The Aprilia RSV4 XTrenta was created in order to celebrate the first title won by Aprilia in the MotoGP World Championship, which actually came 30 years ago. “Created” in this case is the term which is spot on, because a sports machine like this has never been seen before. Because in addition, this is a production series motorbike, and even though it is being made in only 100 individually numbered units, these are nevertheless on sale to the public. However, there is a fundamental difference compared to the bikes arriving from the production line: the Xtrenta comes directly from the Racing Department in Noale, and thanks to the Factory Works programme from Aprilia Racing it is built with materials, components and electronics which have never been closer to those of the Aprilia RS-GP, the GP Motorbike which is currently involved in the World Championship.
Record power and weight
To understand at what level the Xtrenta is pitched, you only need two numbers, which are incredible for a motorbike that anybody can purchase (for a high price certainly, but not out of this world): 230 HP, 166 kg. We are at the level of a MotoGP bike of a few years ago. If we were to make a comparison with the world of four wheels, it is as if we could buy the Formula 1 car which won the first title for Lewis Hamilton. And this is the big difference between two and four wheels: today we can own the best thing on two wheels – motorbikes built almost as if they were racing prototypes. Together with the weight and the power, there are the electronics, the chassis design and the set-up of a true GP racer. Let us start with the aerodynamics.
The wings and the “spoon” deflector
The Xtrenta also inherits the aerodynamic solutions from GP motorbike racing. The fairing is entirely in carbon, built using the same processes used for the RS-GP, and from this machine it also receives the front aerodynamic appendages and the innovative rear fins, affixed to the tail unit, which generate an increased aerodynamic downforce yet at the same time a lower resistance to forward speed.
There is another aerodynamic feature: the RSV4 XTrenta is the first production motorbike in the world to carry around its swing arm an “under wing” (in jargon called a “spoon”), the deflector which the Aprilia RS-GP bikes have used since 2019. This increases the aerodynamic downforce on the rear wheel by 25%; that is to say it generates a downward thrust which improves the grip of the tyre, as well as having a positive effect on fuel consumption. At the same time, it reduces air resistance by 4%.
Competition set-up
Taking their cue from the extraordinary starting point of the 2022 Aprilia RSV4 Factory, this is how the technicians from Aprilia Racing managed to achieve the exceptional power output of 230 HP. They increased the compression ratio, fitted an exhaust in titanium and carbon built on the basis of specifications from SC Project, the company which provides the racing systems for Aprilia, and a Sprint Filter high-throughput air filter using GP Motorbike and Formula 1 specifications. Furthermore, Aprilia can provide, as an option, an extremely light-weight full-titanium silencer.
Among other details worthy of note are the titanium drive sprocket, another exclusivity of the XTrenta, the racing control panel for the numerous electronic functions and finally the footboards, the levers on the handlebars and the fuel cap engineered from solid billets using CNC machining.
The indispensable help of electronics
Without the support of electronics it would be impossible to manage such an agile and lightweight motorbike with such a powerful engine, but also in terms of advanced driving assistance the Xtrenta offers state-of-the-art technology. In this sector Aprilia is at the forefront; it was the first company in the world to build a fuel injection system with a throttle managed electronically – ride by wire – and since then has always continued to develop advanced control systems. All the functions are managed by a powerful Magneti Marelli control panel, which applies the traction control logistics, or to be more precise, the amount of wheelspin at the rear wheel, the bike's tendency to do a “wheelie” and its yaw, and which regulates the engine braking, by processing the signals provided by the six-axe inertia platform which at every instant records the exact position of the bike in relation to the space around it.
An exceptional chassis
The Xtrenta retains the chassis of the production model RSV4, as a confirmation of the exceptional quality of the project. It is the fruit of many years of development thanks to the experience accumulated over a career of 30 years in competitions: Aprilia is among the biggest winning marques in the history of motorcycling, having collected, between 1992 and the present day, a total of 54 world titles. The chassis is a twin-beam aluminium framework with its parts cast and stamped, and allows you to adjust the angle of the steering head, the height of the engine and of the pivot of the swing-arm. This is completed with a top-class Öhlins suspension system, modified by the Aprilia MotoGP technicians, and the front fork has its steering plate milled out of a solid block, another Aprilia Racing exclusive.
Additionally, in terms of the braking system, it has the best in the market – the Brembo system with 330mm-diameter discs and GP4-MS monobloc calipers milled out of a solid block; the wheel rims are Marchesini M7R Genesi, and the forging in magnesium procures a saving of around 2 kg compared with standard wheels.
DIABLO SUPERBIKE SCX tyres for the first time on a production series motorcycle
With its engine, set-up and electronics the Xtrenta thus provides the best possible features that anyone could desire, but in order to harness this exceptional power, and unleash onto the ground those 230 HP, you need equally excellent tyres. That is why it is equipped with Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE tyres, slick tyres fine-tuned during years of participation in the World Superbike competitions specifically on competition bikes with the same characteristics as the Xtrenta. At the front there is a wider shoulder than that normally used on sports road bikes, a 125/70 with an SC1 compound, and at the rear there is a 200/65 with the supersoft SCX compound. The Xtrenta is the only production series motorcycle in the world to be fitted with these extremely high-performance tyres. Their use is reserved for the racetrack.
Where can you order one?
The Xtrenta has a historic livery, inspired by that of the Aprilia 125 which won the first of those 54 world titles. As expected, it will be produced in only 100 numbered units and for a price which is high but which we can consider reasonable, given that for 50,000 Euros (excluding VAT) you can take possession of an exceptional competition motorcycle. Currently you can place your reservation via the website: factoryworks.aprilia.com, which is dedicated to racing motorcycles.
The lucky purchasers will also have the opportunity to collect their own bike – delivered with its own dedicated bike cover and mat – at the premises of Aprilia Racing itself, and it will be possible to visit the historic Racing Department.
