Aprilia is signing up dealers in the United States. The successful Italian manufacturer (and successful GP racer with several World championships to its credit) sells an awful lot of scooters and motorcycles in Europe. Now it is tackling the U.S. market. Aprilia has a well deserved reputation for quality and innovation.
After its success with two stroke GP bikes (including several World 250cc championships courtesy of Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi) and development of two-stroke street-legal replicas, Aprilia tackled the four-stroke 1000cc V-twin Superbike market with its RSV Mille. It was a bold move. Aprilia contracted with Rotax of Austria to develop and build the 1000cc V-twin heart of its Superbike, with Aprilia contributing design and engineering expertise. The result (the Mille) has been very well received by the world press as Aprilia enters its second season of World Superbike racing. The street legal version of the World Superbike is, in the opinion of many journalists, superior to Ducati’s carefully refined 996.
So where does the SL1000 fit in? The SL has the same 60 degree V-twin 1000cc heart as the RSV, only tuned for increased torque (and lower peak horsepower). Still, with a claimed 118 horsepower at the crank, and gobs of torque (peaking at 7000 rpm) the SL is a full-fledged sportbike.
With a dry weight of only 418 pounds, the SL is light for a 1000cc V-twin. It is equipped with high-spec, fully adjustable suspension, and massively powerful Brembo four-piston calipers clamping 320mm discs in front (with two piston caliper on 220mm disc in the rear).
The double overhead cam eight valve motor is fed by a highly sophisticated fuel injection system, and the engine transfers power through a six-speed gearbox to a huge, six inch rear wheel.
The SL1000 will be on sale shortly in Europe, and in the Spring of 2000 in the United States. The price should be reasonable for an Italian (particularly one with fully adjustable suspension and Brembo brakes). Its competition? The lower-spec Honda VTR1000 and Suzuki TL1000S.
The only European ride review we’ve seen so far raves about the SL. We’ll see how the U.S. press responds when the bike becomes available here.
