Always a hard edged naked, the Tuono now comes in a base V4 1100 version that's built to be more versatile and comfortable than the Factory. We take it for a spin to check it out... Photos: Zane Dobie
Aprilia have taken the step to split the Tuono range with a more versatile road friendly Hyper Naked Tourer to back up the super sharp sports focussed Tuono V4 Factory. We had the chance to spend some time on one earlier in the year and reckon it’s a great roadbike.
The new $28,830 Tuono V4 1100 has a taller screen and handlebars than the Factory, along with plusher Sachs suspension and lower pillion footpegs plus a more comfy seat.
I’ve always been an absolute fan of the mighty Aprilia Tuono. As far as I’m concerned, it is the Godfather of sports nakeds, the first true sportsbike with flat handlebars to come from Italy, or anywhere for that matter. I remember the first one I rode back when I was a very young Staff Journalist at Two Wheels magazine and Streetbike.
It truly blew my mind and to top it off, I was lucky enough to be riding one that was set up by the then Aprilia Australia tech, the talented Dave Ward. The bike was absolutely amazing on the road and the track, that big Twin power and the sports chassis was bliss. I still, to this day, think the old twin-cylinder Tuono models were some of the best road going nakedbikes Aprilia have made.
When the V4 arrived, I was mind blown yet again, but looking back on my testing, most of it was done at The Farm and when I was still racing, so generally looking for the performance edge of most bikes – this was prior to the recent years when I started, err, ageing and testing adventure bikes, scooters, cruisers and bought a Royal Enfield! I loved the on track but still felt the V2 was the better road bike. Well, perhaps not after riding the new, more road friendly, Tuono V4 1100… A few small tweaks and it could be a fantastic all-rounder nakedbike.
It’s not perfect, but the new Tuono V4 is a great bike with plenty of road potential. It’s super comfortable for a start.
Small adjustments make a huge difference at times and the taller handlebars and other differences between the V4 1100 and the Factory (see the Tech breakout below) means the the V4 is more comfortable and upright than previously. The new styling is on point, too, although you could argue whether it truly is a nakedbike anymore, given that there is a lot of real estate covered in bodywork and it has a big fairing. I’m a traditionalist, so I’m going to call it a semi-naked. It’s wearing a shirt but forgot to put its pants on… We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Onboard the V4 1100, I immediately feel the changes to the earlier models. The bike has a more sports-touring view and the upright position makes me feel even further off the ground than before. With a high seat height, the tall handlebars and my long arms, I feel my head is up in the clouds and this takes a little time to get used to. The tank is wide at the top but narrow in the knee cutouts, and the reach to the handlebars is a long one. It’s a comfortable rider triangle, an all day position, but there is one glaring issue that has me scratching my head…
The pillion hangars are so low that they snag on my size 11 boots. I tried a few styles of boot but they all did the same thing. I almost crashed twice due to my heel getting stuck. It’s dangerous in my opinion and needs to be fixed.
There is not enough space between the rider footpegs and the pillion footpegs, causing a dangerous situation for me, with two near crashes during the photoshoot when my foot was completely stuck and I ran wide onto the wrong side of the road. Once I was hyper aware of the situation, I rode with my feet sticking out to stop the heel getting caught, but then my toes hit the road in the corners. I could not ride on the ball of my feet on the Tuono V4, which had a negative impact on the handling of the machine.
I would remove the pillion hangars immediately if it was mine. How did it pass the testing at the factory? With a large part of my own racing career on Aprilia motorcycles, including a championship and lap records, I do have a soft spot and appreciation for the Italian machines, so the design fault in the pillion hangars is a definite surprise, as Aprilia tend to get things right 99.9 per cent of the time.
The new Tuono V4 1100 is a sweet handling motorcycle, with a good balance of comfort and support in the suspension and lovely geometry. It just needs a little more foot room! A very are glaring mistake from Aprilia with the boot clearance.
Heel clearance issues aside, the Tuono V4 boasts a sweet chassis with instantly recognisable racing DNA that makes me feel at home, and feel confident very quickly. The even more commanding than before riding position gives ultimate leverage on the wide handlebars, meaning total advantage of lightweight chassis can be put to work, while the rake feels sharper as a result.
With only 99.7mm of trail, you could expect less front feedback and grip from the Tuono but I think the softish Sachs forks add to the feeling that there is a larger footprint on the road. It is a communicative front-end, on or off the brakes, but braking needs to be done with finesse to avoid sudden fork dive. The geometry still makes the bike racy, even with stable steering and soft suspension. Of course, the plus side is the fantastic ride over bumps and undulations, giving real comfort, a first for a V4 Tuono!
It is a communicative front-end, on or off the brakes, but braking needs to be done with finesse to avoid sudden dive.
The back end of the bike is similarly plush, with firm springs to give sporty support on the gas, coping with that whopping torque and power, and giving mid corner line holding, while still soaking up the crappy Australian country roads without the kidney punching of the old days. It’s a great balance from the Sachs set-up, and although it feels a bit soft and floaty at first, you soon realise how quickly you are actually going, while not suffering for the bumps!
Soft enough suspension for country roads and sports touring, yet no problem doing this! A true versatile semi-naked.
Direction changes are quick and stable, but the Tuono is quite top heavy being a tall machine. A bit of effort at the ‘bars is required, but once on its side the bike is rock solid and give plenty of confidence-inspiring feel at both ends, even with that soft fork set-up.
Check out our previous Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR Video here…
You can carry good corner speed on the Tuono, but need a little rear brake to dampen that vicious punch from the engine on throttle opening if you want to keep the soft set-up balanced and poised. Ride it fast in the dry like you are riding fast in the wet, with gentle movements and finesse, and you are heavily rewarded by the race DNA of the sweet chassis…
The V4 1100 has a 190 rear tyre, as opposed to the 200 on the Factory. I prefer the steering of the 190 rear myself.
Summarising handling, it’s comfortable and soft suspension-wise, possibly too soft for some really hard riding sports riders, but the geometry of the chassis allows the bike to get aways with the soft suspension and still steer and corner well, and even remain stable on the brakes. And the brakes are huge… We are talking standard suspension settings though, and I feel with a bit of extra preload and damping, within the stock availability, the Tuono could be just about spot on for a sports naked that needs to isolate the rider from our terrible, no horrendous, roads here in Australia…
One area that isn’t more ‘Touring’ or nakedbike easy are the brakes – they are still the same amazing units straight from the stunning RSV-4, the Brembo M50 calipers (drool) and massive 330mm front rotors (dinner plates), with a Brembo radial-pull master-cylinder up front and a 220mm rear rotor with a two-piston Brembo caliper controlling things out back. The front brakes are sensational, with brilliant feel and modulation, incredible power yet are great even at low speeds, while the rear is a little wooden in feel and could do with more power and less effort on the pedal.
The heart of the bike is of course that monster, loveable yet scary V4, which has been carefully adapted from the RSV4 to suit the nakedbike (see tech breakout below). Our info has come directly from Aprilia Australia’s tech department, as we found conflicting info on the bike from various sources including press kits and official websites, however, thanks to the team at PSI, we were able to get the exact info we needed to pass to you about the differences between the V4 1100, Factory, and the RSV4 engines and tune for the three applications.
A wild motor shared with the RSV4 and the Tuono Factory is more than enough to keep you on your toes!
The engine is a beast, there is no other way to put it. No matter the mode, the map, the care with the right wrist, it is angry and blindingly quick. You need to be ready and committed when you open that RbW throttle and unleash the 175hp caged within the mighty V4. It’s agro, abrupt and not that refined and a real wild ride compared to some bikes in the naked class. It’s fast, really fast, and tractable. The gearbox is slick and the quickshifter reliable. The sensitivity of the throttle takes some time to get used to, as it is so touchy, but the bike can be ridden smoothly once you get used to it. There are six riding modes to choose from, I spent 90 per cent of the time on Sport.
“Overall, the Tuono V4 is now much more of its own road bike, rather than a pure sports naked derived from the RSV4 and for hardcore sports riders. The few small comfort changes have made a big difference and made the Tuono much more tourable than it was before”…
There are so many advanced electronics on the Tuono V4 that it’d take an entire seperate article to cover them all so check out our breakout below and visit the Aprilia website for more on that. Overall, the Tuono V4 is now much more of its own road bike, rather than a pure sports naked derived from the RSV4 and for hardcore sports riders. The few small comfort changes have made a big difference and made the Tuono much more tourable than it was before… But still gives no end of thrills…
Check out our other Aprilia reviews here…
TUONO V4 TECH HIGHLIGHTS
· New Marelli 11MP engine ECU with four times the speed and four times the memory compared to the previous Marelli 7SM. Among other things this allows much higher data sampling rates and more precise fuelling and engine control. Room for more rider functions too.
· New high resolution engine speed and crank position sensing system (Special flywheel with precision pickup and new software) mitigates random misfiring, improving gas emissions, engine efficiency while making more power for the same fuel.
· New six axis inertial management platform takes aPRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) to the next level.
· New 5 Inch TFT (Thin Film Transistor) Instrument Panel with updated display and rider interface.
· 6 Ride Modes including 3 rider customisable modes.
· Updated rider controls and switchgear.
· New fairing with stability control features (winglets).
· New full LED headlight assembly with cornering assist.
2022 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Tech Talk
The 1,077cc V4 from Veneto remains unchanged in terms of its performance. The Tuono has the same 81mm bore/52.3mm stroke and 48mm throttle-bodies as the RSV4, but loses the two injectors per cylinder, and receives a lower compression ratio, of 13:1, down from 13.6:1 on the RSV4.
The 1,077cc V4 from Veneto remains unchanged in terms of its performance…
Aprilia have kept the street in mind when it came to the tune on the Tuono. Compared to the RSV4, the naked version makes peak power 2,200rpm lower at 11,000rpm. Power has also been decreased to 175hp to 217hp, all changes that make the bike less of a monster to ride everyday. The new high resolution engine speed and crank position sensing system (Special flywheel with precision pickup and new software) mitigates random misfiring, improving fuel emissions, engine efficiency while making more power for the same fuel.
The Tuono V4 includes changes for 2022 that continue along the theme of a more comfortable option compared to the RSV4 or Factory Tuono. Aprilia have put specific focus on improving the comfort provided by the raised handlebar and making a more protective top fairing. They haven’t left the passenger out of the update, revising the rear seating position and footpegs to ensure they stay comfortable when riding pillion.
The new swingarm is the star of the show. It has been completely revised for more performance and stability…
The chassis architecture evolves significantly thanks to the arrival of a new and lighter aluminium swingarm with lower reinforcement brace. The new swingarm adopts a geometry that has already been seen on the WorldSBK and MotoGP Aprilia bikes. The new swingarm has been designed to lower the weight and increase the stability of the rear end in acceleration.
The front Brembo braking system comes directly from the one on the RSV4 and relies on a pair of 330mm steel discs, gripped by the Brembo monobloc M50 callipers and activated by a radial master-cylinder on the handlebar. The rear is sorted by a 220mm steel disc with Brembo two-piston caliper…
The new colour TFT instrumentation is larger and more complete, making information easier to see on the fly.
The new colour TFT instrumentation is larger and more complete. Thanks to the more powerful new Marelli 11MP ECU and new, six-axis inertial platform, electronic management using the full Ride-by-Wire throttle has improved and the APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) operating logic has also been refined.
The new Marelli 11MP engine ECU now features four times the processing speed and four times the memory compared to the previous Marelli 7SM. Among other things this allows much higher data sampling rates and more precise fuelling and engine control. Room for more rider functions too.
The exclusive Aprilia electronic controls suite, is now even more enhanced with the introduction of the adjustable engine brake control. There are now six Riding Modes, three for the track (including two customisable) and three for the road (including one customisable): the rider just needs to choose the Riding Mode that best interprets their riding needs to automatically obtain the best settings in terms of Traction Control, Wheelie Control, engine brake, ABS and the other managed parameters.
The Tuono V4 is fitted with a multimap Cornering ABS system, developed in collaboration with Bosch.
The Tuono V4 is fitted with a multimap Cornering ABS system, developed in collaboration with Bosch. The 9.1 MP system is able to optimise braking and the ABS intervention in corners, thanks to a specific algorithm that constantly monitors various parameters such as lateral acceleration, the pressure applied to the front brake lever, the lean, pitch and yaw angle, modulating the braking action in order to better guarantee the ratio between deceleration and stability. The ABS works in unison with the Aprilia RLM (Rear Liftup Mitigation) system that limits the lift of the rear wheel during more abrupt braking.
The Tuono V4 wears its typical top fairing that houses the new triple LED headlight unit with DRL lights featuring the “bending lights” function, the headlights will automatically adjust when cornering to allow for maximum vision. Being closely derived from the RSV4, the Tuono V4 also benefits from the new and refined ergonomics of the Aprilia superbike that provides more space for a better on-board fit for the rider, thanks to the new shape of the fuel tank and tail fairing.
2022 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Specifications
Price: $28,830 R/A
Claimed Power: 129kW@11,000rpm
Claimed Torque: 120Nm@9,000rpm
Wet Weight: 209kg
Fuel capacity: 17.9L
Engine: Liquid-cooled 65-degree V4 16-valve DOHC, 1078cc, 81 x 52.3mm bore x stroke, 13.0:1 compression ratio, 48mm throttle-bodies, Marelli injection, Ride by wire, Four-into-two-into-one exhaust
Gearbox: Six-speed cassette type, straight cut gears, quickshifter
Clutch: Wet multiplate slipper clutch, cable actuation
Chassis: Aluminium dual beam chassis with pressed and cast sheet elements. Adjustment for headstock position and rake, engine height, swingarm pin height.
Rake: 24.8°
Trail: 99.9mm
Suspension: Sachs upside-down fork, adjustable, 43mm stanchions, 120mm travel (f) Sachs rear shock with progressive linkage, and adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping, 129mm travel (r).
Brakes: 330mm rotor(s) (f), Brembo M50 monobloc calipers, Brembo master-cylinders, 220mm rotor (r), twin-piston Brembo caliper
Wheels & Tyres: Cast alloy 3.50 x 17in, 6.00 x 17in, 120/70-17in, 190/55-17in
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 1452mm
Seat height: 837mm
Overall width: 810mm
Overall Length: 2070mm
Overall height: 1170mm
Equipment: APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) IMU-based traction control and cornering ABS,6 axis inertial platform, APRC suite (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) with Engine maps (AEM), Engine brake management (AEB), Traction control (ATC), Wheelie control (AWC), Launch control (ALC), Cruise control (ACC), Pit limiter (APT). 6 riding modes (3 Road, 3 Track), all individually adjustable, and three pre-set riding modes. Cruise control, TFT colour dash, up/down quickshifter.
2021/2022 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Gallery
The Verdict | Review: 2022 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100
Roomy!
The new more road friendly base model Aprilia Tuono has analogue Sachs suspension, a taller screen and handlebars and more pillion comfort, but has it lost its sporty edge?
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