The story of the Tuono Racing actually began in late 2001 when Aprilia unveiled a body kit for the Falco at the Bologna Motorcycle Show. This streetfighter-inspired bolt-on kit (which cost about £2000) turned the fairly gentle Falco into something a bit more feisty through the addition of high-level cans, a nose fairing, uprated front brake kit, modified airbox, sporty ECU chip and taller bars. Dubbed the Falco Fighter, it raised a few eyebrows but never really sold in huge numbers in the UK as Falco owners tended to be a bit more restrained in their riding outlook and weren’t keen on transforming the fairly placid Falco into an aggressive streetfighter. However over in Europe the Falco Fighter was much better received and that led to Aprilia developing the first Tuono (which is Italian for thunder) model in 2003. “It’s a bike for throttle fiends, at the limit leans, skids, wheelies and braking – always in safety…” they said in a typical Italian understated fashion when it was unveiled!

Designed by Mariano Fioravanzo, there was a myth circulating that the Tuono was conceived after a test rider crashed an RSV sportsbike and decided to stick flat bars on it, however this isn’t true. After the success of the Falco Fighter, Aprilia wanted to create a proper naked bike with a higher level of exclusivity. “The Falco didn’t make our technicians and designers’ hearts beat, so they decided to make something more aggressive… The concept was for a bike with the performance of a superbike and the comfort of a naked,” explained Fioravanzo at the bike’s unveiling. “The first Tuono prototype was simply an RSV-R with no fairing, high handlebars and a round headlamp connected directly to the forks. It felt like an extremely light handling toy that was a lot of fun to ride - but not the safest for sure as the front was lively! We decided to install the fixed front fairing to improve the bike’s stability, especially considering the 250 km/h plus top speed it was able to reach! The fixed front fairing then became a distinctive part of the Tuono’s design.” Aprilia had effectively created the first super naked and a sub-model which would become a stalwart of their range even today, although the original Tuono wasn’t actually that super.

In 2003 Aprilia sold both the standard RSV and the higher-spec RSV-R sportsbike, with the R model upping the level of the chassis’ components through lightweight wheels and Öhlins suspension, however there was just one spec of Tuono and it was based around the stock RSV model. While this was certainly more than enough for road riders, in Italy there was a high-profile naked bike race series that Ducati were dominating with their water-cooled Monster S4R, which ran a modified version of the iconic 916 superbike engine. Aprilia decided it was time to up their naked bike game and launched the Tuono Racing. Effectively this was the first Tuono Factory model, although the Racing is far more exclusive as officially only 200 were made – although this number is debated.

While the Racing’s chassis and swingarm are the same as the stock bike’s (albeit painted black), the upgraded bike gains the 2003 RSV-R’s motor with its bigger valves and extra performance, as well as its Öhlins suspension, lightweight OZ Racing wheels and Brembo radial calipers. And that’s not all, the Racing’s bodywork is made from carbon fibre, crash bungs are fitted as standard and alongside the bike owners received a box of performance-enhancing goodies.

Should they wish to take their Racing, err, racing Aprilia supplied each bike with a complete set of carbon race bodywork comprising of a front fairing, minus any holes for lights, a long bellypan that was also an oil catch tank, mesh to cover over the holes left when the rear lights were removed and even a gear linkage to reverse the pattern to a one-up, five-down ‘race shift.’ Most owners left this kit in the box (and there is still debate about what was exactly in the box) but the titanium Akrapovic silencer and uprated ECU chip that was also included was nearly always unboxed and fitted at the first opportunity – making the bike’s exhaust note live up to its thunder name!

Oddly enough, when you consider just how exclusive the Tuono Racing was, it didn’t sell that well in the UK. A price tag of £11,425 compared to the standard Tuono’s £7500 was certainly a stumbling block but the reality was that in 2003 the UK’s riders were obsessed by the new breed of litre sportsbikes, not super nakeds. Although it was offered for sale in 2003 and 2004, only around 20 Racings were sold in the UK, which seems a remarkably small number – and is why they now change hands for anywhere between £8000 and £13,000, with the price tag very much dependent on if that box of goodies remains intact. Although no owner will ever fit them, every fan of the Racing wants to own the race body kit and various other track-targeted parts.

Specs:

Engine: 997.6cc, liquid-cooled, 8v, DOHC, V-twin

Power: 126bhp @ 9500rpm

Torque: 101Nm @ 7250rpm

Seat height: 820mm

Weight: 181kg (dry)