Aprilia set to launch Blue Marlin

APRILIA has seen the light and is due to put the gorgeous Blue Marlin into production in 2002.

The firm intends to make an announcement about its decision at the Bologna Show next month, but spokesman Francesco Rapisarda told MCN: ” We are 99 per cent sure that we will be making the Blue Marlin next year. I want to thank everyone who saw the bike at the NEC and told us what they thought. The reaction was fantastic. ”

We showed the first pictures of this stunning machine back in September when it debuted at the Milan Show and invited your comment, which we passed on to Aprilia.

The RSV-based machine, with its retro cafe racer styling, proved a massive hit everywhere it was shown this year – and Aprilia reckons it can’t afford to miss out on the potential market for such a machine. How much will have to be changed from the prototype is unknown, but you can be sure that any showroom version includes the mirrors and indicators that were noticeably absent on the prototype. Expect it to appear towards the end of 2002 – probably at the Munich Show in the autumn.