Aprilia's lethal weapon

The latest iteration of the super naked Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 has been launched and it's one lethal weapon!

Since the year 2000, the litre-class sport bikes have not had the same impact they once did. In this generation, various derivatives of these very bikes have come to party and acquired centerstage. Of these, the sport naked machines are the most popular as they offer the madness of a superbike in a usable and practical avatar. And the age in which 160PS superbike was considered suicidal has long gone; nakeds are getting close to their 200PS faired counterparts.

And now, the new Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 has arrived to push these boundaries further. If you fancy a race-spec motorcycle which is comfortable enough for a daily commute, the Tuono V4 1100 is the perfect pick. Way back in 2002, the Tuono arrived and with its performance redefined and created a new category of super nakeds. Till date, it is regarded as one of the craziest nakeds and not without reason. We finally have got our hands on the factory version of the latest generation Tuono, and it's a mayhem on two wheels with 175PS power!

Design

The new generation Tuono is sportier than the old one. It is a lot similar to the RSV4 too. The factory version comes with fantastic paint job, courtesy Aprilia’s WSBK machine. The paint job might not look very appealing to some, but combined with the red alloys, it is a sight to behold.

The front wheel is wide, yet manages to look compact. But the most aesthetic aspect of this bike is the huge 200-section rear tyre which rolls underneath a small tailpiece that’s a straight lift-off from the latest RSV4 RF. The bike has a raw appeal. It's not exactly gorgeous, as this word better describes the Italian designs, but is definitely a bike which you can keep looking at and feeling amazed.

Engine and performance

Super naked bikes are all about their raw power and performance. You want them to throw you back when you pull the throttle and lift the rear wheel when you jab on the brakes. And if this is what you desire, the Tuono V4 1100 sits right at the top of the food chain.

The best mechanical bit of this bike is its engine -- a bored-out version of the 999cc engine on the earlier Tuono. It lets you cut through city traffic with ease and even go supersonic on an empty patch. With that insane figure of 175PS, this bike dares you to open the throttle wide.

To help you with all that power, it comes with a whole bunch of circuitry. To start with, the bike comes with the latest iteration of APRC (Aprilia Performance and Ride Control) system, easily the most advanced package one can get today. You have to be really careful of the bike’s power delivery, irrespective of the make you are riding right now.

The Tuono takes less than three seconds to hit the 100 km/h mark, which puts it in the superbike territory. Reach the 9,000rpm and all hell breaks loose. 150 km/h comes up easily and accelerating further is also relentless. All courtesy the excellent V4 motor that’s heavy on technology and low on weight, all the while being supremely refined.

Electronics

We don't usually dedicate a full section to electronics in our reviews, but with eight levels of traction control (changeable on the fly with handlebar-mounted buttons), three levels of Race ABS, three levels of wheelie control and three levels of launch control, the Tuono V4 1100 Factory is an exception.

Let's not get confused; the lower the number, the lesser the intrusion. The Tuono without these electronic aids would be un-ride-able. It will turn into an absolute beast. But if you have it in you to move to the lowest possible level, the Tuono will become a tyre-smoking, power-sliding monster at every corner exit.

Ride, handling and braking

A big difference between the Factory and the RR version of this bike is the suspension. The Factory gets fully adjustable Ohlins forks, monoshock and also the steering damper. That is the equipment which will put track-spec superbikes to shame! All this gives the rider immense confidence to enter and exit corners at much higher speeds than expected.

Credit also goes to the highly acclaimed RSV4 RF chassis that benefits from Aprilia’s WSBK titles. Further, the riding position is also really comfortable thanks to a tall, one piece handlebar and a streamlined seat.

The Tuono Factory features some of the Brembo best offerings in brakes. It gets twin 320mm rotors with monoblock radial-mount calipers that offer class-leading braking which is combined with the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres. This combination is hard to miss and offers ridiculously high grip levels.

Verdict

The Tuono V4 1100 Factory is brilliant to ride. It has the best to offer in every aspect -- engine, performance, handling, braking, electronics, etc. It's sad that most riders will only be able to scratch the surface of its performance. The bike exceeds all expectations, but Rs 19.14 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune) price marker makes it ridiculously costly, and it sits below the most costly super naked, the BMW S1000R.

At this price, you can easily get a Kawasaki Z1000 or the Suzuki GSX-S1000 and still save a few lakhs to spare; and these bikes are potent enough to give you thrills. The monetary aspect aside, the Tuono V4 1100 Factory is perhaps the most brutal yet sweetest motorcycle money one can buy.

But keep in mind that Piaggio, Aprilia’s parent company, has just a couple of dealerships in the country, including its first official multi-brand dealership -- the Motoplex in Pune. This might pose a problem for some. For Aprilia to grow as a product, it needs to price the bike considerably lower, since the Tuono has what it takes to trounce its competition.