Blueprint For A Superbike

BLUEPRINT FOR A SUPERBIKE

ROUNDUP

WHAT WILL APRILIA'S forthcoming RS1000 Superbike look like? We can’t say for sure, but this factory engineering drawing certainly gives a good indication. The new bike’s fuel-injected, dohc, 60degree V-Twin engine, built by Rotax in Austria, is currently undergoing further development by Cosworth in England, where it is reportedly producing 160 horsepower at the crankshaft. Meanwhile, at the Aprilia factory in Italy, preproduction units are in the midst of chassis fine-tuning. Expect a twin-spar aluminum frame tied to a fully adjustable inverted fork and single-shock rear suspension. The street version of the bike will debut this fall at the Milan Show, and could come here in 1998, when Aprilia plans to enter the U.S. market. -Matthew Miles