Aprilia: A legendary motorcycle company, with a legendary rider overseen by a fine engineer. Can they win the WSBK title in '09?

After a seven-year hiatus, Aprilia returns to the World Superbike fray in 2009 with a brand-new bike and two big-name riders. On the day that their new V-4 racer made its public debut at Portimao, SuperbikePlanet spent some quality time with Aprilia's chief racing engineer, Gigi Dall'Igna. Points of discussion ranged from the whys and wherefores of the new RSV4, the riders who'll pilot the bike, Aprilia's chances at a WSBK title in 2009, and of course, the infamous Aprilia Cube MotoGP bike, which Gigi Dall'Igna had a huge part in.

Q Can you talk a little bit about the RSV4 project - how it began, and how it progressed? Things have changed quite a bit in Superbike since the last time Aprilia raced here.

A We start with the new project in 2005, to think about a good bike for the street and good bike for the race. So we work together with the production guys. We build a team with about 60% of people come from the production, and 40% of the people for the racing. So we thought the bike, not only for the street or not only for the race, but we work really together to find out a good compromise. And we are quite happy about the bike at the moment. For sure we need to develop it a lot, but I'm convinced that we have a good base to start, and we will see what happen.

Q What technologies is Aprilia bringing to this?

A You know that Aprilia is probably the first bike with the ride-by-wire system in the MotoGP. So here we use the ride-by-wire, and we use more or less the same technology that we used at the beginning of the MotoGP project. We introduce also the trumpet with the variable length. We have the possibilities to change the position of the engine on the chassis. This is one of the things that is important to work together with the production, otherwise is not possible to have this possibilities on the bike. Because you know the chassis must be the same of the production machine.

Q Did you work on the Cube MotoGP project?

A Yeah. I'm not work with the Cube from the beginning, because in 2002, I'm involved in the 250 and 125 Aprilia project. We start with the Cube in 2003, with Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga. Was a difficult year for many things. I think that the project was not correct. The three-cylinder, for me, is not the right engine for this kind of bike. And also, now, with the 800 cc still using four cylinders and not three. So that means that for sure, we makes a wrong start. But anyway, we learn a lot during the 2003, and we use this technology in this new project. And so I am happy to work with the Cube for these reason.

Q But people will ask why Superbike instead of MotoGP ...?

A But you know, Aprilia needs a different bike for the street. Because the V-twin 1000 is not enough, have not enough power to sell the bike. And so, Aprilia ask us to think about this new machine. This is the big challenge. We would like to do step-by-step and not all together, because I think is the best way to go forward. And so I think that the Superbike project is before the MotoGP. We are still working on the MotoGP, but not - is not our first target. We work a little bit also on that, and so we will show what happen in the future. For sure I would like to come back in the MotoGP class.

Q Some may feel, politically, that your World Superbike effort is perhaps an answer to Dorna doing away with 250s.

A No. Probably the new rules of the 250 cancel out, because we want to start with a Superbike project. Maybe if we stay in the MotoGP class, probably we have not this kind of trouble. But anyway.

Q Where is Aprilia on the 250 issue?

A You know, we lost the war, and so for sure we are not interest in the new class from the beginning, because for us, have no sense to work there. So we want - if in the future, we want to have the possibilities to work in this new class with the V-twin. So we are fighting with the MSMA to introduce these possibilities. We will see. Is not "no."

Q Engine technology has changed a great deal since the Cube, in terms of building engine cases and things like that. Has it changed a great deal for you, for Aprilia, as well, in terms of casting and things like that?

A No, really no. You have to think that this is a production engine, so we for sure needs to work - the focus is not only on racing, but is racing and the production bike. So the dimension of the engine, the dimension of all the wheelbase, of the engine, is not really a race engine. But anyway, the technology is more or less the same...

Q And your choice of riders. Two very good coups. Max Biaggi, and your second rider, Shinya Nakano, came as quite a surprise.

A Yeah, I think so. Sometimes is better to wait a little bit to find out a good solution, so we take this decision. We wait what happens in the other categories. And at the end, I think we build a real good team. So we have the experience to develop the bike, we have two really fast riders, and so...

Q Do you still have a test rider as well?

Listen To The Aprilia RSV4 Superbike: Biaggi's Aprilia RSV4 being warmed up at the Portugal test. Biaggi's Aprilia screaming up the front straight at Portugal.

A Yes, for sure. Alex Hofmann did a really good job during this season, and we would like to work with him, because I believe that he's the right person to improve the bike.

Q But the two riders you've chosen are quite different. Max is very aggressive and outspoken, perhaps...

A One of the plus of Aprilia is that every time we work not only for a bike, but we customize the bike for each riders. And so I believe that we can continue with this way, and if the two riders need some different part, we have no problem to produce different part for them.

Q Some of the press are saying already that you could challenge for the championship next year. Your thoughts?

A I really don't believe it. I prefer to take my foot on the ground, work really hard to improve the bike, because at the moment we need to improve the bike. We have not a right bike to win the championship. Perhaps we could have bike to fight for the podium sometimes. Above all at the beginning of the championship. But I need to work a lot to improve the bike. This is my target for the next season.

Q Previously, your racing organization worked with Cosworth and other companies, correct?

A Yes.

Q Is there any involvement now with other companies?

A This is one of the mistake of the Cube, I think. Because the car people is not - have not all the - doesn't know very well what need on the bike to win. Because the engine is one of the most important parts to - for the chassis, for example. When you design the engine, is not possible to design the engine without thinking about the chassis. The engine is I think - in Aprilia, and I think this is good. Really good.

Q Traction control, rider aids, telemetry - for lack of a better word - have really developed since the last time Aprilia was in Superbike. Have you kept pace, or can you talk about that?

A This is another new challenge. Because we design all the bike, management of the bike - so all the electronic devices is project and development in Aprilia. Also the software is built in Aprilia. Also the data recording system is an Aprilia system. So this is another really challenge for us.

Q Right now, it seems like your project is just making it go around the racetrack and seeing where you're at, and the electronics may not be such a big part of it at the moment?

A Oh, no, we work a lot on the electronic, above all in the 250. We use the 250 bikes to develop this kind of system, because the Superbike's, during the last in 2008 was...a kid's. We need to work on the chassis, on the engine, and not on the electronics on the Superbike. So we used the 250 to work, to develop all the control system, and we start to use it on the Superbike in September. So we are working very hard on this part.