Aprilia RSV4 REVIEW and IMPRESSIONS (Ducati Owner Perspective)
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- A review and ride along with a 2023 Aprilia RSV4. This review dives into the build quality of the Aprilia versus Ducati. We take a look at the quirks of the RSV4 as well as its driving dynamics. At the time of this review the RSV4 is completely stock other than a red OEM seat (identical to the factory black seat other than color) and EVOtech radiator/oil cooler guards.
The intention of this review is to provide a new and first time Aprilia owners perspective while the bike is still stock. Once the bike has been modified, this review will be revisited.
Thank you all for watching as always!
Aprilia is for people that spend more time riding their bikes than staring at them and analyzing “fit and finish”
Pretty clear you either didn’t watch most of the video or just failed to understand the video. 😂.
Becuase when people spend over 20k on something they hope they get their moneys worth mate 😂. Ducati you pay alot and you get quality, aprilla have a great bike but the quality is lacking compared to ducati.
@falka6751 so true. The “I ride my bike so I don’t care if it looks like a 5 year old put it together” crowd always makes me laugh. When you pay a premium price, you expect a premium product. Cheers man, thanks for watching.
@@ridewithKYDucati prices are ridiculous… for what a V4S costs you can buy a factory, replace all the fairings with Ilmberger CF, throw in some Rotobox wheels, get an Akra and still have some money left…
Well current MSRP on a V4S is $31,995 and current MSRP on a factory is $25,999. Of course there will be some variances in the set up fee, document fee, etc., but let’s not unnecessarily over complicate things. So about a $6000 premium on a V4S. That being said, $6000 and the difference in sales tax is not enough to get you the ilmberber catalog, carbon wheels, Akra’s, and money left over. You would be short by quite a bit.
However, to be fair I do see factory’s selling for under MSRP quite often so it is very feasible to get one for less than $26K. I rarely see V4S’s go for much under MSRP unless it’s a leftover from the previous year. Even then, when I was looking for leftover V4’s I rarely found dealers willing to take more than $2000 off. Cheers man take care.
Really good review on this bike keep the videos flowing there aren’t too many of us Aprilia owners on YT. My Tuono Factory has similar fit n finish issues but definitely a dream to ride the only part I would disagree were about the mirrors maybe it’s a Tuono thing or me just being my size but I immediately trashed them because all I saw were my arms n elbows 😅 nevertheless still my favorite bike I ever owned. Can’t wait to see more RSV4 content!
Appreciate the positive feedback. I agree about the dream to ride but has quality issues. Doesn’t mean it’s a bad bike but we’ll never see product improvements if owners stay quiet about the quality and just accept the flaws.
Thank you again for watching! A lot more content coming very soon.
I love how the Z X-10-RR is incredibly reliable and performs like a 6x WSBK Champion should, stupid easy to work on and maintain. The insane bright green has been a blessing at intersections as far as being visible
Can’t argue with this statement to be honest.
ALL the european superbikes beat the kawasaki zx10 superbike in every comparison by professional testers (44 teeth ect ) The kawasaki zx 10 is the best of the jap bikes but next bike go euro superbike = better in every aspect . fyi i own a superbike collection of ALL new superbikes jap and euro so i have no bias .... worst superbike = honda cbr 1000rrr Massive over heating problems,ecu frying ect ect .
Yeah but is it worth the 30k?
I own both Ducatis and an Aprilia. What you're experiencing on the Aprilia are common. Never the less, they are great bikes. Solid Review/Impressions.
Thank you for chiming in to share your experience with Ducati and Aprilia. I haven’t had this Aprilia long but I can already tell in going to thoroughly enjoy it.
Thank you for watching as always and thank you for the positive feedback.
Great review
Thank you!
Looking forward to possibly seeing a graphics kit. The red seat looks good. 🤝
Thanks bro. For sure needs a few things aesthetically. Satin black ain’t it. 😂.
