APRILIA TUONO V4 1100 FACTORY (2019 - 2020) Review

The Tuono V4 1100 Factory is basically an Aprilia RSV4 fitted with motocross bars and pumped full of midrange. It howls like MotoGP missile and goes like a superbike, but with its upright stance and tourer-like wind protection you don’t have to suffer with crushed wrists and a sore back for your speed. Put simply, it’s the best road-going sportsbike money can buy.

Eye-watering cost aside, there isn’t a single thing you’d want to change. The Tuono ticks every must-have box for the discerning thrill seeker: a brain-fizzing 1077cc, 173bhp V4 motor blessed by the gods of grunt and power and an exquisite polished aluminium, three-times WSB championship-winning chassis.

Aprilia’s wonder machine can be calm and relaxed one minute and a speed-crazed psychopath the next with its front wheel dangling in mid-air for all eternity. Perfect engine, electronics and ergonomics aside, the Tuono V4 1100 Factory is even more impressive in the corners with a supple, Öhlins magic carpet-ride that offers up just enough in the way of plushness and control. The way it rolls into corners, pumping your body with feel and confidence, borders on the spiritual.

It’s hard to imagine how the Tuono V4 1100 Factory could be improved, but Aprilia reckon it can with its new semi-active Öhlins ‘Smart EC 2.0 System’, similar to what adorns the Ducati Panigale V4 S and the latest Yamaha R1M, which adds a grand to the price.

Look closely and you’ll see a suspension setting icon on the Aprilia’s colour dash and wires sprouting from the tops of the Öhlins NIX forks, TTX rear shock and steering damper. Subtle graphics tweaks aside, there are no other changes from the previous model.

For normal riding conditions the semi active suspension doesn’t make a big difference. The old model’s mechanically adjustable forks and shock were hard to fault anyway, but the new electronics are worth their weight in Öhlins gold outside those ‘one setting fits all’ situations where you want extra comfort, grip, or control.

With the ability to choose between soft, medium or hard suspension set-ups, you’ve now got the mouth-watering proposition of having multiple Tuonos in one, perfect for any scenario – smooth and bumpy roads, motorway cruising and flat-out track riding.

At the Aprilia’s 2019 spring launch in the mountains of the Italian Dolomites we settle on the stiffly-set A1 mode. It gives the Tuono the kind of grip, poise and agility that few machines this side of a race paddock can get close to.

Aprilia reckons that on its semi active Öhlins the new Tuono can lap Mugello half a second faster than last year’s bike. That might not sound much, but that’s with suspension set with the touch of a button and not inched to the perfect setting after day’s testing.

Elsewhere, it’s hard not to be gushing about the Tuono V4 1100 Factory. That moorish V4 engine, flawless up/down quickshifter, savage braking power, unshakable grip and wailing soundtrack all serve to make the Aprilia an unbridled joy at any speed. Footpegs could be too high for some, but that’s about all you can find fault with.

A modern-day miracle, Aprilia’s compact V4 is unchanged for this 2019 model. No engine delivers such a perfect blend of searing power, sophistication, character and growling drama.

There’s little doubt the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory is exceptional, but whether you’d actually have the confidence to buy one is another matter.

MCN’s online pages are crammed with polarised Tuono owners’ opinions - some have nothing but praise for their bikes and dealers and some don’t. Aprilia need to sort this out because they make two of the best bikes on the planet and deserve to do well.

We've currently got one 2019 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory owners' review on the site, and it scores a full 5 stars.

The 2019 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory isn’t cheap, but it justifies its price hike over the old model for the versatility the new electronic suspension brings, but if you know how to set up your own suspension, it’s not a big step on from the old bike.

Its main rivals are the other super naked bikes currently on sale, such as the Ducati Streetfighter V4 S, KTM 1290 Super Duke R, Yamaha MT-10 SP and Kawasaki Z H2. 

Other, less extreme, options to consider also include the Honda CB1000R, Kawasaki Z1000, Suzuki GSX-S1000, and standard Yamaha MT-10.

