Aprilia RSV 4 Factory APRC

The RSV4, currently one of the hottest, fastest superbikes on the planet, gets new colours for 2012 as well as revised engine management and a tweaked, optimised Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) package with eight-level traction control, launch control, quick shift system and wheelie control.

Other changes on the 2012 RSV4 Factory APRC include improved lubrication for its 65° V4 engine, closer spaced gears for better acceleration, and a new, lighter exhaust system featuring an advanced butterfly valve management system to suit the bike’s ride-by-wire mapping, for improved ‘breathing’ and efficiency throughout the engine’s rev range.

In addition to the above, there’s the racing-spec, fully adjustable Öhlins fork and shock, Brembo brakes with radial monoblock callipers and a mixed type (digital/analogue) instrument panel, which is an integral and crucial part of the RSV4 Factory APRC’s self-diagnosis system. ‘This is a full fledged on-board computer, with a dot matrix display set against a minimalist, ultramodern and compact design. Its functions have been improved and are all accessible from three easy to use buttons,’ says a press note from Aprilia.

With 180 horsepower at 12,250rpm and 115Nm of torque at 10,000rpm from its 999cc V4, the 2012 RSV4 Factory remains one of the most powerful litre-class superbikes in the world. At 179 kilos dry, it’s not the lightest in its class, but with its host of high-tech electronics and superb chassis, it definitely is one of the best handling. We expect the 2012 edition to come out on top in litre-bike shootouts that are sure to happen over the next few months.

FROM THE QUEEN OF SBK APRILIA DISTILS THE PERFECT BIKE FOR THE TRACK DAYS ENTHUSIAST GENTLEMAN RIDER.

THE ONLY SUPERSPORT BIKE WHICH ALLOWS THE RIDER TO SAFELY REFINE HIS RIDING ABILITY THANKS TO THE APRC DYNAMIC CONTROL PACKAGE.

AVAILABLE IN THE R VERSION AND IN THE EXCLUSIVE FACTORY OUTFITTING, RSV4 APRC APPLIES APRILIA PATENTED TECHNOLOGY TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR THE DYNAMIC CONDITIONS OF THE BIKE AND OPTIMISE PERFORMANCE.

Created with the single-minded goal of being simply the best on the track and on the road, since its inception the Aprilia RSV4 has astonished the world with its looks, technology and performance. The first 65° V-4 engine ever in a sports production bike, a chassis worthy of a 250 GP, Ride By Wire, multimap engine management: all these are accomplished achievements for the Aprilia RSV4, that tops unique architecture and specs with Aprilia's signature excellent rideability brought to the next level.

A project conceived not just to create a motorcycle that delivers the utmost in performance, but one that also allows the rider to make full use of every last iota of its competitive potential.

The excellent results obtained by all of the champions who have ridden in races is not by chance, nonetheless the true revolution which accompanies the new Aprilia RSV4 APRC is that you don't have to be a champion to explore its potential and have fun, thanks to the exemplary dynamic balance obtained by APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control), the exclusive traction control system which can be adjusted to eight different levels and can self-calibrate based on the different types of tyres, the wheelie control feature, launch control and the electronic transmission.

Concrete aids in the vehicles rideability which restore greater confidence and control to the rider in extreme conditions, helping to identify the most effective lines to follow and making the ride less psychologically and physically demanding.

The introduction of such advanced technology to large volume production is the demonstration of the Aprilia's enormous design capacity, developing all of the electronic management "in house" for Max Biaggi's RSV4 Factory SBK as well as the dynamic controls platform applied to the new RSV4 APRC.

With this new version the Aprilia staff has made it possible to build a bike which is faster on the track but at the same time more "communicative" for the widest range of riding experience and capability, fine tuning what can be considered the patriarch of a new generation of supersport bikes.

State of art technology

This new technology is brought together in the APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) package, basically the state of the art in dynamic performance control, a multi-patented system that makes Superbike winning technology available to professional racing riders and hobby riders alike. All this comes in an easy to use, intuitive package.

But the improvements to the Aprilia RSV4 APRC do not stop with electronic management. The 65° V4 engine offers improved lubrication and closer spaced gears for better acceleration. The new, lighter exhaust features an advanced butterfly valve management system to suit the Ride By Wire mapping for improved breathing and efficiency throughout the RPM range.

