With everyday vehicles becoming more and more equipped, you don’t expect motorcycles, let alone superbikes, to fall behind, do you? Ask and you shall receive, says Italian bikemaker Aprilia with the introduction of its latest rider aids.
And it’s rather groundbreaking, considering we’re talking about predictive electronics that transform regular superbikes from reactive machines into proactive riding partners.
The electronic aids in question anticipate loss of control before it occurs with the help of onboard sensors and predictive software algorithms. This helps apply pre-set engine braking, traction control, and wheelie control to enhance safety, performance, and rider confidence on both road and track.
Breaking it down further, the system uses a predictive algorithm that gradually learns your riding style to process vehicle information, including lean angle, yaw rate, throttle position, and gear selection, sampling data every 2 milliseconds. This allows the bike to pre-arm cornering ABS, traction control, and wheelie mitigation before wheel slide actually starts.
This suite of rider aids comes in Aprilia’s updated Race Pack, which draws on MotoGP-derived technology. There’s an optional GPS module, ride-by-wire throttle, and a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) – all of which are critical components of this smart rider aid system.
You can make use of the aids through the manufacturer's MIA software, which pairs with the bike using Bluetooth or Wi-Wi and enables all essential settings to be configured with just a smartphone.
But ease of use isn’t the only advantage here – by integrating Aprilia's MIA multimedia platform with GPS data, you can also personalize the degree of assistance for individual stretches of the track. Meaning traction and wheelie control can be adjusted more cautiously in tighter turns and then loosened on straightaways to optimize acceleration.
The standard package incorporates a three-level engine brake control setup that adjusts based on throttle and lean input, a new three-stage wheelie control system that uses predictive intelligence, and eight-level lean-sensitive traction control.
Aprilia says this corner-specific mapping improves stability and lap times by lowering the drag coefficient by 6% and wheelie tendency by 8% when compared to the 2024 models. Now, I don't know about you, but those seem pretty influential numbers on track days.
As of now, Aprilia has introduced this tech only on its top-of-the-line 2025 RSV4 and Tuono V4 superbikes.
While I do think intervention tech like this requires a learning curve, I can’t possibly dismiss its advantages. Now, I understand that this tech is only being offered in superbikes so far, but you can’t argue how effective it can be for people riding long distances.
It can help reduce rider fatigue, human error, and ease the overall learning curve to go from small bikes to bigger, faster, superbikes. The only question I have is when tech like this trickles down to your regular, everyday two-wheelers.
Source: Aprilia via Motorcycle.com
