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| | | Aprilia RXV 450 & 550 – SXV 450 & 550 world launch |  Written: 09/02/2006 : 11:47. Read 31953 times (15/day). | Mr. Supermoto (Van den Bosch) slides past me as if I was a lost chicken in town. I wring the throttle on the SXV 550 as early as I dare out onto the straight. The small powerful V-twin develops instant horsepower that easily spins up the 180 section Dunlop D208RR rear tyre”. The front lifts and stays up for most of the straight on this sunny day on the go-cart track in Sicily.
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Following the 2004 S2 supermoto championship victory all eyes have been on Aprilia’s new 77 degree V-twin. Over a three year period Aprilia has developed, tested and raced the SXV. The combined efforts of both RXV and SXV came at the cost of 50 million Euros. Even so, Aprilia will spend another 30 million Euros on the off-road segment in the next few years. Aprilia will not only race in the S1 and S2 but also in the Enduro world championship with the RXV. Next is also a 250cc RXV for MX2 and an even larger displacement Supermoto. Rather than just launching one new model with one new engine Aprilia has launched four new motorcycles at the same time. To make the confusion complete they are all different too. So what are they and can you ride them on the road? We will have a look at the Supermoto first.
SXV 450 is literally using the same engine as the S2 race bike. The 4.5 develops a staggering 60 bhp at 13.000 rpm. The engine is developed from scratch at the Noale factory as opposed to the usual Rotax mill from Austria. Aprilia wanted to enter the off-road market with a bang, and has done so with the usual displacements, but in V-twin configuration. You would have to look to KTM and Husqvarna to get some style thrown in with your money on a supermoto. Aprilia has gone all the way in the styling department and everything from brake fluid reservoirs to the diamond shaped frame and body work has got incredible attention to detail. There is no doubt Aprilia planned to launch the SXV as a road bike from the very beginning.
SXV 550 is the most powerful 550 supermoto ever. With 70 bhp and a dry weight of 128kg the power to weight ratio is unbelievable. The power is instant and adjustability as good as a race bike. It is not much that separates the SXV 550 from a full-on race bike. The engine is virtually the same, but suspension and brakes are different. SXV 550 is a world beater out of the crate. Aprilia has designed the SXV 550 to be THE supermoto. Compared to other high end supermoto’s the 60 hour service intervals are not too bad either.
We got the chance to compare the SXV 450 and 550 on a go-cart track in Sicily. I started with the SXV 450 and after a few warm up laps it was evident that the new V-twin is very smooth for such a high performance 450. I really had to work the gearbox to get near the full potential, but still I thought, “fuck me, how’s the 550 going to be!” After the first session on the 450 I swapped straight over to the 550 and I was suddenly in Supermotard heaven. Earlier in the day I had ridden the RXV 550 that was just not pleasant at all on the dirt. The SXV 550 however is just perfect. It has got so much usable power and it can be used from great lean angles as soon as the Dunlop D208RR tyres are warm. Suddenly it was the 550 I preferred, on hard tarmac the SXV is everything you want a supermoto to be. Powerful enough to power wheelie through the whole straight and smooth enough to make you think you will not ever ride a single again! Where you can keep third gear, without hitting the limiter, before breaking hard into the corner on the 550 you need a short click up into fourth on the 450. The gear box lubrication is separate from the engine and I never thought once about the gearbox during the fast riding around the track. Aprilia has designed both the gearbox and clutch for longer life than you can expect from a single. Both SXV’s share parts such as chassis, wheels and brakes. The engine is the only difference. The rear tyre is a Dunlop D208RR 180/55-ZR17 and front 120/70-ZR17, tyres that you would normally see on a superbike. This gives the SXV great stability when leaning all the way over, but might slow it down a bit when flicking from left to right compared to a top-spec single with a 160 section rear tyre. These tyres also allow you to stay on the power for longer and get on it earlier. Both bikes have got a powerful radial Brembo calliper around a single 270mm wavy disc.
Compared to the RXV the SXV features a few differences that will make a RXV supermoto conversion difficult. SXV’s swing arm is wider to fit wider tyres (can fit wheels up to 6.5 inches) and to move the chain further out for the same reason. The 48mm USD fork is also calibrated differently from the 45mm fork on RXV. The frame is the same tubular steel trellis fitted to pressed aluminium plates for extra rigidity.
RXV 450 & 550 world launch - Enduro for experts
Aprilia RXV 550 will be the weapon of choice for Italian Enduro aces Alex Zani and Stefano Pessari during the 2006 season. They also showed us around on our test on the Enduro terrain in Sicily. Luckily I rode the RXV 450 first. Both bikes come as standard with top spec Michelin Enduro Comp 3 tyres. Believe me - you need every bit of grip you can get especially on the RXV 550. We also rode the two RXV’s on a grass track and there is not much beating the 450.
RXV 450 is all about usable power, loads of it. The rear tyre just digs in and rockets the bike forward. When I first started the engine it was not only evident this off road machine is very powerful, but it sounds bloody good too. Who could have imagined a v-twin 450cc off road in a highly competitive Enduro only a few years ago? V-twins are for touring and adventure Enduro’s, not a racer of this capacity. Make no mistakes, this is racing. Think Yamaha WR450 with 40 or so horsepower. Then think RXV 450 with 60! The RXV 450 blew me away and I was truly worried when it was time for the 550.
RXV 550 the beast: Neither the 450 nor 550 are friendly enough for easy going trail riding. For the enduro part I found it difficult to stand up for any longer periods on the 550. The power is so on-off and there is so much of it that I spent more time trying to tame the beast than actually testing it. It wore me down so quickly that I decided to sit it out until I could get back on the 450. As soon as I tried to do anything but nurture the gas, the rear wheel spun up. RXV 550 with its current engine mapping is a violent, powerful beast of an off-road bike. It is the most demanding of Aprilia’s XV’s to ride and can only be recommended to expert Enduro riders.
Conclusion – Of all the four new bikes the SXV 550 is my favourite. The super strong engine really fits this bike. I only rode it on a supermoto track, but I suspect it will be just as fun on the road. Whilst having loads of fun on the track with SXV 550, the RXV 450 was blindingly fast on the gravel and dirt. It has the perfect combination of tractability and speed. RXV 450 could easily be flicked from side to side on the grass track too. RXV 550 is just too much to handle and requires loads of skill from the rider. It could be the experts’ choice, but even an expert can’t do too much magic with the rear wheel spinning up all the time. Different engine mapping could solve problems. SXV 450 has got the best of both worlds, smoother and more powerful than any other 450. It was easier to control the power delivery and it flew around the grass track. Finish on the plastic decals on SXV rubs off after only a few miles wearing leathers. SXV is such a beautifully designed bike and it really sticks out looking crash damaged. I’ll take one RXV 450 and one SXV 550 then thank you sir.
SXV 450
+
Power delivery
Brakes
Handling
-
Buzzy (needs loads of revs)
Finish on plastic details below petrol tank
SXV 550
+
Smooth and powerful engine
Handling
60 hour service intervals
-
Finish on plastic details below petrol tank
Price
RXV 450
+
Engine tuned for tractability
Handling
The most stylish off-road bike since KTM
-
You are paying for style you don’t need off-road
Engine runs hot if you’re stuck
RXV 550
+
The most stylish off-road bike since KTM
Serious speed for continental roads
-
Spins up everywhere
Only for specialists
Small petrol tank
Words: Tor Sagen
Photography: Milagro
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