Used Bike Review: 2004 Aprilia RSV 1000 R

My personal 2004 RSV Mille R with upgrades.

By The Merchant
Italian sportbikes are rare, expensive, high strung and beautiful to look at--but are they any good? In the case of the 2004 Aprilia RSV 1000 R the answer is "Yes."

The 2004 RSV was a cleansheet design and the second generation of Aprilia's first "big" sportbike, the original 1999 Mille. Sporting a 990cc Rotax-built v-twin, the bike was meant to compete directly with the Ducati 998/999 but never captured the public's imagination like the Tamburini designed 9 series from Bologna. It is however a tremendous motorcycle in its own rite and worth the low price of entry on the used-bike market.

If the first thing you look for in a bike review is the horsepower figure then stop reading now. Using standard valve springs and a 60 degree angle between cylinders, the Aprilia lump was fairly promising for the era and made about 115-118 horsepower at the rear wheel. And while it has enough torque to keep the bike moving in any gear it's not enough to challenge the big Japanese liter bikes or the more recent Ducati superbikes (In fact in AMA competition it's pitted against Japanese 600s in the Sportbike class but has been replaced on the grid by the more powerful Ducati 848).

A revvy motor, the RSV makes its power above 8,000 rpms and feels flat in the lower rev rangers than its contemporaries, especially the TL1000s and R, which both sold new when the 2004 RSV hit the streets. Get it singing though and it is a sweet lump, complimenting the well-balanced package put together by Aprilia.

The 2004 RSV has everything you could want in an Italian sportbike: It is a beautiful bike, especially in red and silver. The revised plastics are more angular than the first generation machine with distinctive canards on the upper fairing that acted as wind deflectors. A trailblazer in its design, the Aprilia was one of the first streetbikes to integrate its turn signals into the mirrors and the tail section, eliminating the need for aftermarket pieces to clean up the looks of the bike. The bike's looks still hold up today and during my ownership I was constantly praised for its beauty. Luckily the bike was more than a pretty face.

The 2004 model had a new frame that continued the use of Aprilia's unique banana shaped swingarm, a gorgeous aluminum piece reminiscent of MotoGP machines. Unfortunately the original swingarms were recalled and replaced when some units showed cracking but my bike was up to date when purchased.

When you climb on the bike for the first time you realize just how tall it is and how long the tank is. Not for short riders, the bike pushes the rider forward and over the bars, into a true track riding position and into view of the multi-function dash which offers lap timing, average speed, top speed and other information.

Fire up the big v-twin and the sound is reminisent of the Ducati and Suzuki, but once out on the road and deep into the twisties and the 2004 RSV couldn't have felt more different from the Ducati's of the day. When compared directly to the Ducati 999 the Aprilia was quicker on initial turn in and almost as rock steady once on its side with quick responses to mid-corner adjustments and good feel from the Showa forks and shock.

Powering out of a corner or blasting down a straight, the engine isn't as stout down low as the 999 and is outclassed in every regard by the newer 1098 and 1198 superbikes. The engine is best used in the same way as a big inline four but it does it keeps the big Aprilia moving forward at an impressive clip. Ridden back-to-back with the 1098 though the motor feels flat and unimpressive.

The bike handles beautifully, inspiring confidence in the rider, and has enough braking power to overcome an overenthusiastic throttle hand...that is when the brakes are working. Among the RSV's few flaws was the notorious rear brake: it's reservoir located directly beside the engine it was notoriously difficult to bleed and the system was prone to failure. Some owners bought rearsets that relocated the master cylinder and reservoir to the rearset itself. The Aprilia forums are rife with fixes for the problem but during my time with the bike I simply relied on the front brakes to slow the bike.

While the RSV was comfortable for high-speed cruising, traffic is its worst enemy and its sibling the Tuono is the better buy for everyday street use. The 2004 RSV came in two versions, the R, which I owned for just over a year, and the Factory, which was equipped with Ohlins suspension front and rear, radial mounted front brakes and carbon fiber pieces, including the distinctive canards on the front fairing and the undertail pieces running from the tank backward toward the comfortable Aprilia seat.

I upgraded my bike (seen in the picture above) with wheels, forks and radial brakes from a 2008 model and was pleased with the improved brake feel and power. The Showa forks and shock offer good adjustment with both rebound and preload changes apparent after just a few clicks.

So if the bike is so beautiful, so balanced and so fun to ride, why did I sell it? With a young daughter to watch on the weekends, my only riding time was during a 30-mile commute through New Jersey traffic on the New Jersey Parkway. Not ideal and enough of a headache to make me fall out of love with the harsh riding position and choppy low-rpm fueling of the bike. Had I lived closer to the Catskills or the Adirondacks during my time with the bike I might have been compelled to keep it. Asked if I would recommend the bike to a friend though and I would quickly say, "Hell yes."