Thursday December 01, 2005 Random ramblings
Thursday December 01, 2005 Aprilia RSV450, will they or won't they..
The nicest picture yet of the possible Aprilia RSV450. This one actually looks like it might be more than just a mockup using a RS250 with 450 decals and slight bodywork modifications (note that the exhausts look like RS250 two-stroke twin cans). The accompanying article, in german, speculates it will use the 450cc V-twin four-stroke engine which Aprilia have been developing, will likely be around 70PS (PS == BHP) and 120kg. Speculated cost of €6k to €7k (so about €10k to €12k in rip-off Ireland, no doubt).
That compares really well to the RS250, which is about 142kg dry (130 to 135kg if you replace the horrifically heavy Aprilia cast-iron pipes with some proper pipes) and around 55hp. The RS250 is great fun around a track, easily able to ride around big bikes, but really does suffer from the comparative power deficit. The RS chassis with another 15hp and 15kg less would be an amazing track bike.
My RS is approaching the mileage where a full bottom-end rebuild is due 
, at which point it might be better selling it to someone prepared to take that on and getting a newer bike. But what bike could ever do after an RS250? I'm not at all keen on the 170kg, 170hp 1L monsters. Awesome power, but anyone can twist a throttle and open up in a straight line. Astronomical insurance rates to go with it. Power you can't really use on the road either, the RS250 accelerates just as well, if not sometimes better given it has a much lower 1st gear, at least up to legal speeds (0-100km/h in just over 4s, 0-160km/h in about 10s). The 600cc bikes are just boring. They tend to be cut-down versions of the 1L models; cheaper/inferior components, particularly brakes and suspension, same weight as the 1L bikes but much less power, BHP/kg ratios which aren't really that much better than the RS250 to make up for the extra weight. The only reason to get a 600 is because of the more affordable insurance really. Light bikes and high corner speeds are just more challenging and fun, but the extinction of two-stroke sports-bikes has left the market bereft of such bikes.
So please Aprilia, build that 70hp/120kg RSV450!
( Dec 01 2005, 06:33:17 AM GMT ) Permalink Comments [2]
Trackback URL: http://blogs.sun.com/paulj/entry/aprilia_rsv450_will_they_or
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Posted by Andy (frogandy) on February 01, 2006 at 06:50 PM GMT #
2 strokes will NEVER DIE !!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by DT on November 10, 2007 at 11:27 AM GMT #