2013 Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC

* 2013 Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC "Naked Bike of the Year" Sales Event offer effective between 12/1/13 and 12/31/13.

Please also see Hot Deals for lower-priced offerings. Many of our demos have been recently added. These are all bikes that have never been sold or titled and therefore get their full warranty beginning when purchased.
 

My Take, by Dave Richardson

I wondered why we needed a V4 with another 28 horsepower when our V-twin Tuono was so good.

But this bike is about much more than horsepressure. For one, the V4 is a more congenial engine than the V-twin. So as well as making more power, it’s happier when just bopping around town (and the clutch is a much lighter pull as well).

The V4 is also lighter steering due to weight centralization borrowed from the RSV4. Aprilia was an early advocate of designing engines with weight location in mind. First Yamaha introduced the R1with its stacked transmission to optimize the inline four, then Aprilia came out with their 60º twin to be more compact with more weight forward. Plus, like the Japanese twins & fours, the RSV had a modern plain bearing crank, a wet slipper clutch, and chain-driven double-overhead cams driving 4 valves per cylinder with shim-under-bucket that almost never needed adjustment.

When Aprilia progressed from their V-twin, they decided to build a 65º V4. This engine would be a powerful four but with its weight positioned very much like the RSV twin. But better yet, being hardly wider, and shorter top-to-bottom, the engine’s weight would be even closer to the bike’s roll center for easier steering.

Also making it superior to the old V-twin, the Tuono V4 comes with the same electronics package as the RSV4: launch control to maximize acceleration at the drop of a start flag, wheelie control to adjust the amount the front wheel is allowed to loft, a quick shifter to eliminate the need to clutch and roll off the throttle under race conditions, and traction control to prevent acceleration from overwhelming traction exiting a corner. Unlike some, the traction control can be adjusted on the fly using convenient paddle shifters (You don’t have to stop and access some awkward dashboard menu) and can be uniquely calibrated to your chosen rear tire; it’s not just designed to work with one or selected rear tires (OK, for this you do have to find the right menu).  

The Tuono V4 has ride-by-wire fuel injection for fast response that’s switchable through 3 modes. And this is no Italian nightmare for maintenance. It’s water cooled and the dual overhead cams per cylinder bank are driven by chains with self-adjusting tensioners. There are no fragile belts that require frequent replacement and manual adjustment. The valves are supposed to be checked for adjustment every 12,000 miles, but this hardly seems necessary, as we’ve never seen a valve out of adjustment on an Aprilia V4 engine. The oil & filter are supposed to be renewed every 6,000 miles in normal use.

The factory warranty is two years with unlimited miles. As for durability, one of our customers ran into a guy on his second Aprilia V4; he ran the first one 80,000 miles.

Starting in 2013 came some improvements. The gas tank got bigger and a slimmer shape. But probably most stellar was a take-away: the MSRP was reduced $1000! For 2014 the tank got bigger again and adjustable ABS was added to minimize skidding under braking. Price was increased $500, so the 2014 with ABS is still cheaper than the 2012 without ABS. The bike was made more congenial on the street with a more comfortable seat and more compliant suspension. And the traction control now better accommodates speed variations, making it as useful on the street as on the track.

In all, this third-generation Tuono is quite the leap forward: more power, better around town, V4 engine, ride-by-wire, traction control, ABS, and only $1500 more than it was a decade ago. The 2013s are still available, and now at a reduced price. It’s easy to see why it was chosen as Cycle World’s 2013 Sportbike of the Year and Motorcyclist’s 2013 Sport Naked of the Year. This is the one. 

