ROAD TEST22 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS JULY 23, 2003

We took themanufacturers attheir word byentering the ApriliaTuono Racing andDucati S4R into aclub race. Here’show we got themready and how theyfared on track...

DUCATI’S 996-poweredMonster S4R andAprilia’s Tuono Racingare the latest big-cubed, semi-nakedbikes from Italy. Their

makers make no bones about the factthat these bikes are built for the racetrack to compete in naked bikechampionships throughout Europe. MCNcouldn’t wait for a similar series to startin the UK so we entered them into a250-1300cc club race to see if they wereworthy of their ‘racing’ designations.

To add to the nerves of preparing thebikes (and ourselves) for the race wealso tweaked their suspension settings(far right) and bring you our verdict onwhich is best suited to road use, too (seepage 25).

THREE DAYS BEFORE RACE DAYTHE subject of conversation during theumpteenth tea-break is tyres. Aprilia’sTuono Racing comes shod with Pirelli’sfinest black gluey hoops, in the shape ofSuper Corsas. They’re fine for track daysand possibly a one-off club race.

The Ducati S4R comes with road-biasedMichelin Pilot Sports. Although winning arace on Cadwell Park’s short Woodlandcircuit looks to be out of the questionagainst a field of supersport 600s andGSX-R1000s, we decide life after racingwould be better without hospital food. Andso two pairs of Metzeler Rennsportcompetition tyres (RS2 for the rear, ultra-grippy RS1 front) are ordered up.

Fellow road-tester Michael Neeves’ racelicence finally turns up after a mix up withhome addresses – he moved without telling

the UK’s race body the Auto Cycle Union(ACU). Mine appears, too. Well, two of themactually. One less than the three I receivedlast year. The ACU claims this is notpossible. Hmm…

Our copy of the race regulations also turnup from the secretary of the PegasusMotorcycle & Light Car Club, the raceorganiser. A cheque for £215 for the raceentry fees is despatched in return.Everything is last minute but going well.Something has to burst…

TWO DAYS BEFORE RACE DAYTHE current heatwave sees two sets of nearmolten rubber appear in the MCN office.And they stink. They’re relegated to outsidethe office until the mobile tyre fitter arrives.

It’s the first time Peterborough-basedNick Challinor (07811-779432) has fitted

race tyres. Their lightweight constructionmakes him smile; our request for 31psi and30psi in the Aprila and Ducati rears makeshis face screw-up tighter than the Ducati’srear wheel axle nut – which takes a longbar and much sweat to crack it loose.

Still, he’s relieved when told the bikes aredestined for the track and so don’t need bigpressure figures. There will be no adversesurface imperfections to deflect the innertyre carcass and cause them to overheat.

ONE DAY BEFORE RACE DAYTHE missus is fed up with the mix ofswearing and laughter, but little in the wayof mechanical happenings, on her driveway:“At the rate you two are going the race willbe over before you get there.”

Neeves and myself grab the nearestavailable spanners – two of many littering

It says ‘Racing’ onthem, after all...

BY TREVOR FRANKLIN PICTURES PAUL BRYANT AND 24/7 PHOTOGRAPHIC

J APRILIA TUONO RACING 96%

the Tarmac outside the kitchen door –andget cracking. We need to race-prep thebikes and the race is a day away!

The Aprillia Tuono Racing is done in anhour. All it needed was to change thestandard decorative carbon-fibre bellypanfor the race version. One that has no holesor joins so it can hold at least half of theengine’s oil and coolant capacity should itblow. This bellypan comes with the bike asstandard equipment.

Also included in the Racing’s £11,399asking price is a free-breathing titaniumexhaust end can, replacement ECU chip toupdate the fuelling and ignition maps,lightweight carbon light cowl to replace theheavy light-filled stock item, and a bag ofscrews and brackets to mount them all.

But the bag of fasteners has been lost,which means we have to modify the originalbellypan’s mounting brackets with ahammer before drilling amateur additionalmounting holes in the perfectly-madecarbon bellypan. There’s also a problemwith removing the black box’s ECU chip forthe race version.

