Technology
The dynamic control suite derived directly from the winning technology used in the world Superbike series,
the most complete and refined of those currently available on the market. This dynamic control suite is still
the only of its kind to offer auto-calibration and wheelie control and includes: aTC (Aprilia Traction Control), aWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control), aLC (Aprilia Launch Control) and aQS (Aprilia Quick Shift).
The exclusive traction control system developed by Aprilia to get maximum grip out of any type of surface and
to give the rider greater confidence while at the same time improving safety.
Two speed sensors allow the control unit to determine bike speed at any given time and use a sophisticated CAN-bus
communication system to interact with the engine ECU. If the rear wheel is found to be rotating faster than the
front wheel, the control unit determines the slippage of the rear wheel and interacts with the ignition advance
and injection timing systems to limit the amount of torque produced by the engine thereby preventing loss of grip.
The 8 different settings (3 on the version not combined with the aPRC package) can be selected for different types of road surface and riding style.
They allow the rider to extract the utmost performance from the bike whether on the track
or provide enhanced safety on the road.
Exploiting the full power of modern superbikes down to the very last unit of horsepower is every rider’s dream.
Aprilia’s aWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control) has achieved extraordinary results. Thanks to the exclusive Aprilia
patented Wheelie Detection System, the aWC is able to “tell” when a wheelie begins and ends and kicks in to soften
wheel contact with the road. Smooth, soft wheelie management avoids harsh power cuts or pick-up, providing perfect
acceleration control. The aWC system is activated from the instrument panel and can be adjusted independently
from other control systems choosing from three settings to better meet rider requirements.
For ultra-fast electronic gear shifting without closing the throttle or using the clutch.
When you’re after the fastest possible lap performance, you can’t afford to waste even one
thousandth of a second in an apparently simple operation like shifting gears. The RSV4
APRC features an electronic gear shifting system known as Aprilia Quick Shift which delays
spark advance for an instant and then gradually restores it, making for super-fast shifting
with no need to close the throttle or use the clutch. The system works hand in hand with the
new closer ratio gearbox to limit any drop in rpm during shifting for faster lap times.
To optimise AQS performance, Aprilia engineers have fine-tuned the “cut” in power based on the revs at which a gear change occurs.
Launch system for track use only with three settings. The perfect start is yet another racer’s
dream, because a good start frequently means you’re half way towards a victory. When the lights
go out however, handling the huge power of modern superbikes is no easy task. Unless the bike
can look after itself to provide the best possible start. The aLC (Aprilia Launch Control)
system ensures an instant start as the lights go out, applying full power to the road to
assist the rider in this critical moment of the race. All the rider needs to do is open the throttle
wide and release the clutch as he normally would then shift up through the gears. The aLC system has
three settings that can be selected from the instrument panel menu, then it must be “armed” at
standstill, by squeezing both traction control buttons on the left handlebar joystick at the same time.
A highly sophisticated electronic throttle that at one time was the preserve of competition bikes.
Now serves to help the rider get the utmost performance from the bike. The RbW system communicates
with the engine ECU to get the best from the entire power band to provide instant smooth acceleration
from low and medium revs right up to top speed. An efficient engine also offers the great advantage
of lower fuel consumption.
The brand new electronically controlled suspension system developed by Aprilia and protected by four patents, the benchmark in motorcycling on a global level where
technology, efficiency and reliability
are concerned. After aPRC, the highly sophisticated “package” of electronics systems which equips the RSV4 and Tuono V4, once again Aprilia demonstrates that they are
pioneers in the field of electronics applied to bikes
with the introduction of a suspension system which uses automotive components to guarantee maximum reliability: a glance to the future, thanks to its vast possibilities of development and diversified applications.
aDD has two primary objectives: one is to optimise rider comfort and the other is to further improve general rideability and safety.
The system measures the energy transmitted by bumps on the road surface to the bike and adjusts the hydraulic fork calibration and shock
absorber in real time to minimise accelerations on the frame and consequently maximise comfort. To achieve maximum performance at any
fork and shock absorber operating frequency, aDD uses a patented “MIX” “comfort oriented” algorithm which combines the principles of the
well known skyhook and acceleration driven damping algorithms.
aDD has two primary objectives: one is to optimise rider comfort and, in addition to comfort, rideability is also optimised and safety is increased thanks to further software strategies which
are tied directly to the rider’s actions. The system recognises different riding phases
(acceleration, throttle release, braking, constant throttle) and adjusts the baseline fork and shock
absorber settings thanks to yet another patent which allows specific hydraulic calibration curves to
be defined within the adjustment range. The great precision of the system is left to a range of
sensors which are derived from the automotive world and which allow the forks and shock absorber
travel speed to be very accurately measured. In this field, Aprilia has patented a unique solution
for measuring the travel speed of the forks using a pressure sensor.
The aDD package also includes a built in piggy back shock absorber which is electrically adjustable in spring preload
to 4 predefined settings, indicated by specific icons on the digital instrument panel: rider only, rider with passenger,
rider only with panniers and rider and passenger with panniers.
This exclusive Aprilia system is patented as is the automatic preload control mode for the rear spring. Once this option has been selected,
the system can detect the bike’s load by itself (weight of fuel, rider, passenger, luggage, etc.) and automatically adjust preload to the
optimum value to balance the bike properly. This allows the rider to concentrate on riding and makes Aprilia the first motorcycle manufacturer
in the world to have introduced active suspension.
