Last year we ran into a gentleman who'd ridden his Yamaha FJR1300 to the track. Nothing surprising about that, as that bike's proven a good mount for long-distance riding. Things got interesting, however, when the gray-haired FJR owner went about removing his hard luggage, taping up the headlights, and dropping the tire pressures. A half hour later he was squirting off toward turn one, while our paddock pals stood and watched in doubt. As for us, we couldn't help but feel like the guy had just set a bar we'd need to match. If he could slog through traffic all morning and then cut laps all day at the track, then surely we could too.
Over the past 12 months we've flirted with the idea of riding a testbike to the trackday and thought often about which bike we'd want to conduct our experiment with; we bet the FJR was undoubtedly comfortable on the ride to the track, but we couldn't help but feel like its performance envelope had been pushed within a matter of corners. Conversely, a Big Four literbike would offer the performance we were looking for on the track, but we'd no doubt have been looking for something a little plusher on the ride up (insert joke about us being flaming wusses here; play along though). Having just hopped off Aprilia's RSV4 Factory APRC ABS as part of our recent literbike comparison test ("Italy's Best," September '13), the Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC started looking like the perfect option.
Weapon of Choice
Introduced to Europe in 2011 and to the US market in 2012, the Tuono V4 R is loaded with all the features we've longed for in a naked bike—just enough edge has been taken off to make it a pleasant streetbike but not enough to render it boring. The 999.6cc V-4 engine is mostly the same as what you'd find in the Aprilia RSV4, though heavier flywheels on the crankshaft and a 20mm increase in velocity stack height provide a bit more low-end performance. The cam timing is different, and the transmission's first three cogs are shorter for easier around-town riding.
The Tuono’s chassis is slightly different than the RSV4’s, and the ergonomics have been reworked as a result. Biggest difference is that the steering head is 10mm farther forward and that the wheelbase has been extended by 25mm. The Tuono’s geometry figures are a bit more easygoing, which leads to that added wheelbase; the RSV4’s 24.5 degrees of rake is replaced by the Tuono’s 25-degree number, and the 105mm of trail by the naked bike’s 107.5mm measurement.
The V4 R's electronics have long mirrored the RSV4's, and that's mostly the case with our testbike, which comes standard with three separate riding modes—Track, Sport, and Road—and an Aprilia Performance Ride Control electronics package that includes eight-level traction control, Aprilia Quick Shifter, three-way-adjustable wheelie control, and launch control. For 2014, the package has been updated to replicate the changes that were made to the 2013 RSV4, with the updated 2014 Tuono V4 R now featuring adjustable ABS, updated APRC parameters, and a higher-capacity fuel tank. Our testbike is a 2013 model, as the 2014 model wasn't available at the time we conducted this test, but a sidebar with more information on the updated bike can be found on the succeeding page.
Real-World Living
The weeks leading up to our trackday were all about testing the Tuono's street manners and consisted mostly of us riding to and from the office. The (very) occasional stint through the canyon was thrown in for fun's sake, and a few long runs down the highway were used to judge the Tuono's all-round versatility. The bike didn't disappoint in many environments, though; the ergonomics (for obvious reasons) are more comfortable than they are on the RSV4, with the 15mm-lower footpegs providing enough room for the average-height rider and the seat plenty of support. An exceptionally wide handlebar makes navigating through heavy traffic a bit of a chore but offers plenty of leverage otherwise and put the mirrors far enough out that you can actually use them.
One of the very few downsides to the Tuono is engine performance in the lower part of the rev range, and despite being reworked for added grunt, the V-4 still feels flat below 2,500 rpm. Around-town stoplights are accompanied by a generous amount of clutch slip, and it’s not until you blow past 4,500 rpm that the bike starts to wake up. It didn’t help that the Tuono’s fuel light would come on every 95-ish miles or that it averaged just 29 mpg. On the plus side, we’ve become good friends with the local gas station attendants.