Ciao,

Dave Richardson

Engine: Aprilia longitudinal 65° V-4 cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid cooling system, double overhead camshafts (DOHC), four valves per cylinder
Bore x Stroke: 78 x 52.3mm
Total displacement: 999.6 cc
Compression ratio: 13:1
Maximum power at the crank: 164.9 HP (123 kW) at 11,500rpm
Maximum torque at the crank: 111.5 Nm/82.24 ft-lbs at 9,500rpm
Fuel system: Airbox with front dynamic air intakes. 4 Weber-Marelli 48-mm throttle bodies with 4 injectors and latest generation Ride-by-Wire engine management. Choice of three different engine maps selectable by the rider with bike in motion: T (Track), S (Sport), R (Road)
Ignition: Magneti Marelli digital electronic ignition system integrated in engine control system, with one spark plug per cylinder and “stick-coil” type coils
Starter: Electric
Exhaust: 4 into 2 into 1 layout, single oxygen sensor, lateral single silencer with ECU-controlled bypass valve and integrated trivalent catalytic converter (Euro 3)
Generator: Flywheel mounted 420W alternator with rare earth magnets
Lubrication: Wet sump lubrication system with oil radiator and two oil pumps (lubrication and cooling)
Gear box: 6-speed cassette type gearbox 1st: 39/15 (2,600) 2nd: 33/16 (2.063) 3rd: 34/20 (1,700) 4th: 32/22 (1,455) 5th: 34/26 (1,308) 6th: 33/27 (1,222) Gear lever with Aprilia Quick Shift electronic system (AQS) on APRC version
Clutch: Multiplate wet clutch with mechanical slipper system
Primary drive: Straight cut gears and integrated flexible coupling, drive ratio: 73/44 (1,659)
Final drive: Chain: Drive ratio: 42/16 (2,625)
Frame: Aluminium dual beam chassis with cast and pressed sheet elements. (Sachs steering damper on APRC version)
Front suspension: Sachs upside down front fork with 43mm diameter stanchions. Forged aluminium caliper mountings for radial calipers. Completely adjustable spring preload and hydraulic compression and rebound damping. Wheel travel: 120mm
Rear suspension: Double braced aluminium swingarm; mixed low thickness and sheet casting technology. Sachs piggy back monoshock with completely adjustable: spring preload and hydraulic compression and rebound damping. APS progressive linkage. Wheel travel: 130 mm
Brakes: Front: Dual 320mm floating stainless steel discs with lightweight stainless steel rotor with 6 studs. Brembo radial calipers with 4 diam. horizontally opposed 32mm pistons. Sintered pads. Axial pump master cylinder and metal braided brake hoses. Rear: 220mm diameter disc; Brembo floating caliper with two ?32mm isolated pistons. Pump with integrated tank and metal braided hose
Wheels: Cast aluminium wheels with 3 split spoke design. Front: 3.5”X17” Rear: 6.00”X17”
Tires: Radial tubeless. Front: 120/70 ZR 17 Rear: 190/55 ZR 17 (alternative: 190/50 ZR 17; 200/55 ZR 17)
 

DIMENSIONS

Max. length: 2065mm /81.3in.
Max. width: 800mm/31.5in. (at the handlebar)
Max. height: 1090mm/42.9in.
Min. height from the ground: 125mm/4.9mm
Saddle height: 835mm/32.9in.
Wheelbase: 1445mm/56.9in.
Trail: 107.5mm/4.2in.
Steering angle: 25°
Dry weight: 183 kg/403lbs
Fuel tank capacity: 17 liters/4.49 gallons (4-liter reserve included)

After creating the best superbike of the new millennium, Aprilia revolutionizes the naked bike segment with its astonishing Tuono V4. A bike that goes beyond the wildest dreams of even the most hardcore enthusiasts - the rider who, given the chance, would use a race bike just to go for a coffee.

For riders like these and for those with power in their veins, Aprilia has created a motorcycle with the indomitable spirit of the RSV4 with a streetfighter physique that is in its element when accelerating and braking with unimaginable violence,that eats up curves of any radius and swallows straights whole.

The performance and features of a superbike, the agility of a naked and the legacy of an innovative concept born in 2002 with the Tuono 1000 R – a bike that earned both critical acclaim and sales success – but with an extraordinary ace up its sleeve: the performance of a 65° V4 engine and the most advanced electronics available in a motorcycle today.

Like the original Tuono, the V4 is also immediately recognisable with its triple headlight fixed top fairing, the distinguishing trait of a bike which, like its twin cylinder predecessor, has the body and soul of its WSBK homologated sibling, but now - as well as having two world championships (the 2010 constructors' and riders' titles) under its belt - features two more cylinders and 41 horsepower more than before, while weighing over 22 pounds less. These astonishing figures are a testimony to the technological evolution that made this exciting model a reality. The bike is available in two colours: competition black, sunlit yellow.

