Aprilia Tuono V4 R first ride – “I’m blown away!”

The new Aprilia Tuono V4 R is essentially an RSV4 without a fairing, and is one of the most powerful naked bikes on the market, producing 167bhp. Find an Aprilia for sale

MCN Senior Road Tester, Michael Neeves, is currently testing the new Aprilia Tuono V4 R in Spain – here are his initial thoughts.

“I’m currently at Valencia with the new Aprilia Tuono V4 R and we’re spending the morning on track and this afternoon on a 150 km road ride. The new Tuono is basically a naked RSV4 superbike, slightly de-tuned but still making a claimed 167bhp which makes it the most powerful super naked you can buy.

• Aprilia Tuono V4 R official video

“I’ve just done two sessions on the track and I’m blown away. The Tuono gives you the full superbike experience with masses of acceleration, blistering top speed, epic handling and incredible brakes.

“It’s still light, nimble and compact like the RSV4 but with its straight handlebars it is much easier to move around the bike.

“We’re testing the APRC version with launch, traction and wheelie control together with a quick shifter and the entire track riding experience is mind-blowing, I am very impressed.

“I’ve a couple of more sessions on track and then this afternoon we’ll head out on to the road and I’ll report back on how it feels away from the race track.”

Read Neevesy’s full report in next week’s Motorcycle News, out Wednesday April 20.