Aprilia RSV4 accelerates from 0-200 km/h in 7.45 seconds
Aprilia has been building road bikes for a long time, with their road-going versions of two-stroke Grand Prix machines among the most memorable.
If you are old enough, you will fondly remember the glorious RS125 and RS250 from the 1990s and early 2000s.
After enjoying considerable success in Grand Prix racing in the late 1990s, Aprilia decided to try its hand at World Superbike with its first-ever four-stroke superbike, the RSV Mille.
This new machine was powered by a 65° V-twin engine.
It proved to be an excellent motorcycle, highly competitive on both road and track, and came very close to winning the World Superbike Championship as it challenged the dominance of fellow Italian brand Ducati.
Fast forward to 2009. Following changes to the WSBK regulations that allowed 1000 cc four-cylinder bikes to compete against 1200 cc twins, Aprilia launched the RSV4, their first-ever four-cylinder motorcycle.
The arrival of this new superbike from the small Italian factory took everyone by surprise. It was instantly well-received thanks to its stunning looks and exotic 180-horsepower V4 engine.
At the time, there was nothing quite like it in the superbike world, apart from the mostly unobtainable Honda RC30 and RC45, or Ducati’s ultra-rare and extremely expensive Desmosedici, a road-going MotoGP bike in all but name.
These exotic machines were only available at collector prices and far beyond the reach of most riders.
The only realistic V4 option for ordinary enthusiasts was Honda’s VFR800.
While very capable, it was not a superbike and produced only around 100 horsepower.
The Aprilia RSV4 stood out as arguably the closest thing to a prototype MotoGP bike that ordinary riders could buy (perhaps alongside the 2015-onward Yamaha YZF-R1).
Everything about its design and configuration screamed racetrack and MotoGP prototype.
The RSV4 is still with us today, and that description remains true.
It has been continuously refined over the years with updates to suspension, brakes, styling, electronics and power. Midway through its life it received a capacity increase to 1,100 cc.
The latest RSV4 is one of the most powerful production motorcycles currently available, with a claimed 217 horsepower at the crank.
Aprilia RSV4 Dyno and engine performance
By the mid-2000s, Aprilia’s RSV 1000 Mille V-twin could no longer compete on equal terms with the new wave of Japanese four-cylinder 1000 cc machines or the growing number of larger-capacity L-twin superbikes from Ducati.
Aprilia faced a clear choice: either build a big-bore 1200 cc twin or switch to a 1000 cc four-cylinder format. They chose the latter.
Rather than follow the conventional inline-four route, Aprilia did things the Italian way and created a glorious 998 cc 65° V4 engine.
This powerplant is one of the best-sounding and most evocative engines ever fitted to a production motorcycle.
It has a pure MotoGP character and delivers an addictive, high-pitched scream that few other road bikes can match.
On paper, the new engine was not the most powerful in its class, but it was certainly competitive. Aprilia claimed 180 horsepower at 12,500 rpm and a very strong 85 ft-lb of torque at 10,000 rpm.
These figures translated well into real-world performance, making the RSV4 a highly effective machine both on the road and on the track.
On the dyno, the first-generation RSV4 typically produced between 155 and 165 horsepower at the rear wheel, depending on the individual bike and the correction factors used.
In our testing, the RSV4 delivered 164 horsepower at 12,400 rpm and a very strong 78.8 ft-lb of torque at 10,100 rpm.
The power delivery is remarkably smooth, with no obvious peaks or troughs.
It builds in a linear, turbine-like manner all the way to the redline.
I would compare its character and delivery to that of the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Compared with the 2011 ZX-10R, the Aprilia is less peaky and offers slightly stronger drive in the lower gears at most speeds, but gives away a little in the top three gears.
Both engines share a very similar responsive feel when you open the throttle.
Aprilia RSV4 In-Gear Acceleration
I should add that the Aprilia’s fuelling in stock form is nowhere near as good as that of the ZX-10R or its Japanese competitors.
At low rpm, it can feel jerky and hesitant from closed or part throttle.
These minor niggles aside, it is still a great engine. While it was not class-leading in bottom- or mid-range power and torque when it was launched, the RSV4 really comes alive above 5,000 rpm, where the fuelling also smooths out noticeably.
Although it makes slightly less power and torque than some rivals below 10,000 rpm, the RSV4 is further hampered in the lower half of its power curve by relatively long gearing in the top three gears.
Aprilia could have chosen shorter ratios for the final three gears or simply fitted a larger rear sprocket.
This would have made the bike considerably more responsive and reduced the need to change down for quick overtakes, a cheap and straightforward modification that many owners still carry out and highly recommend.
In isolation, these traits are barely noticeable, but if you jump straight off other recent litre bikes, the RSV4 can sometimes feel as though it is only really charging hard once the revs pass 10,000 rpm and climb towards 13,000 rpm.
Part of this impression comes from its very linear power delivery, which can make the bike feel less urgent than some of its more peaky rivals, whether that is objectively true or not.
All things considered, when the RSV4 first appeared, it sat near the bottom of the pack for engine flexibility among its contemporaries.
However, once it howls past 10,000 rpm and charges on to 13,000 rpm, it is right up there with the best of its era.
The 2009 RSV4 is substantially faster than the outgoing RSV 1000 Mille it replaced, thanks to its much more powerful 998 cc 65° V4 engine.
Side by side, the RSV4 would pull away decisively.
