lator-illa
Well-known member
They are in MotoGP, but not as a manufacturer. Aspar team was using Aprilia bikes for a good period of time.
This sounds about right.
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MotoGP 2015: Aprilia or Suzuki?
- Thread starter GixxerL2
- Start date
They are in MotoGP, but not as a manufacturer. Aspar team was using Aprilia bikes for a good period of time.
This sounds about right.
Suzuki already has a bike ready to go, and was thinking of racing in 2014.
Suzuki is in good financial shape now after they shut down the car business.
i have no idea where Aprilia is getting money to enter MotoGP.
This. Honda dominates the premier class but I'd much rather have an rsv than a cbr.
I put Aprillia ahead of Suzuki because they already have the ART bike developed. They'll use that. Even though Suzuki has been developing a bike for the last few years, it's still an unknown commodity. I could be wrong. I don't feel that strongly about it one way or another, but I do think that they will eventually both pull out simply because they will never match the funds that the other 3 are putting in. I would even waiver on Ducati since that Marlboro money is going to eventually dry up, if not already, unless Audi commits heavily thereafter.
GixxerL2
Well-known member
From me, Veteq, SonnyTheBull, Neil_v, Shaman, etc
Aprilia produces great bikes especially RSV4 and Tuono but their marketing strategy sucks. Most of my riding friends had never even heard Aprilia, much less riding it. Back home Honda and Yamaha sold about 500 bikes per day in 2011, probably the biggest market for them both. You can see that from their slogans (in Indonesian language) on their bikes and jackets, "Semakin di Depan" for Yamaha and "Satu Hati" for Honda. Kawasaki had tried twice to compete with them but went bankrupt after 3-4 years and Suzuki can barely survive against those giants.
GixxerL2
Well-known member
Yap I agree with you, that CBR is an out-dated bike. Only Jonathan Rea can ride that CBR like a pro, his bike alone is way behind Kawasaki, Ducati and Aprilia. May be next year Honda will release "new" CBR, a Repsol version with Marquez signature and people will line up to buy it
I pay no more then i would for any 1000cc SS, and had no trouble finding insurance. If you were referring to large displacement SS bikes in general, then I can agree with that statement.
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
Actually, insurance was the sole reason I went with a KTM RC8r over the Aprilia RSV4.
Even though the KTM has 190cc's more, insurance was $525 less per year.
Sure, they're different bikes, and I love my KTM, there's still some lust in my system for the RSV4..
RE: Ducati
I think their results are only happening because they are now in the open class (CRT).
I think their results are only happening because they are now in the open class (CRT).
The only real race advantage being provided is the additional fuel capacity, which shows in the brutal acceleration and straight-line speed of the GP14. The soft tire available is not up to the task of making use of the Ducati power for a full 45 minute race while still having a chance at the podium. At best, it can be used to instill some confidence in the riders with a solid practice session.
The additional engine allocation and ability to develop the engine during the season are certainly welcomed, but those mean nothing if the people in charge (Gigi) do not make the most of that opportunity. I'd say strong forward progress is being made because the modified open/factory rules Ducati have been playing under give them the ability to develop during the season, not because of any race-day specific advantage.
They are being given some special privilege, but it's their own doing in taking advantage of that through the long term.
Kevin Schwantz said the bike was ready for 2014 and he wanted them to run the last few races.
New Dorna rules will be dramatically cutting costs, like the common ECU. It's the reason why so many new manufacturers are committing, like KTM.
I don't deny any of that, but manufacturers don't like to lose. They either win or eventually pull out. Losing is not good for PR.
Crashtest
Well-known member
2013 was not the first year aprilia was in WSBK, that was actually in 1999. I stand corrected, they didn't win that year, they just placed 3rd, which is still quite an accomplishment I think. 2010 they won their first WSBK which was 1 year after they entered the RSV4. They tried the twin formula in 500cc racing and didn't do all that well, and then again in 4-stroke racing with the Cube.
As was pointed out, while Piaggio is not rolling in dough, aprilia still have lots more money backing them now than they ever did before.
