Is KTM working on a V4 road bike?
Why has Austrian firm been testing an Aprilia Tuono V4?
KTM test riders have been spotted on a heavily camouflaged Aprilia Tuono V4R, sparking speculation the firm is developing its own V4 road bike.
Road tests of the 999cc V-four have been carried out over several weeks near a KTM facility in Spain, using a bike covered in black and white camouflage tape. A slightly bigger screen has been added but that may be part of the thorough disguise attempt. Otherwise there is nothing to suggest it’s not a standard Aprilia Tuono V4R.
The intention is really anyone’s guess – manufacturers frequently test each others' bikes. But it’s been suggested the tests could be the early stages of a KTM V4 road bike project.
The firm is developing a V4 MotoGP bike called the RC16 to race in 2017, as well as a track-only limited-production derivative. A road bike using some of the same technology may recover part of the cost of the RC16 project.
It's also speculated the firm may want to use a V4 engine in a new high-performance road-biased adventure bike, to compete with BMW's forthcoming S1000XR.
Spy shots of the Aprilia test bike are circulating but show only a disguised Tuono – proof all it takes to get a bike picture published is some black and white camouflage.
Our picture reveals the same machine with camouflage stripped away.
