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2007 Aprilia Tuono Factory Comparo Photo Gallery
MotorcycleUSA takes the latest batch of nakeds and tossed them together - relax its nothing dirty, just our '07 Streetfighter Comparo. Check out who came out on top in our
2007 Streetfighter Comparo II
.
The 2007 Aprilia Tuono Factory came in as the favorite for the win in this year's comparo, the non-Factory version of the Tuono streetfighter having taken top honors in our '06 comparo.
No other bike in our comparo matches the Tuono in fit and finish, which is why it earns an 8.7 in the category, way ahead of the second-place Kawi's 7.3.
The 2007 Tuono is still powered by the V60 Magnesium V-Twin that adorned last year's comparo winner.
Almost all of our testers had positive things to say about the Tuono's styling, including the Factory's bold graphics.
Gold paint is nice, but in the Value question on our scorecard, however, the Tuono earns its lone whammy, where it scores a 6.0 - tied with the Ducati for last.
The highlight of the Tuono is undoubtedly its handling prowess where it got another sweep on the scorecard with a 9.0 rating (the next closest being the Ducati at 7.5).
While a nice styline trait the front cowling provides ram-air intake for the V-60 Twin.
We're going to have to give Steeves 16,999 demerits after a wheelie like this went awry five minutes from our test's conclusion.
So, how do you put a price on a smile? That is the question with the Factory Tuono. There's no doubt it plasters smiles all over our faces, placing a miniscule 0.1 of a point behind the Triumph for top honors in Grin Factor.
A couple seconds after this photo, our Tuono Factory wasn't so pretty any more.
One very positive trait was the Tuono's Pneumatic Power Clutch (PPC), or slipper-type clutch, which reduces rear wheel hop on downshifts.
Its looks were sharp, but the Tuono Factory's handling was even sharper. When the scores were all tallied, it was clear that none of the competition were anywhere near it in this regard.
With the Tuono Factory's incredible handling, the 'racing' moniker of the Aprilia's exhaust makes perfect sense to us.
On tight canyon roads the Tuono was the perfect accomplice.
Braking is another high point for the Aprilia on the final scorecard. Dual 320mm rotors paired with four-pot Brembo Gold radial calipers are deemed the best of the bunch by our crew, who complimented the strong, progressive feel at the lever.
The Factory Tuono's riding position manages to be both comfortable and aggressive, good for both street and track.
The Tuono's superb handling put it in a class all its own on the racetrack and aggressive roads.
On the Horsethief Mile the Aprilia Tuono Factory decimated the competition.
The Tuono's transmission doesn't receive as favorable a rating as the motor. Although the 6-speed gearbox is precise, with no complaints about missed shifts or false neutrals, it is less smooth than those on the Japanese entries.
Dipping into a corner is easy as pie on the Tuono, just crank it over with the wide MX-style bars, which provide excellent leverage.
Another area where the Aprilia could not be matched was in the braking department, with the dual 320mm rotors with four-piston Brembo calipers deemed the best by our testing crew.
Unless the rider is trying to put in some fast qualifying laps, it isn't necessary to think too much about the motor while at the helm since there always seems to be a steady stream of torque available in the middle of the rev range.
With different graphics and gold accents, the Factory Tuono differentiates itself further from its non-Factory sibling by the use of Ohlins suspension.
The beautiful Aprilia Tuono Factory up on one wheel before the badness happened.
Even though it was third heaviest on the scales, the bike feels light, nimble and easy to transition through technical turns on either the street or track.
The 25-degree rake, 4.1-inch trail and 55.5-inch wheelbase, the shortest of the streetfighter group by 0.7 inches, aspire to earn it top honors among our group of discerning dicers.
The Tuono mill musters a last-place in peak torque production, 62.3 lb-ft @ 8600 rpm, but as this test proves, it's not just quantity but quality that counts.
The 60-degree V-Twin provides a steady, ample stream of power from start to finish, with a terrific top end delivering an hp peak just shy of 112 ponies at 9700 rpm
The Factory's Twin is the same engine that impressed us on the regular Tuono last year - the oversquare 97 x 67.5 mm motor had been revamped for '06 with new mapping and alterations to the cylinder heads and cams.
Compared to the Ducati, the Aprilia's high-revving Twin is of a different character altogether. While the S4R rumbles and rattles like a race bike, the Tuono feels and sounds both polished and a bit subdued.
The tidy instrument cluster provides plenty of useful information, with a left-side analog tach teamed with a digital speedometer. The large MPH figure shares the right-side LCD space with a clock, trip meters and engine temperature gauge.