To avoid mullering the new chip with staticelectricity – Aprilia still believes we Englishwear Nylon grundies – we need an earthline attached to our bodies. Ideas ofplugging a strip of earth cable into mygarage’s 240v mains power supply fillsNeeves with laughter and me with dread.Ideas of fitting the chip are abandoned withtwo excuses: 1) If the bike gets clattered wecan use the race end can as a spare, and 2)it wouldn’t be fair on the Ducati if theAprilia nets more horses (a probable 8bhpmore in the midrange and 3bhp top end). It

already has a 6bhp peak power advantage.We also give up on fitting the light cowl

because the sun is too hot to piddle aboutany more than we have to. Strips of ducttape placed over the headlight lens andremoving the headlight fuse is far easier.

The Ducati is taking a lot longer. It’s sonew Ducati UK have only just got the bike,let alone any purpose-made DucatiPerformance aftermarket goodies – inparticular a bellypan. But faced with anembarrassing non-show, I’ve managed toget hold of a bellypan destined for theolder 916-powered Monster S4. I know itwon’t fit, but a bit of hacksaw use andcareful manipulation of aluminium sheetingfor brackets, and it should go on easily.

Another hour later and the carbonbellypan is on, in a fashion. Carbonfragments have joined the spanners on thefloor. The S4R has a massive collector boxin which hides the catalytic convertor. Itsbulk has forced the bellypan back towardsthe rear Rennsport. We’re not convincedthe tyre won’t slice through it – or worse –when it grows with heat and centrifugalforce. It will be a case of ‘ride it and see’.

Like the Aprillia, all lights, including theindicators and the speedo, are taped up.The sidestands have been removed forground clearance. Breather hoses havebeen re-routed to end in 250ml catchbottles – an empty plastic meths bottle onthe Tuono, a former PVA wood gluecontainer on the Duke.

It’s not until we’re loading the bikes, TengTools toolbox, jerry can and race clobber

JULY 23, 2003 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 23

J DUCATI MONSTER S4R 97%

Continues over

APRILIA SETTINGSFront compressionNine clicks back from full in (five for track)Front rebound22 back from full in (20 for track)Front pre-loadFive complete turns above standard (25mm of static sag)Rear compression12 out from full in (10 for track)Rear rebound15 out from full in (11 for track)Rear pre-load10mm of thread showingRear ride heightStandard

FIVE MINUTE FIDDLE

DUCATI SETTINGSFront compression12 clicks back from full in (nine for track)Front rebound11 clicks back from full in (nine for track)Front pre-load2 1/2 adjustment lines (5mm) showing (1 1/2 lines, 3mm for track)Rear compression1/4 turn back from full in (full in for track)Rear rebound1/4 turn back from full in (full in for track)Rear pre-loadStandardRear ride heightStandard (+5mm for track)

OUR suspension settings for road andtrack are listed left. Settings may varybetween riders depending on weight,riding style and types of road used.The settings given are a guideline onlyand were arrived at based on twoMCN tester’s preferences, oneweighing in at 12.75 stone, the other14.5 stone.

l THE Aprilia’s front Ohlins suspensionis as good as it gets for a standardmass-produced bike – it’s fullyadjustable and looks the business withgold-anodised outers and nitridedsliders. But like the rear shock, it comesset up on the soft side for a plush,comfortable ride. More feel from thetyres can be had with minimal tweaks.But for the track the set-up was still toosoft and meant we had to stiffen up thesuspension considerably.

l THE S4R runs with Showasuspension. The nitrided USD forks areharsh over bumpy B-roads, but for fastA-road use they give the rider a lot offeedback. The majority of S4R ownerswill be happy with the standard settingsat a track day. But the rear shock isdefinitely way too soft on the givendamping and spring settings. Dedicatedhardcore track players would be betteroff investing in quality aftermarket kit.

TUONO: Too soft for the track

S4R: Fine for most track days

ROAD TEST24 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS JULY 23, 2003

into the van that I remember the bikes’sump plugs haven’t been drilled. I’m not upfor removing the Ducati’s bellypan but setabout drilling one of the Aprilia’s easy-access casing screws in which to feed somelockwire through and tie it off behindanother screw. It’ll have all the signs thejob’s been done right… Except I can’t findany lockwire and end up using greengarden plant support wire. Nice touch!

As for the Duke, we hope the scrutineerswill be blinded by the brilliance of ourpreparation (polished beyond shiny) and notpoke around too much.

Race preparation is over and we’re readyfor an early start tomorrow.

FINALLY, RACE DAYRACE day officially starts at 5.30am forNeeves, 6am for me. He lives further awayfrom Cadwell Park and we need to be thereearly for bike and riding gear scrutinising.Without this we won’t get our entry cardssigned and no entry card means a veryearly bath for both of us. But I can tell fromhis slit-like eyes that he’s been awake for farlonger. He lets slip he’s nervous. He hasn’traced since… oh, since Noah found land.

