Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4 (2018)

My neighbors hate it. That’s because of the cold start. The exhaust valve opens and the thing roars like hell. Hello, Mr. Noisy! Everybody awake?

No city dweller would ever have designed such nonsense. Here at home in Nuremberg, I don’t want to stand out—I want to roll out into the Franconian countryside and warm the engine gently. That’s where the fun begins. Out in the boonies, the Tuono is in its true element.

It’s a first-rate corner carver. Supple suspension, excellent brakes, crystal-clear turn-in, and rock-solid stability. That’s how I’d have summed it up back when I was a motorcycle tester. But those are just words. You have to experience what the Tuono does on back roads from the saddle. Whether it’s smooth, well-paved twisties or bumpy, 2.5-meter-wide farm lanes—the Tuono dances.

Especially on Bridgestone S21s. Compared with Pirelli Rosso III or IV, they’re cheaper, grippy, stable under braking, nimble, and durable. Rear-tire grip isn’t better than the Pirelli, but the front tire is the difference for me: precise and dead-on like a laser. That suits me—and it suits the Tuono. If my tire choice costs a bit of ride comfort, so be it.

Back to the corner dance: the Tuono floats through open country so effortlessly that you, the rider, have to stay wide awake. Sure, you can just cruise along politely, but that’s not its thing. The proud Italian makes that very clear: Hey, what’s going on? The throttle is on the right—forza!

If you do what it wants, it flatters you: bellissimo! Now faster—più veloce. Feel how sweetly I follow you? So you follow her lead and twist the grip even more. Keep the revs above 6,000 rpm and those 120 Nm shove hard. If the front wheel lifts, the electronic wheelie control sets it down gently.

That signature V4 sound can be annoying in the city. Out in the open, it’s a heavenly orchestra. It’s addictive! Sorry, EV fans—this is divine music. Forget inline-fours from Japan or boxer twins from Bavaria. Only Ducati’s V4… well, it’s Italy too. They just know how to cook up something delicious.

Realistically, you’re already going way too fast for the dreamy little back roads of my Franconian home. But the Tuono keeps sweet-talking you. Okay—more speed. I’m starting to feel comfortable now… and you?

It could do a lot more. And that’s exactly the Tuono’s catch: you have to know yourself as a rider and keep yourself on a tight leash. If you don’t, it’ll run away with you. Serious danger. From minute one, every Tuono rider learns you have to ride with the “mental handbrake” on. It’s a weapon in velvet gloves—only suitable for experienced riders.

Italy and reliable? At its journalist launch in 2009, the V4 engines reportedly blew up one after another. That event still casts a shadow today. But my Tuono, bought in October 2018, runs like clockwork. There was a Brembo recall: ride to the dealer (Vierzigmann/Dietzhof), and 15 minutes later two new sets of brake pads were installed—free. Which was perfect, because the old ones were pretty worn anyway.

Aprilia’s USB port got a bit crispy after one summer. Cause: a wire had chafed through. €50 including labor. The big 20,000-km service—with valve adjustment, new fork oil, plus TÜV inspection—cost €1,600. V4 engines are complex; your wallet feels it.

At 30,000 km a few things started to annoy me—up to then it had been great. A small coolant loss at the water pump meant: new pump, plus new thermostat and hoses. Second issue was the rear linkage. “Typical weak point,” said the mechanic. He unloaded the rear wheel using the side stand and had me feel it myself. Yep—every needle bearing had to be replaced.

That the stock front sprocket behind the cover was heavily worn despite a chain oiler barely matters. Power costs. We replaced the entire 525 chain-and-sprocket set. Hopefully we’ll have peace until 60,000 km—so the Tuono can dance the tarantella again.

Günter Wimme

First and foremost: vroom, vroom. He loves motorcycles and scooters—and has spent his entire professional life around them: as a test editor at MO, editor-in-chief of SCOOTER & Sport, and a racetrack instructor.

When it comes to travel, he raves about his Honda Forza 300 (nearly 90,000 km on the clock). For enduro wandering, he prefers lightweight machines like the Beta Alp 200 or Honda CRF 300 L. For those wild five minutes, he turns to his Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4.

Dream bikes: Honda RC30, Scout Flying Squirrel.

Motto: It’s the rider, not the bike.