Italian automaker Piaggio Group wants to strengthen the company brand in India and international markets by introducing a mid-size motorcycle.
According to reports, the company plans to produce a 300cc motorcycle that will carry the Aprilia brand name.
While it remains to be seen what type of bikes would carry the 300cc engine, Chairman and Managing Director of Piaggio India, Diego Graffi, confirms the new plan.
“It will be a mid-sized bike of above 300-cc engine capacity and will be under the Aprilia brand.
“It will not only be for the India market but also for global markets, and expected to come out in 2-3 years,” he said.
Interestingly, Graffi expressed his confidence that the factory in India can produce and export a product for the international markets.
There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for Maverick Vinales after what has been a controversial couple of weeks for the Spanish rider.
Aprilia Racing factory team has officially announced the 26-year-old as the team new rider for 2022, replacing Lorenzo Salvadori, who will continue with the team as a tester.
Vinales has signed an annual contract with an option for renewal.
*Aprilia RS-GP 2021
Aprilia, in an official statement by CEO, Massimo Rivola said, “We are extremely happy to announce that we have signed Maverick Viñales, a very high-level rider and one of the purest talents in the premier category.
“Our project has now been enriched with the value that Maverick brings – a World Champion who has confirmed his talent as a top rider in MotoGP.
“We are honoured to be able to make all of our best skills available to Viñales along with our enthusiasm and our passion. I am confident that, like Aleix, he will embrace this extremely high-potential project. The arrival of Maverick in no way distances Lorenzo Savadori from the team, as he will remain an integral part of the Aprilia Racing family.”
The announcement did not come as a surprise as the Italian outfit is the only relevant destination for the 2013 Moto3 world champion.
Vinales was suspended from last weekend action at the Austrian GP due to an irregular operation on the M1 a week earlier before apologising for failing to control his frustration.
Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether he will be allowed to return on the M1 at Silverstone.
Beberapa minggu setelah mencapai persetujuan untuk meninggalkan Yamaha hujung musim ini, Maverick Vinales sah diumukan sebagai pelumba baharu Aprilia bagi musim 2022.
Aprilia dalam satu kenyataan menyebut, “Kami berbesar hati mengumumkan selamat datang Maverick Vinales ke pasukan factory Aprilia Racing.”
Pengumuman ini bukan lagi satu kejutan tatkala Vinales telah pun dicanang sebagai calon utama pasukan dari Noale, Itali itu.
*Aprilia RS-GP 2021
Ini bermakna bekas juara dunia Moto3 2013 itu akan beraksi dengan jentera Aprilia RS-GP musim depan bersama rakan sepasukan, Aleix Espargaro.
Aprilia bukanlah nama asing bagi Vinales apabila membuat penampilan sulung di kejuaraan dunia dengan jentera Aprilia dalam kategori 125cc pada 2011.
Ketika itu dia merekodkan empat kemenangan dan lima podium dalam musim pertamanya.
Sementara itu, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) Aprilia Racing, Massimo Rivola, berkongsi rasa teruja dengan pengumuman tersebut.
“Dengan sukacitanya kami mengumumkan penyertaan Maverick Vinales, seorang pelumba yang bertaraf tinggi.
“Dia merupakan bakat yang cukup istimewa, projek kami kini diperkuat dengan penyertaan Maverick (Vinales).
“Kami berbesar hati untuk menawarkan skil dan semangat terbaik kami untuk Vinales,” jelasnya.
Sementara itu, Rivola mengesahkan bahawa pelumba sedia ada, Lorenzo Savadori akan terus kekal bersama Aprilia namun peranannya masih belum ditentukan buat masa ini.
Earlier this month, Aprilia officially unveiled the Tuareg 660, a middleweight adventure motorcycle powered by the new 660cc parallel-twin found in the RS and Tuono.
Unlike the road-focus RS and Tuono, the Tuareg offers serious off-road capabilities thanks to a 240mm long-travel suspension, 43mm fork with single shock absorber and 1500mm wheelbase, making it a serious rival to the Yamaha Tenere 700.
While it may seem a bit far-fetched to compare the Tuareg to the established Tenere, the Noale-based company has equipped the new motorcycle with advanced riding aids.
Firstly, the Tuareg tops out at 80hp and 70Nm, that’s more than the 72hp found on the Tenere.
Moreover, the Tuareg weigh at just 187kg (dry), putting it within the same league as the Tenere 700.
Moving on to electronics, the Tuareg 660 gets Aprilia’s latest APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control), which offers four riding modes (two customisable), traction control, cruise control, engine mapping, and ABS, accessible via a 5″ TFT instrument.
Aprilia is yet to release the official price for the Tuareg, but we expect the Tuareg to make its way here in Malaysia soon.
