RSV4 - A World Superbike for the masses
By Isaiah Brown I March 29, 2025
The RSV4 has been a dream bike of mine since 2011. The obsession started that year when I had the opportunity to sit atop one at the IMS Motorcycle Show in Rosemont, IL. I was just a skinny kid with a motorcycle obsession but I immediately fell in love with the bike. The ergonomics fit me perfectly and it was a factory edition with a special edition livery on there. It was mostly black with red accents and the tri-colore on the belly pan. The little factory out of Noale, Italy did something great and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Fast forward 12 years later and I now own an Aprilia RSV4 R APRC fit with Ohlins suspension front and rear, a Leo Vince slip-on exhaust, a race ECU, and many other upgrades. The bike comes standard with a quickshifter and a then state-of-the-art full electronics suite. “APRC” stands for Aprilia Performance Ride Control and with this you are able to control the intrusiveness of the electronics with the use of the plus and minus buttons that control Wheelie Control (3 levels), Traction Control (8 levels) which can be changed on the fly, and Launch Control (3 levels) with ease. The RSV4 comes with 3 distinct rider modes: Rain Mode, Sport Mode, and Track Mode. Rain Mode restricts power in the first three gears while giving you about 120hp. Sport Mode gives you full power but still restricts power in the first three gears. Track mode gives you full power with no restrictions at all times.
Riding impressions of the RSV4 were phenomenal. The brakes were something to behold. I was used to the crappy brakes on my other bike that shall remain nameless, but the brakes on the RSV4 were so good I often found myself overbraking for corners way before I needed to.
This bike comes stock with Brembo M4 Monoblock calipers and I outfitted them with Vesrah RJL-XX race brake pads for ultimate stopping power. The chassis for the RSV4 has always been a sweet spot and the bike remains planted in corners so well with its weight distribution. And that glorious sound emitting from that 65-degree V4 engine with a displacement of 1000cc is simply intoxicating. If you’re not hooked on the looks of the RSV4 the sound will certainly get you. The bike sounds demonic with the right aftermarket exhaust and I love the crackles and pops on deceleration and when up shifting. That low baritone grumble will awaken something in your soul that I can barely describe with words on print but it is something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
My first time taking the bike out was at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, IL, my “home” track. I was blown away by how fast the bike was. The bike tipped into corners immaculately and held a line as if the bike was on rails making corner entry and mid corner bike placement almost telepathic. Exiting corners on this bike is my favorite thing in the world. Standing the bike up on the meat of the tire as quickly as possible and progressively getting on the throttle to blast out of the corner like a bat out of hell looks and sounds like poetry in motion. Putting the 85 ft-lbs of torque down on the tarmac is easy-peasy thanks to the adjustable traction control and its 180hp made passing people within my group’s rules effortless.
The RSV4 is a very well balanced bike that is a very user friendly package from the factory and invites you to throw down fast lap times from the get go - even if I can't