Our first port of call is a 24-hour garagefor cheap petrol to fill the Jerry can. Neeveshas done himself proud by buying breadrolls, cheese, cold pasta, bananas, bottledwater and energy drinks the night before.

At least the roads are clear of slow-moving traffic. The only vehicles weencounter are other idiots making their wayto Cadwell Park. How do we know? Whereelse would smoking 1980s Transit vans begoing at this time of the morning?

7.30 sees us in the paddock area next toa loudspeaker. Wouldn’t want to miss thefinal call for our two races, would we? Thebikes are hurriedly unloaded and pushed tothe scrutineering lean-to. Helmets, leathersand boots are carried for inspection.

Clothing is deemed fine, but Michael andthe Ducati have problems. The scrutineerwants the oil filler cap drilled and lockwired.

Lets hope he doesn’t look any further asI’ve also forgotten to jubilee-clip and wirethe oil filter. And now my scrutineer’s earshave pricked up. And yes, he wants theAprilia’s coolant reservoir cap done thesame. Ouch, maybe I should’ve drained thecoolant out and replaced it with plain water.

Both scrutineers then appear flummoxed.Seeing two brand new bikes all taped upand running standard footpegs makes themstand back and look hard before one says:“There won’t be much wrong with thesethen!” They sign our race cards and bid uswell for the day.

Race registration goes without a hitch.Back at the van both bikes are surroundedby amused onlookers. “What are they then…they’ve still got the lights on them… you’renot taking them round, are you?” So manyquestions come our way, followed by manybemused and disbelieving looks.

The tannoy barks into life. Free practice isabout to start. We have to be quick becausewe need to know if the suspension needstweaking or any levers need repositioning.

I’m pleasantly surprised by the Aprilia. Iknow it works well on the track because it’sessentially a RSV-R with high bars. And onCadwell’s short and twisty Woodland coursethe bars help me throw the bike from side-to-side in the blink of a watching rabbit’s eye.

After two slow laps the Racing’s throttle isworked harder and in turn so are theradially-mounted front calipers.

There’s a fair bit of dive from the forks,and squat at the rear. As the tyres start toleech to the track the softly-sprungsensation becomes more pronounced.

Back in the paddock Michael is ravingabout the Monster. Excited words sound out:“That’s fast. I can’t believe it’s a Monster.Looks like one, feels the same to ride butgoes like bloody stink. More powerful thanmy old 916, which is amazing. It’s so stable.Loads of bottom end and midrange grunt.Wheelies like a bastard. The tyres arebloody superb, I can’t believe how good. Weneed to stiffen the suspension…”

He’s excited all right. So am I, but if he’sanything like me he’s also nervous. And with

that he’s off to the toilet for the fourth timethis morning. I set about twiddling the bikes’suspension (see Five Minute Fiddle, p25).

It doesn’t seem like five minutes beforerace seven – our race – is called to theholding area. From there we line up on thegrid at our designated positions – row F,right at the back of 20 or so other excitedloons. The lines of supersport 600s, racing250s and the odd GSX-R1000 and R1, allset-up purely for racing are surely going todo us over. My stomach suddenly backflipsdown towards my backside.

The flag lady signals to start the warm uplap. It’s too late to back out now.

I’m so nervous all thoughts of swervingfrom side to side, hard braking andaccelerating – anything to warm the tyresup – go out of my head. I just saunter backto the start line like I’m in a daze.

Neeves’ eyes have narrowed. His face hasgone bright red. That’s his race face and it’sa scary one, too. Meanwhile the flag ladytakes up a safe position by the side of thetrack. Engine revs rise and backs hunch

From previous page

REAR peg is cable-tied up for safety COOLANT reservoir tied to avoid spills

GLUE bottle acts as a catch tank SIDESTAND switch held in ‘on’ position

FRANKLIN makes use ofadded ground clearance onhis way to a first-cornerpile-up

MIRRORS, sidestand and lighting fuses were removed, lights and indicatorstaped up, fluid drain/fill points lockwired, suspension tweaked, MetzelerRennsports replaced standard Michelin Pilot Sports

AS Ducati S4R, except Metzeler Rennsports replaced standard Pirelli SuperCorsas and standard bellypan replaced with carbon-fibre race replacement

HOW THEY WERE MADE TRACK-READY

NEEVES takes advantage ofthe Tuono’s willingness to bethrown in at the last minuteand hold a tight line

DUCATI MONSTER S4R

APRILIA TUONO RACING

over fuel tanks. The Union Jack is raisedand… and Michael is doing at least 20 milesan hour before the flag is dropped.Cheating git!

