Following the buyout of the Aprilia brand by the Piaggio group last year, there has been much speculation about the future of the company's model lineup. Many have wondered what Aprilia will do with the 450cc V-twin motor which they have been developing since last year in prototype supermoto and MX racers.
In an interview with British weekly MCN, new Aprilia boss Leo Mercanti (sent in by Piaggio to run their new brand) says that Aprilia will use the 450cc V-Twin in a sportbike which will replace the current RS250 two-stroke model.
The 450cc V-Twin is claimed to be nearly as light and compact as a 450cc single, and in race trim is reputed to produce nearly 70 horsepower. In a street-legal sportbike, it could produce 60 horsepower in a package that weighs around 300 pounds. Sounds like fun, right?
The real question is, will Aprilia bring it to the U.S.? In the MCN interview, Mercanti cites Europe's strong market for medium-capacity bikes as the main reason for producing the bike (which would likely be called the RS450). It remains to be seen whether Aprilia will perceive a high enough demand for this type of model in the U.S. to justify the cost of bringing it over here. If not, we may have to enlist the help of some of our European readers - anyone have any experience with grey-market importing?