Sick review Ky I have an Rs660 and I’m thinking of doing the reverse combo of you Getting a V4S panigale …
RS660 is a sweet bike. Before I bought the RSV4 I was really contemplating getting an RS660 as a commuter to replace my Vitpilen 401. Sometimes I even prefer the aesthetics of the RS660 after they are modified over the RSV4’s. Don’t think you’d be disappointed with a V4S and RS660 as your lineup. Thanks for watching as always!
perfect review
I appreciate you. Thank you!
i’ve got a 2021 RSV4 factory… Absolutely love riding it, road and track, and could afford another bike as a daily ride with the money saved not buying the ducati V4S 😂
These RSV4’s are pretty fantastic bikes. No doubt about that.
Great review. Just picked up same exact RSV4 as yours a week ago. Been looking for the red seat. I think that looks killer. Did dealer order that for you. Having a hard time finding somewhere to order OEM parts.
Right on, hope you enjoy your RSV4. I got this one from AF1 racing, they already had it in stock so I received it pretty quickly. Cheers, let me know if I can help in another way.
@@ridewithKY was that a complete seat or a cover from AF1? Looking for it on their website. Thanks
It is the complete seat. Just unbolt your stock one and put the new one on. No need to transfer any parts over or anything like that. Should be able to find it pretty easy on AF1. If not, you can always call. The guys at AF1 are pretty helpful.
Which bike is taller to ride the v2 or vitpilen? Great content i really like the aprilia rs 660 gold but the rsv4 factory looks beast mode.
The v2 and Vitpilen are similar in height when resting. But the v2 is wider and the suspension is stiffer so when you are sitting on it the suspension sags much less than the Vitpilen. Vitpilen on paper has a pretty high seat height but it ends up not being as high you’d think because it’s so narrow and suspension sags so much.
RS660 is a great bike. I’d love to have a RS660 some day.
You can angle the clip ons toward you and get some lever clearance
Hi! Thank you for the great review. I was hesitating between the V4S and the RSV4 Factory. The main reason I bought the Aprilia is because of the SOUND!!! The Panigale was always the dream bike but I can't do many trackdays because of 95-102db noise level limits in Europe. Do you also have such limits in the US?
We do have some pretty strict DB restrictions at most of our tracks. Some more strict than others.
Pani V4 is of course a great bike and I’d love to own one someday but that exhaust just doesn’t sound that good in my opinion. Kind of a weird sounding engine.
Wow! The Ducati is really popping.
Thank you!
Very interesting comparison. But when you refer to Panigale, do you mean the V2, the V4 or generally? Many thanks. G.
It’s a general statement. Panigale line is pretty wide so it’s just not practical to address each model within the line. I’ve found the Panigale to have equal quality across the line.
Thank you for watching.
I put the smallest wheel weights on the steering lock stops. It reduces full lock a wee bit but gives you enough clearance for the lever positioning. One usually rarely goes to full lock on these bikes. Even for u turns you've to lean her proper or you'll be going back and forth
That is an excellent idea. Thanks for sharing that, I’m going to do this. True, I very rarely use full lock other than moving the bike around in the garage. Still just kind of a weird design to have that little clearance from the factory. Thank you again for the tip, that’s very helpful.
Have u try Tuono!!! i jumped from 1299S to Tuono and never look back LOL
I have not tried a Tuono, although I have sat on a few. I just can’t get used to the upright seating position since I’m so used to clip ons. I’m sure it’s hard not to have fun on a Tuono. Thanks for watching.
Quick tip. Get a nail file an it would knock those edges right off. An also a heat gun or even better a small torch if your mechanical incline could fix that lil corner warp. I worked in a injection moldings factory making car trim an we used nail files an torches on the regular. As to the edges on the seat could just need the bolts loosen an tighten to wear they line up better.
Appreciate you sharing bro.
As a fellow Ducati (hypermotard sp) and Aprilia (tuono v4 factory) owner, hands down the Duc has much better fit and finish. I think this is where Aprilia saves money and can afford to sell their bikes at a lower price point compared to the equivalent Ducati. The Ape is definitely a chassis/motor/electronics bike first and foremost and then everything else is secondary. Meanwhile Ducati is top notch everywhere, hence the premium price point.
