In a spare few moments of boredom, I did up a mini-review of the bike for CMG:
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Alright, so I have a coffee and a spare 10 minutes. I doubt anything I have to say about the Tuono hasn't already been well reported, but I like to blurt my thoughts out on the Internet, if I'm honest.
I've had three occassions to have the (2007 Standard) Tuono out for a rip, comprising a bit over 150km of riding. Not much riding for a decent report, you say... but I've scrubbed the rear tire out to both edges and have had an opportunity to test the bike (in a totally safe, legal way of course!) against another in terms of performance.
First up, comfort. A trip back and forth to Napanee for coffee proved completely reasonable in terms of comfort. I'll have to get used to this sitting-up thing, since you are seated more upright than on, say, a Sprint ST. Wind blast is higher than I'm used to but completely reasonable, especially well tested in this case since the air was an dense ambient 12C for the warmer of my rides. I did, after all, purchase this bike specifically because it is "naked," so if I had a complaint it would be only that the front screen/mini-fairing actually does a good job of deflecting the worst of the wind. I have a 32" inseam, and I comfortably put both feet on the ground with boots on - but only just.
Second, attitude. This bike has ridiculous amounts of attitude. It strains at its leash like a pack of starving dogs, and isn't happy if you're at or under 4,000 rpm. Coupling superbike handlebars with a supersports chassis weighing around 440lbs wet makes the bike practically disappear underneath you. There's very little sensation of weight, and the motor's character dominates your senses. Its looks are butch with a sense of Italian style from the rear and American tough from the front. From the side it looks busy. Me? I love it. Your milage may vary. I can't confess that the Tuono makes me want to let loose more than other superbikes I've owned (or my 750), but the imperative is shouted, to be sure. I love the banana-swingarm.
Third, attention to detail. I've heard that older Tuonos have some niggling issues, particularly with build quality. I can see no evidence of that on this bike, although the welds are Suzuki-sloppy. Given that this frame was originally meant to have a fairing on it, I'm not sure I can fault them for that. The paint is the best of any bike I've owned (and the brightest), the parts are top-shelf for production bikes (Brembo, Showa, OZ). The closed-loop system means you can put any slip-on you want on the bike and it should re-map appropriately, although the upsold OEM full system wants an open loop map set by the dealer. Aprilia included a 15 tooth front sprocket with the bike for street riding (stock gear is better suited to the track... you have to appreciate a company with chutzpa). There's a solo cowl. The clutch is hydraulic.
Fourth, performance. First off, this is an Italian bike that starts immediately. They don't all. The power from this bike is interesting, as it isn't all just one big flat playground as many twins are... no, this mill doesn't particularly like being lugged and it gives you a big shove around 9,000 rpm. The motor likes to be kept in a gear at 5,000 or higher for quick acceleration and is geared stock high enough that for the first time on a litre bike, I found myself in fourth or fifth gear when following slower traffic. All of which somehow conspires to make this a dramatically more involved ride than, say, my GSX-R 750 or the Sprint was. It's even more dramatic than my '03 GSX-R 1000 was, which was pretty damned involving.
One of the best features of the motor: it has unbelievable amounts of tractability. I've read that the 60 degree V makes the motor more tractable and experience bears this out. I got on it very hard on a tight left hand corner at uhm... triple the "appropriate" speed, and it powered out cleanly with no drama whatsoever.
Fifth, wheelies. If this is your thing, pick a cheaper bike to beat on. But (again in a safe, controlled, legal environment, of course!) I was able to pick up the front easily in 2nd gear on partial throttle, no clutch. If you want to, or you need to because old dirtbike habits die hard, then this bike makes picking up the front wheel a no-brainer. Again, I don't recommend this pedigree of bike for that sort of thing, but you know someone was going to ask me.
Sixth, handling. Well, this is really the thing that the Tuono is most known for. While the motor dominates the riding experience, it's the chassis of this bike that really impresses for me. I easily and naturally put this bike on its ear on my first ride and scrubbed the rear tire to the edges before I had made it to my first poseur coffee stop. I daresay that this bike will turn even the most meek amongst us into a hooligan, given time. I've ridden a Honda Hornet a few times and it had absolutely nothing on this bike in raw enjoyment. The quality of the suspension, the aggressiveness of the seating position, the thin midsection of the bike and the tremendous braking power give you the kind of confidence usually relegated to the supersports. I strongly suspect that over the next two years or so we'll see even more improvement in the naked bike field - because Aprilia really got this idea right, and it's a market segment worth chasing.
Random thoughts....I bought this bike because I found having two faired sporting bikes to be a bit ... over-indulgent. The Sprint was supposed to be the calming influence in my life, targeted at doing some weekend trips and some extended riding... but it was too fast and powerful to be that, too aggressive for long trips (honestly my GSX-R 750 was no less capable of them), and my personal schedule too cluttered to make the best of it. The Sprint was also giving me some niggling issues like... oh... the brake lever travel increasing until it hit the bar - twice a season - only moderately fixed with a full brake flush. I'd be happy to list my issues but bear in mind that they fixed almost all of them with subsequent model years... seems I'm not the only one with them.
So, I decided that I wanted a naked bike with character and something good enough that I might be able to abandon my supersports riding except for track days. I may have found it... jury is not entirely decided on that yet, but I suspect that I will spend most or all of my time wanting to ride the Tuono. This is coming from a lifetime Suzuki rider who owns a licensed and insured GSX-R 750 a foot away from the Aprilia. My fear is that I'll want a Tuono to track, too... it's certainly capable of it.
Anyway, that's my story and my early review. First impressions are often the most lasting. I plan to put the Akrapovich slip-ons on it and that's about all. I'll leave the stock license plate hangar on it just to annoy the rest of you.
If you read this far, thanks for that and hope I made it worth your while.