Not to be outdone I give the Aprilia itshead. The two-strokes are slow to get awayand they’re passed easily. I’m into third gearjust before it’s time to brake for the hairpinturn leading towards the Mountain section.

The Tuono’s slipper clutch makes sensenow. I bang down into first gear and releasethe clutch and the bike slows without anyrear wheel lock up. Concentration can befocussed on braking and picking my waythrough the carnage in front of me.

One rider has gone down and he’s takingout others. In a split-second I’m on the grass,being T-boned by one bike and hit up thearse by another. Amazingly, I stay upright.

Neeves has sneaked through the meleeand I spy him making a getaway to chargeafter the front-runners. Me and the Apriliafollow, only to be greeted by waving red

JULY 23, 2003 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 25

APRILIA wanted a fun naked road biketo complement their RSV line-up andthe Tuono Racing is just that. It’s apowerful big twin but above all it’s fun,with a capital ‘F’. The fact that it’s tagged‘Racing’ says something else – it isessentially a stripped-down race bike,which is very, very convenient as nakedbike racing is big on mainland Europe.

The S4R – ‘R’ for racing – is Ducati’sanswer to the Aprilia. The subtledifference is that the big Duke is morerefined and better suited for everydayuse. But again, it’s still stacks of fun.

Both bikes pull wheelies at will, haveamazing midrange stomp and will carrythis over into top end speed. In the caseof the Duke, it doesn’t run out of puffaround the 120mph mark. The way bothbikes position their riders up in thewindblast has little effect on the waythey crack the ton-mark and onwards.

It’s guaranteed the Aprilia rider’s neckwill grow two collar sizes in a matter ofweeks. The taller, upright sitting positionwill also leave an impression on leathers– you immediately become a crashlanding pad for every type of airbornebug you can think of.

Meanwhile the Duke’s rider, pulledforward by the low bars, gets away withvisor and shoulder attack only. Oh, andknees, as they get spread away from thebike at high speed.

The Aprilia looks aggressive. Youimmediately get the impression it’s readyto attack any type of road. And it does.The very tall riding position is great in

traffic and good for leverage, but youdon’t feel as ‘locked in’ as the Ducati withits racier riding position. Both the bikesdestroy A-roads and tracks alike.

Because of its manic engine delivery, itdoesn’t carry quite the same appeal asthe Duke for just cruising around town.

Ground clearance has always been anissue with the Monster range. Exhaustcans get hid hard at minimal lean.Luckily nothing but the rider’s right foottouches down on the S4R. Shields onthe upswept exhaust pipework are thereto stop boots melting, but they alsohinder foot movement. Neeves worethrough the outside of his right boot atthe track.

What sort of person would be lookingat these bikes? Anyone with a sense ofhumour and a love of bikes. They aresuitable for anyone who can afford them– and the insurance.

Track addicts will love them, roadriders will love them more. But if itcomes down to putting money on thetable, then it would be the Ducati. Why?The Aprilia’s revvy engine and responsivesteering is more suited to race modewhereas the Duke engine has better lowspeed manners and the chassis has amore solid feel to it. A lovely bike bestsummed up by these words fromNeeves: “In the space of 30 hours or soI was posing around the city centre, thenfully leathered-up blasting it senselessaround the track and then commuting towork on it. How versatile and totallygrin-inducing is that?”

How do the racing pairstack up on the road?

Continues over

OUR sunburnt racerstake on vital fluidsbetween frequent

toilet visits

VERSATILE Duke is better road bike than manic-motored, sit-up-and-beg Aprilia

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ROAD TEST26 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS JULY 23, 2003

flags. The race has been stopped. Good. Ican go home. I only came for a gentle rideout. I’m not interested in trying to win themillion pound prize money that everybodyelse is trying to get by killing each other.

But top marks to the Aprilia. It has comeout relatively unscathed. There are tyremarks on the light cowling and front forklegs. The rear left indicator is hanging offand one of the carbon intakes is cracked. Itlooks as if the standard front crash bunghas taken a biff but possibly saved the bikefrom major damage. As we line up for therestart, Neeves’ face is noticably redder anduglier.

