Aprilia back to WSBK !!!

Leo Mercanti said in an interview to Motociclismo magazine that work is well underway on 2007 engine for WSBK.

Surprisingly it will be a V4, which means Aprilia will have to build a V4 road bike! Aprilia abandoned the V2 of the Aprilia RSV mille (which will continue to be on sale in 2007) because they think a V2 wont have enough hp to fight the 4 cylinder bikes.

Question is will Ducati keep struggling with the V2 or try a 4 cyl in the near future???

Good for Aprilia. I like seeing as many factories involved as possible. They have the technology to do so, the Mile R was a major threat from 2000-2002 with Corser and Haga at the controls. Here's hoping the V4 is a success and they can get a solid rider to pilot the thing.

You can never tell with Ducati. Half of me says they will stick with their tradition and continue developing better versions of their V Twin. The other half of me says it's a cut throat series and if they don't develop faster they're going to get eaten alive. Realistically I think Ducati will have to develop a four cylinder engine for SBK relatively soon.

I think Ducati will have to change to a 4 cyl soon. This year they seem to be OK, but the 4 cyls are developing at a much faster rate than the Ducati and being the only V2 left I don't think they have the power to force the Flamini bros to change the rules.

I think 2007 is too close for such a tough job, but in 2008 I see a Ducati V4 SBK.
Either that or they retire from SBK !

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (teomolca @ Feb 27 2006, 03:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't think they have the power to force the Flamini bros to change the rules.

I think 2007 is too close for such a tough job, but in 2008 I see a Ducati V4 SBK.
Either that or they retire from SBK !
no mre rule changes me thinks. i agree teo that 2008 is the year we will see a v4 ducati in wsbk. hell they already have the bike with the proper size engine. all they have to do is build 500 street versions, and since the 800s come to gp's next season, what better way to keep the 990 goin & competeting. if ducati leave sbk (which i think is highly unlikey) it would be a sad day for 2 wheeled motorsport.

Don't worry Frosty, It'll be a cold day in hell when Ducati leave SBK. It's their home ground. They'll pull outta GP before they pull outta SBK.
I think the twin's still got a bit of life in it. It's a big tradition for Ducati and it's taken them to more race wins that all the other manufacturers combined in SBK, and it still gives them a lot of advantages in the rules. But nothing lasts forever. And if they do go to a four, you can bet your balls it'll be a V4 and not a inline 4. I'm a fan of the Ducati twins, but if the 999R was replaced by somthing with the 990GP engine, I'd be more than happy.
It's good to see Aprillia getting back into it, but I'm skeptical. Aprillia dosen't have a sensational record for big bike racing (They're the guys who built the RS cube, after all.) That combined with an all new engine, not a tried and tested one like the Jap fours or the Ducati twins. Aprillia might do well, might do average, or might be replacing Petronas.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Feb 27 2006, 03:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>They're the guys who built the RS cube, after all.) That combined with an all new engine, not a tried and tested one like the Jap fours or the Ducati twins. Aprillia might do well, might do average, or might be replacing Petronas.
You can't place the blame solely on Aprilia. Cosworth was a major partner in the Cube's engine and fly-by-wire design.

There were various reasons for the failure of the RS^3, the engine was very powerful but it was an F1 engine, the throttle was electronic and power output was bitchy. With the current state of Traction control electronics on bikes it could be a different tale...

But the V4 they are bringing is a bike engine, not F1 derived, so if it's well funded, it should be good.

Ducati are in trouble, next year they will have a bunch of super powerful CBR, R1 and GSXR breathing down their necks in the SBK front, but the MotoGP front doesn't look better, with the 800cc rule I'm really intrigued to see if they will manage to make the Desmo work at high rpms next year.

They won't let SBK title slip, but by the same token, the V twin is like their trademark.

I'm not going to make any predictions about the Aprillia SBK. It sounds like it could work, but it's a new project.... We'll just have to wait and see.
Personally I'd think if they get good riders and a good team, MV Agusta can do better than Aprillia. Yeah, it's a heavy bike but it carries its weight so well. And their SBK homogolation model is reported to be 200+ hp in stock trim. They got power, they got chassis know-how. All they need is decent riders. Not to mention the F4 is nothing new, so they don't have the task of developing a new bike and engine ahead of them.

Errr, I think the MVAgusta is a beatiful bike, but it gets her ... kicked by the japanese in masterbike test every year despite having top notch fork, brakes, damper and carbon fibre all over the place. It's not a good base for an SBK, it's far too heavy and it's engine is peaky and, the chasis is very stable but the price to pay is a bad maneouvrability.

In the hypothetical case they got to WSBK in 2007 I would bet my money on Aprilia whiping the floor with MV.

Nope, that things a racebike. Masterbike put the CBR last and CV took it to 2nd last year. Give 'em a while and they'll do well. MV Agusta is a racing firm at heart. They just need to find their feet.
Also, I don't have too much faith in Aprilia. I mean there was the RS cube, but even their roadbikes are slugs compared to Dukes and the like. IMO unless it's two stroke, Aprilia can't do it.

Troy Corser did amazing things with the Mile when he rode for Aprilia, they can succeed with the right people.

So can MV, so can anybody (Except Petronas)

After two years of rumours it is finaly here

02-22-2008 - 18:46

THE APRILIA RSV 4 “RACE MACHINE” IS UNVEILED FOR THE FIRST TIME

The Aprilia Superbike, the bike which from 2009 will bring the Noale based company back to four-stroke racing, has been unveiled for the first time during the Piaggio Group Convention in Milan.

After the success in the 2007 World Championships with Aprilia riders and bikes dominating the 125 and 250 classes (winning all four titles, a repeat of the 2006 performance), the Veneto company gave a preview of the eagerly awaited RSV 4 “Race Machine”.

An extraordinary preview to a privileged audience of more than 1,200 dealers attending the International Piaggio Group Convention.

Four cylinders, 1000 cc, power of well over 200 HP in the race version, the new bike due to make its road debut by the end of 2008 will mark Aprilia's return to the World Superbike Championship in the 2009 season.


The Aprilia RSV 4 is driven by the most revolutionary and powerful engine ever built by Aprilia. A four-cylinder one litre 65° V engine - a layout making it unique among all the world's production engines - in which the most sophisticated engine engineering is combined with top quality materials and the most advanced electronic control technology.

The Aprilia engine in fact uses integral ride-by-wire technology, opening up new frontiers in managing such a powerful engine, with almost infinite possibilities for controlling power output and traction.

More pics
http://picasaweb.google.it/Forotello/RSV4?...key=Q42Sr2AVjAg
and video
http://picasaweb.google.it/Forotello/RSV4/...866550099616706

Its fairly risky that Aprilia have commited to 4 cylinder development before seeing whose favour the rules will eventually stabilize in favour of. However they will add weight to the 4 cylinder argument, and its nice to see something exotic on the grid again. It would be nice if it had an interesting firing order wouldn't it..............

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PARTYSAN @ Feb 23 2008, 08:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>After two years of rumours it is finaly here

now that was worth the 2 year wait!

i like very muchly......

Best of luck to all manufacturers in WSBK.I would love to see the 990 Duke in the series and am gladdened by the return of Aprilla,they gave a good account of `emselves last time they competed.....if only we had a time machine!!

Are they going straight into WSBK or having a year in ESS first?

Alex Hoffmann will be the Test-rider in 2008
and so i guess he will be a rider in 2009 too

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Haga @ Mar 4 2008, 03:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Are they going straight into WSBK or having a year in ESS first?

I read they were hoping to do the latter races of 2008.