Reader Review: 2006 Aprilia Tuono RSV1000R | Reader review

Name: Steve Skinner From: Derbyshire Riding for: 30 years

Price paid for the bike: £6000 in 2008 from a 60 teal-old private seller

What type of riding do you do:  Fastish road, with the odd track day (intermediate level) and tootles with the Mrs to the coast.

Tell us about the engine: It’s a stomper. I added a pair of Akrapovic titanium cans, had a re-map and a K&N air filter to improve the performance. It rorts and snorts like a good un. Dyno chart read 140bhp.

What’s the chassis like? The bike handles really well, with plenty of feedback from the front. A mate gave the suspension a tweak, so it suited my 14 stone weight. A single notch on the rear preload was all that was needed to make the rear suitable enough for 2-up riding.

What’s it like to ride? This bike has been the best fun machine that I’ve owned. My spine couldn’t take the pounding of a head down, arse up riding position anymore, so the Tuono was a perfect compromise. 
The build quality is as good as you need, and thanks to me being a good boy when it comes to keeping it clean and shiny, it always managed to get plenty of attention by onlookers.
The only time the Tuono let me down was when a pipe in the fuel tank split and left me stranded a mile or so away from home. Still, the exercise did me good.

Give us three good points: The stomping power: Wind on the loud handle and it’s like being hit in the back with a truck. Pretty styling, yet aggressive looks: A bit like a super model with a black belt in karate. Pretty comfortable for a hooligan bike: You can tour on the Tuono without pain, but then tape the lights up and happily scrape your knees around Donington.

And three bad ones: The fuel range, or lack of one: 90-100 miles going easy 2-up or <70 when on the gas. Aprilia dealers/spares are a bit scarce nearby. Misting clocks: A couple of carefully drilled 0.5mm holes sorted it.

More info: www.aprilia.com

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