Long-Term Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR: The Tuono Hits the Corkscrew!

WRIST: Ari Henning
MSRP (2016): $14,799
MILES: 2,527
MPG: 19
MODS: Tire boogers and blue brake discs

In my last update (see Road-Tripping to Laguna Seca here) I'd just spent all day aboard the Aprilia Tuono project bike touring my way from Orange County up to Laguna Seca. Sunday I soaked up the scene at the track and enjoyed watching the MotoAmerica and World Superbike races with a cold beer and friends, but secretly I was eager for the day to be over. Why? Because on Monday I wouldn't be spectating at Laguna, I'd be riding at Laguna during a track day hosted by Pirelli.

The Tuono may be a naked bike designed for the street, but its DNA is thoroughly RSV4 superbike. This beast is based on the bike that's won three world championships, and I was excited to test the Tuono's athleticism at world-famous Laguna Seca.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this wide-barred streetbike, but the Tuono slayed it. It turns out it’s a total rocket on the racetrack—fast, agile, and nearly as capable of attacking apexes as its fully faired superbike sibling. I was worried that those wide bars would make the bike wobbly at speed, but it stayed perfectly stable while ripping over the crest of Turn 1 at over 150 mph and remained neutral while hammering on the brakes and bending into Turn 2. See the Tuono in action in the video below (it’s too bad the audio isn’t better, because that V-4 sounds amazing!):

The Aprilia's big V-4 is so powerful that on the street I rarely rev it past six or seven grand and wide-open throttle is experienced in extremely short (but very exciting) bursts. On the track, however, I relished twisting the throttle to the stop and revving the motor out to redline, and I literally laughed in my helmet as I heard the V-4's roar echo off the garage doors that only hours before had housed the World Superbike race teams.

Through it all, the Tuono didn’t even break a sweat. In fact it felt willing and very eager to stretch its legs. The brakes didn’t fade, the tires didn’t overheat, and the suspension felt great. I’ve turned laps on KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R, Triumph’s Speed Triple R, BMW’s S1000R, and the rest of the naked-bike clan, and the only machine that holds a candle to the Tuono’s on-track performance is the Beemer.

Prepping the Tuono for the track was easy. All I did was drop the pressure in the stock Pirelli Rosso Corsa tires, switch the dash to the race display, turn on TC, and turn off ABS. That’s it. I didn’t even alter the suspension settings. So when you look at the Aprilia’s $14,799 price and wonder what you get for the money, the answer is simple—you get a soul-stirring and incredibly unique motorcycle that’s as capable at the track as it is comfortable and smooth on the street.

After 70 or so laps I’d worn down my knee pucks and emptied several tanks of gas (19 mpg is the price you pay for 155 horsepower and lots of time at big throttle openings!), so I decided to pack up and head home. At 4:00 pm I rolled out of Laguna Seca, and six hours later I rolled into my garage in Costa Mesa, CA.

The list of machines that can slay a track day and then carry you 350 miles home is very short indeed. And the Aprilia is at the top of it.