Aprilia akhirnya melaungkan misi kembali dalam segmen ‘ADV’ menerusi Tuareg 660.
Pengeluar motosikal Itali itu akhirnya mendedahkan Tuareg 660 setelah menayangkan ‘teaser’ sulung sewaktu di EICMA 2019.
Berdasarkan video berdurasi 1 minit 02 saat yang dimuat naik ke YouTube baru-baru ini, pelbagai maklumat dan spesifikasi penting mengenai motosikal ADV itu ditayangkan.
Seperti laporan sebelum ini, Tuareg 660 ini dihidupkan dengan enjin sama yang terdapat pada RS660 dan Tuono 660 namun telah ditala bagi menyesuaikan ciri sebagai motosikal ‘adventure’.
Hasilnya, enjin 660cc ini menawarkan 80hp dan 70Nm dan turut berfungsi sebagai ‘stressed member’ dengan bantuan kerangka jenis ‘tubular steel’.
Rupa keseluruhan juga meneruskan kesinambungan RS dan Tuono terutamanya dengan lampu LED penuh tiga bahagian di depan.
Sebagai sebuah jentera ADV, Tuareg 660 ini menampilkan penghadang angin tinggi, tempat duduk rata, skid-plate, ekzos jenis upswept, rim 21″ depan dan 18″ belakang.
Tuareg 660 ini juga tampil dengan beberapa ciri premium antaranya kaliper brek Brembo serta fork 43mm boleh laras dengan jarak kelegaan tanah 240mm (sama seperti Triumph Tiger 900 Rally dan KTM 890 Adventure).
Dengan berat (kering) didaftarkan pada 187 kilogram menjadikan Tuareg ini berada dalam kelas sama seperti Yamaha Tenere 700.
Aprilia Tuareg 660 ini juga didatangkan dengan pelbagai ciri elektronik terkini antaranya:
traction control
fuel map
engine braking
4 mod tunggangan
ABS boleh laras (depan dan belakang)
cruise control
paparan TFT berwarna 5″
tangki 18L
Aprilia dijangka melancarkan Tuareg 660 secara rasmi sekitar suku keempat tahun ini.
Aprilia telah mendedahkan Pegaso dual-sport mungkin dihidupkan semula sebagai pengganti tidak langsung model Shiver dan Dorsodoro yang akan dihentikan pengeluaran.
Jentera ini, yang asalnya kelas supermoto, telah dilancarkan pada tahun 1992 sebagai salah satu produk pertengahan dengan enjin 650cc, tetapi digugurkan dari senarai harga pada tahun 2009, diganti oleh kombinasi Shiver dan Dorsodoro.
Walaubagaimanapun, pada masa hadapan sejarah mungkin berbalik, menurut pengurus pemasaran Aprilia Cristian Barelli yang berkata syarikat itu sedang meletakkan fokus kepada meluaskan platform 660 baru untuk memasukkan lebih dari tiga model yang disahkan.
Aprilia telah fokus pada membangunkan dan meluaskan platform kelas menengah 660cc silinder berkembar yang bermula dengan RS sportsbike dan diikuti oleh Tuono.
“Pada awal projek, kami memikirkan apakah yang akan menjadi debut pertama, RS, Tuono atau Tuareg. Kami memutuskan untuk memulakan dengan RS kerana DNA Aprilia asalnya dalam segmen sukan dan ia merupakan sebahagian daripada sejarah kami, oleh itu kelihatan tepat untuk bermula dari sana.
“Kemudian kami ingin menawarkan sesuatu yang berbeza, berbanding dengan sportsbike yang sudah ditawarkan. Pasaran kecil berkembang, dan lambat laun penunggang tersebut ingin menukar basikal dan berkembang. Namun, mereka sudah tentu tidak akan fokus pada sukan supersport atau 600 kerana ia jauh lebih tinggi dari tahap kemasukan. Kita boleh menjadi penyelesaian yang tepat.
“Kami memikirkannya [Pegaso]. Kami mempunyai banyak idea kerana enjin membolehkan kami modulariti yang hebat. Kita hanya perlu memutuskan apa yang harus dilakukan terlebih dahulu. Segmen crossover adalah segmen yang sangat menarik yang kita lihat dengan penuh minat,” kata Barelli.
Namun begitu, pengesahan rasmi bahawa Shiver dan Dorsodoro tidak akan diperbaharui bukanlah sesuatu yang mengejutkan.
Model ini tidak diperbaharui dalam sesi kemas kini terbaru untuk memastikan model Aprilia memenuhi piawaian Euro5, dan di UK model-model itu telah pun digugurkan dari senarai harga.