THE MOTORCYCLE With its 65° V4 engine brazenly flaunted and framed by the brushed aluminum twin spar frame, the Tuono V4 is a naked clad only with the bare minimum necessary to let you saddle up and teach it to respond to your will. Adding yet another touch of aggressiveness is the aerodynamic top fairing tipped with two polyelliptical headlights and LED indicators at the sharp end, which gives the bike the unequivocally mean, daunting stare that you'd expect from a machine with an incredible 167.3 horsepower.

Tuono V4 boasts more power than ever seen before in a naked, achieved by reconfiguring the V4 engine of the RSV4 to make it better suited to street use.The features inherited by the Tuono V4 from the RSV4 include the exhaust system with bypass valve, which is two kilos lighter than the system used on the RSV4 R, and latest generation Ride by Wire throttle control with three rider-selectable maps (Track, Sport and Road).

The first three gear ratios are now shorter, while the maximum torque (82 ft. lbs.) is on tap at 9,500 rpm: characteristics that make the Tuono V4 a wild beast at low and mid-engine speeds, with the ability to unleash a devastating hurricane of power at higher engine speeds.

The Tuono V4 maintains a clear lineage with the SBK world champion, RSV4, in the proportions of the tail fairing, saddle, tank and side panels, and is one of the best examples of Italian motorcycle design from the past decade for its perfect balance between formal beauty and function.

The rider benefits from a riding position tailored to create a symbiotic relationship between the body and the bike, for unparalleled feedback through the three points of contact - the saddle, footpegs and handlebars. On the Tuono V4 however, the rider sits with less weight on the arms, making the bike less strenuous to ride and extraordinarily nimble and controllable on the road.

THE ENGINE The Tuono V4 is the only naked powered by the world championship-winning 65° V4 cylinder engine with unique characteristics. Extremely compact, as slim as a twin-cylinder and installed in an ultra-compact chassis, the 65° V4 engine is the epitome of Italian engineering ingenuity. The Tuono gives away very little to its RSV4 sibling in terms of pure performance, but in exchange offers a greater fluidity that make it more enjoyable and rewarding to ride on the road and when carrying a passenger.

Power 167.3 hp at 11,500 rpm

Torque 82 Ft. lbs at 9,500 rpm

Rev limiter 12,300 rpm in all gears

To achieve these results, a number of different modifications were made to the Aprilia V4 engine:

· New valve timing diagram

· Fixed intake ducts now 20 mm longer

· Crankshaft flywheel with increased inertia for improved smoothness and overall balance

· Shortened gear ratios for the first three gears

· Engine speed at maximum power reduced to 11,500 rpm on the Tuono V4

The Aprilia 65° V4 engine specifications in short:

Engine capacity: 999.6 cc

Architecture: 65° V4

Crankcase: monobloc with integrated crankcase liners

Timing system: 4 valves per cylinder operated directly by a camshaft driven by a mixed chain/gear system (lateral timing chain and central gear train)

Fuel system: electronic injection with a single injector per cylinder and integrated independent Ride by Wire system for each bank. Three maps selectable from the handlebar (Track, Sport and Road)

Antivibration countershaft

Compression ratio: 13:1

Gearbox: 6-speed direct-control cassette type gearbox

Clutch: Multiplate wet clutch with mechanical slipper system

Electronic management: Magneti Marelli control unit managing ignition, injection and Ride by Wire system

The narrow V architecture translates into an engine that is incredibly compact in length, offering advantages in terms of mass centralisation and making it possible to define a chassis architecture centre of gravity that is both very low and almost perfectly centralised in the engine and vehicle for neutral, intuitive behaviour and maximum responsiveness on the road.

The innovative valve timing system (with the chain camshaft driving only the intake camshaft, which in turn drives the exhaust camshaft via a single gear) has allowed the use of just 250 mm at the rear of the engine), especially in the area beneath the frame spars, which are thus much narrower than would otherwise be possible.

The electronic management system is another example of the 65° V4 engine's technological supremacy. Full Ride by Wire technology eliminates any direct connection between the throttle grip and the throttle valves, which are entirely controlled by a latest generation Marelli control unit that also controls the ignition and the 4 injectors

Each bank has a dedicated servo unit actuating its own two throttle bodies. This means that the aperture of the throttle valves and, as a consequence, the quantity of fuel injected can be controlled independently. Aprilia has refined power delivery control.

