Aprilia

Aprilia to compete with Enfields?

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There might be an Aprilia model to compete with Royal Enfield Classic 350 which is a top-selling model in its class since launch. A new test mule has been spotted in Europe and it has a similar engine casing as the RS 457. It also features old-school styling and body parts that indicates that the world is finally noticing the timeless appeal (and profits) of Enfield models which have built a nice empire in mid-capacity motorcycles for over a decade now. A new retro-styled test bike is getting testes around Europe which on close scrutiny of spied photos suggests it is an Aprilia. Multiple aspects convince eager enthusiasts to claim it is an upcoming Aprilia motorcycle. Engine casing visible on the right hand side is similar to the RS 457’s unit. This test model’s motor appears to be larger in the images. It has a larger exhaust also. But there are many features giving it an appearance of RS 457. However, the design is not very impressive so this would have to be a very early prototype. The aesthetics of its headlight, tank shrouds, and the tail section, seem as if they were all assembled by a local garage shop. A retrofitted model is not exactly a test mule so the mystery is intriguing indeed. RS 457 uses a 457cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with 47.6bhp and 43.5Nm linked to a six-speed gearbox. It has a slipper clutch. Aprilia may carry these forward with different tuning. A slim USD front forks, dual rear shocks, and single disc at both ends are possible indications as well. Its alloy wheels and TVS tyres seem to be borrowed from the RS. It could take any amount of time before Aprilia debuts this retro-styled motorcycle in production form. The current iteration of RS 457 has […]

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Piaggio, KTM, Honda and Yamaha set up swappable batteries consortium

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by Reuters from https://www.investing.com MILAN (Reuters) – Italian scooter maker Piaggio said on Monday it had set up a consortium with Honda Motor Co., KTM AG and Yamaha Motor Co. to encourage the use of swappable batteries for electric motorcycles and light electric vehicles. The Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC) aims to broaden the use of light electric vehicles, such as scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, and support a more sustainable management of their batteries, a joint statement said. It will focus on issues such as battery life, recharging times, infrastructure and costs and will work on defining international standard technical specifications for swappable batteries. The companies in the consortium said they welcomed others joining them to extend standards to as many companies as possible. “Urban mobility is going through a delicate transition moment towards electrification. Thanks to this consortium, motorbikes will keep their key role,” Piaggio Chief of Strategy and Product Michele Colaninno said. Honda’s Motorcycle Operations Chief Officer Yoshishige Nomura said the consortium’s objectives aimed to make electric motorbikes more convenient for clients, as their “use on large scale can substantially contribute to the creation of a more sustainable society”. Piaggio Group owns iconic two-wheeler brands such as Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, among others.

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Eight of the Fastest Street-Legal Motorcycles You Can Buy in America

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by Todd Halterman from https://www.autoevolution.com It begins with the story of the legendary Suzuki Hayabusa. When that beast launched back in 1999, it triggered a hurricane of anxiety among various manufacturers – and it all came down to the top speed of the bike – a stunning 194 mph. The Hayabusa represented a quantum leap in speed and made it the fastest motorcycle you could buy and ride on the streets. In fact, it took the title away from the already insanely fast Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, and it did it by a startling 14 mph. In answer, Kawasaki announced the creation of the Ninja ZX-12R, and it promised a top speed of more than 200 blistering miles per hour. That announcement led regulators to consider tamping down the lust for speed among manufacturers, and it also led to what’s come to be known as The Gentleman’s Agreement among the top motorcycle manufacturers across the globe. As the story goes, the “agreement” called on manufacturers to set the upper limit on motorcycle speed at 200 mph. Since then, that agreement has been violated to varying degrees, and here are some of the motorcycles that flirt with – and exceed – the barrier posited by The Gentlemen’s Agreement. The Yamaha YZF-R1M, which purports to achieve a top end of 185.7 mph, has itself become legendary for its on and off-track precision and power. The R1 line and the street legal R1 models achieve their punch following a power-and-less-bulk formula. Offering lightweight carbon-fiber construction and powered by an explosive 998cc, liquid-cooled “cross-plane” inline-four, the R1 creates 200 hp and offers 89.2 lb-ft torque. When that kind of juice moves through its 6-Speed manual, the R1M does 0-60 mph in a snot-loosening 2.3 seconds. One of these beasts will set you back just