The new features introduced by the Aprilia RSV4 APRC in detail:

APRC Aprilia Performance Ride Control, the electronic management package including:
- ATC: Aprilia Traction Control automatically adjusts to different types of tyres, with 8 settings conveniently selectable while racing from a joystick on the left handlebar without turning down the throttle;
- AWC: Aprilia Wheelie Control with three settings;
- ALC: Aprilia Launch Control, for use on the track only, with 3 settings;
- AQS: Aprilia Quick Shift, for ultra-fast shifting without closing the throttle or using the clutch.

Dual display mode for instrument panel display: ROAD and RACE;

New exhaust is lighter and offers improved performance;

Optimised gear ratios for the utmost track performance;

Improved engine lubrication;

Lighter three double-spoke wheels.

2012 Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC Model Highlights

APRC APRILIA PERFORMANCE RIDE CONTROL

Aprilia Performance Ride Control can count on an automotive inertial platform with two turn meters and two accelerometers which allow the ECU to reconstruct the dynamic conditions of the bike and intervene on the engine control accordingly. The rider can adjust any component of the APRC system independently at will.

ATC: the traction control system of the future

The ATC- Aprilia Traction Control undoubtedly is one of the greatest strengths of the APRC package. This is a fully innovative traction control system developed from an Aprilia patent, mainly focussed on helping the rider improve his lap times. Thanks to the inertial platform and the Ride By Wire pioneered by Aprilia, the ATC not only reduces torque when the rear wheel slips but lets the rider control tail sliding when exiting a bend, giving him a better feel for throttle control, depending on lean angle.

Aprilia ATC is quickly, easily activated from the instrument panel menu and offers 8 settings. When the ATC is enabled, the rider can change setting in an instant at any time using a joystick on the left handlebar to suit track, pavement or tyre conditions, without closing the throttle and keeping his hands on the handlebar, as in professional motorcycle racing. This way, the system can adjust to every single bend of any track so as to meet the specific requirements of any rider, including the most expert ones.

The other incredible achievement of Aprilia technology is the system's "learning capacity". Current traction control systems are designed and optimised for a single size and type of tyre. This limit frequently cancels the benefits of traction control. Aprilia Traction Control (ATC) has overcome this limit: a procedure activated by the rider enables the system to learn the tyre radius and final ratio adopted on the bike to obtain fine-tuned traction control.

AWC: stability at top acceleration

Exploiting the full power of modern superbikes down to the very last HP is every rider's dream. Aprilia's AWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control) has achieved extraordinary results. Thanks to the exclusive Aprilia patented Wheelie Detection System, the AWC is able to "tell" when a wheelie begins and ends and kicks in to smoothen wheel contact with the road. Wheelie control is continuous and "soft", there are no abrupt cuts or violent power restarts, only perfect acceleration control. The AWC system is activated from the instrument panel and can be adjusted independently from other control systems choosing from three settings to better meet rider requirements.

ALC: the best Holeshot

The perfect start is yet another racer's dream, because a good start frequently means you're half way towards a victory. When the lights go out, handling the huge power of modern superbikes is no easy task. Unless the bike handles it itself to offer its best starting performance. The ALC (Aprilia Launch Control) system ensures an instant start as the lights go out, applying full power to the road to assist the rider in this critical moment of the race. All the rider needs to do is give full throttle and release the clutch as he normally would and shift gears. The ALC has three settings that can be selected from the instrument panel menu, then it must be "armed" at standstill, by squeezing both traction control buttons on the left handlebar joystick at the same time.

AQS: record-breaking shifting

When you're after the utmost lap performance, you can't afford to waste even one thousandth of a second in an apparently simple operation like shifting. RSV4 APRC boasts an electronic transmission system as standard equipment (Aprilia Quick Shift) which first reduces ignition advance for an infinitesimal time and then progressively restores it, allowing extremely quick gear shifting without closing the gas and without using the clutch. The system works hand in hand with the new closer spaced gearbox to limit RPM drop during shifting for faster lap times. To optimise AQS performance, Aprilia engineers have fine-tuned power cut timing based on shifting RPM.

