First ride: RSV4 Carbon Special Edition

This is what happens when the Australian arm of Aprilia "goes ballistic in the Aprilia Racing accessory department". And it's damn impressive

Has Aprilia just hit a marketing bull’s eye? It may well have, thanks to the RSV4 Carbon Special Edition (Carbon SE) which has just been launched as an exclusive to Australian customers – although some other key western markets will undoubtedly be sitting up and taking notice of what’s happening down under.

There’s no doubt that 2012 has been a testing one – in a retail sense -- for Aprilia’s V-four sports bike, which comes in two configurations: the standard RSV4 R and the RSV4 Factory, which is the donor bike for the Carbon SE.

Sales haven’t reached the same level as Aprilia’s Japanese counterparts, and the BMW S 1000 RR is the biggest selling European sports bike.

But that’s certainly not an indictment on a machine which the Bikesales Network has ridden and lauded, complete with a beautifully fruity note and a sensational power rush all the way to about 12,500rpm. For sheer buzz-generating properties, there aren’t too many other bikes which can look the RSV4s in the eye – except for perhaps the Dorsoduro 1200 supermoto machine, but for entirely different mischief-hunting roundabout-leaping reasons….

Aprilia’s national importer, John Sample Automotive, still knows it’s got one doozy of a sports bike on its books, so it hatched a shrewd plan. It began embellishing the Factory model with swathes of carbon -- as opposed to splashes in its standard form -- and sell it as a limited-edition model.

It’s a lovely big picture strategy: more Factorys out the door, and new owners get exclusivity with a top-of-the-range masterpiece. And the Carbon SE is a striking bike to look at, dominated by the fairing and chunky ‘Carbon’ logo emblazoned on it.

THE EXHAUSTIVE LIST

The full list of premium genuine accessories on the Carbon SE is as follows:

Full Aprilia Racing carbon fibre fairing
Aprilia DPM clutch and brake levers
Aprilia rear tail tidy
Aprilia Racing fully adjustable billeted aluminium rear sets
Aprilia Racing insignia pick-up knobs
Aprilia insignia handlebar weights
Lightweight lithium hi-performance battery
Aprilia Racing tinted race screen
Aprilia Racing carbon fibre engine case covers
Aprilia carbon fibre exhaust hanger
Aprilia carbon fibre heel guards

Each Carbon SE is also fitted with an individually numbered identification plate fitted to the frame representing the build and VIN number.

Finally, there is also a bonus merchandise pack which includes:

A set of Pirelli Diablo Corsa SP tyres
Aprilia genuine merchandise pack of race jacket, cap, key ring and USB with Aprilia Racing video
Aprilia rear race stand
Aprilia bike cover
Pirelli race cap

TOP SHELF

And then there are the mouth-watering standard features on the Factory which makes it such an exotic production bike: magnesium engine cases, ride-by-wire engine management system, slipper clutch, Ohlins suspension, aluminium dual-beam chassis, Brembo monoblock calipers and adjustable engine mounts, all hustled along by the 999.6cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve, 65-degree V4 engine – which Aprilia claims has even more power and torque with the Aprilia Racing exhaust.

And the techno porn is courtesy of the Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC), which includes an eight-setting traction control, wheelie control, launch control and a quickshifter.

In Carbon SE form, the bike has shed a whopping 10kg, with the Aprilia Racing exhaust and lithium-ion battery producing the biggest gains. The dry weight of the Carbon SE is a claimed 169kg, as opposed to 179kg for the Factory.

In the top-tier of production-based racing, the RSV4R Factory has been an outstanding success, with Max Biaggi romping his way to World Superbike success in 2010, and Marco Melandri (BMW) appears the only rider capable of arresting his march to title No. 2 in 2012 with five rounds still remaining.

SHARPER OUTLOOK

As for the production model, the Factory is unashamedly track focussed in its own way, and that’s the way of the world with the Carbon SE – but with an even sharper focus. It’s still the typical sports bike diet of hard seat, weight on wrists and kinked-back neck – sacrifices made in pursuit of the bigger picture: out and out entertainment.