Handling in the tight stuff is exceptional, with the upright handlebar providing all the leverage you’d need to steer through a set of twisty roads and the Sachs suspension plenty of compliance but with enough damping to keep the bike composed through the middle of the corner. More impressive is the bike’s chassis, which feels stiff enough to keep the bike planted while on its side but has enough give to provide some feedback. Track and Sport modes provide the best throttle response, with Track requiring more respect from your right hand but that immediate response our Red Bull–hyped associate editor appreciates. Sport mode offers the most sensible throttle curve even still.
The Real Test
With the Tuono already proving its potential around town—hold for that low-rpm flat spot,which we gladly traded for its exhaust note and wherewithal at higher revs—we decided to put in a call to Fastrack Riders (fastrackriders.com/ (877) 560-2233) and see about getting to the key part of our test. A trackday was scheduled, and Bradley went about fine-tuning his game plan, a task that'd quickly become more and more complicated. But again, if that FJR rider we'd met could do it, so could we. Right?
The biggest problem with our plan was the Aprilia’s aforesaid fuel range and the fact that—unlike the FJR we’d seen—it didn’t have any luggage. A call to Auto Club Speedway confirmed there’d be no fuel for sale during the event, meaning a trip to the local Chevron during lunch would be necessary if we couldn’t rope someone into bringing extra fuel to the track. Moreover, we’d have to wear our suit out to the track and sling a backpack over our shoulders with all of our necessities: tape for the headlights, a (very) small assortment of tools, and some street clothes because, well, we weren’t about to spend the entire day in our sweat-soaked leathers.
The ride to the track was fairly painless, though one gas station attendant did have a laugh at our getup, and we’re pretty sure the majority of people we passed went back for a second glance; Bradley’s all-white suit and white helmet don’t exactly blend with the road. Ergonomics provided plenty of comfort on the highway though, and the engine is exceptionally smooth through the midrange, so there’s plenty to speak of in terms of comfort. Perhaps the only real problem we see is that the Tuono tends to run on the warm side, and the indicated 219-degree engine temp didn’t make the Southern California sun feel any cooler.
Things didn’t get easier once we showed up to the track, as we still had to tape up the Aprilia’s lights, adjust tire pressures, and tech the bike. An interesting note is that Fastrack Riders requires you remove the bike’s license plate, which was child’s play on the Aprilia, as the plate was held on by a plastic screw with ribbed edge for easy removal—no tools required! Also cool was that Fastrack Riders provided every participant with an AMB transponder free of charge and directed us to a webpage where lap times could be accessed almost instantly from your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
Fortunately for our reputation, the V4 R handled track duties with aplomb, and its 145 horsepower never left us without an ear-to-ear grin. The power advantage over the majority of bikes present was huge and allowed us take it easy in the corner and pass slower riders down the succeeding straight. The naked bike’s lower 12,250-rpm rev limiter (compared with the RSV4’s 13,250-rpm limiter) did require us, however, to pay close attention to the tach. We weren’t always able to catch a shift in time, but the Tuono still managed an unlaughable 161 mph through the NASCAR facility’s tri-oval or, to put things in perspective, was fast enough to rip our tech sticker right off the fairing. Impressive.
Tipping into the turn one chicane at Auto Club Speedway made the Tuono’s front end feel a bit vague, though we’re sure that the upright handlebar reduces front-end weight bias a bit. Similarly, the stock Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires didn’t provide a lot of grip or feel. We’ll definitively spoon some more track-oriented tires onto the Tuono for our return trip. Otherwise the bike feels plenty capable at the track, with decent stopping power coming from the lower-spec Brembo calipers (2014 calipers are new) and an electronics suite that is on par with the best superbikes money can buy. We experimented with the traction control system and ultimately landed on Level 3, as it provided more control over the overworked Pirelli tires. The transmission was smooth, and while the suspension needed to be tightened up just a bit to counter a wallow at the exit of the corner, it provided great feedback and control.