“Setakat ini kami tidak merancang untuk meningkatkannya menjadi Euro5. Kami memberi tumpuan kepada platform baru yang lebih moden ini. Enjin 660 mempunyai susun atur yang dapat dimanfaatkan dalam beberapa cara. Ia sangat padat, membolehkan pembinaan pelbagai jenis bingkai untuk pelbagai aplikasi. “
1993 500cc champion Kevin Schwantz shared his take on Maverick Vinales possible switch to Aprilia for the 2022 season after the rider decided to part ways with Yamaha at the end of this season.
According to the 57-years old American, while Aprilia seems to be the only viable option for Vinales, it is not the best spot for the Spanish rider.
“I have no idea why Maverick would take the risk and accept such a thing. He must have been very unhappy at Yamaha.
“Aleix Espargaro always claims that Aprilia is close to the top, but then he finishes eight, so he’s not that close,” said Schwantz.
Besides the poor form this season, Vinales is also lacking behind his teammate, Fabio Quartararo, who is currently leading the championship with 156 points.
However, Schwantz believed that as a MotoGP rider, it is essential to have a strong mind.
“If the rider next to you is winning all the time and leading the world championship, you can easily become sad.
“But you have to stay focused on your work, do the best you can and deliver the best possible performance until the end of the year,” he added.
Nonetheless, Vinales is adamant about finishing the second half of the season with a strong result before leaving the Japanese marquee.
While Aprilia is seen as the most logical option, the Spaniard is yet to make any official announcement regarding his career next season.
The 2021 MotoGP season will return at the Red Bull Ring in August.
If you are a thrill-seeking rider, the weapon of choice to tackle corners at the weekends and commute daily to work would either be a full fairing or a naked motorcycle.
As some friends would testify, it is quite normal to end up spending hours at a motorcycle dealer contemplating between the two.
But wait, what if you don’t even need to make that choice, instead you could just enjoy the best of both worlds with the all-new Aprilia Tuono V4 1100?
Jeya Thevan has owned an Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 for the past two years and acknowledges that the bike has lots of potentials which only some of the most skilled riders can unlock.
“As a rider, you need to adapt to the character of the Tuono 1100, you need to understand its powerband, and once you understand that then the Tuono is a very fun bike.”
The best of both worlds
The Tuono V4 is one of the Noale-based manufacturer best inventions. One that offers a combination of power, technology, good looks and an exhaust system that produces one of the best engine notes, unmatched by anything else in its class.
Any conversation about the Tuono V4 has to begin with its looks, described as a super-naked motorcycle yet fitted with an almost full-fairing like the front end, making it stand out among the crowd.
You can take it on to the track or for a weekend ride to tackle the nastiest curve, or you can treat it as a daily ride.
Not to mention, you can also take the Tuono V4 out for an occasional tour thanks to its upright seating position and handlebar.
The Tuono V4 is one of a kind breed as agreed by Ms Bee of Welly Sg Buloh who is also a superbike champion herself.
“Aprilia bikes is one of the kind in the world especially the Tuono V4 1100 Factory. It’s not an ordinary motorcycle designed for ordinary riders.
“The power is raw, it’s a professional bike, it gives a rider more than it needed. The quote “less is more” does not apply to Aprilia Motorcycle’s performance,” she said.
A very powerful V4 powerplant
The 1077cc 65° V4 engine produces a monstrous 175hp @ 11,350rpm and 121Nm @ 9,000rpm putting it on par with other notable sports bikes.
Despite making 175hp and 121Nm, the new engine meets Euro 5 emission standards; thus, you can ride worry-free without affecting the environment.
Just a little heads up, the Tuono V4 shares the same engine layout used by the Aprilia MotoGP machine, and it offers a host of benefits over an inline-four and a twin-cylinder setup. In other words, you can still go bonkers with the Tuono V4.
Despite being superbike-fast, the Tuono is a comfortable machine on the road and fully loaded with exciting goodies.
Top-notch technological advancement
Thanks to a new and powerful Marelli 11MP ECU, rider aids are more refined, consisting of Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC), engine brake management, traction control, wheelie control, launch control, cruise control, pt limited and six riding modes.
Despite labelled as “super-naked”, the electronics puts it on par with other full-blown supersports machines.
For those who are not in the loop, every Aprilia’s motorcycle comes with riding modes and just like its track-oriented sibling the RSV4, the Tuono offers three track modes (two of which are customizable).
Tuono V4 versus its rivals
Talking about the Tuono V4, you can’t help but compare it to Ducati’s very own Streetfighter V4.
Yes, it looks exciting and has a luxurious finish, but it cost a lot more. Not to mention the cost of the infamous Desmo Service that most definitely burns a hole in your bank account the moment you reach 30,000km.
Triumph Motorcycles might be up for a challenge with the all-new Speed Triple RS 1200, but like the Streetfighter V4, they are both full-blown naked bikes, great for the weekends and as a daily ride but will not flourish on the track like the Tuono.
