New RSV4 RF/RR

No thread on here about this bike. Someone's gotta do it, and you knew it was going to be me.

So what's new?

I'm going to quote some previously-released information here, with edits for brevity (believe it or not) and North American spec. Bikes bound for other countries already had a bump of 4hp over NA bikes.

"The engine has been modified, including the induction system, resulting in a claimed increase of 21 hp and a weight loss of 3.3 pounds. The cylinder heads are all-new, with revised porting specs and combustion chambers that are now CNC-machined for accuracy and consistency. The valves are titanium, with new oval-section valve springs and new camshafts that are 500 grams lighter. As with the Tuono V4, the RSV4’s crankshaft now has smaller 36mm rod pins, and the Pankl connecting rods are a total of 400 grams lighter.

The RSV4’s upper crankcase half is now made using a shell fusion process for increased strength and less weight, and internal ventilation holes reduce pumping losses at higher rpm. The RSV4 engine’s lubrication system has been revamped, with a new oil sump design ensuring that there is no cavitation due to the oil pump pickup becoming exposed under hard acceleration or high lean angles; this was done because the overall oil level in the crankcase has been decreased in order to reduce friction. The oil pump intake line now has an overpressure valve with thinner mesh filter, the piston cooling oil nozzles were replaced, and the gearbox now has a direct oil feed instead of the usual splash lubrication. That transmission now has lighter primary gears, and the ratios have been changed to better take advantage of the increased power.


Down below, the entire exhaust system has been redesigned with new electronic valve management and an additional oxygen sensor. Up top, the airbox has been revamped, with the air filter now perpendicular to the airflow. The upper “shower” injectors are all-new, and the variable-length intake stacks now have increased travel for more influence on engine powerband.


Chassis changes include increasing swingarm length 14mm for better rear tire grip and less wheelie tendency with the new engine. The engine has been lowered in the chassis to the lowest position (the RSV4 is only sportbike that has adjustable engine height within the frame) to also compensate for the new engine’s increased power. As before, the RSV4 RR comes equipped with Sachs fork and shock, while the RSV4 RF comes with Öhlins suspension front and rear as well as an Öhlins steering damper, plus forged aluminum wheels.


The latest RSV4 gets aPRC electronics upgrades, with the third-generation system still featuring eight different traction control settings adjustable on the fly and using a more refined operating logic that alters the percentage of tire slippage allowed depending on the speed in the turn. The aWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control) still comes with three settings, but map 1 (the least intervention) has been recalibrated to for better acceleration and a smoother drop of the front wheel when activated.

Race ABS settings can be combined with any of the three new engine maps, all of which also have their own dedicated engine brake management maps. The classic Track and Sport maps have now been joined by the new Race map, which has engine braking control reduced to a minimum for very aggressive circuit riding.

The new RSV4 also has the ability to pair up with the Piaggio Multimedia Platform V4-MP, which offers Active electronic setup for corner-by-corner electronics management using the GPS on your smartphone (either automatically using database parameters recommended by Aprilia Racing or your own preferences), Immersive virtual telemetry that records engine and user performance over the course of a lap, and Adaptive race assistant that provides tips in real time to help you safely achieve your best on lap on the track with your RSV4.


What's it look like?

RSV4 RR (standard edition)



RSV4 RF (from MCN test)





The new tach




So what's it like?

"F*cking hell!" MCN's Neeves first words after first session on new RSV4

The bike now pulls all the way to 14,000 rpm, which is a 1500 RPM increase over the existing engine which makes peak power at 12,500 rpm (but really wants to live somewhere between 8,500 and 11,500). Again quoting MCN, "I've been changing up instinctively at 12k and found another powerband at 13k where it pulls even more"

Adaptive Race Assistant apparently says "STOP BEING A PUSSY" in each corner or something like that. The early reviews are not clear, but that's the gist of it, it flashes up information based on Aprilia's own circuit database or

Some video from Misano...

[video=youtube;ntp03qKYXJ0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntp03qKYXJ0[/video]

What's V4-MP all about?

The highly advanced V4-MP version now utilitises your smartphone’s GPS to mimic today’s MotoGP setups. By recognizing where the bike’s location is on the racetrack, the V4-MP “Active electronic setup” allows the user to either allow the ECU to automatically modify electronic settings (traction control, anti-wheelie, engine maps, etc.) on a turn-by-turn basis using a database of parameters recommended by Aprilia Racing, or employ the user’s own preferences for settings. The “Immersive virtual telemetry” feature allows your smartphone to record various data parameters from the ECU and illustrates user performance on each lap using a sophisticated graphic. All the data can be downloaded to a database that collects all the laps made by Aprilia customers on each circuit for comparative purposes. And there’s even an “Adaptive race assistant” feature that “provides tips in real time to safely achieve your best lap on the track. Thanks to Aprilia Racing Department simulation technology, you can establish the ideal lap for each track, considering the various grip and rider skill levels. The application compares rider performance in real time and assists by immediately indicating the need to brake or the possibility of opening up the throttle.”