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Aprilia Tuono V4 Review

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by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk Big bikes don’t come with big scares any more Back in the day, powerful bikes were thrilling and terrifying, but this naked Italian beauty has all the thrills and none of the terror thanks to a brain that works faster than the rider’s. Well, Geoff’s, although that’s not saying much. I started doing bike tests in 1846, before bikes were even invented, so I just sat on a fence making bike noises, then hauled out a quill pen and a sheet of parchment and sent in my review to Velocipede Monthly on a passing donkey. When bikes finally came along, I remember being simultaneously thrilled and terrified by some superbikes, such as the Kawasaki ZX-10R. You got the feeling that at any moment it would fling you over the hedge, leaving you draped over a baffled cow called Gertrude, although it did get less frisky when Kawasaki fitted a steering damper to later models. However, I realised at the launch a while back on the Suzuki Hayabusa that I wasn’t a bit scared. There are several possible explanations for this. Either I’ve taken on board the advice I read from a psychiatrist recently that fear and excitement are just two sides of the same coin in your brain, so when you feel afraid, pretend it’s excitement. I tried it on my first time back flying after lockdown, and it worked. Another alternative is that I have become an astonishingly skilled rider, but since that’s highly unlikely, I suspect the answer is that bikes today such as this one are fitted with so many safety features that you’d need to be a complete idiot to end up draped over Gertrude. I’m talking about cornering ABS, cornering traction control, anti-wheelie control, launch control, adaptive cruise control and

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Aprilia Tuareg 660 Adventure Tourer announced

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by Sagar Patel from https://www.rushlane.com With a dry weigh of 187 kg, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 is one of the lightest offerings in its class The highly competitive middle-weight adventure tourer segment has received a new European entrant in the form of Aprilia Tuareg 660. The Piaggio-owned sportsbike marque has revived its old nameplate with a product which conforms to the original philosophy. Aprilia Tuareg 660 – Overview The styling, however, has nothing in common with any of Aprilia’s existing and previous models. The striking front fascia with compartmentalised headlamp cluster and tall windscreen is highly unconventional. With a tall stance, massive fuel tank, comfortable seats and an upward sweeping exhaust canister, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 is a typical adventure tourer which is not afraid to get its tyres dirty. The Italian motorcycle is equipped with spoke wheels (21 inch front and 18 inch rear), dual-purpose tyres, long-travel (240 mm) upside down front telescopic forks and progressive linkage rear suspension system, twin front discs and a single rear disc. Everything is held together by a trellis frame. The Aprilia Tuareg 660’s hardcore appeal makes it a serious rival to the Yamaha Tenere 700 and BMW F 860 GS. Engine and equipment The 660 cc V-twin liquid-cooled engine has been borrowed from the RS660 and Tuono 660. This motor is essentially a twin-cylinder derivative of the iconic RSV4’s unit but on board the adventure tourer, it is tuned to suit the application. Power and torque outputs stand at 80 hp and 70 Nm of torque, and the gearbox is a 6-speed unit. Aprilia will position its newest offering at the premium end of the segment, and will back it up with a comprehensive suite of APRC electronic gadgetry including traction control, cruise control, engine braking, fuel maps, and so on. The

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The 8 Motorcycles Reproduced with Insane Realism in RiMS Racing

