{"id":1236030,"date":"2018-06-15T09:27:12","date_gmt":"2018-06-14T23:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/?p=1236030"},"modified":"2018-06-15T11:11:47","modified_gmt":"2018-06-15T01:11:47","slug":"2018-aprilia-tuono-rf-voodoo-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/2018-aprilia-tuono-rf-voodoo-child\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 APRILIA TUONO RF \u2013 VOODOO CHILD"},"content":{"rendered":"

IMAGES BY NICK EDARDS \/ HALF LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHIC<\/p>\n

The Aprilia Tuono RF is one of those<\/em> bikes.<\/p>\n

It occupies that other echelon of motorcycles. It lives on another level, up where the air is rarefied and full of thunder. \u00a0Up where its tyres are always going to be costly sticky hoops of gooey liquorice.<\/p>\n

Up where corners call to you and you always answer.<\/p>\n

Up where you spend a lot of time looking in your mirrors in case they\u2019re filled with flashing lights and prison.<\/p>\n

Yes, up there on the top floor of the Fun House.<\/p>\n

\"\"

“Oh, look! I can see Jesus!”<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

I already knew this when I pulled over on the side of the Duckmaloi Road one warm afternoon, turned the ignition off, and walked stiff-legged from the ticking bike.<\/p>\n

The Tuono RF was absolutely one of those<\/em> bikes, alright. Magnificent, barking V4 bastard of a thing that it is. A true rider\u2019s bike by any and every definition \u2013 and they are a rare thing.<\/p>\n

My eyes were burning. I could feel my pulse clanging away behind them and my mouth was sandpaper dry. Behind me, the Tuono ticked on, cooling\u2026or counting down. Or going \u201cTsk, tsk, tsk\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

It’s looking down at you.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Yes, it’s nuclear. Like an ICBM.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

I looked out into the rolling countryside but I wasn\u2019t seeing it. It\u2019s pretty out Oberon way. But it\u2019s also fast so I\u2019m not usually looking at the scenery. Ride the Tuono with intent and the scenery is this grey thing with rapidly flashing green rubbish either side of it. This makes me the kind of crazy I like being. But then I have to stop, and so I did.<\/p>\n

My mind was trying to comprehend what the Tuono had just put me through. Certainly, I had not put it through anything at all. I may have been on it, but it was the one doing the fancy stuff. And its stuff was very fancy indeed. Such precision (Its, not mine). Such confidence (Mine). Such assurance when it\u2019s going really fast (we shared this, but it\u2019s what the Tuono serves the rider). Such noise (Entirely its own. My eeping doesn\u2019t count).<\/p>\n

This is a stonking, thundering, hammering, assault of a motorcycle. It is brilliant and it is unforgettable. It is a dance partner for the ages.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It leads. I follow.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Garishly painted and glorious to behold.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

So it is very much one of those<\/em> bikes. Let no-one tell you otherwise.<\/p>\n

This new and improved Tuono RF (F is for Factory) is one of the best high-stakes, shut-up-and-take-my-money naked motorcycles on the planet right now.<\/p>\n

Is it as good as KTM\u2019s King Daddy Super Duke R?<\/p>\n

Yes.<\/p>\n

Is it better?<\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

Now stop with the stupid questions. Because such questions really are stupid.<\/p>\n

The better bike here is the bike you like the best. When the packages are this good, no other outcome is possible.<\/p>\n

So the new Tuono is new for the following reasons\u2026<\/p>\n

It is more powerful. Substantially so. Moon-howlingly so, actually. This is not some bitch-kitty warm-over. This is Aprilia addressing the orange Austrian issue.<\/p>\n

In 2016 the 999cc Tuono made 112Nm and 159 horses.<\/p>\n

In 2018 the 1077cc Tuono makes 120Nm and 175 horses.<\/p>\n

And all this bang lives inside one of the greatest handling packages ever created. The RF differs from the RR here because the RF gives you \u00d6hlins NIX with an adjustable electronic steering damper (and a bloke with no idea could sure have some fun with that, huh?), and the RR is all Sachs.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It’s just an amplifier for thunder.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Yes, I\u2019d spend the extra money for the RF. Even if I had no idea about suspension, I\u2019d spend the extra money. You do what you want, but I would spend the extra money.<\/p>\n

The recent Tuonos have all been pro-level handlers \u2013 bikes able to provide even the most skilled rider with levels of control and precision numpties like me can only dream about. But then, when numpties like me climb on, those same levels of control and precision are still there, and suddenly the numpty is riding at another level. That is the real magic of bikes like the RF.<\/p>\n

So for 2018, the rake and trail has been reduced (from 25.1 degrees to 24.7 degrees, and from 107.4mm to 99.7mm) and the swingarm is six-mm longer.<\/p>\n

Essentially, none of this means shit to me.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m pretty sure it means the same to most of you.<\/p>\n

Very few of us ride at levels where such numbers matter. But hey, Jorge, if you can pick the difference in 0.4 of a degree of rake, more power to you.<\/p>\n

So anyone who tells you the new Tuono RF is more<\/em> agile, or more<\/em> stable at speed, or turns in more<\/em> sweeter, or fires more<\/em> eggs out of its blurter, is full of crap.<\/p>\n

\"\"

And so it goes…<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

All you need to know is this is one of the best-handling motorcycles ever made, sexy-fat 200 rear Pirelli Supercorsamegadragon and all.<\/p>\n

And so it does Great Things.<\/p>\n

And one of life\u2019s Great Things is charging the Tuono Jesus-first into a corner, smashing down a gear or two, shifting your fat arse on the new comfier seat, dipping your shoulder, and then nailing that cheeky apex with symphonic thunder and surgical precision. Then doing it again and again and again…until you have to pull over and walk it off.<\/p>\n

