The bike last received significant changes in the 2021 model year.
The Tuono V4 is an icon of sorts. It has won shootout-after-shootout comparing large displacement naked motorcycles against one another. Only recently has more powerful competition emerged, such as Ducati’s Streetfighter V4 S and KTM’s new 1390 Super Duke. Of course, at this point we are talking about utterly ridiculous levels of horsepower, and the Tuono V4 “makes do” quite well with its claimed 173 horsepower from the 1,077cc V4.
The Tuono shares much of its chassis with the pure Superbike sibling, the RSV4. The Factory version we tested gets trick Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension. Being an up-market Aprilia, you rightly expect the latest and greatest electronic aids informed by an IMU. Wheelie control, traction control, various ride modes (all the way from a rain-friendly soft throttle to an aggressive one) and, of course, ABS are all on the menu, and all adjustable to the rider’s preferences. This is a complete machine but, for the most part, navigating through the menus controlled at the left hand grip is intuitive.
A very effective, and positive quickshifter is also standard, and the six-speed gearbox was delightful in use, and never gave us any issues.
Ergonomics are on the aggressive side for a modern naked, but the reach to the bars and the moderately high foot pegs are not uncomfortable, even on longer rides. Your mileage may vary if your height or your inseam is much different from our editor’s 5’11” frame. Wind protection is excellent for the class (most nakeds have zero wind protection), but don’t expect the small screen to do much more than keep wind pressure off your chest.
The front brakes are strong and offer good feel. They are four-pot Brembos, but, interestingly, not the highest spec Stylema units.
As you might expect from a bike as dialed-in as this one, throttle response is just about perfect … everywhere and in every ride mode. That’s a good thing, for sure, and particularly when you have the thrust provided by one of the best engines ever made available on a production motorcycle.
The torque curve is broad, so you can leave a stop light and exit a corner with great authority, and still rev-out the engine into the stratosphere (if you are brave enough) where the power just seems to continue building all the way to redline.
We rode the bike on the street and also took it to a track day. The stock Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tires can handle anything an aggressive rider can throw at them on the street, and held up well at the track day. The rear tire is a fat 200 section.
The latest Ohlins semi-active suspension is a marvel. Adjustment options seem almost infinite, and you can choose from pre-configured settings (for road or track, for instance) or dial-in your own manual settings. Once you get the suspension where you want it, it should suit your task quite well, from road to track.
The Tuono V4 established itself as an icon in the Super-naked category for good reason. That engine is not only powerful, controllable and full of character, the sounds it emits are glorious. If the sound your bike makes doesn’t contribute significantly to the ride, you certainly are not aboard a Tuono V4. But it might be the handling that stands out nonetheless.
Once you have your suspension dialed in (admittedly, with so many options on the Ohlins units, this can take some time), the big Tuono has a great balanced feel about it, good feedback in corners, and great stability. The whole package just feels incredible refined.
In short, the Tuono V4 Factory, as well as its less expensive Standard version are proven to be entertaining for even the most skilled pilots. We know of at least one experienced journalist with expert skills on a bike who bought one.
The Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory carries a U.S. MSRP of $19,599. Look at Aprilia’s web site for additional details and specifications.
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