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by Bogdan Popa from https://www.autoevolution.com RiMS Racing is one of the most anticipated game releases of the year for moto racing fans, especially as Nacon and RaceWard Studio have promised to accurately reproduce the fastest bikes out there in this new title. So in theory, RiMS Racing is supposed to feel stunningly real from one end to another, and based on a new video published by the two companies, it looks like this is very likely to happen. Nacon has published gaming footage recorded on the Suzuka circuit in Japan, allowing us to see how the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR behaves on the track. And at the same time, the video also reveals other tidbits about the game, including the customization screen where you can change nearly every little detail about the motorcycle you’re about to hop on for the next race. And last but not least, Nacon has also shared the list of eight motorcycles that will be available in the game: the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10 RR, Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory, BMW M 1000 RR, Ducati Panigale V4 R, Honda CBR1000RR ABS, MV Agusta F4 RC, Suzuki GSX-R1000R and the Yamaha YZF-R1. As we said earlier, every single model comes with insane realism, and you can figure this out by simply checking out the video we embedded below. It’s pretty clear Nacon and RaceWard struggled to make the whole experience feel as real as possible, and you can almost feel the feedback the Kawasaki gives by simply looking at the video. RiMS Racing will include over 70 events, and Nacon says it’ll roll out lots of multiplayer challenges after the game finally becomes available this summer. And speaking of launch date, RiMS Racing is projected to see the daylight on August 19 on pretty much every gaming platform out

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New top management at Norton Motorcycles announced

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from https://www.financialexpress.com TVS announces new top management at Norton Motorcycles: 2021 V4SS to launch soon. With TVS infusing multi-million-pound investments, the Solihull facility will be the most advanced and modern plant that Norton has operated out of in its 122-year-old history. TVS Motor Company (TVS), owner of The Norton Motorcycle Co Ltd (Norton), today announced that Dr Robert Hentschel has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Vittorio Urciuoli as its Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of the historic Solihull-based motorcycle brand. Hentschel and Urciuoli will take up their new positions as John Russell steps down from his role as Interim CEO. Dr Robert Hentschel joins Norton from Valmet Automotive Holding GmbH & Co KG, where he has served as Managing Director since 2017. Before that, he headed Ricardo Deutschland and Hentschel System and was also Director of Lotus Engineering. Vittorio Urciuoli’s former key roles within the global automotive industry include Director of URVI LTD, Head of Powertrain at Lotus Cars and Project Leader at Ferrari and Aprilia Racing. TVS has created a plan for Norton to transform into the future. Along with the entire TVS team, I look forward to working together with them for the revitalisation of one of the world’s most storied brands. Under John’s tenure, with investment and support from TVS, Norton has returned to a firm footing and made marked improvements to engineering and product quality, which will be seen in the updated V4SS that will be launched soon. In addition, we have established a new, state-of-the-art global design, engineering, manufacturing and sales and marketing HQ in Solihull, Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director of TVS Motors, said. In January this year, Norton announced it would get back to work in full swing by March at its new facility at Solihull, Birmingham in the UK.

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Kaspersky becomes sponsor of Aprilia Racing

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from https://www.albawaba.com Kaspersky has become a sponsor of Aprilia Racing – one of the most successful teams in motorcycle racing history, Partners with Piaggio Group Kaspersky has become a sponsor of Aprilia Racing – one of the most successful teams in motorcycle racing history. The cybersecurity company’s logos will be placed on the team’s bikes for the entire 2021 season, starting with the first race in Qatar on March 28. The sponsorship comes as part of Kaspersky’s partnership with Aprilia’s parent company Piaggio Group – Europe’s largest scooter and motorcycle manufacturer. This new sponsorship adds to the cybersecurity vendor’s contribution to motorsport. Kaspersky has been a long-time supporter of talented racers, who the company helps to reach their full potential. The global list of athletes, supported by Kaspersky, includes the first female Emirati racing driver Amna Al Qubaisi, as well as Formula One racer Antonio Giovinazzi. “Kaspersky is committed to securing the technological progress of the mobility industry and to the development of motorsports. Despite working in different sectors to Piaggio Group and Aprilia, we share the same values of constant improvement, innovation and becoming the best at what we do. I’m sure our partnership will be beneficial for the whole mobility, automotive and motorbike community,” says Alexander Moiseev, CBO of Kaspersky. Aprilia Racing is the most advanced technological expression of the Piaggio Group – it has won an astonishing 54 world titles, including 28 since the Noale-based manufacturer joined the Piaggio Group in 2005. From its inception, Aprilia Racing has been an extraordinary breeding ground for new talent. “It is a great honor to have Kaspersky’s name on the Aprilia RS-GP livery this year. Our new partner is a successful name in motorsport and we are sure that MotoGP will represent a wonderful new challenge in this realm. Together,

