Aprilia SXV 450, the supermotard with a V2 that turned at 13,000 laps

In 2003, now 20 years ago, the Noale brand surprised the world with the launch of the V2 engine that would power its revolutionary supermotard, the Aprilia SXV 450.

The surprising supermotard from the house of Noale was based on the 45.V2 twin-cylinder engine presented at the Milan show in 2003. When we saw it, it seemed like a little gem, a sensation emphasized by its metallic crimson cylinder heads and its clean lines, without pipes. no cables.

This engine was an innovative 77º V-twin – a curious angle – liquid-cooled, SOHC, 8V, powered by electronic injection, lubricated by a dry sump and with a really small weight and size.

The engine cases were made of aluminium-silicon, the engine covers were made of magnesium, the valves were made of titanium and the gears were made of hardened steel. The red line was at 13,000 laps…

Aprilia, when its reins were commanded by Ivano Beggio, surprised everyone with this Aprilia SXV 450, because it was the first twin-cylinder supermotard as light as a single-cylinder -it weighed 117 kg-, but much more powerful, close to 60 CV.

The first units that were launched were exclusively for competition, achieving the drivers’ title in the Supermotard World Championship in the S2 category in 2004, with the Frenchman Jerome Giraudo, skipping “the rules” since the rest of the bikes were single-cylinder .

The Aprilia SXV 450 was the supermotard version; the enduro was called RXV

Also in 2004 Aprilia participated with this mount in the MX World Championship, and did so with our Javi García Vico, but with a disastrous result…

Finally, in 2006 the registered versions began to be sold. They were marketed in a 100% asphalt supermotard version, the SXV 450/550, and in an enduro version, the RXV 450/550, with a 21” front wheel, longer-travel suspensions and knobby tires.

Curiously, they were launched at the same time in two displacements, 450 and 550 cc, and with the same price, which was 9,999 euros for the SXV and 9,649 euros for the enduro.

Both versions shared an engine and a cycle part dominated by a mixed frame, a steel tubular with straight tubes in the area of ​​the pipe, combined with a cast aluminum rear section, where the swingarm was anchored.

Between the tubes of the chassis was located the V2 propeller, the fuel tank and the oil tank, which was made of aluminium.

The fork was an inverted one, the rear monoshock with linkage -with the longest travel in enduro-, and it worked on a beautiful split double-arm aluminum swingarm.

The wheels were spoked, 17″ Takasago Excel -and 21″ in enduro-, with a generous throat, shod with Dunlop Sportmax asphalt tires, and in the brake section it mounted a front lobed disc -Braking 320 mm in the SXV and 270 mm on the RXV-, bitten by a Beringer caliper with radial mounting and 4 pistons, and a rear Braking, also lobed, with a Beringer caliper with one piston.

The V2 engine that powered the Aprilia SXV 450 was very powerful and light, but suffered from fragility

The plastic was reduced to the minimum expression, enhancing its lightness, with fenders, side covers, headlight mask, radiator fins and fork protectors. And the instrumentation was a simple and small LCD screen.

There is another detail that was precious, the double exhaust silencer, located under the rear fender with outlets on each side; the main muffler was located between the tubes of the subframe, and was in front of the rear wheel. And the LED tail light was taken from an RSV.

In 2008 they launched a limited series, the SXV 450/550 VDB -by its official driver Van Den Bosch-, prepared for competition and not registered, lighter, with two power maps, with a quickshifter!, with a chassis with adjustable geometry , 16.5″ front wheel, new brakes, carbon fuel tank, Arrow exhaust and slipper clutch.

The SXVs were beasts, powerful, light and very fast, but they had a severe Achilles heel: the engine was very delicate and prone to crankshaft and reciprocating gear breaks.

And it is that it was created as a registration competition engine, with mandatory revisions every certain number of hours of operation, as is done in the world of racing.

As a result, its sales were not as they should have been, despite being a real plane, fast, very manageable and devilishly fun.

In Aprilia they manufactured it as if it were a competition motorcycle, but it can be registered

In 2009 they launched a new revised RXV 450/550, with the engine strengthened in its internals, single conventional exhaust with a separate body bag and with a box section double-arm swingarm, more conventional components.

Both models, surprisingly, were on sale until 2012, with new decoration and slight cosmetic changes.

And one last curiosity: Aprilia took its RXV to the 2010 Dakar with the Chilean driver Chaleco López, achieving a final third place, with three stage victories… It wasn’t going badly.

We would like to imagine a current naked or sports car -like the RS 660- equipped with this wonderful V2 engine, yes, suitably reinforced… It would be a real treat!

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