Both the Duke and Aprilia pull awaycleanly. They may be stock but the injectionis perfectly in tune with the road silencers.Some of the 600s with hot engines arestruggling to get away.

This time there are no mishaps at thehairpin. Neeves is two bikes ahead of me.Both of these are despatched at the hairpinon consecutive laps as they run wide. TheAprilia is more than happy to be thrownover at the last moment to cut in tight andundertake them.

Down the short start/finish straight theAprilia has a top end advantage over theDuke. I’m reeling Michael in yard by yard.But then six laps are over. Michael finishesin fourth place and I’m not far behind infifth. Yahoooo…

Back in the paddock we are well chuffed.Several spectators can’t believe whatthey’ve seen. We pin our good fortune onthe bikes and not rider skill. But there’seven better news. A quick look at theresults tells us we finished second and thirdin the unlimited class.

The second race gets through the hairpinwithout the first corner pile-up. Neeves getssixth and I finish eighth (we’re second andthird in class again, though). For this racewe’re allowed to swop bikes. In my handsthe Duke feels more solid than the Apriliaand with a much smoother power delivery.It wheelies out of the hairpin on every lap.But its weight and hunched riding positionmean it’s much less prone to rearing upwhen going up Cadwell’s infamousMountain. It’s also harder work to negotiatethe rapid and physical flip-flop of HallBends. And the rear shock feels a lot softerthan when it started the race.

It takes fifteen minutes to strip the bikesof their race numbers, several kilos of ducttape, and refit the removed odds and sods.As they stand in their road guises it hitshome how good these bikes actually are –despite the bulk of their lighting systems,restrictive road legal exhausts and stocksuspension, they’ve shown a clean pair oftyres to a field of dedicated race bikes.

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QUESTIONS ANSWERED

From previous page

OUR testers swopped bikes for race two

The S4R feels moresolid than the Aprilia andhas a much smootherpower delivery

‘’

PERFORMANCE AND SPECS

bhp

ftlb

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

40

50

60

RPM 4000 6000 8000 10,000 12,000

RPM 4000 6000 8000 10,000 12,000

70

80

OVERALL LENGTH: 2108mm

WHEELBASE: 1440mm

RAKE: 24°

HEI

GH

T: 1

245

mm

WID

TH: 8

00

mm

OV

ER S

EAT:

18

00

mm

FUEL: 38mpg, 15 litres, 125 miles

SPECIFICATION:Engine: Liquid-cooled, 996cc(96mm x 68.8mm), 8v dohcdesmodromic four-stroke 90°V-twin. Six gears. Fuel injection.CChhaassssiiss:: Tubular steel trellisFFrroonntt ssuussppeennssiioonn:: 43mm Showaupside-down forks, adjustable forpre-load, rebound andcompression dampingRReeaarr ssuussppeennssiioonn:: Single Showashock adjustable for pre-load,compression and rebound damping TTyyrreess:: 120/70 x 17 front,180/55 x 17 rearBBrraakkeess:: Brembo; 2 x 320mmfront discs with 4-piston calipers,245mm rear disc with2-piston caliper

PROS l Styled to attract attention l Goes like a mad thing l Low seat and wide bars make this the easiest Ducati to ride

CONS l Catalytic converter restricts output l Needs a slipper clutch like the Aprilia l Fly screen wobbles and distracts 97%

DUCATIMONSTER S4R£8250 otrAvailable: Now. Colours: Blue/white stripe,red, blackNew for 2003: New modelInsurance group: 14 (of 17)Info: Ducati UK0845-1222-996 orducatiuk.com

TRAIL: 104mm

WEIGHT: 193kg (425lb)

770mm

875mm 440mm

OVERALL LENGTH: 2070mm

WHEELBASE: 1415mm

RAKE: 25°

HEI

GH

T: 1

20

0m

m

WID

TH: 8

00

mm

OV

ER S

EAT:

181

0m

m

FUEL: 34mpg, 18 litres, 135 miles

SPECIFICATION:Engine: Liquid cooled, 997cc (97x 67.5mm) 8v dohc 4-stroke 60°V-twin. Fuel injection. Six gearsChassis: Aluminium twin-sparFront suspension: 43mm Ohlinsupside-down forks, adjustable forpre-load, rebound andcompression dampingRear suspension: Single Ohlinsshock adjustable for pre-load,compression and rebounddamping and ride heightTyres: Front 120/70 x 17, rear180/55 x 17Brakes: 2 x 320mm front discswith 4-piston radial calipers,220mm rear disc with 2-pistoncaliper