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Aprilia debuts its long-awaited Tuono 660 naked bike for 2021

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by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com This promises to be a much more approachable and affordable naked bike from the Italian brand. Enough power, very light weight and top-tier safety tech make the Tuono 660 pretty appealing. The Aprilia Tuono V4 is one of the most over-the-top, terrifying, wonderful and life-affirming machines I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding. It’s massively powerful, thanks to its 1,077-cc V4 engine, it sounds like half of the world’s angriest Ferrari, and it’s packed to the gunwales with brilliant electronics designed to keep your tires on the pavement. It’s also not a bike I’d recommend to most people as a first, second or even third motorcycle. It’s just overwhelming. Aprilia seems to understand that issue with its Tuono V4, so it’s done the only sensible thing and lopped two cylinders off it, calling it the Tuono 660 and making it a much more accessible motorcycle. It teased the Tuono 660 alongside the RS 660 sportbike at EICMA in 2019, and now it’s getting its official debut, according to an announcement on Wednesday. The Tuono 660 makes a reasonable 95 horsepower (the V4, for comparison, produces over 170 hp) and has a curb weight of just 403 pounds. This means that things with the baby Tuono should be plenty rowdy but not quite so hectic as on the V4. Like its bigger brother, the Tuono 660 sports a more upright riding position than the similarly powered RS 660, which means it should be more comfortable for longer rides. It comes with a KYB suspension with limited adjustment, paired with decently sized, radially mounted Brembo brakes. While miles away from the high-zoot stuff on the more expensive V4, this combination should be more than adequate for some hardcore canyon carving for most riders. To help make the

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Aprilia RS660 Supersport spotted testing undisguised

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by Pradeep Shah from https://www.financialexpress.com Aprilia RS660 will soon be making an official entry to the markets soon and the latest spy shot reveals a lot of interesting details Aprilia’s middleweight supersport – the RS660 has been snapped testing doing test runs, image courtesy Aprilia Forum. What is even more interesting is the fact that the middleweight Aprilia was snapped alongside a Honda CBR650R, possibly due to performance comparison and some other aspects. The RS660 test mule that has been snapped looks production-ready and can be seen devoid of any camouflage on the body. The bike can be seen with well-finished body panels. As there is no test equipment mounted on the motorcycle, this further confirms that the bike is ready to enter production soon. The global debut of the Aprilia RS660 was earlier slated to take place on 9th May but the same has now been postponed with the Covid-19 crisis. At the 2019 EICMA, the Aprilia RS660 concept was showcased for the first time which left a lot of visitors awestruck. This is all thanks to an impressive design language including the all-LED headlamp cluster upfront with sporty looking LED DRLs that should make the bike looks majestic and predatory in the dark. Moreover, what makes the RS660 quite interesting and worth waiting is its low kerb weight of just 169 kg and hence, one can expect an exciting power-to-weight ratio which should make it a great weapon for the racetracks. Now coming to the powertrain, the Aprilia RS660 is powered by a 660cc, parallel-twin motor that is good for producing a peak power output in the region of 100hp. The bike also gets an impressive electronics package that includes a six-axis IMU along with wheelie control, traction control, quick shifter and five riding modes as well. India

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