2014 Aprilia Tuono V4 R ABS Road Test Review

This review is part of our 2014 big-bore naked-bike comparison test, featuring the Aprilia Tuono V4R, BMW S 1000 R, Ducati Monster 1200 S, Kawasaki Z1000 ABS and KTM Super Duke R. Read the remainder of the test, and the reviews of the other bikes, here: Beasts, Not Beauties.

Wait, so the Aprilia Tuono V4 R finishes third? Isn’t this the bike that made mincemeat of the naked-bike competition just a few years back? And that’s without the recently introduced updates, which include (but aren’t limited to) a 0.4-gallon-larger fuel tank, Brembo M4.32 monoblock brake calipers, and modest engine revisions? Trust us; it hurts just as bad to write it as it does to read it.

Ergonomically speaking, the Tuono falls behind as a result of its tight, 17.2-inch footpeg-to-seat gap and seat, which is thicker than the Z1000’s plank but too firm. More to its favor, the Aprilia’s new 4.9-gallon fuel tank enables you to ride more than 100 miles without having to hunt for a gas station, and its wide, well-positioned bar makes steering inputs a figurative walk in the park; the KTM is the only bike that steers as light.

The Tuono’s V-4 engine is, in one word, exhilarating. Not perfect but more entertaining than the Ducati or Kawi engine and matched to one of the most melodic exhaust notes this side of a crossplane-crank. A perceptible spike in the power at 5,500 rpm—and a few other steps in the power/torque curve—make the bike somewhat difficult to ride in the canyons, but at the same time, it’s this light-switch-like power that makes the bike so much fun to ride. More to its credit, there’s a near-perfect connection between the Tuono’s throttle, engine, and rear wheel, plus the electric-shiftassist transmission is the best of the bunch.

The Aprilia’s electronics package is more sophisticated and less a nuisance than any other rider aid package in this comparison. Aprilia Traction Control settings, which have a new logic for permitting slip based on corner speed, are easy to adjust via the paddle buttons on the left side of the handlebar, and the system doesn’t make itself known until you’re really cranked over, accelerating hard off a corner. When the traction control program does initiate a cut, it does so in a way that keeps your chest from slamming into the tank, a problem you could potentially face on the KTM. Okay, the KTM’s system isn’t that bad, but the Aprilia’s traction control system really is that good, plus you can adjust the wheelie control separately, a nice feature the hooligan in you will come to love.

Like the KTM, the light-handling Aprilia falls into a corner with ease and changes direction with a sense of immediacy; it and the Super Duke R are the least exhausting bikes to ride in the canyons and, thanks to a narrow midsection, plenty easy to clasp onto. Sadly, comparisons to the Duke end there, as the Aprilia’s suspension is a notch behind that bike’s bits and in need of some attention, internally. Biggest concern is that there’s just not as much damping control. Brakes are a concern as well, with the new ABS setup significantly limiting feel when you first grab the binders. Power never really ramps up either.

In many ways, the Tuono V4 R is to the modern naked-bike category what the Ducati Streetfighter was to the same category a few years back: an entertaining-as-hell machine that’s, albeit imperfect, capable of wooing anyone with the slightest addiction to adrenaline. Which, ugh, is everyone, right? At $14,499, it packs a whole lot of punch for a lot less money than the Super Duke R too.

Test Notes + Smooth rider-aid intervention + Light handling + Best transmission in the group - Stiff seat - Tall first gear - Brake power and feel x Smiles, guaranteed

Suggested Suspension Settings FRONT: Spring preload—3 turns in from full soft; rebound damping—5 clicks out from full stiff; compression damping—10 clicks out from full stiff; ride height—0mm showing above top triple clamp REAR: Spring preload—10mm thread showing; rebound damping—13 clicks out from full stiff; compression damping—1.75 turns out from full stiff

Continue reading our 2014 big-bore naked-bike comparison test here: Beasts, Not Beauties.

Related articles: