The Aprilia V4 project utilizes a brand new V4 999cc engine destined both for world superbike and the road. The V4 will be Aprilia’s first ever four cylinder motorcycle. Already now at the very beginning of the project Aprilia stipulates a max power of more than 210hp from the superbike version. Aprilia surprised everyone when it last threw itself into World Superbike racing with the RSV Mille by being competitive and winning races in the first year. The new V4 project is a different ballgame and the engine is completely designed in-house. But in many ways, Aprilia have got more racing heritage to its name than Ducati. Not in world superbikes, but on the GP tracks with 125’s and 250’s. The RS Cube MotoGP project failed big time for Aprilia and almost run the company off the map financially. The triple engine had more than enough power, but was virtually unrideable. So Aprilia are now trying again with a new engine in World Superbike. You might speculate that Aprilia chose the V4 999cc engine to gain experience in the V4 format and perhaps also be able to produce an 800cc version for future MotoGP glories.
The 65 degree V4 was also chosen to utilize Aprilia’s extensive know how in producing a race chassis around narrow V-engines. The new V4 is even more compact than the current V60 used in the RSV models. Aprilia will use fly-by-wire technology with wiring never seen on any motorcycle before. The fuel management system is very advanced where servo motors only operate its own row of cylinders throttle bodies. This has been done to optimise high power engine management. This is needed when the V4 spins around at a maximum 13.500rpm.
Aprilia recently started testing of the new engines in a new chassis. The bike is called Prototype 0. This is the very first shakedown test of the engine after bench testing under realistic conditions on a roadracing circuit. The rest of that prototype is basically a modified RSV 1000R. The bike will be shown with final design and chassis at the 2007 EICMA show in Milan.
