MotorBikes: Aprilia Tuono 1000 RThe Aprilia Tuono 1000 R offers muscular, all-round versatility, writes Conor Twomey
Forgive me for featuring two Aprilia motorbikes back to back, but when Ducati Motorpoint offered me a ride on the revised Aprilia Tuono 1000R this week I'm afraid I wasn't able to resist.
The Tuono is my kind of motorbike you see; a naked "street fighter" with more aggression than an angry pit bull and the performance to match its newly refined styling.
Much as I enjoy sport bikes or sports tourers, there's nothing like the all-round versatility of a good street-fighter - roomy enough for two, comfortable enough for long rides, upright enough to take the pain out of traffic and yet sporty enough to really enjoy on a good road or even on the track.
My current favourite (and, indeed, one of my all-time favourite bikes) is the Yamaha FZ1, a superb all-rounder that really comes alive when the roads get twisty, so I'm curious to see how well the revised Tuono matches the Fazer for kicks.
Whereas the FZ1 uses quite a few important components from the excellent Yamaha R1 sports bike, the Tuono is Aprilia's RSV 1000 R sports bike, stripped of its fairing and with a new set of raised handlebars fitted.
The frame, the chassis, the brakes and the powertrain are all taken directly from the RSV, so before I even turn a wheel I know this is going to be pretty hardcore.
Take the frame, for example, a box-section, aluminium-alloy, twin-spar cage that is more rigid but lighter than the old Tuono's frame.
The brakes have been upgraded to double floating discs with four-piston Brembo Gold callipers at the front and two-piston Brembo Golds at the rear, fed using aeronautical-grade metal braided hoses to eliminate sponginess.
In short, Aprilia hasn't really held back when it came to the Tuono's specification.
The engine is no less impressive. The dry-sump, 1000cc "V60 Magnesium Evolution" V-twin engine is derived from that of the 2006 RSV-R with only a few minor changes to improve torque at low revs.
All of this helps boost torque to a healthy 107Nm at 8,500rpm, allowing the Tuono to pull strongly from as little as 3,000rpm, while peak power also climbs a notch to 139hp at 9,500rpm. When fitted with optional Arrow pipes, as my test bike was, it not only goes like a scalded cat, it also sounds absolutely sensational, throaty and raw but not so loud the neighbours will start throwing potted plants at you (again).
Finally, a close-ratio gearbox and a power assisted clutch system round out what amounts to pretty sensational technical specifications.
The good news is that the Tuono is even better than you might expect given its race-bred origins. The engine is gutsy and willing from low revs, manic and raw at high rpm and more-or-less flat-spot free in any gear. The Tuono is seriously fast, unsurprisingly, but boast an incredible chassis, proving both lively and instinctive in its responses but also predictable and communicative at the limit.
The brakes are astonishingly effective but perfectly calibrated, so locking up should be a rarity while the throttle is super sharp and utterly lag-free - just the way I like it.
On twisty roads the Tuono felt completely at home - an easy bike to throw around with confidence and even more fun than the fine FZ1, though the upshot is the Tuono's not quite as competent as the Yamaha on the motorway and is no match for it around town, where its tall gearing and miserable steering lock make it hard work.
The gearbox didn't impress either, failing to snick into third without a hefty kick (sometimes not engaging at all) while the power-assisted clutch was also a little heavy for repeated two-finger operation. I also found the position of the pegs quite cramped for city and motorway riding, although I have to confess they make perfect sense when the roads get more interesting.
Despite the gripes, though, the Tuono is really a bit of a sensation. Fast and raw, sure, but also sophisticated and polished in the way it delivers its power and flatters the rider, turning mundane journeys into epic adventures.
No, it's not as good an all-rounder as the Yamaha but then it's not supposed to be - it's a hardcore machine superbly tweaked to make it just about usable day to day.
As street fighters go, the Tuono 1000 R is fit, muscular and bursting with raw aggression and I think it might just have thumped the FZ1 off the top spot on my favourites list.
Factfile
ENGINE:1000cc liquid-cooled, dry-sump, four-stroke V-twin
POWER AND TORQUE:139hp at 9,500 rpm, 107Nm at 8,500rpm
TRANSMISSION:six-speed gearbox, wet clutch
CHASSIS:Aluminium alloy, box-section twin spar;wheels: 12-spoke, alloy wheels - 17" front and rear, Tyres: front - 120/70ZR 17, rear - 190/50ZR 17; brakes: four-piston Brembo Gold calipers, double radial 320mm front discs; twin-piston Brembo Gold caliper, 220mm single rear disc.
DIMENSIONS:length: 2,025 mm, width: 830 mm, seat height: 810 mm, wheelbase: 1,410 mm. Weight: 185kg (dry, without battery)
SUSPENSION:fully adjustable 43mm USD Showa forks; double banana swingarm, fully adjustable Sachs monoshock
PRICE:€13,650