Glad to see your experience has been the same as mine. Doesn’t mean one is better than the other overall, just different. Those that say Aprilia quality is just as good either aren’t being honest or don’t know what to look for.
I recently was able to go to a handful of Aprilia dealerships in Southern California. During that time I was able to look at about 6-8 RSV4’s. They all had similar quality issues to mine. Some were a little better and a few were worse. With that sample size it’s easy to conclude my observed quality issues are pretty common across the line. Again, doesn’t mean these are bad bikes, it’s just an observation. Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience.
I bought some aftermarket levers from eBay(the ones that has Aprilia logo on it ~ $30ish). In order for the levers to fit, I needed to adjust the brake position and move it slightly facing downwards. This SHOULD make other aftermarket brake levers to fit and not hit the fairing. Added benefit of moving the brake down a bit is the hand posture, I needed it to be adjust down anyway - according to DaveMosstuning- hand positioning for clutch and brakes is required to assure proper brake grab when releasing the throttle.
Good info. Appreciate you sharing. Changing the levers is definitely something I want to do, just not looking forward to dealing with the possible clearance issues. Appreciate you sharing your experience.
My RS660 brake lever hits the front fairing as well at full lock. I also have aftermarket levers (Evotech). The fit and finish on it isn’t too bad and I haven’t really had anything to complain about. It looks like a baby RSV4. I also have a Panigale 1199s which has way more sex appeal over the Aprilia. The Aprilia looks good but the Ducati always takes the cake in the eye candy department. I bought my Aprilia for more track use. The dash on my 660 looks a lot better than the TFT on my Ducati. To be expected with the 660 being 10 years newer. Good video!
RS660 and 1199S are both awesome bikes. Can’t really be too upset riding either of those. I agree about the aesthetic, most people don’t even notice aprilia’s (which can be a good thing sometimes). I don’t think k anybody is sitting in a bad spot with both an Aprilia and Ducati sitting in the garage. Cheers man, thanks for sharing and for watching!
I have a 2023 RSV4 Factory Speed White and I don’t see any of those finishes issue to be honest.
Almost everything else he said is accurate.
Good review em general.
Appreciate that. I’ll take a closer look Everytime I see a current gen RSV4. When I bought this RSV4, there was a Tuono V4 which had similar finish issues. Thanks again for sharing.
Yeah I think they pay more attention to detail on the factory. It does suck that after the '20 they stopped giving all the carbon and no more factory Akrapovic either.
@franklinwilkerson2061 could be. Although if you comb through the comments here, people with Factory’s reporting quality issues too. Kinda doubt the Factory’s receive different treatment as far as QC goes, but I could be wrong. I’ll be looking closely whenever I see RSV’s just out of curiosity more than anything. I don’t think the quality detracts from the ownership experience. Cheers mate.
I did NOT say the Factory models receive a different treatment regarding QC but I said my SPEED WHITE does NOT have the issues he mentioned in his RSV4.
My only issue with my bike so far is showing the Gas Gauge in the display.
I never know if I am running out of gas or not.
Dealership says my model does not have this .
I don’t like.
Looking to get a RSV4, thank you for this detailed overview. Would have never known nor expected those fit and finish knit picks, but I think you're right def not a deal breaker.
Appreciate you watching. Yeah it’s one of those things that doesn’t really matter but it is there. Regardless, I’m enjoying this RSV4.
I’ve had the opportunity to look at about 6 different brand new RSV4’s in person and they all have had some quality issues in various places. A lot of times you’ve got to look pretty hard but they are there. Good luck with your RSV4 search, you won’t be disappointed.
Bro i'm dying to get one of those lava seats. where did you find one?
I got you. Believe it or not your local dealer can get you one. If you don’t have a dealer close to you, then AF1 Racing is a good source. Super helpful staff and fast shipping.