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Super naked group test video: KTM 1290 Superduke R vs Kawasaki Z H2 vs Ducati Streetfighter V4 vs Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory vs Yamaha MT-10 SP

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory vs KTM 1290 Super Duke R

We put the Aprilia around the MCN 250 test route to see how the two compare back-to-back on UK roads. Jump on the Aprilia and it feels slightly dated in comparison. The KTM’s bolder, brighter, fresher dash makes the Tuono’s seem small and busy, the Italian’s switchgear buttons are fussy and unlike the KTM it doesn’t even have an adjustable clutch lever.

The Tuono might have a less chunky, bulldog-like feel to it, but oh my word, when it barks into life and takes you on a journey, gliding on a bed of Öhlins and sticky Pirelli opulence, it’s clear just how right Aprilia got the basics when the RSV4 first appeared in 2009.

Much of the Tuono’s brilliance is down to its magnificent V4 engine. It’s longer-legged, revvier and more involving than the KTM’s polished V-twin, but it still has plenty of bottom-end grunt and a bombastic midrange. It’s a motor happy to reward lazy riding or let you hammer up and down the gears – this is, after all, a thinly disguised superbike. But no matter how you ride, the fuelling couldn’t be smoother or the soundtrack more addictive: wailing like a MotoGP racer on the throttle - popping and crackling off it. 

Pegs are high for ground clearance, but not cramped and the seat nicely padded. Many would say it’s cheating for a super-naked to have a hint of fairing, but more fool Aprilia’s rivals for not doing the same. In any case, with its wide bars and minimal plastics it still feels exposed and more alive than a race replica, but your head and neck will thank you for the extra protection on long, high-speed blasts.

You can count on one hand the production bikes (Triumph Speed Triple RS, RSV4 1100 Factory, Panigale V4 range and KTM 890 Duke R) that ride UK road surfaces so exquisitely, have such feelgood front ends, or are so solid at full lean.

Having a WSB-winning aluminium chassis does the Tuono no harm, nor do its trackday tyres or semi-active suspension, although the older mechanically adjustable Öhlins tracked just as confidently.

It would be churlish to say that the KTM doesn’t handle as well because it really does and its mechanically adjustable WP set-up is impressive, but its front-end can get fidgety on less than supremely smooth roads.

More than anything it highlights the advantages of the Aprilia’s electronic suspension, designed to give the perfect ride in all conditions, as opposed to the conditions sometimes suiting the suspension (the case on most bikes).

As with the KTM, the Tuono’s Brembos are uber-powerful, full of feel and free from ABS intrusion. The quickshifter, blipper, anti-wheelie and traction control are all smooth and add rather than detract from the enjoyment of riding, too. Both machines have cruise control to make motorway riding and keeping to speed limits easier and while both have lots of rider modes to choose from, the Aprilia’s character changes the most with its suspension morphing from hard to soft.

Both the Tuono and Super Duke have the performance to satisfy the hunger of the most dedicated sportsbike souls. They’ll both stealth happily through town and can be loaded up for a big tour, which you can do on a superbike, but it’s so much easier and more comfortable on a super-naked machine like these two.

Both the KTM and Aprilia are surprisingly close in the way they go about their business. Neither have headline-grabbing bhp figures, but they produce mountains of usable torque thanks to their characterful V-shaped engines.

The Super Duke has a more modern feel, but they’re both generously equipped, are similarly priced, comfortable and easy to get on with, making them more than just trackday blasters.

The KTM has taken a step-up in refinement, which is why it’s the best of the new 2020 super-nakeds, but the Aprilia just edges it. Its big V4 is crisper, louder and more visceral, it has a more supple ride, feeling of grip and better wind protection.

They’re the reasons the Tuono V4 1100 Factory has been so hard to beat after all these years and it’s just proven itself again.

Aprilia’s traction control, wheelie control and an up/down quickshifter are some of the best in the business. You also get riding modes, launch control, a pitlane limiter and cruise control, as well as top notch Brembos and Pirelli Super Corsa SP rubber.

Semi active rebound and compression damping are adjusted by stepper motors inside the Öhlins forks and shock, based on road and wheel speeds, lean angle, rider aids intervention and IMU readings. Preload is still mechanically adjustable.

The TFT colour dash remains unchanged, except for a new suspension setting icon, which shows which of the three automatic or manual modes you’re in. Go deeper into the menu and fine tune to perfection in semi-active or manual modes.