With over 10kg lopped from the equation, matched to the top-shelf Ohlins suspension, the Carbon SE takes the Factory feeling of nimbleness to another level, and more aggressive riding is rewarded with even better feel, particularly from the front end – which already does a great job of sticking to its guns with the high-performance Pirelli Diablo Corsa SP tyre holding court. And with such quality suspension and damping, there’s a sense you can always ‘know’ what’s happening, especially on some variable surfaces.

However, when roads become a little bumpy, you do notice that the suspension is ultra firm on the Carbon SE, and softening it up at both ends not only minimises some of the back-crunching high-compression hits, but also stabilises the bike.

Of course, on a race track the whole dynamics change, simply because the surface is smoother for a start.

CONNECTION

The Carbon SE’s engine management system may be complex -- ride-by-wire throttle and Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection and variable height intake ducts – but the end result is quite simple really: a beautiful connection to the road.

It’s been a while since I have ridden a Factory, but I reckon the Carbon just feels marginally crisper in that 5000-10,000rpm zone, with the sizeable weight reduction and Akrapovic exhaust the main drivers. Just the weight gain alone makes a real difference to power and torque to weight ratios.

Either way, the V4 is a giant killer in those revs, and it’s also where the quickshifter can be used to its full capacity, seamlessly working up through the cogs and into the next wedge of creamy smooth power.

And then when it’s time to shift down, the slipper clutch on the Carbon SE is impeccable, and if you want to trail on the brakes through a turn, the Brembo brakes are beyond reproach. If that’s not a giant-killing combination, then nothing is….

The only real vice with the engine is below 3000rpm, where there’s a little hesitation – similar to an athlete rolling their shoulders to shake out the nervous tension before the real business begins. That’s like the Carbon SE: the engine’s burbling, just readying itself for some decent action.

There are three riding modes on the Carbon SE: T (track), S (sports) and R (road), which can all be changed on the fly. T and S are the pick for me, even in the wet, as the throttle response is crisper – which means more confidence in my books.

GOING BALLISTIC

The Carbon SE retails for $39,990, 10K more than the standard RSV4 Factory. Aprilia reckons it would cost $17,000 to produce a similar ‘home-built’ special, so as a price point exercise that’s already a win for punters.

But the Carbon SE is not about that – it’s production exotica that exudes craftsmanship and attention to detail out of every pore. As Aprilia says, it’s what happens “when you go ballistic in the Aprilia Racing accessory department”.

And the Carbon SE is refreshing in a sense that sports bikes aren’t pencilled in for major revamps that often these days – and the economic odds are stacked against that situation being reversed in the short-term – so it’s just about a necessity to think outside the square.

John Sample Group, the Australian importer for Aprilia, has done just that, and it will sell 20 Carbon SEs in the blink of an eye – and rightly so.

Visit the Aprilia Carbon Special Edition in Bike Showroom

SPECS: APRILIA RSV4 CARBON SPECIAL EDITION
ENGINE
Type: Liquid/oil cooled, eight-valve, 65-degree DOHC V-four
Capacity: 999.6cc
Bore x stroke: 78mm x 52.3mm
Compression ratio: 13:1
Fuel system: Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection with 48mm throttle bodies. Three different engine maps selectable with bike in motion: T (Track), S (Sport) or R (Road).
Emissions: Euro 3
Rider assist: Aprilia Performance Ride Control – traction control, wheelie control, launch control and quick shifter

PERFORMANCE

Claimed maximum power: 185hp (138kW) at 12,500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 115Nm at 10,000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Multi-plate slipper design
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Aluminium dual beam with pressed and cast sheet elements
Front suspension: Fully adjustable Ohlins 43mm upside-down forks with Ohlins steering damper
Rear suspension: Fully adjustable Ohlins TTX monoshock
Front brakes: Dual 320mm floating discs, with Brembo four-piston monobloc calipers
Rear brakes: 220mm disc, with Brembo twin-piston caliper

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 169kg
Seat height: 845mm
Rake: 24.5 degrees
Trail: 105mm
Wheelbase: 1412mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $39,990 (before statutory and dealer charges)
Bike supplied by: John Sample Automotive, www.aprilia.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

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First ride: RSV4 Carbon Special Edition

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