[video=youtube;LAd__UoI-nU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAd__UoI-nU[/video]

Integration with Skully helmets:

[video=youtube;0zQ7KtYJLuw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zQ7KtYJLuw[/video]


By the way, the Caponord and the Tuono also have V4-MP and Skully helmet support. And the Tuono 1100 deserves its own thread. There's now a Factory version of the Tuono and the standard one gets another 20hp everywhere, much more refinement and a much more comfortable seat. I don't know if the seat can be swapped out for the standard one but how you feel about refinement and softer character is another story - it's a pretty hardcore bike.

It's a beauty in a lot of ways.

Well, 14,000 rpm is a dream just like everything else, it all sounds lovely. BUT... Just like Japanese SS liter bikes, every season there are less and less reasons to get one for street riding in the GTA. What about the msrp's?

Hardwrkr13 said:

It's a beauty in a lot of ways.

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Yep. I actually think the outgoing bike is a bit better looking, myself. But I am perhaps biased. They changed the fairing to make the bike more aerodynamic, and the Tuono also got the same treatment. I don't mind the fact that the outgoing bike doesn't shelter you from the wind as well, it helps one gather a feeling of speed without having to actually attain it, a bit like a naked bike though not as pronounced obviously.

For reference, this is my bike:

MarcosSantiago said:

Well, 14,000 rpm is a dream just like everything else, it all sounds lovely. BUT... Just like Japanese SS liter bikes, every season there are less and less reasons to get one for street riding in the GTA. What about the msrp's?

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The thing is, with that added RPM range, you can sprocket the bike to be a different final gearing. In effect, you can get MORE torque to the wheel even if the motor gives up a few lb/ft at lower RPMs to breathe better at higher engine speeds. The press release mentions gearing. So it is very possible that this bike provides more power at all RPMs than the current one, and a whole lot more at high RPM.

MSRP is about $1000 more than the "old" bike, it appears. But then the "old" bike didn't have a lot of these features and I'll bet you can buy one for a hell of a bargain. So that would make it about $17K or so CDN for the RR and $23K CDN for the RF. But I could be wrong. I sure can't sell you one and they won't hit North America for a little while yet I think.

Glad the increased the swing arm length, that and the extra power probably the best improvements - Integration with Skully? meh, very much dislike that company and it's shady marketing practices.

ZX600 said:

Glad the increased the swing arm length, that and the extra power probably the best improvements - Integration with Skully? meh, very much dislike that company and it's shady marketing practices.

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You know they won't be the only ones to bring this technology to the fore, though. Bluetooth allows the bikes to take advantage of new products as well. There's also a high-resolution GPS device already available to increase the accuracy of V4-MP. The next-generation race kit ECU (APX2?) will surely have this built-in but if not, the existing APX2 has a data-feed for high-resolution GPS as it stands... doubtful anyone wants or needs to spend that kind of money, but if one wanted to:

http://www.af1racing.com/store/ProdImages/st3/4003.pdf

Currently, I wouldn't want my bike changing engine braking and Traction control or any other settings according to a GPS reading, from my experience with Lap Timers, the info is so not accurate even with GPS enhancers like I use. However the concept is great, exactly what motogp does but I guess to a smaller degree.
I like having access to my bike settings through a phone app so I don't have to have a laptop with me at the track. Yamaha and Aprilia are on board, maybe some day Suzuki

Shaman said:

You know they won't be the only ones to bring this technology to the fore, though. Bluetooth allows the bikes to take advantage of new products as well. There's also a high-resolution GPS device already available to increase the accuracy of V4-MP. The next-generation race kit ECU (APX2?) will surely have this built-in but if not, the existing APX2 has a data-feed for high-resolution GPS as it stands... doubtful anyone wants or needs to spend that kind of money, but if one wanted to:

http://www.af1racing.com/store/ProdImages/st3/4003.pdf

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Sport Rider posted up some images on Facebook. Apparently they use a potato for taking pictures.

Here's what the app looks like:



Note on the right hand side that the app knows the track and sets up defaults for each corner for wheelie control and traction control. These are chosen by telling it your perceived skill level, and you can edit your own using the template. It then gives you feedback as you ride. Does it work the way you'd expect? I can't answer that. I think it's probably even going to be very individual as far as its worth goes.

and the engine in cross-section...



Edit: people have brought up on AF1 forum that the phone/screen above is connected by USB cable to the bike. I'm not sure if that's because it is taking power from the bike or if it is communicating. Interesting, since their ad copy all says that it's by Bluetooth.

All the video games, ...but no cornering ABS, lean angle TC or auto-blip downshift?

Seems like a lot of focus on electronics, but not yet up to the level of Yamaha or BMW.

I know things are going this way, but it seems like nannies per-programmed for each turn are taking away skills components.

Shaman said:

and the engine in cross-section...