@@ridewithKY My man, thanks bro
Anytime! Thank you for watching.
I have never ridden any of these bikes , can you tell me about the feel of riding a ducati vs rsv4 ? Like they both have a v4 engine right? So they feel the same or riding dynamics is totally different?
Hard to really describe. Ducati’s are definitely more refined overall (despite the engines typically running rougher than the equivalent Aprilia). The Aprilia electronics are easier to use, however, seem less refined because of the quality of the materials used for the buttons. You can tell the RSV4 is an older design that’s been upgraded many times over the years. Overall, both are ferocious motorcycles however they have some pretty stark differences in their personality. You have Aprilia people and you have Ducati people. For me, I don’t think I can pick between the two.
@@ridewithKY oh okay, thanku sir for describing it, wishing you good luck for your channel,love from India 🙏
@vibhorsharmax not a problem at all. Thank you for chiming in. I hope some day you get the opportunity to ride a Panigale or Aprilia RS. Both are a treat.
Cheers from the USA. One of my close friends is on his way back from India as we speak.
Both Ducati and Aprilia are great…but they do need work. But its work of love. If you do the regular maintenance at authorized dealer, it will serve you good for many years.
I agree with this statement. Takes extra work, time, and money to keep them going but it’s worth it. No other super sport I’d rather have than Aprilia and Ducati.
400 miles would be enough to show up if the bike didn't fit your purpose and certainly enough to give a good impression you've done the right thing. The sound track is awesome.
Certainly. This 1099 Aprilia v4 is the jewel of the bike, that’s for sure. Thanks for watching!
The Spider levers work great with clearance, but the best are the Rizoma (cost a lot more though, since the Spider ones work great (except for the most outward position) that's what I got). Don't get Evotech, I got them but had to sell them because they did not clear the fairing.
Thank you so much for the info. That is very helpful, someday soon I’d like to replace these levers but am worried about clearance.
@@ridewithKY Then forking up the extra cash for the Rizomas is the way to go 😇
@koppen89 appreciate the helpful info!
What do you mean when you say plastics have flashing?
Is that something that cleans off or what is it?
fwiw I don't think it's normal fit and finish, Japanese bikes I've had don't have those weird fitment issues
Flashing is just leftover plastic from when the part comes out of the mold during the manufacturing process. Most of the time you can knock the flashing off with a fine file but it depends on how the part is finished.
I’ve definitely seen plenty of Japanese bikes with fitment issues… you just have to know what to look for. From what I’ve seen, Yamaha is probably the best finished Japanese bike. Kawasaki and Suzuki being the worst.
@@ridewithKY Maybe I've just got lucky with my bikes so far then
Could very well be. But sometimes you don’t find what you aren’t looking for. Cheers man.
I’ve got both (21 SFV4 & 23 TFactory) the Streetfighter doesn’t wow me, so I daily it - the Tuono is something special, once the Duc is done, I’ll get another Tuono or RSV4
Appreciate you sharing that with me. I guess regardless it’s not a bad position to be in when at worst you end up on either a Duc or an Ape. Hahaha.
Absolutely agree with this, the sfv4 just doesn't feel special after having a tuono and rsv4
It's just well put together and fast.
Thanks for sharing. Aprilia’s certainly have a lot of character. No doubt about that.
RSV4 is a top 2 bike for me along the Panigale V4. It's painful for me when I want to ride because I can't ride them both at the same time :D
Haha, that’s a tough choice.
After spending years around a lot of bikes brands, the highest quality motorcycles when it comes to fit and finish are, Triumph, Honda, Ducati, Yamaha. I am talking about their top tier bikes not necessarily their whole range.
Thanks for sharing that. I like how you added the caveat that the quality can vary across a manufacturers range.
Your fit-and-finish quality experience matches many current and former Aprilia owners, including myself. My most recent Yamaha and Kawasaki literbikes have nicer detailing, fit, and finish than my Aprilia had. In my personal experience, Ducati (particularly with the current Panigale V2 and V4s) show an attention to detail, quality, fit and finish that is head-and-shoulders above any other current manufacturer. You do pay for it as stated here, but it is clear when you spend time with them.