Easy? No. Fun? Yes.
Taking our Tuono V4 R from the street to the track wasn't the walk in the park we thought it'd be and required some forethought, but at the end of the day we were pretty happy with how the bike handled the experiment. Yeah, we wouldn't have minded somewhere to store our necessities, and it would've been nice to not have to worry about the fuel light coming on every two sessions. We worked around those drawbacks, however, and are pretty certain that you could too with just a little bit of planning.
The coolest part? On our ride home from the track we turned off the freeway and made one last run through the canyons—all while wearing a smile some 670-pound sport-tourer could never have given us.
Bradley Adams Bikes like the Tuono V4 R remind me of why I'd rather be on two wheels than four. This thing's got tons of manageable power (though I wouldn't mind if it was geared even shorter, as it's still a bit of a pain to get off the line), more character than 90 percent of the competition, and enough room in the saddle to commute to and from the office without complaint. It'll easily go down as one of my all-time favorite bikes, and this test just reaffirmed that.
Kent Kunitsugu
The Tuono V4 R is one of the few naked bikes that doesn't have to make any excuses. It's got enough performance to humble a good number of supersport machines out there, without the committed riding position and flashy bodywork. I'd prefer a slightly shorter first gear and more linear throttle response, along with more fuel range and perhaps a tad less weight, but those are nitpicks in the face of such superb capabilities.
+ Stable chassis
+ That V-4 exhaust note
+ Great electronics package
– Runs hot
– Tall first gear, even still
– Poor fuel mileage
x We can't get enough of this bike
Front: Spring preload—5 turns out from full stiff; rebound damping—6 clicks out from full stiff; compression damping—7 clicks out from full stiff; ride height—2 lines showing above top triple clamp Rear: Spring preload—10mm thread showing; rebound damping—10 clicks out from full stiff; compression damping—1.5 turns out from full stiff
MSRP: $13,999
Engine
Type: Liquid-cooled, 65° V-4
Valve arrangement: DOHC, 4 valves/cyl., shimunder-bucket adjustment
Displacement: 999.6cc
Bore x stroke: 78.0 x 52.3mm
Compression ratio: 13.0:1
Induction: Weber Marelli EFI, 48mm throttle bodies, dual injectors/cyl.
Transmission: 6-speed
Chassis
Front suspension: 43mm Sachs inverted cartridge fork with adjustable preload, rebound, and compression damping, 4.7 in. travel
Rear suspension: Sachs shock absorber with adjustable spring preload, rebound, and compression damping, 5.1 in. travel
Front brake: Dual 320mm rotors with dual Brembo radial-mount four-piston calipers
Rear brake: Single 220mm rotor with single two-piston caliper
Front wheel: 3.5 x 17 in., cast-aluminum alloy
Rear wheel: 6.0 x 17 in., cast-aluminum alloy
Front tire: 120/70ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa
Rear tire: 190/55ZR-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa
Rake/trail: 25.0°/ 4.2 in. (107.5mm)
Wheelbase: 56.9 in. (1445mm)
Seat height: 32.9 in. (835mm)
Fuel capacity: 4.5 gal. (17L)
Weight: 472 lbs. (214kg) wet; 445 lbs. (202kg) dry
Performance
Quarter-mile: 10.43 sec. @ 135.31 mph
Roll-ons: 60–80 mph/2.87 sec.; 80–100 mph/2.91 sec.
Fuel consumption: 27–31 mpg, 29 mpg avg.
- If headed to the track by yourself, talk with a trackday representative about how to get your equipment home in case of a fall. Always leave emergency contact info.
- A loose bolt does a lot more damage at 160 mph than at 25 mph. Check all hardware before hitting the track.
- Stay hydrated. Nothing's worse than having to skip out on your final sessions because you didn't drink enough fluids.
- There are no trophies to win at a trackday; just go out and have fun!
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