Aprilia SXV 5.5 Van Den Bosch Replica

Imagine Heidi Klum. Or some other beauty on two legs, Pamela Anderson, too, if you swear by old silicone. We all dream of these beautiful girls, and we say very loudly in the company of men: "Oh, how can I jo." But if we were offered the opportunity to go on a date, our pants would tremble. And so I, too, felt some trepidation before testing a replica of last year's world championship-winning race car at the wheel of Van Den Bosch. The two-wheeler is a variant of the Aprilie SXV 550, of course much lighter and even more powerful.

In full combat gear, I ride it, feel it and ride it on Raceland asphalt, and I am repeating in my mind two tips from Marco Szkarija, who is currently second in the national championship on this bike: watch the front brakes and power. unit at high speeds. So I start slowly, even though the smooth Dunlop tires and the twin-cylinder are already at operating temperature. The ergonomics of the bike are excellent: the handlebars are high enough, the pedals and gearbox are in the right place, and the Aprilia is as narrow as a bicycle between the legs. And it's so easy to drive.

Due to the short wheelbase and racing tires, it gets into the corner by itself, which creates uncertainty until the head gets used to it and the pace starts to pick up. About ten minutes later, I drive into the pits to free my tired hands, which for a moment have too much grip on the steering wheel. "Why don't you spin it? Come on, don't shift so hard and let the engine run through the corners,” Marco says with a smile. The two-cylinder engine rotates more than 13 times per minute and then transfers the torque to the rear wheel, which not everyone can do.

The finish on the track in Krško (for us) is rather long, but with such a racing car it passes instantly. The bike climbs sharply to the rear wheel in second gear, and when I shift into third, despite tilting the body forward, the front tire still loses contact with the ground at full throttle. The car continues to scream and roar as if it has no speed limiter at all. It's good that it has great brakes. One finger, even a weak little finger, would be enough to drive on the road, and on the racetrack, the usual squeezing of the thumb and middle finger means a stop, even stronger than acceleration.

Crazy racing car, real Italian. Would you accept it? Yes, $27.499 is a lot of money. But mechanics, a bunch of seasonal tires and a van are not yet included in the price. But everything a rider needs. And if someone can afford it, then so can we.

Replica Aprilia SXV 5.5 VDB

Race price: 27.499 EUR

engine: 77 °, two-cylinder, four-stroke, 553 cm3, electronic fuel injection

Maximum power: Increased to 54 kW (74 km)

Maximum torque: n.p.

Energy transfer: 5-speed gearbox, chain

Frame: Steel pipe and aluminum perimeter

brakes: Front brake disc 320 mm, Brembo jaws with four rods, rear disc 240 mm

Suspension: USD Marzocchi Factory front adjustable fork, rear adjustable single shock

Wheelbase: 1415 mm

Seat height from ground: 900 mm

Weight: 115 kg

Representative: Avto Triglav doo, Dunajska 122 Ljubljana, www.aprilia.si

Matevž Gribar, photo by Alyos Pavletić

• Basic data

  Base model price: € 27.499 XNUMX €

• Technical information

  engine: 77 °, two-cylinder, four-stroke, 553 cm3, electronic fuel injection

  Torque: n.p.

  Energy transfer: 5-speed gearbox, chain

  Frame: Steel pipe and aluminum perimeter

  brakes: Front brake disc 320 mm, Brembo jaws with four rods, rear disc 240 mm

  Suspension: USD Marzocchi Factory front adjustable fork, rear adjustable single shock

  Wheelbase: 1415 mm

  Weight: 115 kg

Aprilia SXV550_VDB_Replica-Krsko