THE MOTORCYCLE

Aprilia RSV4 simultaneously represents both the new and the future generation of supersport bikes: starting from the essential concept, its design abandons the overabundance of bodywork, reducing it to the bare necessities for efficient aerodynamics. The breathtaking beauty of the technical parts reveals a bike with a compact design that, until recently, was thought possible only for smaller engine sizes or Grand Prix prototypes. State of the art technology for the engine and chassis, coupled with extraordinary usability, make this the perfect companion for the rider who wants to reach and redefine his limits with unparalleled feeling and ease.

These aspects of the project not only give the bike such incredible performance but are also what make it so easy to put every last horsepower to good use. Nothing about this bike is commonplace, and this is even true about the technical solutions adopted - this is the world's first full scale production motorcycle with a high performance narrow V4 engine, the most revolutionary and powerful engine ever built by Aprilia. Together with the fully integrated electronics, record breaking lightness and extreme compactness, this engine gives the bike its unique, unmistakable character.

The components are at maximum level even in the R version: the fully adjustable upside down front fork and Sachs rear shock, manufactured to Aprilia specifications, ensure superlative performance and offer the rider incredible feedback for absolute control in any situation. The Brembo brakes with radial monobloc callipers, ultralight alloy wheel rims featuring a new design and the steering damper ensure the utmost in safety in all riding conditions.

THE ENGINE

The incredible APRC system is undoubtedly the most significant new feature of this new RSV4 version. Nevertheless, the RSV4 APRC's engine boasts a plentiful range of updates which are carry overs from racing experience and intended to improve its already proverbial technical and mechanical characteristics

Aprilia RSV4 is the only production super sport bike using a narrow 65° V four-cylinder engine with unique features. Extremely compact, as slim as a twin-cylinder to fit in an ultra-compact chassis, the 65° V4 engine was and still is the epitome of Italian engineering ingenuity.

The Aprilia 65° V4 engine specifications in short:

Engine capacity: 999.6 cc
Architecture: 65° V4
Crankcase: monobloc with integrated crankcase liners
Timing system: 4 valves per cylinder (Titanium and Nymonic) operated directly by a camshaft driven by a mixed chain/gear system, lateral timing chain, central gear train
Fuel system: Electronic injection with 2 injectors per cylinder and integrated independent Ride by Wire system for each bank. Three mappings selectable from handlebar.
Antivibration countershaft
Compression ratio: 13:1
Transmission: six speed cassette with direct control
Clutch: multi-disc in oil bath with mechanical slipper system
Electronic management: Magneti Marelli control unit managing ignition, injection and Ride by Wire system.
APRC system for dynamic control

The narrow V architecture translates into an engine that is incredibly compact in length, offering advantages in terms of mass centralisation and an extremely high performance chassis (short wheelbase, long swingarm).

The innovative timing system (with the chain camshaft driving only the intake camshaft, which in turn drives the exhaust camshaft via a gear) has made extremely compact heads (just 250 mm at the rear of the engine) especially in the area beneath the frame spars, which are thus much narrower than would otherwise be possible.

A countershaft dampens vibrations even more than in a 90° V engine.

The monobloc crankcase with integrated aluminium cylinder liners ensures maximum rigidity and consistent performance.

The electronic management system is another example of the 65° V4 engine's technological supremacy. Full Ride-by-Wire technology eliminates any direct connection between the throttle grip and the throttle valves, which are entirely controlled by a latest generation Marelli control unit that also controls the ignition and the 8 injectors (the 4 secondary fan pattern injectors come into play at high loads).

Each bank has a dedicated servo unit actuating its own two throttle bodies only. This means that the aperture of the throttle valves and, as a consequence, the quantity of fuel injected, can be controlled independently. This solution, applied here for the first time ever in a production bike, opens up practically infinite possibilities for power delivery control and works hand in hand with the APRC system.

The transmission has also been designed to the meet most advanced criteria to offer the maximum performance possible. To underscore the racing soul of the 65° V4 engine, it is mated to a cassette gearbox with a wet sump lubrication system (with oil in the crankcase). The wet clutch features a mechanical slipper system for optimised engine braking torque control and stability under hard braking.

The 65° V4 was one of the most advanced engines in the world at the time of its debut. The new RSV4 APRC has several refinements which are derived from experience gained with the official World Superbike motorcycle which perfect it even more. The new exhaust and engine mappings make for optimal power delivery. Lubrication has been improved at critical points, the countershaft runs in ball bearings rather than plain bushings and the head cooling circuit has been reviewed for optimal operating temperatures and long-term reliability.

