The Tuono V4 R takes the streetfighter class to a higher level.
Longtime MO readers are aware of our affection for naked sportbikes. Sportier than most motorcycles but not nearly as committed as a race replica, nakeds present a balance of sport, comfort and versatility that provides a platform for any riding on paved roads. Most interesting are the liter-size streetfighters such as Ducati’s long-serving Monsters, Triumph’s iconic Speed Triple and Kawasaki’s recent Z1000. Any one of them has a grunty, wheelie-launching powerband, but all have less than 130 rear-wheel horsepower.
One of our favorite sporting nakeds has been Aprilia’s Tuono that debuted a decade ago, a nicely balanced conversion from the V-Twin RSV1000 racing platform that gave it upright ergonomics and similar engine performance, but it topped out at less than 115 hp. Now comes an all-new Tuono (“thunder” in Italian) that will blow away the powerplant in any previous naked sportbike.