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Interesting slots in the cam sprocket. Old school variable valve timing

Lean-angle TC? It definitely does know what the lean and yaw is, so yes it does. Right back to 2011, there is a sensor package under the seat near the tank. I don't believe it has auto-downshift, which personally seems a bit iffy... I dunno, maybe it'll work better than I think. Hard to say, but I wouldn't turn it down. The system works better than BWM's as far as TC performance goes, that's been established for a long time now, so it's more than "up to the level." Ducati and Yamaha are now finally up to or near the level, not the other way around.

TC doesn't take away the need for skills. Now liter bikes can be ridden for corner speed much like a 600 and still get power down coming out of corners better. It's a safety net of sorts but it means you have to actually ride the bike more skillfully in other ways. You have to achieve and hold corner speed, and find a way to get as much power output as possible leaving corners - if you have good body position, have stood the bike up out of the corner, you get more power and if you've not achieved that style, you get less. So you see the kind of body positioning and bike positioning that is prevalent in GP with these bikes - it forces you to think about not just corner grip but also grip under hard throttle - it's just that you don't have as much to think about as you did before without TC as far as throttle control goes. Try it, I think you will find that it is *NOT* a digital experience in any way.

Detailed review:

http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/first-ride-aprilia-rsv4-rf-review/26546.html

The TC is adjustable easily on the fly, but I don't think lean angle is considered, and ABS is not lean-angle specific. They prefer to program TC by GPS , which is fine on a track, but won't help you on the road.
I would have trust issues, because these electronic systems can get confused or fail.

Looks awesome, I drooled all over an RSV at Two-Wheel last summer. Finish and fit is the best I've ever seen.

The ABS is not lean-angle operated that I know of, although that is somewhat hokey... the idea of the 9MP+ system is that it is more sensitive to wheel speed changes at lean but the difference is fairly marginal compared to the "older" ABS. Either system has to detect sudden slowing of the front tire relative to the rear's speed and other factors. Bosch has upgrades to sell, you know. I would choose to have the more advanced system if it was available, but I would not worry that the existing system was deficient. It isn't. And while we're on the subject, I put some Ferodo HH pads in mine this spring... the difference in aggression is LARGE. Aprilia has erred on the side of caution with the stock pads, I guess. There is no need to re-program for other pads, either.

Aprilia's system is *not* an algorithm based almost solely off the crank sensors like Kawasaki's TC, it has a sensor package under the seat as I said, and the bike is very aware of the angle that it is banked over at. You can see it demonstrated in the v4-MP app above, actually. The RSV4 at the very least considers throttle position, brake position, clutch position, crank sensor acceleration, individual wheel speed/acceleration, both acceleration and position of yaw angle, both acceleration and position of bank angle, gear position, overall speed, engine RPM, pressure on the gear lever, position of the variable throttle bodies, estimated torque figure, requested torque figure and known tire diameter of the rear tire (you program it with a short process if you change tire size).

Here's an article from 2012. The system is quite a bit more refined for racing use now, incidentally:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/26/14...ia-RSV4-APRC-Traction-Control-Comparison.aspx

I agree that the GPS system could fail, but the same is true of everyone else's as well.

FYI, this is why when the new R1 was getting all this hype, I was shrugging my shoulders and wondering why. The only thing the R1 has, as far as I can tell, is a display that can show some of the data onboard and "slide control" which is just an override that lets you choose how much the tire should be allowed to spin up if it begins to. It may or may not be useful. I'd vote on... marginally. The active suspension of the R1M may or may not be useful as well - will any racing series allow it? I don't know the answer to that, or if it performs well enough for a team to work with. Maybe? They're $30K+ and I doubt more than 100 of them were earmarked for North America (I don't know the figure, it's a guess), so it'll be tough for anyone to find out.

Lastly, having read that article above... that "journalist" made some interesting claims for not having had the bike anywhere near a dyno and for having not asked to have the bike set up for him as other riders did. What's the point of making things up? I get that the bike needed more power to be competitive in superstock racing... now that it has more power, he's going to gripe about this perceived deficit (never mind that the previous bike often turned better lap times than anything else on two wheels) and make up figures?

Shaman said:

Edit: people have brought up on AF1 forum that the phone/screen above is connected by USB cable to the bike. I'm not sure if that's because it is taking power from the bike or if it is communicating. Interesting, since their ad copy all says that it's by Bluetooth.

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The bike probably has dual onboard ultra high accuracy gps sensors (one tucked behind the cluster and one in the tail). Those coupled with the gyro in the phone (or one on bike) should make it insanely accurate.

I don't care about the details of all the technology. All I know is that this thing is advanced, drool worthy, I want one, and sadly I won't get one.

Can I ride yours?

johnscruiser said:

The bike probably has dual onboard ultra high accuracy gps sensors (one tucked behind the cluster and one in the tail). Those coupled with the gyro in the phone (or one on bike) should make it insanely accurate.

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and when it breaks down, you have to hire this guy to fix it...

Dr. Luxurious said:

and when it breaks down, you have to hire this guy to fix it...

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I like my tech better

johnscruiser said:

I like my tech better

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Can I get your techs number? My ummm computers broke or something.