number and a large weight number, so it wasnt the game-changer we hoped would shake up the literbike pecking order. We began to feel a yawn coming on.

And thats why were glad 2010 has rolled around, as it sees the introduction of two totally new four-cylinder superbike contenders. Aprilia comes to the party with the first liter-sized V-Four sportbike, while the tech-heavy Germans at BMW present the most powerful production literbike ever, the S1000RR.

Speed test: S1000RR v RSV4 v Hayabusa v ZZ-R1400

20 years after the launch of the original hyperbike, Kawasaki's ZZ-R1100, superbikes like BMW's S1000RR are now so fast they're rendering the Hayabusa and co. irrelevant... Or are they?