Before The RSV4: 2003 Aprilia Tuono “Racing”

Before The RSV4:  2003 Aprilia Tuono “Racing”

As far as Aprilia sport bkes go I think we now have to look look at them in a “Pre” or “Post” RSV4 world.  Once that RSV4 came out it made everything seem a lot older.  I’m not saying there is not demand for older Aprilia’s just saying they do seem a bit “older” now.  Now that I think about it,  the RSV4 has made everything not dripping with electronics feel/look old.

Seen one lately?  You don’t count if you have one sitting in your garage.  I guess I could sum this bike up by saying this was Aprilia’s attempt to attract buyers who liked naked bikes but still wanted top quality components and itched for some track time.  I know, that was a lot words to say it is an RSV1000R without the fairing.   The bike came with a nice little track package:

Head light cover

Ti exhaust with matching EPROM chip

Enclosed belly pan

Reverse patten gear shift linkage

Carbon seat cover

Plus some other tidbits I’m too lazy to list

Yeah, it is kind of funky looking but I think bikes like this are a nice way to get a quality bike at a relatively cheap price.   I don’t know if it helps the performance but I’ve seen quite a few pictures with a dual exhaust set up.  It really sharpens the bike appearance in my book.

I’ll let the seller talk you up:

If you are looking for a rare find and one that will most likely stand out in any bike crowd, than this could be the bike for you. I applogize in advanced for those ‘Aprilia’ enthuciast that already know this..but for most riders, here is a little bit on what makes this bike rare. In 2003 Aprilia wanted to race in the AMA series, but in order to do so legally it had to offer a minimum of 50 bikes for sale to the US market. This was under the holologated rules. When Aprilia came to the US, they definitely came with a bike that could win. Below is a brief description of what this bike has and the factory spares that also came with it. As you can see in the photos the body work (both sets) are all in beautifuly finished carbon fiber.There is a street fairing and track fairing, a street belly pan, and a track (oil catch) belly pan. There is a matching carbon fiber cowl that snaps into the rear seat spot. There are two exhaust systems, a street chip and track chip to match performance. Front and rear suspension are Ohlin’s best as is the steering damper.Radial brakes with Brenbo gold calipers handle the stopping duty.The wheels are OZ forged alloy ( new set runs ~ $3,000). I also have the factory racing reverse shift linkage, racing countershaft sprocket, passenger pegs and factory manuals…street and track. The tank is painted black and all the rest of the carbon is a high gloss clearcoat. The tires have less than 1000 miles on them and I put in a new battery 30 days ago. This is a bike you will not see in your weekend club ride. It really is a great conversation piece of art. The last really cool thing about this bike that really makes it a collectors bike..is it is serial number 2 built out of Italy. The gentleman I purchased it from also had number 1.

Here is a comprehensive write up on the Tuono Racing Edition.  Caution, I can’t tell if this a Aprilia PR release on the bike or just a writer smitten with the Tuono but it goes over what made the Tuono Racing different.

This is another Ebay bike and the auction is starting at $8,500.  I have nothing to compare it with but that just seems a bit high for a starting price.  The pieces on the bike might add up to that number but I’m not sure the demand out there will make that number realistic.  As we all know though,  there only has to be one person that really wants it and we all like having something unique.  It can be.

 IK