Combustion chambers and cylinder-piston fits have also been revised for optimal engine performance. The three lowest gears are spaced closer for extra speed out of bends. The advanced exhaust butterfly valve management system improved delivery in the low rpm band and reduces emissions while preserving the engine's thrilling sound.

CHASSIS

The perfect centring of the weight is just one of the RSV4 frame's strong points. To achieve this result, every single aspect has been optimised down to the tiniest detail. As on a racing machine, the fuel tank is positioned so that the majority of the fuel sits under the saddle optimising bike balance and cancelling out handling differences between full and empty tank conditions.

In keeping with Aprilia's by now consolidated tradition, the RSV4's aluminium frame takes advantage of the resistance and flexibility of cast and moulded elements, a structure which sets new records in balance and dynamic efficiency. The result is maximum torsional stiffness and flexional stiffness optimised for total bike control. This makes Aprilia RSV4 not only a bike with deadly performance, but also makes its strong point the ease with which anyone can take full advantage of this performance. The swingarm also uses the same constructional technology as the frame and offers the same perfect balance between flexional and torsional stiffness to contribute to the extraordinary handling capabilities of the RSV4 R.

The particular construction of frame and swingarm allows both to be able to flaunt the natural and bright colour of the aluminium, another detail which is increasingly less evident on modern factory bikes and which gives the RSV4 a purely racing look.

The Factory outfitting, in keeping with tradition, enriches an already winning package with exclusive details which bring the RSV4 even closer to the racing world. In order to boost chassis performance and make it match the rider's tastes, or features of the track, Aprilia RSV4 Factory ensures a combination of adjustments that are pretty much infinite. The multi-adjustable suspensions, taken for granted on a motorcycle of this level, are combined with three chassis adjustments: headstock position and rake (through interchangeable bushings), rear end height, swingarm pin height and the engine position in the frame.

Suspension

The chassis framework of the R version is completed by a top notch suspension package, the Sachs upside down fork has 43 mm diameter stanchions and offers the possibility of adjusting the spring and hydraulic compression and rebound preload. The Sachs rear shock was developed from experience learned directly on the track. It features a Piggy Back nitrogen canister (separate and mounted on the body of the unit) and adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping and length, allowing the height of the rear end of the bike to be altered to modify the set-up to suit different riding styles and tracks.

Completing the package is a steering damper, also by Sachs, which ensures impeccable high speed stability and millimetre precision in setting the bike up for turns.

The components of the Factory APRC version are even more exclusive: the upside down Öhlins Racing fork has 43 mm diameter stanchions and titanium nitride treatment to optimise flow. Wheel travel is 120 mm. Just as in the racing units, the fork allows micrometrical hydraulic adjustments in extension, rebound and spring preload.

The Öhlins Racing rear shock absorber was developed from experience learned directly on the track. It features a piggy back nitrogen canister (separate and mounted on the body of the unit) and adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping and length, allowing the height of the rear end of the bike to be altered to modify the set-up to suit different riding styles and tracks.

Wheel travel is 130 mm.

Components

A real Superbike is special not only as far as performance is concerned but also for the care it is built with. The details on the RSV4 R speak volumes of a bike built with an obsessive attention to every single aspect, both technical and otherwise.

The following are just some of the most significant class leading components used:

- Instrument panel: the mixed type (digital-analogue), it receives all the information from the CAN line and becomes an integral and crucial part of the self-diagnosis system as it is fitted with memory. This is a fully fledged on-board computer, with a dot matrix display set against a minimalist, ultramodern and compact design. Its functions have been improved and are all accessible from three easy to use buttons.

- Headlight: the triple headlamp layout is not just a reference to the legendary original RSV Mille, but designed to offer total night time visibility.

- Electrical system: designed from the outset to offer maximum functionality and rationality with minimum weight. The result is an extremely clean and compact layout that makes for easier maintenance and is ready for track use, as all components relative to the lights and turn indicators are easily removable.

Colours

The RSV4 Factory APRC, on the other hand, comes in the renewed exclusive "Black Flame" livery, marked by the stark contrast of red and black, the Aprilia sport colours, with a racing touch of exposed carbon fibre.

