Rennie Scaysbrook | January 18, 2021
Two years after Aprilia joined arch-rivals Ducati in bumping their four-cylinder superbike to a class-busting 1077cc, Aprilia has given its RSV4 a fresh facelift for 2021.
Like the history of the RSV4, the changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary and focus on maintaining Euro 5 compliance via a small increase in displacement to 1099cc and a host of aerodynamic improvements via a new fairing design.
A nip and a tuck and a bigger motor fr the 2021 Aprilia RSV4 and RSV4 Factory (pictured).
The RS 660 is much to blame for here, as it was the catalyst for the aero changes with the RSV4 employing the double-layered fairing concept that was first seen on the 660. The new fairing design increases the high-speed performance of the V4 by increasing airbox pressurization, as well as aid in cooling.
The new nose fairing hoses cornering LED lights, and there’s a new fuel tank designed to get the rider lower in the tuck position matched to a reworked seat that gives the rider a little more room to move around on.
The electronics come in the form of the latest generation Marelli 11MP ECU and six-axis IMU, and the Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) rider aids have been reworked to give multi-level engine brake control as well as six riding modes (three for the track three for the road), along with traction and wheelie control and ABS.
The main chassis is as it was in 2020, but there’s a new underbraced swingarm, similar to the design Aleix Espargaro runs in MotoGP.
The new Aprilia RSV4 Factory gets all these improvements plus the Ohlins Mart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension, forged aluminum wheels, and Brembo Sylema calipers.
The MSRP for the 2021 Aprilia RSV4 is $18,999 ($20,995 in Canada) and $25,999 ($27,495 in Canada) for the Aprilia RSV4 Factory, with bikes available by the end of Q1, 2021.