Crashtest
Well-known member
From me, Veteq, SonnyTheBull, Neil_v, Shaman, etc
Aprilia produces great bikes especially RSV4 and Tuono but their marketing strategy sucks. Most of my riding friends had never even heard Aprilia, much less riding it. Back home Honda and Yamaha sold about 500 bikes per day in 2011, probably the biggest market for them both. You can see that from their slogans (in Indonesian language) on their bikes and jackets, "Semakin di Depan" for Yamaha and "Satu Hati" for Honda. Kawasaki had tried twice to compete with them but went bankrupt after 3-4 years and Suzuki can barely survive against those giants.
aprilia has always been a much bigger name in Europe than here.
Cube was a triple.
I just hope they last more than 2 years in GP this time around
.. I also question why they haven't jumped into Moto3, they could do well with a 250 street bike and what better place to develop and market small displacement bikes. The RS4 they have in Europe is a Great looking minime RSV4, even comes with a quick-shifter! But its only a 15bhp 125 
Shaman
Well-known member
Aprilia never really raced in MotoGP, the Cube was the only real attempt but the engine made too much power, the electronics were not yet sorted out and it had no traction control - it was just about unridable. Detuning it helped, but clearly that's not desirable. Aprilia just didn't give themselves enough lead time to make the package work before they brought it out to the track, unfortunately. I forget who said it but one of the GP racers has said that with today's technology, the Cube would be a force to reckon with.
But in 250GP, Aprilia dominated for years. The v-twin 250 engine package was leaps and bounds above Honda's NSR setup.
Anyway, I don't know what to make of either. I also don't know how Aprilia managed not to sell a @#$%ton of RSV4s and Tuono V4s when they're such a great bike and some magazines have crowned it "the king" of superbikes. As has already been said, ride one for a while and you get it... they turn like a 600, go like a 1000 and hold a line like a track bike right out of the box. With no modifications to suspension settings and Q3 tires (I ran 26 PSI rear and 28 front PSI cold), I was running 1:58s at Shannonville LT going nice and soft into corners on mine, mirrors on it and all. With slicks... I'm sure I can't go any faster on my GSXR 1000, but then I'm not a pro, either...
10K and four track days with the bike, and I have had exactly one issue. The bolts holding the wheel to the sprocket assembly came loose and some of them actually came out inside the hub. There was no sign of thread lock on the bolts. This is a semi-common issue with that make of wheel. I re-assembled the wheel and used blue loctite on them, hopefully that will solve the issue. Compared to some other bikes I've owned, that's a pretty good track record... my Sprint ST needed a shock rebuild, the rear hardbag lock malfunctioned and the front calipers stuck; my 750 needed a new stator at 8500km.
All of that being said, they'd better not bring a current RSV4 unless they're racing CRT.
But in 250GP, Aprilia dominated for years. The v-twin 250 engine package was leaps and bounds above Honda's NSR setup.
Anyway, I don't know what to make of either. I also don't know how Aprilia managed not to sell a @#$%ton of RSV4s and Tuono V4s when they're such a great bike and some magazines have crowned it "the king" of superbikes. As has already been said, ride one for a while and you get it... they turn like a 600, go like a 1000 and hold a line like a track bike right out of the box. With no modifications to suspension settings and Q3 tires (I ran 26 PSI rear and 28 front PSI cold), I was running 1:58s at Shannonville LT going nice and soft into corners on mine, mirrors on it and all. With slicks... I'm sure I can't go any faster on my GSXR 1000, but then I'm not a pro, either...
10K and four track days with the bike, and I have had exactly one issue. The bolts holding the wheel to the sprocket assembly came loose and some of them actually came out inside the hub. There was no sign of thread lock on the bolts. This is a semi-common issue with that make of wheel. I re-assembled the wheel and used blue loctite on them, hopefully that will solve the issue. Compared to some other bikes I've owned, that's a pretty good track record... my Sprint ST needed a shock rebuild, the rear hardbag lock malfunctioned and the front calipers stuck; my 750 needed a new stator at 8500km.
All of that being said, they'd better not bring a current RSV4 unless they're racing CRT.
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GixxerL2
Well-known member
Suzuki wasn't sure with their ECU. If I'm not mistaken, they first went with Mitsubishi in 2013 then switched to Magneti Marelli earlier this year so they need time to transfer and make adjustment with the program. On the other hand Aprilia planned to enter MotoGP in 2016 but the test result with Biaggi confirmed that they are ready for next year. Electronics make a big difference in modern superbike and Aprilia is very strong in this department.
But ECU will be standard and common.
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