A Full Test of The Aprilia RSV Mille—From The Archives

This article was originally published in the April 2000 issue of Sport Rider.

After our initial riding impression of Aprilia's RSV Mille way back when (December '98, to be exact), U.S. sportbike enthusiasts anxiously awaited the innovative V-twin's arrival on North American shores. They waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, after several delays due to various obscure DOT requirements ("You wouldn't believe some of the things they were making us do to the bike," lamented an Aprilia spokesman), the first Milles began to appear in U.S. dealerships around October, 1999. These bikes were naturally snapped up by patient customers; the problem, however, was we were left without a bike to conduct a full, in-depth test. It was one of those rare occasions where Sport Rider's readers could thumb their noses at us for getting the opportunity to ride and own the latest and greatest before we ever got the chance to swing a leg over it for an extended period of time.

All right, already—you guys can cease with the snickering and rude gestures now.

So what is our verdict after spending some quality time with the newest V-twin sportbike from Europe to hit U.S. pavement? It’s most likely the same as those of lucky owners who’ve already been riding their Milles for several months now.

The RSV Mille's styling cues definitely don't come from the same mold as the Ducati 996 (the acknowledged visual confection benchmark of the sportbike world). That is not to say the Mille lacks appeal—on the contrary, the bike's overall styling draws its inspiration from the flowing lines of a jet aircraft. From its twin taillamps peeking out from underneath the sleek, yet angular tailsection, to the twin radiators and lone oil cooler nicely integrated into the fairing's inner cowl, the Mille's visual sense strikes a nice balance between form and function.

Swinging a leg over the Mille reveals a fairly tall saddle height, which, at 32.5 inches, places it among the least favorites for the inseam-challenged. The ergonomics are fairly spacious, however, with decent legroom and a short reach to the moderately placed clip-ons. The bike’s midsection is nicely sculpted to keep it as narrow as possible, allowing the rider to tuck his legs in easily, while the rather firm seat broadens out for strong glute support.

One of the advantages of fuel injection is supposed to be quick warm-up; our Mille test unit, however, exhibited an extremely cold-blooded personality during cooler morning startups. Although the bike could be ridden off after 15 seconds of warm-up, it would refuse to idle until the coolant temperature reached at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and some surging was noticeable at light throttle settings until that point was reached. After several minutes of riding, however, the throttle response was crisp, and the bike idled fine.

Tooling around town showcases the Mille powerplant's highly impressive low/midrange grunt. The overall gearing doesn't feel overly tall such as the Ducati 996's, which allows the Aprilia to literally leap away from stoplights with little effort. Strong, usable power is available as low as 3000 rpm, and the RSV is a quick revver as far as V-twins go. Our test unit initially proved a bear to find neutral at stoplights and shifting was a tad notchy, but several hundred miles later, the transmission seemed to work itself in, and the problem became less apparent.

Out of the city and onto the highway, the Mille proves to be a fairly hospitable long-distance companion. The V-twin loafs along at an indicated 4000 rpm at 70 mph, and the internal counterbalancers smooth the power pulses out considerably. Wind deflection from the rather spacious (for a sportbike, any­way) fairing is excellent, and the mirrors provide a decent rear­ward view, albeit a slightly vibration-blurred one. Fuel economy was average by sportbike standards, with the low-fuel dash light usually coming on at approximately 150 miles, signaling that there is less than a gallon (and about 45 miles) left.

Although we liked the dash’s digital LCD readouts and shift-light-equipped analog tachometer (which can be adjusted to blink at any rpm), there were some minor problems with reflections partially obscuring some of the displayed data. Since the dash panels themselves are flat and the plexiglass faces are glossy, bright sunlight caused reflections while riding in a normal upright position that sometimes made it difficult to spot dash information at a glance.

Once on curvy pavement, however, the Mille shines. The Aprilia's chassis has sought a combination of agility and stability to instill rider confidence through the gnarliest fast sections and the tightest, twistiest bits. Initial turn-in is easier than a Ducati 996 or a Suzuki TL1000R, and the Mille can carve tight stuff with the best of them, despite a somewhat truckish (by today's ultra-stubby standards, at least) 55.7-inch wheelbase. Flicking from one extreme lean to the other takes some muscle, however, due to the bike's slightly tall dimensions.

Once dialed in, the suspension does an excellent job of absorbing pavement imperfections without upsetting the chassis. We say “once dialed in” due to the time spent getting some of the basic suspension requirements set-up for our weight and riding styles. The rear shock spring rate in particular is a bit soft; we had to crank in some serious spring preload before we could get anywhere near the proper sag spec, and that was with the 135-pound editor aboard.

We also noticed that the damping rate increments—particularly the rebound damping—were somewhat larger than most, in both the Sachs/Boge rear shock and the Showa 43mm inverted fork. Once we got close to 1.5 turns out from full stiff, even as little as a quarter-turn made a huge difference in the damping rate.

