The new Tuono V4 Factory is still an out-and-out hypernaked sport-bike, with upgraded suspension and new electronics. (Photos by Larry Chen Photo)

It was a glorious morning in Pasadena, California, and the huge windows overlooking historic Colorado Boulevard bathed Aprilia?s Advanced Design Center office in natural light. Miguel Galluzzi, whom many credit with saving Ducati when he designed the groundbreaking and immensely popular Monster, sat impassively as the room filled with journalists. Galluzzi is also the designer responsible for Aprilia?s RSV4 and Tuono V4 models, which take full advantage of the extremely compact and powerful 1,077cc V4 engine. 

Galluzzi explained that the Advanced Design Center allows his team to sit at the heart of the North American market, where proximity to a diverse group of riders and their viewpoints can be fed directly into their design process, fresh and unfiltered. The latest CAD technology and 3D printing allow design ideas inspired by feedback, coupled with cutting-edge advances trickling down from Aprilia?s factory racing team, to be prototyped and tested more efficiently than ever.  
The two models – Tuono V4 Factory on left, Tuono V4 on right – are almost identical on paper, but offer different experiences.

The result, we are told, are the most advanced Tuono models yet, a combination of incremental updates designe...