As Jeya Thevan so eloquently concludes, “I have owned 3 different Italian bikes, and I can tell you that the belief that the Aprilia is a temperamental bike is a misperception. The current distributor is doing a great job, and I can say that in the two years I have had this bike, I had zero issues.”
Moreover, Aprilia Malaysia always provides excellent support for all of its customers from the brand main service centre in Gasket Alley Petaling Jaya to the ever-popular Welly.
“The rumour of “lack of spare parts, difficult to maintain” has become fake news. Aprilia Malaysia does earn the credit for improving the after-sales,” said Ms Bee.
No holds barred might the right word to describe Aleix Espargaro.
He is not the type to shy away from giving an honest thought about something, especially when he thinks he is right.
*Aleix Espargaro
During a recent interview with Marca, Espargaro revealed his take on reports linking test-rider Andrea Dovizioso returning to MotoGP with Aprilia for the 2022 season.
*Andrea Dovizioso
“It’s difficult to evolve the bike because, when something new comes along, you have to test it.
“They (Aprilia) wanted me to do a couple of tests during the summer break and get in the wind tunnel.
“It would be helpful to have a stronger teammate or a satellite team.
“Dovizioso has done a couple of tests with us, but he hasn’t been very competitive so far and doesn’t seem to want to race.
“I’m a fan of his, but it’s hard to see him as my teammate,” said the Spaniard.
Aprilia will enter the 2022 season as a full-factory team, ending a 7-years partnership with Gresini Racing, who will continue their effort next season alongside Ducati as an Independent Team.
Dovizioso was heavily linked with Aprilia after being brought on board as a test rider to prepare a strong 2022 RS-GP.
*Maverick Vinales
However, with Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales decided to leave the Japanese marquee at the end of this season, the Spanish rider is rumoured to be Aprilia no.1 choice ahead of the 2022 MotoGP.
Based on Espargaro desire of having a stronger teammate, Vinales fits the bill.
Zongshen-Aprilia telah pun melancarkan GPR250R di Xi’an Auto Expo, China, baru-baru ini.
Zongshen merupakan pengeluar motosikal di China yang bertanggungjawab memasarkan dan memasang jentera Aprilia di negara itu.
Bagi tahun 2021, GPR250R telah dikemaskini dengan rekaan baharu selaras dengan model Aprilia sedia ada.
GPR250R kini tampil dengan rekaan agresif di bahagian depan menerusi tiga lampu LED yang dipadankan bersama ‘winglet’ diinspirasikan daripada model RSV4 2020.
Seperti model sebelumnya, model ini juga didatangkan dengan enjin 250cc satu silinder dengan penyejukan cecair yang menghasilkan 27.6hp pada 9,000rpm dan 21.5Nm pada 7,500rpm.
Namun, model baharu ini lengkap dengan klac slipper (slipper clutch) dan sistem EFI dari Bosch.
Meskipun skop kuasa ketinggalan di belakang pesaing lain antaranya Yamaha R25 dan Honda CBR250RR namun GPR250R ini lengkap dengan ciri moden dan terkini antaranya paparan TFT berwarna, penghadang angin aerodinamik, dan ergonomik lebih agresif.
Aprilia turut mendakwa GPR250R ini menawarkan pengalaman menunggang di litar yang terbaik.
Antara ciri menarik lain ditawarkan:
kerangka aluminium jenis ‘double-wing beam’
fork USD depan dengan monoshock di belakang
cakera brek 300mm depan dan 218mm belakang
ABS dwi-saluran (dual-channel)
GPR250R ini juga sesuai digunakan sebagai tunggangan harian dengan bantuan tangki 14L di samping mudah dikendalikan ekoran hanya seberat 158kg.
Baru-baru ini, Aprilia telah melaksanakan panggilan semula beberapa model RS660 dan Tuono 660 di Amerika Syarikat.
*Aprilia Tuono 660
Panggilan semula itu dibuat susulan terdapat kes telah dikemukakan kepada pihak berkuasa keselamatan trafik AS, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), di mana ‘connecting rod/conrod’ pada model RS660 telah patah meskipun baru merekodkan 2,300 kilometer.
*Aprilia RS660
Bagaimanapun, dalam perkembangan terkini, Aprilia bakal mengumumkan panggilan semula kedua-dua model membabitkan 700 unit seluruh dunia.
Difahamkan, panggilan semula secara global itu terpaksa dilakukan setelah mendapati ‘conrod’ yang dihasilkan bagi enjin 660cc parallel-twin itu tidak mencapai spesifikasi yang ditetapkan.
Sebagai langkah keselamatan, kesemua model yang dipanggil semula akan digantikan dengan enjin serba baharu di samping memperbaharui waranti kilang. – motorradonline
