The philosophy, as I read it
Aprilia is the racing department of the Piaggio group, and it builds road bikes the way a race team would: chassis first, electronics second, everything else after. The RSV4 was the best-handling superbike of its era, and the RS 660 brought that thinking to a middleweight with a level of electronics nobody else offered. Aprilia bikes are for riders who value feel and sophistication over brand size.
History in a paragraph
Founded in Noale in 1945 as a bicycle maker, Aprilia entered motorcycles in 1968 and became the dominant force in 125 and 250 Grand Prix racing through the 1990s and 2000s, with 54 world titles. The RSV Mille of 1998 was its first superbike and the RSV4 of 2009 won seven World Superbike titles. Owned by Piaggio since 2004.
On the track
Fifty-four Grand Prix world titles, mostly in the small classes, and a MotoGP programme now leading the 2026 championship.
Reviewed