In keeping with the tradition of the Aprilia Factory versions, the new RSV4 APRC features the gold colouring for its ultralight rims.

Battle of the V4s: Honda VFR750R RC30 vs Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC

What can we say about the Honda RC30 that hasn’t already been said before. Yes, we’re among the vast number of fans which the 750cc V4-engined VFR750R still has more than two decades after it was launched. A mere 3,000 units of this bike were produced between 1987-1990 and even back then, it cost a massive US$15,000. The RC30’s claimed dry weight was 185 kilos and according to some magazine road tests of the era, the bike weighed as much as 215kg with all fluids and a full tank of fuel. And by modern standards, the 750cc V4’s power output was rather ordinary – 112bhp at 12,000rpm, which went up to a more respectable 133bhp with the HRC race kit that was available from Honda.

If the RC30 wasn’t all that powerful and was a bit heavy, what’s the fuss all about? More than 20 years on, why is the world still so taken with the VFR750R? Perhaps there is no logical answer to this question. Maybe it’s the image we have in our minds, of watching men like Joey Dunlop and Steve Hislop and Carl Fogarty racing the RC30 around the Isle of Man. Maybe it’s the bike’s sheer beauty, its racy stance, its single-minded racing focus and the fact that it was designed by HRC that makes it so attractive. Or perhaps it’s the bits inside that Honda V4 – titanium conrods, 360-degree one-piece crank, gear driven camshafts – that make the bike exotic and desirable.

Based on Honda’s RVF750 world endurance and TTF1 racebikes, the VFR750R RC30 was essentially a ‘homologation special,’ built to satisfy the requirements of the World Superbikes series which started in 1988. The first batch of 1,000 bikes was released in Japan in 1987 and sold out quickly, despite a price tag of 1.5 million Yen. The RC30 came to Europe in 1988 and to the US in 1990, by which time it had already won the first two WSBK titles – Fred Merkel won the 1988 and 1989 World Superbikes championships aboard the VFR750R. Apart from WSBK, the RC30 was also very successful at the Isle of Man TT races in the hands of riders like Steve Hislop, Joey Dunlop and Carl Fogarty.

Moving the story two decades forward, things are a bit more bleak for Honda today. After Fred Merkel’s two championship wins in WSBK with the RC30, Honda have only won four titles in World Superbikes – 1997 (John Kocinski, with the RC45), 2000 and 2002 (Colin Edwards, with the RVT1000R RC51), and 2007 (James Toseland, with the CBR1000RR Fireblade). Technological innovations seems to have taken a backseat at Honda, even as European manufacturers like Aprilia, BMW and Ducati have surged forward with some truly stupendous machines. And in 2012, Honda’s top-of-the-line V4-engined motorcycle is a porky sports-tourer rather a lean, mean, cutting-edge sportsbike. Sure, the current Fireblade is a thoroughly competent machine, but it’s nowhere near as exciting as, say, a BMW S1000RR, Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, Ducati 1199S Panigale or Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC.

Aprilia RSV4 vs Honda RC30 Aprilia RSV4 vs Honda RC30 Aprilia RSV4 vs Honda RC30 Aprilia RSV4 vs Honda RC30 Aprilia RSV4 vs Honda RC30 Aprilia RSV4 vs Honda RC30
Honda VFR750R RC30 Aprilia RSV4
Aprilia RSV4 Honda VFR750R RC30

Speaking of the Aprilia, their V4-engined RSV4 Factory APRC – which won the 2011 WSBK championship in the hands of Max Biaggi – today occupies the spot which the RC30 held almost 25 years ago. It’s sharp, edgy, exciting, high-tech and properly exotic, all of which the RC30 was back then. So, the next thing you’d think about is, how would the two bikes – iconic machines belonging to two different generations – stack up against each other? Surely, in terms of outright performance and handling, the 25-year-old RC30 can’t possibly stand a chance against the RSV4, which has a bigger, vastly more powerful engine and a full complement of modern-day electronics, including traction control?

A while ago, Dutch magazine MotoPlus actually managed to do this shootout where they compared the RC30 with the RSV4. Here are some excerpts from what they had to say about the two bikes:

While V4 pioneers, Honda, have left their fans – who are looking for a sporty V4 – out in the cold for many years, Aprilia welcome those V4 fans with open arms. All right, so there is not much wrong with the inline-four – current engines have reached a high level of perfection, running smoothly and oozing power. However, a V4 still somehow sounds more exciting, makes the heart beat faster, boosts adrenaline levels up higher and sounds racier and more exotic.

