2025 · Supersport · Buyer's Guide
Brno DNA in a Bottle
The SE-09 SBK is Aprilia's own anniversary badge, tied to the Brno win in 2009 that put the brand on the World Superbike map. Under the black, red and white livery, the carbon front fender and the carbon brake air intakes sits the full Factory package: a 1099 cc V4 making 220 hp at 13,000 rpm and 94 lb-ft at 10,800, electronic Öhlins suspension, Brembo Hypure brakes, and Aprilia APRC Ride-by-Wire with three switchable maps. Cornering ABS, traction control, predictive wheelie control and launch control are all standard, and the aids can be tuned corner by corner. This is the sharp end of the class.
It rides more approachably than the figures suggest. The chassis and the rider aids do the translating, so even a damp surface stays readable rather than intimidating, and that is what makes this a bike you grow into instead of one you survive. It suits the experienced rider who wants front end feel and precision above everything else. The caveats are real. Peak power lives at 13,000 rpm, so the reward is highest where you have room to use it. The 33.1 in (840 mm) seat and 450 lb (204 kg) ask for commitment, and this trim goes without smartphone connectivity or a keyless system.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 220 hp (162 kW) @ 13,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 94 lb-ft (127 Nm) @ 10,800 rpm |
| Displacement | 1099 cc |
| Engine | V4 |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 200/55-17 |
| Seat height | 33.1 in (840 mm) |
| Wet weight | 450 lb (204 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.9 gal (18.5 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
Thumb the starter and the V4 barks, hard and uneven at idle, then hardens into a metallic howl as the revs climb. You feel it in your chest before your ears catch up. The riding position is properly committed: tall seat, low bars, weight pressing through your wrists at a standstill, and it only starts to make sense once you are moving. Vibration stays tight and busy rather than numbing, more information than irritation. The bidirectional quickshifter takes the load off your left foot in both directions, so your boot barely moves all day. Mirrors blur above about half revs. The TFT reads clearly in daylight and the switchgear sits under your thumb without hunting for it. At real road pace the bike feels like it is idling through its own capability, which is both the appeal and the frustration.
This part isn't from my own test notes. It's what I've picked up over years of listening: paddock talk, garage conversations at club nights, owners cornering me after a ride, and the messages that land in my inbox from people living with the bike. On the RSV4 1100 Factory SE-09 SBK the chatter is unusually consistent. Riders rave about how the chassis, the engine and the electronics work together, then get specific about what it costs them in comfort and upkeep.
The strongest thread in the feedback is the front end. Riders describe turn-in as pin-sharp and the bike as composed under hard braking and hard drive, with the electronic suspension getting plenty of credit. The V4 draws the same weight of praise: staggering acceleration and a top-end rush owners rate against anything else in the class. What ties it together for most of them is the electronics package. Cornering ABS, predictive wheelie control and a smooth quickshifter come up again and again as the reason the power stays usable, and a good number say the bike feels friendly rather than frightening, wet roads included.
The recurring gripe is space. Taller riders consistently call the cockpit cramped and restrictive over distance. Almost as common are reliability niggles: higher-than-expected oil use, plus the occasional electronic or mechanical annoyance. Some owners mention heat on the legs at low speed, and a few flag what valve service costs on a V4.
Throttle hesitation at low RPM
On higher-mileage units, a stumble or hesitation on initial throttle opening can occur due to fouled throttle bodies or injector degradation.
Excessive oil consumption
Some owners report higher-than-expected oil consumption, requiring frequent top-ups between services, particularly under hard use.
Where this Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory SE-09 SBK 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 RSV4 1100 Factory SE-09 SBK is actually built for.
This is your bike. Rider aids you can tune corner by corner, electronic Öhlins at both ends, and lean clearance that runs out well after your talent does.
Made for Barber Motorsports Park · WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca · Circuit of the Americas
Superb on a clear canyon run, hard work in LA traffic. Peak power sits at 13,000 rpm so you use a fraction of it on the road, but the precision is there at any pace.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
Tight repeat laps of the Dragon or Cherohala reward the precision more than the power. Just budget for the tall seat and the committed position on the ride out.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