Front-end feedback, while not quite on par with a Ducati 996, was very good. And braking power from the front Brembo four-piston calipers was excellent, with great modulation and little to no fade under the harshest usage. We would prefer just a bit more power from the rear brake, however, although Aprilia engineers probably specified it that way due to the engine's unique pneumatic slipper clutch (actuated by a small chamber next to the clutch pack that is connected to the intake tract) that suppresses rear wheel hop during aggressive deceleration.

And speaking of the engine, the Mille’s 998cc powerplant drew nothing but raves from all of our testers. Once properly warmed up, the 60-degree V-twin displays crisp throttle response from its single-injector EFI system, and suffers only the slightest bit of off/on throttle abruptness that plagues some other fuel-injection systems. The low-to-midrange power feels stronger than a Ducati 996, and its quick-revving nature only accentuates the acceleration that much further. Power builds in an ever-increasing crescendo from 3000 rpm on up to 10,000 rpm, just before the rev-limiter that cuts in 10,500 rpm. This thing definitely gets with the program, and the dyno run figures of 113.6 horsepower @ 9500 rpm proved that emphatically.

We also came to appreciate the aforementioned pneumatic slipper clutch during banzai corner entries that had us using up all of the Brembos’ available braking power. While not totally eliminating rear-wheel hop (it can only deal with a certain degree of ham-fisted downshifting), the Mille does a good job of stifling it as much as possible, permitting us to concentrate on more important cornering tasks. We could feel its actuation when the throttle was shut, as the bike seemed to “freewheel” a bit instead of displaying the harsh compression braking normally associated with big V-twins.

Until recently, it seemed as if the rush to build the best sporting twin was beginning to lose momentum. Bikes such as Yamaha's R1 seemed to reassert the inline-four's traditional dominance and relegate the V-twin to the role of underdog once again. But Aprilia's RSV Mille has the performance potential to put V-twin sportbikes back atop the heap, and do it emphatically. Here is one of those rare serious sportbikes that can do it all—commuter duty, canyon shredder, and sport-tourer—without whupping the rider into submission, or forcing him to adapt to various idiosyncrasies. And at a suggested retail of $13,799, it's also a way to own Italian exclusivity at a reasonable price.

But all you people out there who have one already knew that.

Suspension Settings:
FRONT: Ride height: fork tubes dropped to 18mm above triple clamp; Spring preload: 6 lines showing; Rebound damping: 1.5 turns out from full stiff; Compression damping: 1 turn out from full stiff.

REAR: Ride height: minimum shock length; Spring preload: 35mm from top of shock threads; Rebound damping: 7 clicks out from full stiff; Compression damping: 22 clicks out from full stiff.

SR Opinions:
When I rode the Mille in Spain over a year ago, I was highly impressed with its versatility in both track and street modes. But Europe is an altogether different animal than the U.S., so I anxiously waited to see how Aprilia's new V-twin would fare over here. And now that we've finally gotten our paws on one, I'm glad that my original impressions have been retained on the U.S. model.

While some would complain that the Aprilia lacks the character and soul of a Ducati, I would disagree; the Mille has a distinct personality that has a similar appeal to the desmo, yet still remains different. The exhaust note’s throaty roar has the unmistakable tone of a V-twin, yet doesn’t remind you of a Duck or Suzuki TL. And its powerband is one of the best V-twin spreads I’ve ever experienced, with gobs of torque and acceleration off the bottom coupled with a revvy nature not unlike the Suzuki’s. The chassis is stellar, and the suspension—while not perfect—is highly capable.

Oh, there are the usual nitpicks. The dash reflections bug me, and I'd like some suspension sophistication more in line with the limited R-model's Öhlins pieces. But those are just that—nitpicks. When compared to the overall feeling of competence and outright fun you'll experience as you swoop through a set of curves, the Mille flat out rocks.
—Kent Kunitsugu

I've never really considered myself much of a twin fan. Most of them just don't gel with me for everyday use, and the nicer ones (read: the Ducatis) I've always thought are too expensive for my pocketbook and for what they are. But when I'm aboard the Aprilia, I find myself thinking that yeah, I could own one of these babies. My first impression on riding the Mille home one evening was that it was a very uh…Japanese motorcycle, for want of a better word. Basically quirk free, well sorted fuel injection, and great power and smoothness below 5000 rpm—right where I like it—make this bike great fun in the city as well as the curvy bits. But labeling it Japanese doesn't mean it lacks character; think the 996 is an attention-getter? At every light in town I have to tell people just what the heck the Mille is. And the sound, oh the sound…definitely unique, definitely thrilling to run through the gears down a lone country road just to hear it. Sure the Aprilia is a bit on the pricey side, but it's more within reach than the 996; for that much money, I could even have the R model. Come the think of it, the R's better suspension would be nice. Let's see, trade in the old Gixxer, the rest over five years….
—Andrew Trevitt

Compare the Mille to our Review of the Suzuki V-Twin-Powered TL1000R