Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory Review: Full Factory Perfection | First Ride | Motorcyclenews.com

We’ve had to wait a long time for Aprilia to come up with a ‘Factory’ version of their brilliant V4 Tuono, but now it’s finally here…and it’s been worth the wait.

The new £14,635 Aprilia V4 1100 Factory is one of the few motorcycles on this planet to combine such a glittering-level of performance and technology, mixed with lashings of real-world practicality.

Costing just £1500 more than the RR, the Factory has the obligatory fully-adjustable Ohlins rear shock, forks and steering damper and comes painted in Aprilia Racing ‘Superpole’ colours. Engine, chassis, brakes and electronics are all the same as the base model.

It’s hard to believe how a production road bike can cover ground so quickly, with such little effort. The steering is light and accurate, the traction control cossets and never holds you back, the quickshifter is the best in the business and there’s huge amounts of feel and grip in, through and out of corners.

And with its Swedish suspension units keeping everything in check, the Factory tempts you to hold the brake harder into corners and begs you to get on the throttle harder when an apex flashes past your knee.

It has the DNA of a superbike on the track, is fun, safe and practical on the road and built with the precision and quality of a Swiss watch. The seat is more comfortable and a reshaped nose fairing cuts down the windblast. It’s full factory sportsbike perfection.

We briefly rode the 2015 RR base model at its recent launch, but this is our first chance to really get to know Aprilia’s new 2015 V4 1077cc engine. It has a smoother ride-by-wire throttle and easy grunt off the corners, but it has a wild side.

Above 9000rpm it takes off like a superbike, but it’s so easy to control, thanks to that throttle, linear power delivery, cutting edge wheelie and traction control and a chassis that’s a beautifully balanced as it is fabricated. The Tuono steers with little effort and goes exactly where you point it, no matter how fast you’re going.

But the Factory’s Ohlins suspension takes the Tuono’s cornering brilliance in to another level. It adds an extra layer of plushness, control and gives you a more comfortable ride.

It’s not cheap, though. Fourteen and a half grand is a lot to spend on a naked bike, especially when you get something like the new K5-powered GSX-S1000 for over £5k less. But the Tuono has the best wind protection of its straight-barred superbike rivals, the most advanced electronics this side of a WSB paddock and sounds every inch like a wailing MotoGP bike. And once you’ve got it home you’ll be finding every excuse possible just to lift your garage door to gawp at it.

Forget your track-focussed race-replica superbikes - the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory is the best road-going performance bike you can buy, bar none.

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[ApriliaRacer]

Rode the 2016 Aprilia Tuono 1100RR today. Best and smoothest shifting I've ever felt. Power was smooth and amazing. Honestly, the bike scared me with power...just kept coming on and on!!!! The exhaust note on the stock piece is absolutely amazing!!!! Sold!!!! Trying not to spend money but that bike is mental!!!! I mean really mental!

[jcwebb]

The Aprilia has just the right amount of fairing for my tastes.

[aadrianlee]

I've never wanted a naked bike until I saw this aprilia Tuono Factory 😎👍

[ott]

just got the factory and its by far the most exciting bike I've ever ridden. The power is intoxicating and thats after owning gixxers and Blades et all...
The difference is this bike feels 'Alive' and the handling is telepathic... test ride one but be warned - you WILL want one!

[sdeary]

Finally MCN, perfect sound quality, editing and a solid review. More like this please

[ShaunYoung]

Love the honesty, there's not usually a clear winner.

[dogmon_rr]

I really appreciate this awesome review. It really helped solidify my decision to pull the trigger on a 2018 Tuono 1100 RR.

[Turder]

This video does very good pointing how these V4s sound when ridden. Superb soundtrack!

[HankOnWheels]

I was about to buy a S1000R, then took a new 2016 Tuono for a test ride. 5 minutes into the ride and I knew I had to have the Tuono.

[jimbell]

Had a Tuono v4 1000 2015 superb bike the new Factory is superber! :)

[Mrkmcc]

I got a 2018 factory last year. Love it. Not for a begginer or leisure rider. Have a few years experience first then ul fully appreciate what the bike is about and justify it's high price tag.

[lolspain]

Great quality production here MCN!

[RogerWatson]

Great review and having ridden the latest Tuono and owning an S1000r i think the final result is spot on. Both bike are truly awesome and either bike is a real winner. Comes down to price and looks really.

[johnrudkin]

Mate, the engine of the Tuono makes all the difference. The V4 torque from the Tuono is what it's all about for me.

[Moto-trip]

Moto fantastica, la migliore nel suo segmento! 👍

[claudeaube]

you gotta love the low end torque from the Factory!!! more useable fun on the street without going to

Best bike i have owned since the tuono 2007 1000R V60

[petersean]

Had my Tuono Factory 2 months now and love it, are we going to have a group test soon ?

[slayer]

The best bike in class last year by far according to MCN, now it's even better so how is there no clear winner ?

[SteveC-Shaman]

It goes beyond which one do you like the look of... the BMW is positively sterile compared to the Aprilia.  Run flat out an inline-4 can bring some excitement, but riding like a sane person under any other conditions, it's vanilla.  The V4 never fails to entertain.  I am trying to find one to trade my V60 on, it's finally time.

[Full_Deflection]

I would take the Ape any day, but the hold up is in having cruise control and heated grips for a lower price. Plus, BMW servicing is unparalleled.