PROS l Sublime suspension l Aggressive looks make heads turn l Quality race kit equipment as standard l Slipper clutch

CONS l Tall seat height will put off some buyers l Can’t see clocks clearly when sat upright l Peakier power delivery 96%

APRILIA TUONORACING£11,399 otrAvailable: Now. Colours: BlackNew for 2003: New modelInsurance group: 15 (of 17)Info: Aprilia UK0161-475-1800

Note: Price includes basic recekit – nose cowling, exhaust endcan, ECU chip, reversed gearshift, bellypan, pre-drilled safetybolts TRAIL: 99mm

WEIGHT: 191kg (420lb) est

720mm

890mm420mm

POWER AND TORQUE CURVES

PEAK POWER- APRILIA 112.3bhp @ 9100rpm- DUCATI 106.1bhp @ 8900rpm

PEAK TORQUE- APRILIA 70.35 ftlb @ 7200rpm- DUCATI 65.5 ftlb @ 7200rpm

DUCATI APRILIASPEED TIME DISTANCE TIME DISTANCE(MPH) (SEC) (M) (SEC) (M)

40 0 0 0 050 1.75 35.27 1.70 34.1760 3.55 79.53 3.60 81.0070 5.30 130.27 5.50 136.3280 7.05 188.96 7.60 206.8590 9.00 263.21 9.95 296.03100 11.05 350.44 12.25 393.97110 13.35 458.40 14.50 499.15120 16.00 595.21 16.70 612.42

TOP GEAR ROLL-ON

ACCELERATION

DUCATI APRILIASPEED TIME DISTANCE TIME DISTANCE(MPH) (SEC) (M) (SEC) (M)

10 0.63 1.27 0.62 1.2120 1.13 4.65 1.09 4.4230 1.60 9.687 1.62 10.2540 2.17 18.90 2.18 19.0350 2.68 29.23 2.68 28.9560 3.43 47.61 3.44 47.5570 4.01 64.68 4.03 64.9280 4.93 95.79 4.75 88.9090 5.76 127.38 5.74 126.58100 7.01 180.96 6.72 168.10110 8.32 242.51 8.12 234.42120 9.99 328.44 9.61 310.89130 12.63 475.74 11.99 444.80140 16.72 723.52 14.83 617.16150 29.11 1534.72 20.81 1005.37

STANDING QUARTER-MILE ACCELERATION

BRAKING FROM 70-0MPH

TOP SPEED

40.65sec 152.36mph

28.80sec 155.35mph

DUCATI S4R

APRILIA TUONO RACING

BOTH bikes were on standard suspensionsettings. The S4R’s stiffer forks helped pinits front tyre to Tarmac earlier than themore softly set-up Aprilia and gave betterfeel for the lever to be squeezed harder.

THE times are not that impressive due totwo main factors. 1) Both bikes are wheelie-prone in the first two gears. 2) The ridingposition is as aerodynamic as the ForthBridge – similar weights, too, probably

AGAIN there is little to split the two at lowerspeeds, though it is the Ducati this time thatdraws ahead from 70mph, thanks to its highertorque figure at this speed and slightly moregenerous gearing.

THE two bikes are on fairly level terms up until70mph, when the Aprilia’s top end poweradvantage begins to come into play. Approaching150mph, the Ducati is pretty much topped out.

THE Aprilia’s power curve and output figure of 112bhp are identical to the sportsRSV-R the Racing is based on – Aprilia claim 130bhp at the crank. The S4R’sengine is derived from the 2001 996 and is around 4bhp short of the originalbike’s output. The finger of blame is pointed at the restrictive exhaust system.

FOR naked upright bikes, the top speedsare impressive. But look closer. The S4Rtakes an age to creep up to 152, whereasthe Aprilia hits 155mph some 13 secondsquicker.

124.42mph 11.35sec

128.50mph 11.30sec

DUCATI S4R

APRILIA TUONO RACING

Distance covered Time taken

2.98sec 44.92m

3.85sec 49.29m

DUCATI S4R

APRILIA TUONO RACING

Terminal speed Time to cover 1/4-mile

Top speed Time taken to reach top speed

PLUS: MCN BABE SPECIAL