2010 Aprilia is the new 1K champ?

[Ericthejet]

Stopped in to browse a few magazines at a shop in Keene and as usual a glossy cover caught my eye.
I don't recall if it was Cycle World or ? but a test was run on 7 heavy hitters not including the 2010 BMW sport bike.

The opinion of the test riders and the magazine was that the Aprilia RSV4 was the best overall bike. It's lap times were quicker and it made considerable power for this small firm on the banks of Lake Como IIRC.

The new world order?

Aprilia then maybe BMW if we are to believe all the hype?

[Paul_E_D]

It's likley hype. Making those bike go round a track faster than the japanese is not going to be easy for most people. The Aprilia has a better shot than the beemer. Hell, if troy corser and max biaggi can't do it, we sure can't

[HIGHONSTRESS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZyfpEqU0BA

[stoinkythepig]

It helps that it's a 4 cylinder. They made 1000cc V-twins that were pretty competitive, that's a major triumph considering all the disadvantages of the V-twin layout (more weight, tougher packaging, lower redline, much bigger exhaust systems). Taking all that they learned and applying it to a 4 cylinder bike should yield an impressive machine. I guess it did...

That said, it would be pretty embarassing if a $20,000, 4 cylinder, 1000cc sport bike did not beat a bunch of $12,000, 4 cylinder, 1000cc sport bikes.

[spicy]

maybe the extra 8k went into gold-plating all the bits, adding weight, bling, and price-inflation but not improving speed.