At the time, it traded blows with its peers in outright straight-line performance. It was at least as quick as the 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000, Yamaha YZF-R1 and Honda CBR1000RR, and had a stronger top end than the Ducati 1198.
The RSV4 was only a little behind the Kawasaki ZX-10R and the newly introduced BMW S1000RR. Both of those rivals were lighter and produced more horsepower.
The model tested here is a 2009 example equipped with fly-by-wire throttle and electronic fuel injection, with about as many electronic aids as you get at launch.
It was not until a few years later that the RSV4 gained a full suite of racetrack-derived rider aids with the introduction of the APRC version.
In many ways, this is not a great loss.
Highly skilled riders often achieve better elapsed times with all the electronics switched off. If your launch technique is not perfect, however, keeping anti-wheelie and traction control on can make you more consistent.
The Aprilia RSV4 is amazingly fast, as you would expect from a litre superbike. It is also 10–15 kg heavier than many of its rivals, which actually helps with hard launches and helps keep wheelies more manageable.
After several attempts, we achieved a 0-60 mph time of 3.10 seconds and 0-100 km/h in 3.21 seconds.
The RSV4 could probably do better, but the slightly jerky throttle response when opening from closed or part throttle makes it tricky to modulate during wheelies.
You often have to back off slightly and then reapply the power once the front wheel is down, only for it to lift again with even gentle inputs.
60 mph is easily reached in first gear, which has a maximum speed of around 95 mph.
First gears capable of 90–100 mph became common on 1000 cc superbikes after 2004.
Once in second gear, the bike is far less prone to wheelies, so you can get on the power more aggressively.
It will still lift occasionally, especially over bumps or on inclines.
The 0-100 mph time is a wickedly fast 5.55 seconds — right in the ballpark for pretty much every 1000 cc superbike of the past 20 years.
The RSV4 covers 0-200 km/h in 7.45 seconds, putting it firmly into high-end supercar and hypercar territory.
In the quarter mile, it runs low 10-second times, with our best being 10.28 seconds at 147 mph, a fantastic result.
For me, the more interesting acceleration benchmarks are 0-150 mph and 0-180 mph.
Straight-line acceleration off the line is often more about rider skill than the machine itself when it comes to 0-60 mph times.
While each bike has its own characteristics that influence the result, the rider plays the largest role, especially in the first 60 feet. This is particularly true with high-power superbikes.
The Aprilia RSV4 can dip under 11 seconds to reach 150 mph, recording a time of 10.62 seconds.
From there, it begins to struggle a little compared with some of its competitors, taking 22.42 seconds to reach 180 mph.
For reference, Suzuki’s older but slightly less powerful K5 GSX-R1000 managed a marginally quicker time under similar conditions (after correction). I suspect this is largely due to the RSV4’s lower screen and reduced wind protection compared with the roomier GSX-R1000.
At speeds above 150 mph, even a slightly protruding elbow or a helmet catching the wind can cost significant time in the 150–180 mph range.
Being able to tuck effectively can make the difference between a strong run and a mediocre one.
Aprilia RSV4 Top Speed
The same applies to the RSV4’s top speed of 183.3 mph. With a taller screen and more room for an effective tuck, a few extra mph would likely be possible.
The top speed was actually achieved in fifth gear, and the bike would not pull all the way to the limiter.
When sixth gear was engaged, it simply refused to accelerate further.
Whether this was due to the 300 km/h electronic intervention or a fault on this particular bike is unclear.
If it could pull cleanly to the redline in top gear, 200 mph would be within reach.
RSV4s respond very well to tuning. A dyno tune, sports air filter and full exhaust system can easily deliver a 10-horsepower gain.
Add a large double-bubble screen, and speeds of 190 mph-plus become realistic.
During the World Superbike era with Max Biaggi aboard, factory RSV4s were consistently the fastest in a straight line, with a recorded top speed of 210 mph at Monza
Like all 1000 cc+ superbikes, the RSV4 is extremely fast, but it has now been surpassed by many newer machines.
If you want an RSV4 with more power but cannot stretch to a brand-new model, the 2015 version is an excellent second-hand choice.
It received numerous revisions and produced 200 horsepower at the crank – equating to well over 180 horsepower at the rear wheel.\
This model offers a strong blend of performance and value for those seeking straight-line speed without the cost of the latest generation.
Aprilia RSV4 Acceleration
| 2009 Aprilia RSV4 Acceleration and Top Speed | |
| Speed | Time |
| 0-10 mph | 0.50 |
| 0-20 mph | 1.01 |
| 0-30 mph | 1.53 |
| 0-40 mph | 1.99 |
| 0-50 mph | 2.44 |
| 0-60 mph | 3.10 |
| 0-70 mph | 3.64 |
| 0-80 mph | 4.20 |
| 0-90 mph | 4.77 |
| 0-100 mph | 5.55 |
| 0-110 mph | 6.17 |
| 0-120 mph | 7.10 |
| 0-130 mph | 7.98 |
| 0-140 mph | 9.01 |
| 0-150 mph | 10.62 |
| 0-160 mph | 12.49 |
| 0-170 mph | 15.98 |
| 0-180 mph | 22.46 |
| 60-130 mph | 4.88 |
| 100-150 mph | 5.13 |
| SS/QM | 10.28/147 mph |
| SS/KM | 18.42/175 mph |
| SS/Mile | 25.90/181 mph |
| Top Speed | 183.3 mph |