This technology, adapted appropriately for the prevalently road based usage of the Tuono V4, offers immediately tangible benefits to the rider, with triple mapping (adjusting power delivery and maximum power) selectable directly from the handlebar allowing the character of the bike to be modified to suit the rider's personal riding style or the track conditions at any time.

T - TRACK: All 167.3 hp of power available at the slightest twist of the throttle.

S - SPORT: Smooth delivery, maximum power. Torque limited in all gears for fun yet less demanding riding.

R - ROAD: Smooth delivery and power attenuated by 25% across the rev range. Greater usability in all conditions. Ideal for the city or wet road conditions.

The transmission has also been designed to the meet most advanced criteria to offer the maximum performance possible. To underscore the racing soul of the 65° V4 engine, it is mated to a cassette gearbox with a wet sump lubrication system (with oil in the crankcase). The wet clutch features a mechanical slipper system for optimised engine braking torque control and stability under hard braking.

The Aprilia APRC Electronics Package

APRC is based on an automotive inertia sensor platform, with two gyrometers and two accelerometers allowing the engine ECU to determine the dynamic state of the motorcycle and control engine torque accordingly to help the rider exploit the full performance potential of the bike.

The APRC electronics package on the Tuono V4 includes:

· ATC (Aprilia Traction Control) With eight different traction control settings for in relation to turn angle and throttle aperture. The system has been tweaked to make the more conservative settings even more suitable for road use, while leaving the racing spirit of the less restrictive levels intact.

· AWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control) Helps the rider maintain control by gradually bringing the front wheel back to the ground. AWC has been appropriately adapted for the different weight distribution of the Tuono V4.

· AQS (Aprilia Quick Shift), Allows instantaneous upshifts without closing the throttle or using the clutch. Completing the suite of four functions is the most exhilarating of all: ALC (Aprilia Launch Control).

ALC (Aprilia Launch Control) - Simultaneously pressing both buttons on the joystick on the left hand handlebar arms the system, as confirmed by the specific message on the display. From this moment on, all 167 horsepower of the beast from Noale are ready to slingshot the Tuono V4 like a missile as soon as the rider releases the clutch, unleashing the astonishing power onto the tarmac through every available square millimeter of the 190/55 rear tyre. And tire size does not matter to APRC, as with its Calibrating function, it is the only system of its kind on the market capable of self-adapting to tire size.

CHASSIS In keeping with the Aprilia tradition of creating state of the art chassis architectures, the aluminum frame of the Tuono V4 R exploits the strength and flexibility of cast and pressed elements in a structure that sets new benchmarks in terms of balance and dynamic efficiency.

Unlike the previous generation twin cylinder Tuono 1000R, the frame developed for the Tuono V4 R has been completely revised with respect to the unit used in the RSV4 to maximise directional control and stability while maintaining the legendary safety and impeccable precision typical of Aprilia frames. This in turn led to new solutions in terms of chassis geometry, such as modifying the trail and lowering the engine in the frame to lower the centre of gravity, for exceptionally neutral behaviour and truly catlike high speed stability.

This means that the Aprilia Tuono is not just a bike with devastating performance, but one whose greatest strength is precisely the incredible ease with which any rider can access its full potential. The swingarm also uses the same constructional technology as the frame and offers the same perfect balance between flexional and torsional stiffness to contribute to the extraordinary responsiveness of the Tuono V4 R.

The unique construction technology of the frame and swingarm allows them both to proudly flaunt the naturally gleaming colour of brushed aluminium, yet another feature that is increasingly rare in production bikes that contributes to pure racing look of the Tuono V4.

The Tuono V4 comes equipped with the best components available on the market.

BRAKES AND WHEELS A state-of-the art Brembo brake system with radial calipers and 320 mm floating discs at the front and 220 mm at the rear. The three spoke aluminum wheels weigh 4.4 pounds less than the five spoke version.

SUSPENSION A fully adjustable Sachs upside down front fork with 43 mm stanchions provides incredible feel no matter the riding situation. While a Sachs rear monoshock with separate piggy back nitrogen canister features adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping and length. You can modify the setup of the bike to suit different riding styles, roads and loads - including a passenger.

TIRES The choice of dual-compound tires is new, with three different sizes approved for the rear wheel: the 190/55 tire fitted as standard may be replaced with a 200/55 or a 190/50 tire to explore the full performance potential of the bike.