Long-Term Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR: Road Tripping to Laguna Seca for World Superbike

WRIST: Ari Henning
MSRP (2016): $14,799
MILES: 2,248
MPG: 34
MODS: Road grime and dead bugs

Want to get to know your bike? Take a road trip. My daily commute has shown that the Aprilia Tuono is pretty comfy and stupid fast, but nothing lets you bond with your bike like a multi-day ride.

So with World Superbike and MotoAmerica racing at Laguna Seca up the coast in Monterey, CA, I gave the Tuono a once over, stuffed my Dowco Fastrax tail bag with the essentials, and hit the road.

I’ve already gushed about the V-4’s smoothness and its ability to thrill your socks off, but it’s actually a tremendous touring engine, too. Without the interruptions of traffic the big V-4 gets much better fuel mileage (I got as high as 38 mpg and averaged 34), and of course it’s silky smooth and there’s never, ever, a shortage of roll-on power. For such a performance-oriented bike the Aprilia is really comfy. The seat (it’s softer and lower for 2016) is a huge improvement over last year’s plank and the bars (narrower on the new bike) are positioned in that sweet spot where you’re not leaned so far forward that your lower back is strained, yet you have enough of a forward cant to balance against the headwind as you cruise. After racking up 150 miles in one go leaving Los Angeles I could stand to have a little more legroom, but otherwise I was happy with the Tuono’s accommodations.

About halfway up the San Joaquin Valley I peel off of Route 101 and point the Tuono towards the coast on a favorite back road. Fort Hunter Leggitt, an Army training base, was bustling with activity at the peak of the Iraq War, but on this Saturday morning the artillery ranges and obstacle courses are empty and quiet. On the western side of the base the pavement narrows from two lanes to one, and then the real fun begins. Naciemiento-Fergusson Road winds through the forest on the eastern slope of the Santa Lucia Mountains before plummeting down to the Pacific Coast Highway. The road drops nearly 3,000 feet in 7 miles, making for an exciting ride with unreal views. Nat-Ferg is one of my favorite roads in California and likely the most dramatic reveal of the Pacific Ocean that you can find in the state. The ride is always a treat, and the cold air and rich smells that greet you as you reach the coast are properly invigorating. Enjoy a few miles of Nat-Ferg for yourself in the video below.

When my day-to-day work life entails sitting at a computer attending to revolving deadlines and dealing with a constantly buzzing phone, it was great to unplug and just ride. It’s been months since I’ve been on a bike without an obligation to test a product or shoot photos or video, so getting lost in the rhythm of riding and being alone with my thoughts was cathartic. And since I was riding solo I was free to stop and rest when I felt like it, eat when I wanted, and ride slow or fast, depending on my mood. Truth be told, my pace was pretty mellow all day, my desire for thrills tempered by the fact that I was going to get to ride Laguna Seca during a track day on the Monday following the race weekend. Yeah, I was pretty excited for that!

I pulled into Laguna Seca in the late afternoon, just in time to catch the RC390 Cup race from the outside of the Andretti Hairpin. I logged exactly 400 miles getting to Laguna, and I enjoyed every minute of the trip. I wasn't sure how the Tuono would work as a sport tourer, but it exceeded my expectations in terms of comfort and range, and the engine felt as silky smooth and strong as the most luxurious über tourer. I already knew the Aprilia was a proper thrill machine, but this trip revealed that the Tuono really is a great all-around streetbike. We have officially bonded.

I feel like I know the Tuono pretty good at this point, but there’s still a whole side of its personality that I haven’t gotten to engage during the daily commute or even the day-long ride to Monterey. And that’s its sporting potential. Thankfully, I have a full day of riding at Laguna to find out. Look for that write-up soon!