Loud and lightning quick
Aprilia has refined and improved its Tuono 1100 Factory bike, Paul Owen writes.
This road test is bought to you by the letters AC and DC, because it’s easy to be thunderstruck by the new Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory.
The name Tuono is Italian for thunder and the booming 175bhp V4 in the midst of the machine certainly allows plenty of access to lightning-like speed. But it’s the soundtrack of the V4 engine that is truly mesmerising.
The Latin streetbike sings like a Motogp V4 that’s had its voice lowered an octave or two after a hard night. Consider it the mechanical equivalent of Barry White performing a duet with Luciano Pavarotti.
That sound isn’t the only thing that makes this supernaked so absolutely super either. No competitor for the Tuono feels so much like a superbike that has simply had some of the upper bodywork pruned back and a one-piece handlebar fitted instead of racing clip-ons.
The Tuono gives every impression that it is simply the Aprilia RSV4 RF given a more upright riding position to suit a tighter racetrack. The power arrives with superbike force, the Ohlins suspension controlling both wheels has staunch spring rates more targeted towards a trackday than riding on the road, and there is a GPS module fitted that can ‘learn’ which way a track goes and refine the bike’s many electronic riding aids according to nuances in the layout.
With the $28,900 Factory model, it all comes wrapped in a livery that Aprilia rightly calls ‘Superpole’. As usual with bikes packing RSV4 genes, the highlypolished alloy frame spars and neat routing of cabling and plumbing add to an impression of upmarket quality.
That gets further enhanced by the Ohlins forks, rear shock, and steering damper fitted to the Factory along with the supersticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres. Just the front suspension would cost you $4000 if you purchased it in the aftermarket. Why would anyone spend just $3000 less on the Sachssuspended $25,000 Tuono RR?
Well, one reason is that the RR also provides access to what I believe is the finest engine in the performance streetbike sector. The thunder is no less intense and the acceleration is no less ballistic when opting for the RR ahead of the Factory, and the $3K saving pays for lots of tyre/ fuel bills over the term of ownership. For the Tuono has quite some appetite for resources, whether to fuel its explosive performance or translate it into action. Some MV Agustas use less 96-octane than this bike’s engine, and that’s something few motorcycles can boast.
But never mind the outgoings, savour the yield. Tuonos come with three throttle modes – Sport, Track, and Race – and they’re all complete nutcases in their programming. All offer the full quota of power, which is about as much as I’d feel comfortable to handle when riding in an upright position rather than a more prone sporting crouch.
The major difference between the modes appears to be the amount of engine braking you get when closing the throttle. Sport felt particularly abrupt in this regard, so I spent most my time aboard the Aprilia with the throttle in the mid-setting – Track.
The Tuono gets 3mm-wider cylinder bores for 2016, along with a lighter crankshaft, Pankl connecting rods and larger valves, and the V4 now breathes through 48mm throttle bodies. The changes deliver a power and torque improvement that averages 12 per cent across the entire rev range.
It’s a motor that’s ready and eager right from idle to redline, but just when you think the midrange performance couldn’t be improved on, the V4 kicks even harder when it reaches 8000rpm.
There are plenty of times when Tuono riders will be thankful of the bike’s adjustable wheelie control. Even in my preferred TC/WC setting – ‘3’ – the Tuono was constantly tugging its front wheel skywards while merely riding it in high gears and snapping opening the throttle. The counter-balanced V4 was already smooth and responsive when back in 1000cc form, but it is now even more so with the lighter engine internals and improved throttle management.
Likewise, the chassis has also been enhanced using one of my favoured strategies – extra wheelbase combined with steeper steering geometry. The 4mm-longer swingarm increases stability through bumpy corners, while the more steeply raked steering head of the frame keeps everything feeling delightfully agile. Normally, I’m not a big fan of 200mm-wide rear tyres because of the steering inertia they tend to create, particularly when bombing our tight and twisty backroads.
The Tuono easily overcomes this with its leveraged handlebar controlling some of the most willing steering in the street-fighter sector. Couple this to the feelsome and powerful Brembo M432 brakes, and the taut wheel travel control of the Ohlins suspension, and you have a handling dynamic that few other super-streetbikes can match.
So much so, I wish Aprilia would take this platform and spin a sports-tourer from it. This sophisticated streetbike is crying out for a little more weather protection and a mildlytilted-forward riding position. The paranormal performance of the Tuono would then feel just that little bit more manageable and sustainable. And Aprilia would then have a powerful rival for Ducati’s coming new Supersport.