Aprilia’s 2027 RSV4 Obscure Spe.Ed. is a limited production version of the RSV4 that puts its changes into weight, suspension, and aerodynamics, while keeping the engine, brakes, and rider aids of the RSV4 Factory. Compared with the Factory, it gets carbon fiber leg wings derived from Aprilia’s RS-GP MotoGP bike, BST carbon fiber wheels, mechanically adjustable Öhlins suspension in place of semi-active units, and more carbon fiber bodywork. Spe.Ed. is Aprilia’s abbreviation for Special Edition, and it creates a stylized version of the word “speed.” The Obscure is coming to the US; pricing and delivery timing have not been announced.

1. Leg wings make their production-superbike debut on the Obscure, according to Aprilia. The carbon fiber appendages come from Aprilia Racing’s RS-GP, and Aprilia claims they increase downforce on the rear axle by 20% for more rear tire grip. They work with the double-wing fairing introduced on the RSV4 Factory, whose overlapping wings beneath the fairing and side panels are designed to reduce drag and route hot air from the engine away from the rider.

2. BST carbon fiber wheels replace the RSV4 Factory’s forged aluminum rims. The pair weighs more than 4.4 pounds less than the Factory’s wheels. Rim sizes are unchanged at 3.50 x 17 inches front and 6.00 x 17 rear, mounting 120/70 and 200/55 Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4 tires; Aprilia lists 190/50 and 190/55 rear sizes as alternatives. The Brembo Hypure calipers, 330mm front discs, and Bosch cornering ABS carry over from the Factory. Carbon fiber front brake cooling ducts are also standard.

3. Mechanically adjustable Öhlins suspension takes the place of the Factory’s semi-active Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 system. Aprilia chose manual units as better suited to the setup changes riders make at the track. Up front is an inverted 43mm NIX fork with titanium nitride-coated tubes, and out back is a TTX piggyback-reservoir shock. Both are fully adjustable, and travel is unchanged at 4.9 inches front and 4.5 inches rear.

4. The Obscure’s 443-pound curb weight is about 7 pounds less than the RSV4 Factory’s. Along with the wheels, the savings come from carbon fiber fenders, side panels, and heel guards. The adjustable chassis carries over. This includes steering-head position and angle, engine height, and swingarm pivot height, along with the ZF Sachs steering damper.

5. Aprilia Racing Technology’s optional full exhaust system drops the curb weight to 432 pounds. The accessory system, finished with a carbon fiber SC-Project muffler, raises peak output to 220 horsepower at 13,000 rpm and 97 lb-ft of torque at 10,800 rpm. Aprilia has not announced its price.

6. The 1099cc, 65-degree V4 is the same engine used in the RSV4 and RSV4 Factory. Output is unchanged at 217 horsepower at 13,000 rpm and 94 lb-ft of torque at 10,800 rpm, which Aprilia says makes the RSV4 the most powerful type-approved production superbike in the world. The 6-speed transmission with quickshifter and slipper clutch carries over.
   

7. The Track Pack and Race Pack are standard, as on the RSV4 Factory. The Track Pack adds launch control, a pit speed limiter, and adjustable slide control with predictive logic. The Race Pack’s corner-by-corner control automatically adjusts traction control, wheelie control, and engine braking through each corner, using settings the rider chooses before going out. On the Factory, corner-by-corner control also adjusts the semi-active suspension, a job the Obscure’s mechanical Öhlins units leave to the rider. GPS lap timing and the fourth-generation MIA smartphone platform, which downloads ride data for analysis, are also standard. There are six riding modes, three for the road and three for the track.

8. Unlike Aprilia’s track-only X-series bikes, the Obscure is street legal. It is also delivered with a passenger seat and pegs. The passenger pegs and hangers must come off to fit the leg wings, because the two can’t be mounted at the same time; the leg wing kit includes a muffler support bracket.

9. Black is the only color. Gloss and matte black paint alternate with exposed carbon fiber, and the frame and swingarm are matte black. Each of the 500 examples has the model name and its serial number laser-engraved on the steering head.

10. The Obscure is an RSV4 Factory for riders who want more track performance while retaining street legality. Aprilia left the engine, brakes, and rider aids alone, and everything it changed, from the Öhlins units to the carbon wheels and leg wings, is aimed at lap times. The RSV4 Factory lists at $26,749; the Obscure’s US price is still to come. Obscure means dark as well as hard to find, and with an all-black finish and 500 numbered examples for the world, the Obscure covers both definitions. We know what Spe.Ed. means.

2027 Aprilia RSV4 Obscure Spe.Ed. Specifications

ENGINE

• Type: 65-degree V4
• Displacement: 1099cc
• Bore x stroke: 81.0 x 53.3mm
• Maximum power: 217 hp @ 13,000 rpm
• Maximum torque: 94 lb-ft @ 10,800 rpm
• Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 valves per cylinder
• Compression ratio: 13.3:1
• Fueling: Fuel injection w/ four 52mm Marelli throttle bodies, eight injectors, and ride-by-wire
• Transmission: 6-speed w/ quickshifter
• Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ slipper function
• Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS

• Frame: Aluminum twin-spar w/ adjustable steering-head position and angle, engine height, and swingarm pivot height; double-braced aluminum swingarm
• Steering damper: ZF Sachs
• Front suspension; travel: Fully adjustable inverted Öhlins 43mm NIX fork; 4.9 inches
• Rear suspension; travel: Fully adjustable Öhlins TTX piggyback-reservoir shock; 4.5 inches
• Wheels: BST carbon fiber
• Front wheel: 3.50 x 17
• Rear wheel: 6.00 x 17
• Tires: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4
• Front tire: 120/70-17
• Rear tire: 200/55-17
• Front brakes: 330mm discs w/ radially mounted Brembo Hypure monobloc 4-piston calipers
• Rear brake: 220mm disc w/ Brembo 2-piston caliper
• ABS: Bosch cornering ABS w/ rear-wheel lift mitigation

DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES

• Wheelbase: 56.5 inches
• Rake: 24.9 degrees
• Trail: 4.1 inches
• Seat height: 33.1 inches
• Fuel capacity: 4.8 gallons
• Curb weight: 443 pounds
• Color: Gloss black and matte black w/ carbon fiber

2027 Aprilia RSV4 Obscure Spe.Ed. Price: $TBA MSRP