Aprilia unveils 2009 superbike
Slick V-four points way for road bikesIt looks like the Noale-based Aprilia will be the first Italian maker to produce a V-four bike in volume, if the new superbike is anything to go by.
The slick-looking machine was unveiled at a Piaggio Group (which owns the brand) convention in Milan on March 22, with a huge crowd in attendance.
Aprilia says the bike, called the RSV4 is pencilled in to enter World Superbike racing in 2009.
The 1000cc machine claims over 200 horses in race form, though no figures are offered for the road version, due to be unwrapped late this year.
The company claims: "The Aprilia RSV 4 is driven by the most revolutionary and powerful engine ever built by Aprilia. A four-cylinder one litre 65° V engine - a layout making it unique among all the world's production engines - in which the most sophisticated engine engineering is combined with top quality materials and the most advanced electronic control technology.
"The Aprilia engine in fact uses integral ride-by-wire technology, opening up new frontiers in managing such a powerful engine, with almost infinite possibilities for controlling power output and traction."
Rival Ducati has of course been racing a V4 at MotoGP level for several years, winning last year's championship, and is producing a hand-built limited edition road-going version of the machine.
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