Thank you for sharing. Just from my research it was clear my observations were not a unique one. Regardless I’m still enjoying the Aprilia but as you’ve also alluded to, the fit/finish is not the best.
Sounds like you’ve got an R1 in the stable, for that I’m jealous. Would love to add an R1 at some point. Thanks for chiming in with valuable and helpful information.
@@ridewithKYWell said. The V4 engine in the Aprilia is worth the price of admission alone! I am looking at going with a Panigale V2 next, and your subtle but impactful mods are almost exactly what I plan to do if/when I get a V2. Cheers.
If you do decide to go V2, you will not be disappointed. Of course doesn’t have the HP numbers of a Pani V4, but for practical purposes it’s plenty of power. Especially after a tune/exhaust.
If you ever have any questions about V2’s feel free to reach out, always happy to at least try to help. Take care bro.
I put evotech performance levers, bar ends, brake lever guard and radiator guards! 😉Cheers
Nice set of modifications. 👊🏽.
Great content , just like and subscribe 👍🏼
Hey man, I really appreciate that a lot! Thank you!
Hi, please check video from Motomillion from Mani. Same issue with 650ib speed white rsv4.
I have seen that video series as well. Thank you.
Pipe, taillight/plate holder and tinted windshield immediately need integrated taillights
The red seat looks good… your QS sounds pretty quick.. def better than the S1k… it’s sloppy at times
Thanks bro. I like it too, the aesthetic of these bikes are pretty boring so thought it would help a little without being rice.
Surprised you say that about your quick shifter, everybody says the BMW and especially triumph ones are really good. Interested to see if the Aprilia QS gets better after the tune.
It does get better. I got the Gabro tune. If you barely touch the quick shifter it shifts.
Man, where is that xsr? I'm no Aprilia /ducati guy😔
Soon…
@@ridewithKY 🙏✌️😎🏁
It wasn’t until I traded my RSV4 for a Triumph that I understood what quality felt like. So I understand your complaints about the bike, but I don’t think any other bike will give you the same feeling or sounds as good. For the price they should definitely be better, but once you understand how Piaggio operates you can see why they’re built they way they are lol.
I agree. Although I have seen a speed triple 1200 RR with crooked stripes on the tank. lol. It was the white color scheme with the gold stripe running horizontal. To be fair that’s exception rather than the rule as far as triumph goes. Hoping someday to try a triumph.
Agree totally with the character of the bike, especially the engine. The Aprilia V4 is just a ferocious engine, only way to describe it. Can’t wait to open mine up once it’s broken in. Even the dealer I bought the Aprilia from had some negative things to say about Piaggio. Bikes just showing up that they never ordered, parts orders getting lost, etc. lol. Cheers man, thanks for the insight.
What triumph did you end up going with if you don’t mind me asking?
@@ridewithKY lol I looked into the new Speeds, but being a new bike they had too many issues for my liking so I went with a Street Triple. I was hesitant going down in power, but it’s perfect for where I ride. The RSV4 was heavy like you mentioned, and the riding position started to kill my back. This bike is a lot more flickable, and comfortable for the mountains & track duty. Maybe I’ll replace it with a SFV2 or Tuono later, but then I’ll be thinking about the weight again lol. Had my RSV4 for 5 years and never had any issues with it, but the last couple years I realized it was way too much bike for me to exploit on these tight roads.
Everybody with a street triple loves them. Honestly would probably be an excellent commuter for me. Thanks for chiming in and sharing something helpful. Enjoy that street triple.
“Don’t really want to nit pick” then spend 9.45 absolutely ripping the Aprilia.. nice work. In the UK the RSV4 can be bought for £18,000.. equivalent Panigale about £26,000 it’s not rocket science. I can’t afford either one but if money no object I think I’d choose Panigale V2
The price difference was clearly covered in the video.
