2011–2014 · Supersport · Buyer's Guide
The V4 With All The Angles
The RSV4 R APRC ABS exists because Aprilia needed a street bike to homologate its World Superbike effort, and you can feel that in every decision. The 999 cc 65-degree V4 makes 187 hp and 85 lb-ft, wrapped in an aluminum twin-spar frame and one of the most compact chassis packages in the class. APRC ride-by-wire gives three switchable maps, with traction, wheelie and launch control plus slide control managing what the engine is allowed to do. Fully adjustable suspension front and rear, a steering damper and a slipper clutch are standard. This is a race chassis with a license plate on it.
It stays honest about that in daily use. Small, hard-edged and loud, it makes perfect sense on a fast road or a circuit and asks a lot of you anywhere else. The early conrod failures that got 2009 and 2010 bikes recalled were corrected by 2011 production, so that chapter is closed on this generation. What does follow these bikes as they age is the cam chain tensioner rattle Aprilia never fully cured, occasional heavy oil consumption with metal residue in bad cases, and a stock exhaust valve that can seize and light the dash. Buy on service history, not on mileage.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 187 hp (137 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 85 lb-ft (115 Nm) |
| Displacement | 999 cc |
| Engine | V4 |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 200/55-17 |
| Wheelbase | 55.9 in (1420 mm) |
| Seat height | 33.3 in (845 mm) |
| Wet weight | 463 lb (210 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
| Top speed | 186 mph (300 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Drivetrain
Safety
The first thing that lands is the noise. The V4 has a hard mechanical howl you feel through the tank as much as you hear, and it is the single reason a lot of owners never sell. The riding position is genuinely small. Low bars, high pegs, a 33.3-inch seat that puts your weight over the front, and at 463 lb wet nothing about the bike feels bulky underneath you. At real road pace the front end talks to you constantly, so you always have a read on what the tire is doing. Wind protection is minimal, the mirrors are decoration, and after ninety minutes your wrists have an opinion. If you are well over six feet, the cockpit runs out of room, and it happens suddenly rather than creeping up on you.
My own 0–100 score for this bike against the class, area by area — the marker on each bar is the class average.
This is the part of the bike I would keep. The steering is quick and completely honest about it: I aim, it goes, and my lines got tidier over a day simply because the chassis could hold whatever I asked of it. What impressed me more is that the speed of it costs nothing in composure. Fast direction changes, long open corners, broken pavement in between, it stays planted right at the limit instead of going woolly on me. Sharp machines usually trade one of those away.
What I keep coming back to on this V4 is how little it asks of me on the way out of a corner. Wrist position and drive are the same thing here. No step, no snatch, nothing I have to correct mid-exit. It isn't the fastest thing in the class down a long straight and I never needed it to be. The strength is spread right across the range instead, and that is what lets you carry real speed out of a turn rather than only through it.
It let go on me. A retaining tab in the clutch spring assembly failed while I was riding, and that ended the test day right there. The irritating part isn't the component itself. You could cover that out of pocket change and never think about it again. It's everything around it: reaching that piece means opening up the clutch, and the labor is where the real bill sits. One failure on one bike isn't a pattern, but it is worth knowing what it costs when it happens.
I'll be blunt, because for some riders this decides the whole thing: your body size settles it. Under a certain height the cockpit works fine and I had no complaints. Past it, and I mean clearly past six feet, you hit a wall. There is no slow build of discomfort to warn you first. You simply reach the end of the available space, and from that point the ride turns into a negotiation with the packaging.
Early conrod failure (recalled)
Initial 2009-2010 bikes were recalled for snapping conrods. By 2011 production, the fault was corrected, and all UK-market bikes were fixed. Post-fix, this is a non-issue for most machines, but a known piece of the model's history.
Excessive oil consumption
Some owners report abnormal oil consumption, sometimes accompanied by metallic residues in the oil. This may point to internal wear or sealing issues, and severe cases have led to engine rebuilds.
Gearbox wear with quickshifter
Fitting or using the quickshifter has been linked to accelerated gearbox wear, sometimes necessitating replacement of gears. The cassette-type design makes removal easier, but parts are expensive.
Cam chain tensioner noise
The cam chain tensioner is a common source of rattling, especially at cold starts. Repeated updates from Aprilia never completely eliminated the issue; many bikes require tensioner replacement to quiet the engine.
Exhaust valve seizure
The exhaust valve in the stock muffler can seize, triggering a warning light on the dash. Switching to an aftermarket can and removing the valve often requires an ECU remap or plug-in module to clear the fault code.
Where this Aprilia RSV4 R APRC ABS 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
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the RSV4 R APRC ABS is actually built for.
On Angeles Crest this bike is exactly where it belongs: small, precise, and happiest when you commit. The ride out through LA traffic is the tax you pay, and it is a real one.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
This is the job it was built for. Adjustable suspension, a steering damper and real rider aids mean your session goes into lines and braking points, not into fighting the bike.
Made for Barber Motorsports Park · WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca · Circuit of the Americas
On tight East Coast roads the quick steering and compact chassis pay you back every corner. Budget for the tensioner and oil checks before you commit to a full season.
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.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Aprilia RSV4 R APRC ABS. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2009–2018
The Top-End That Won't Quit
Roughly $2,800 pricier used than this bike at 12 yr
Competitor · 2009–2014
The Crossplane Traction Machine
About the same used price as this bike at 15 yr
Competitor · 2009–2011
Thunder, Beauty, No Apologies
Roughly $2,800 pricier used than this bike at 15 yr
Same Platform · 2011–2014
Raw V4 With Real Depth
Roughly $1,600 pricier used than this bike at 12 yr