This is the 10th year of the Aprilia RSV4 superbike, and despite that duration, the V4 superbike remains one of the top machines that you can stick in your garage.
Part of this is due to the fact that the RSV4 is an incredibly well-engineered high-tech motorcycle. After all, it was the first superbike to use an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in conjunction with traction control, and one of the first superbikes to have a ride-by-wire throttle.
The other part of Aprilia’s dominance comes down to the fact that the Italian brand has consistently updated the RSV4 every couple of years, helping keep it at the sharp end of the superbike stick. Now if you believe the rumors, the 2019 model year will be no different.
According to a report from GPOne, the Aprilia RSV4 is headed for a substantial update for 2019, one that could even be considered a new model.
The rumor centers around a sizable power increase, somewhere on the order of 215hp to 220hp at the crank. Helping achieve that goal is a strategy plucked straight from Aprilia’s fellow Italian rival, Ducati, with the Noale’s V4 engine set to come in two flavors.
One engine will serve as the race homologation engine, and remain at 1,000cc. This will likely fuel the “RF” variant of the next RSV4, and be a high-strung animal, much as we expect the Ducati Panigale V4 R to be.
The other engine will see a displacement increase, to the tune of 1,100cc – the same displacement as the current Tuono V4. This bike will be enthusiast focused, and follow the trend growing in the motorcycle industry having two tiers of sport bike.
With this new motor spec comes a new revised chassis. While based on the current aluminum twin-spar design, the new chassis is said to be stiffer to accommodate the increase in power. A weight savings of roughly 10 lbs is also on the order.
Our sources have indicated that Aprilia plans to pursue more aerodynamic devices for the RSV4 line in the coming model years, and it would make sense for this new RSV4 to include them.
According to GPOne’s report, the model could be available as early as mid-2019, and will come ready for Euro5 homologation.
Source: GPOne