Also, never ripped the Aprilia. Just pointed out what I see.
You have to compare the rsv4 to the v4s not a v2 thats another class
This review focused on the quality difference between the two brands. So you would be incorrect.
And if you are going the direction of comparing specs, the proper comparison would be RSV4 vs base V4, not V4S. So you would be wrong there also.
6:00 same fitment issues on panigale :D
Not even close… Guess somebody always has to be a contrarian.
There is blank on panigale on fairings. @@ridewithKY
I have the motobox levers
Thank you for this suggestion. How do you like them so far?
I like them but it took some getting used to because I ran short levers on my other bikes.
Got it, thanks for the lead and sorry for all the questions. What year is your RSV? Looks like the motobox were intended for up to 2016 but can be used on later ones with a slight modification. Thanks again for your time.
Wait until you put an sec project gp-22 on it 😊
Haha you read my mind. Hard not to go with the GP22.
@@ridewithKY I’m gonna come when u get it papa
😂😂😂😂
Good video , but camera 2 low
Fair enough.
At when that Aprilia need valve clearance??? With km
Current valve service is at 20,000KM’s for these current gen RSV4’s.
went the the rsv4f since the duc gets complaints about melting ur sac. not cheap by any means, but way less than ducati.
Ducati does get ridiculously hot in even just mild weather. Getting a tune helps some, but still very uncomfortable heat levels on Pani’s. Regardless, hard to be upset on an RSV4F. Plus as you’ve stated, saved yourself quite a bit of coin.
I've done a lot of research, and what I've found is that Ducatis have mechanical issues right out the dealership. I'll be pissed to spend that kind of money and go through that kind of inconvenience.
Obviously it’s tough to quantify something like this. Any statement either of us make regarding this topic will basically be anecdotal. My research has found the opposite to be true as far as reliability goes. Ducati reliability has gotten much better since the VAG takeover, although still a long ways away from some of the other brands out there. Of course you’ll find plenty of documentation out there for Ducati oil leak issues and things like that. However, the documentation is pretty vast out there for recent Aprilia catastrophic failures. Thanks for the insight.
I like your New Balances. Initial D shit. 😅
😂😂😂. Only thing that fits my flat feet and still have too much pride to wear Hoka’s.
@@ridewithKY 🤣
I will me one or two
Looks like manufacturing defects on those fairing panel edges, certainly the 2019/2020 1100 factory models have better finishing than this. If it was my bike it would be going back. Once the V4 is unleashed, i'm sure all will be forgiven 😈
I haven’t looked at too many other current gen RSV4’s real close. When I purchased this RSV4 there was a Tuono V4 at the dealer and it had similar defects in the plastics.
Haha, yeah not too worried about the cosmetic stuff. My main focus is of course the riding experience, however, still worth pointing it out for others. Thanks man, cheers.
Your rsv4 is quite badly finished I wouldn't have accepted it I've got a 2023 Tuono factory I haven't got the matte finish it's in gloss but it's not like yours everything fits well and finishes really nicely I'm a painter by trade and that would have annoyed the shit out of me
At the same dealer there was a silver 23 Tuono V4 and it had some similar issues to mine. Also, if you read through the comments here it’s pretty common. Either way I’ll be looking close at more RSV4 examples whenever I run into them. Thanks man.
Looking closely at the Aprilia… cheap and plastic
😂😂😂😂
Rsv4 best sound ever
I agree. My favorite sounding motorcycle for right now.
sorry, R1M ftw. if you want quality the choices are basically yamaha or ducati. besides, for sound, the R1M sets the standard. lets just come back down to fuckin earth, kids. some of y'all starting to talk nonsense. remember who runs shit around here.. it aint aprilia. 3 best bikes hands down are the ducati, yamaha, and bmw. the aprilia needs to up its quality game and if so, it would be a serious contender tbh, it has some interesting features like being able to adjust its TC for tire radius blahblah...
😂😂😂 Jesus…