That was me on the Duckmaloi Road. Of course I had to stop lest I went mad and never went home. It\u2019s times like that I wish I still smoked.<\/p>\n

Around town, commuting, looking sassy for the girls and admiring yourself in shop windows, the Tuono is snatch-free, smooth and superbly well-behaved. Of course, you can always hear the tenebrous grumble under you, muted though it is at commute-speeds. It\u2019s always there. It never lets you forget you\u2019re riding the thunder\u2026the tuono, as the Italians call it.<\/p>\n

And it has the best power-shifter on the market today. The thunder and the power-shifter play a divine duet, one complimenting the other, up or down\u2026it\u2019s a joy \u2013 both to use and to hear. Shifting up, it makes the most marvellous \u2018bang\u2019 between gears. Like one of them MotoGP bikes. Almost.<\/p>\n

Unlike other power-shifters, you don\u2019t have to throttle off on the Tuono RF to change down. Yeah, I know. Voodoo. I did it over and over again in case it was an aberration. But it wasn\u2019t. On a trailing throttle at 3000-odd rpm, just bang it down a gear. It makes a sexy noise and shifts smoothly down. Voodoo, voodoo, voodoo. All voodoo.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Information station. Like it matters…<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

So what else is better? Well, on earlier models, when I went to use the blinkers I sometimes used to snag the plus-minus buttons that sit inboard of the left grip and control the Traction Control electronics. Those buttons have been moved a touch, so my stupid thumb isn\u2019t finding them by mistake anymore, so that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n

But there are lots of other electronics. All of them in fact. I don\u2019t imagine there are any left at all. Wheelie control, cruise control, launch control, pit-lane control, ABS in a 1000 different guises (including Cornering ABS) and traction control in 10,000 different variants. And the ability to screw with it all via a dedicated Aprilia App \u2013 which works best when you have a few shandies with your mates and you all troop out to the garage to begin adjusting things like engine braking. Such fun.<\/p>\n

\"\"

When even the swingarm means business.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

For all intents and purposes, the Tuono RF is a naked RSVR Superbike.<\/p>\n

Mine came with an Akrapovic can, and it sounded great. When the Highway Patrol guy is giving evidence at your trial, he won\u2019t mention the exhaust being offensive, so that\u2019s a good thing. But I have a mate called Res, who has a slightly older model Tuono. So it\u2019s the underpowered, flibbertigibbet one. Res has put a \u201cmuffler\u201d on his Tuono the size of a can of beer. When he gives it a handful, many of my organs begin to melt. Nothing on this planet opens your eyes wider than a V4 barking hate through a Red Bull-can-sized can. You should try it. The judge may tack a few more years onto your sentence, but it\u2019ll be worth it.<\/p>\n

The dash is gorgeous full-colour TFT, but because I am old, the menus and flipping through them is tedious and overly complex, the headlights work OK at night (but could be brighter LED units), the horn\u2019s rubbish, the sidestand is now fine (it used to be an act of faith), the brakes are spectacular (front rotors are bigger at 330mm) and that tailpiece\u2026yeah, I reckon it gives the MV Agusta F4RC unit a run for its money in terms of looks. Pillions can get a cab. That quilled masterpiece would never come off my Tuono.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Back to looking at Jesus.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

The level of finish (paint, decals, welds, etc) is very high; this is a premium motorcycle, so you would expect that.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not uncomfortable to ride all day. But I wouldn\u2019t be neglecting squats at the gym. The more muscle-meat you put on your thighs, the happier you\u2019ll be in general, and especially after a long day in the Tuono\u2019s saddle.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m nit-picking of course.<\/p>\n

The Tuono RF is astonishing.<\/p>\n

I rode it on the road and I rode it on the track. It amazed me in both scenarios because I lack the skill (and indeed the desire) to push it to the point where my enthusiasm overwhelms its electronics and I become a tumbling plough. The laws of physics can only be mitigated so much by an ECU.<\/p>\n

But until that point is reached, and the voodoo no longer works, you\u2019re going to dance with the devil.<\/p>\n

And what a dance it will be.<\/p>\n

\"\"

What are they flashing me for?<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

THE BIG QUESTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s that stupid one again isn\u2019t it? The one that goes: Is the Tuono RF better than the Super Duke R, mister?<\/p>\n

No, it\u2019s not better. The Italian bike is not better than the Austrian bike.<\/p>\n

But nor is the Austrian bike better than the Italian bike.<\/p>\n

They are as splendid as each other.<\/p>\n

Which one would I buy?<\/p>\n

I would buy the KTM only because I prefer how it looks. Then I would live a life of weeping regret that I did not buy the Aprilia because I love that eye-drying V4 engine and the demonic noise it makes.<\/p>\n

I would live in misery and remorse.<\/p>\n

Of course, I could buy the Tuono RF.<\/p>\n

But then I would forever beat myself up for not buying the KTM. There\u2019s something about it\u2019s hate-robot looks I love.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the deal here. It is a situation that is simply defies solution.<\/p>\n

Like the Arab-Israeli thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Ready to be Tasered.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

HOW MUCH?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The RF will cost you $24,990 plus ORC and the RR can be ridden away for $21,990. Spend the extra money, because you\u2019re worth it. If you don\u2019t, people will think you\u2019re a cheapskate. You don\u2019t want people thinking that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may admire all the specs HERE<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGES BY NICK EDARDS \/ HALF LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHIC The Aprilia Tuono RF is one of those bikes. It occupies that other echelon of motorcycles. It lives on another level, up where the air is rarefied and full of thunder. \u00a0Up where its tyres are always going to be costly sticky hoops of gooey liquorice. Up [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1236232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1236030"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1236030"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1236030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1237533,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1236030\/revisions\/1237533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1236232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1236030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1236030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1236030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}