2027 Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory

A Superbike That Forgot Its Fairings

Aprilia took the RSV4, one of the most serious superbikes you can buy, pulled the plastic off, bolted on a set of handlebars and called it a naked bike. That's the official story. The unofficial one is that nobody told the Tuono it was supposed to relax.

I rode one of these on track at COTA back in March, and I've been nervous about this first ride ever since. Not because I thought it would be bad. Because I was worried it would be good enough to mess with my dream bike list. I gotta be honest, it did. Just not the way I expected.

The 2027 Tuono V4 Factory is one of the best motorcycles I've ridden this year. It's also one of the worst at riding to the grocery store.

Performance Highlights

The V4 is 1,099cc and makes a claimed 180 horsepower. That's actually the low number in this class, since the Streetfighter V4 S claims 214. It doesn't matter. Here's the thing about this engine. It lives above 7,000 rpm, and below that it's barely paying attention. In first gear at almost 40 mph you're sitting at 3,000 rpm and the bike feels oddly tame. Then the tach goes orange, you click into second, and it feels like a fighter jet hitting the afterburners. Wind it out hard and the front wheel stays planted, which tells you the wheelie control is working harder than I am.

Below 20 mph that same engine gets twitchy. It lurches, it shudders, and it acts annoyed that you're making it idle through a parking lot. Once you're moving, the throttle is smooth and sharp. That low-speed attitude is the only real knock in the ride section.

Everything else is ridiculous. The semi-active Öhlins setup on the Factory is everything I've ever wanted from a sporty suspension. I took a long highway off-ramp with nobody around, leaned it over, and it stayed exactly there. No float, no wiggle, nothing to correct. Steering has the same precision I love on the Speed Triple and Street Triple. It goes exactly where you look. It just feels heavy at a crawl.

Then there are the brakes. Brembo M50 calipers with a Brembo master cylinder, and they're the best brakes I've tested. I grabbed a big handful from speed and felt my stomach try to leave through the front of my jacket, and the bike never once felt out of control. Strong is easy. Strong and that controllable is rare.

Rider Experience & Tech

This might be the most aggressive naked bike I've ever sat on. The pegs are high, almost sport bike high, your chest ends up over the tank, and your arms angle down to flat bars that aren't especially wide. The tank is shaped perfectly for your knees, and the seat is firm enough that you can move around on it when you're riding hard. There's zero wind protection. It's an attack position with handlebars, which is great on a back road and less great on a long highway day. The seat is 32.9 inches, and at 5'10" with a 32 inch inseam I couldn't flat-foot both sides.

The Factory comes loaded. Semi-active suspension that changes with the ride mode, a two-way quickshifter that's smooth going up and a little aggressive coming down, cruise control, and Aprilia's full APRC suite with traction and wheelie control. The 5 inch color TFT is fine. It shows you everything you need.

The problem is getting to it. Half the settings live behind button combos where you hold a switch in one direction for three seconds. The cruise control worked one minute and ignored me the next, and I owned a Tuono 660. Plan on a learning curve. The levers, for the record, are perfect. The mirrors look like an afterthought.

The Chase Score & Final Thoughts

With a Chase Score of 75/100, the Tuono V4 Factory lands in the Great tier, and it would sit a lot higher if it never had to ride on public roads. The ride side of the score is nearly maxed out. It's comfort, ease of use and versatility that cost it, and they all suffer for the same reason the bike is so good on a fast road.

Who's it for? Riders who already own a do-everything bike and want a second one for track days and mountain roads. Put it next to an R 1300 GS and that's my dream garage. Skip it if it's going to be your only bike, or if most of your riding happens under 30 mph. At $19,999 for Öhlins, M50s and this V4, it's a lot of bike for the money. I did not want to give it back.