Twenty years after the Honda RC30 came out, Aprilia have picked up the V4 lineage with the RSV4. Sure, it might well be that V4s are more complicated, but they have their advantages – just look at MotoGP, where V4s have been dominant for years. According to Aprilia, the RSV4 is 40% narrower than a comparable inline-four, which makes for a narrower, more aerodynamic silhouette that makes inline-fours look bulky.

The RSV4’s engine is a 65-degree V4 where the Honda RC30’s engine was a 90-degree V4, making it primarily better balanced. Still, the Honda’s V4 is not perfectly smooth – with its 360-degree crank, HRC went for the ‘big bang’ power effect on the RC30, which purrs like a kitten up until 6,000rpm, but growls and vibrates noticeably above that. Not that that is bothersome, just as on the RSV4, which also rumbles and pulses impatiently, but which has a counterbalancer shaft to smoothen things out.

While the layout of the two V4s is different, there are similarities in the way they deliver their power. Of course, the RSV4, with 179bhp, is much more powerful than the 112bhp RC30, but both V4s accelerate cleanly and smoothly from low revs and have a fairly wide powerband.

The Aprilia comes with a whole arsenal of ride-by-wire electronics and high-tech bits like adjustable inlet stacks, two injectors per cylinder, a super-quick CPU that control the fuel injection system and a servo in the exhaust system, for variable back pressure. These are things that the old RC30 does not have – it has to simply make do with a race kit; ignition module, hotter cams and an army of needles, nozzles and springs. The RSV4’s engine also has a higher compression ratio than the RC30’s (13.0:1 compared to 11.0:1), but the VFR’s strengths lie elsewhere. To limit friction, the RC30’s pistons were coated with Teflon-molybdenum, only two piston springs are used and the hollow drilled camshafts turn on needle roller bearings. Valve stems are a mere 4.5mm, in steel and the drive shafts were already made of titanium. On the RSV4, it is the other way around.

Remarkable, too, are the combustion chambers. With a bore of 70mm, Honda engineers selected 28mm inlet valves, while the Aprilia has 32mm valves with a 78mm bore. The difference between the two is the so called inlet flow-through, which is determined by valve diameter and valve lift. And that is where the Aprilia clearly has the better cards, with a lift of 10.2mm. With a free inlet surface of approx 1,450mm sq., it sucks fresh air via 48mm stacks from an 8.2-litre airbox and two injectors squirt petrol into its combustion chamber with millisecond accuracy – if need be, up to 14,000 times per minute. With a 52mm stroke, the Aprilia’s pistons then reach an average speed of up to 24.41 meters per second.

The Honda has a 48.6mm stroke and at 12,500rpm, that equates to an average piston speed of 20.25m/s. Valve lift is 9mm, with a surface of 1,120mm sq square mm, the airbox is 3.2-liters and the 35.5mm carburetors – all look modest in comparison with the Aprilia. The RC30’s carbs did have a special feature though – an ‘inspection cover’ through which needles and nozzles can be switched, without the need to take the carbs apart completely.

In terms of throttle response, the Honda is head and shoulders above the Aprilia! The RC30 is silky smooth and responds to throttle inputs immediately, while the RSV4 actually comes across as less polished in comparison. And the Honda’s chassis is also brilliant – immaculate handling in fast sweepers and almost Ducati-esq straight line stability. But as you might expect, the RSV4 goes beyond that, with imposing precision, surprising flickability and thanks to its very firm suspension, excellent stability. The Aprilia’s extraordinary ‘balance’ is not just because of the way its engine is positioned in the chassis, but also because of the fuel tank that runs under the seat as well. In its day, the RC30 was the best in terms of handling, but today the RSV4 has gone one better – it feels like a 600cc machine with litre-class power.

One last difference between the two bikes is that back in its day, the Honda VFR750R RC30 was simply an unattainable dream for the vast majority of sportsbike buyers. Today, with advances in technology, the Aprilia RSV4 – with the same amount of exotic V4 high-tech – is more affordable and accessible.

Source Faster and Faster, MotoPlus, via Perth Streetbikes