2003 Aprilia Tuono Sport Touring on 2040-motos

Aprilia TUONO description

2003 Aprilia Tuono, Call Todd 8886346232 / Trades Welcome.PASADENA AREAPASADENA AREA. the decade of the oughts, motorcycling saw some pretty stellar performers. In 2000, Suzuki radically updated the GSX-R750 and the next year unleashed the GSX-R1000, a bike that finally delivered on the promise of literbike-plus performance in a midsize package. In this decade, we got the uncommonly styled Ducati 999 as well as the Bologna firm s apology in the form of the 1098/1198. But few bikes surprised us like the Tuono. In fact, putting Aprilia's naked bike on the January 2003 cover almost didn t happen. The original test bike, a Euro-spec example brought over by Aprilia USA to help judge its viability on our shores was already fitted with a factory-accessory exhaust. It was dropped off for a very short-term visit with an exhortation from the press guy to put fewer than 500 miles on the beast. It was the only one in the country and all the magazines would have to play nice and share. (As if.) Our original plan was to run a First Ride in the front of the magazine and wait to see if Aprilia would actually bring the naked-ified Mille R to our land. For us, it was a conservative, rational approach. Aprilia brought just 50 of the Tuono Rs to the U.S. in 2003 but many more of the standard Tuonos with Showa/Sachs suspension in place of the R s hlins kit for $11,999. It would be overstating the case to say the Tuono put Aprilia on the map, but it opened the door to customers who thought the Mille was too committed, the Falco not quite sporty enough, and the Futura, well, just funny looking. We re still waiting for another manufacturer to do what Aprilia did take its top-line supersport and make it naked without cutting power or dumbing down the chassis. (Ducati's Streetfighter and Aprilia's new Tuono V4R are technically detuned.) It was a shock in 2003, and likely will be again the next time a company other than Aprilia attempts it.