2011–2018 · Enduro · Buyer's Guide
Italian V-Twin Gone Dirt
A 450 enduro with a 77° V-twin in it was never going to be ordinary. Aprilia built this one around a liquid-cooled twin making 61 hp and 40 lb-ft, hung in a steel trellis frame, with 11.8 in (298 mm) of travel up front and adjustable damping at both ends from the factory. Wet weight lands at 256 lb (116 kg). In a class built almost entirely on single cylinders, the RXV sits off to one side: race hardware, real competition intent, and a torque spread that comes from having two cylinders doing the work instead of one.
It rides like what it is, which is race hardware built for dirt and not for convenience. The payoff is traction and drive in technical ground where a peaky single hunts for grip. The cost is a service schedule you actually have to keep and a 38.2 in (970 mm) seat that asks for long legs or good technique at every stop. Gaskets are the known soft spot on these, and the electrics have moods. Buy it if you ride hard, turn your own wrenches, and want real character under you. If you want something that sits a month and starts on the first button push, this isn't it.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 61 hp (45 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 40 lb-ft (54 Nm) |
| Displacement | 450 cc |
| Engine | 77° V-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 140/80-18 |
| Ground clearance | 15.6 in (396 mm) |
| Front travel | 11.8 in (298 mm) |
| Seat height | 38.2 in (970 mm) |
| Wet weight | 256 lb (116 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 2.0 gal (7.5 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Engine gasket failures and oil/coolant mixing
Poor-quality gaskets, particularly head gaskets and case seals, can fail early, leading to intermixing of oil and coolant. This issue is most notorious on earlier models but has been reported across model years.
Electrical gremlins (fuse blowing, starting issues)
Various electrical faults, including blown main fuses, speedometer cable shorts, and tip-over sensor resets, can cause sudden stalling or failure to restart.
Where this Aprilia RXV 450 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the RXV 450 is actually built for.
For Moab, Johnson Valley, and Ocotillo day rides this is the right kind of machine: light, tall, and happy in rocks. Plan fuel around the 2.0 gal (7.5 L) tank, because range runs out long before your skill does.
Made for Moab · Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes
Wrong tool for a BDR. The 2.0 gal (7.5 L) range, the 38.2 in (970 mm) seat, and the service appetite all fight what multi-day route riding asks for. Save it for the hard sections.
Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2009–2010
The V-Twin Dirt Weapon
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Aprilia RXV 450. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2012–2016
The Mountain Grinder That Forgives
About the same used price as this bike at 10 yr
Competitor · 2011–2014
Euro Kit For Rocky Ground
Roughly $1,700 pricier used than this bike at 12 yr
Same Platform · 2006–2008
The V-Twin Off-Road Exotic