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RSV 1000 BIG IN JAPAN! Aprilia''s trip to the 8 Hours of Suzuka (the most famous Endurance race in the world) concluded in excellent fashion. To participate with a Superstock version of the RSV 100 in the midst of a sea of Superbike and even more elaborate motorcycles from the JSK (Japanese Superbikes) and Extreme categories (the Japanese Open) was an enormous challenge. Keeping in mind that the Superbike is utterly and totally a series motorcycle (with the exception of the exhaust pipes and the adjustments for rapid refueling), meaning that regulations do not even allow for the rapid removing of tyres. The first experience with the Suzuka was dramatic; the track was unknown to our riders, Aliverti, Veghini, and Samuela De Nardi, and decisively more difficult than it appeared to be in the videogames that they trained on. ''It is five times harder than Mugello. Furthermore, it is extremely fast and certainly not too safe'' said Veghini at the end of the first session. The Japanese riders (of the 80 teams, 73 were local) proceeded to demonstrate the classic impetuousness which made the apprenticeship even more difficult. Problems were also encountered due to the short amount of time available for the free trials and qualifications, not to mention the continuous stream of yellow and white flags for vehicles and riders in need of help on the track. In fact, on Thursday, the practice continued as a motorcycle and bales of hay burned at one of the curves and an ambulance made its way through the track. Yet in the meantime, the Japanese public (estimated to be at 75,000 on Sunday, but large since Thursday) showed enormous interest in Aprilia and Samuela, so much so that the fans in the frequent pit walks and professional photographers practically parked themselves more often in front of Aprilia''s box than in front of the official Japanese houses. Slowly but surely the feeling on the track improved and times were lowered as they qualified with a solid 2.20.2, definitely a respectable result considering that the best European rider, Vermeulen, qualified with a 2.12 atop an official Honda Superbike with qualifying tyres. At 11:30, after a series of typically Japanese presentations and shows in front of over spilling bleachers, the 8 Hours began. The goal of Team Aprilia Motociclismo was to reach at the finish line, also because of the journalistic interest in the event (you can read an ample account filled with pictures in the September edition of Italian magazine Motociclismo), therefore the takeoff was cautious. Notwithstanding that and thanks to the ever-improving confidence on the track and the absolute faith in the RSV, they continued to gain positions. After about two hours of race came the rain that changed the race plan. Samuela made her pit stop, the rain tyres were mounted, and once again she was on the track (without any previous testing in the rain). After a few short laps she was back in the box for an unplanned stop to change the set-up. From there on, all three riders showed enormous skill and did not commit the slightest mistake notwithstanding the difficulties of racing on a drying track. At the 7th hour, the RSV (in 43rd place out of the 80 teams enlisted) had reached its goal: it was the number-one European motorcycle, the number-one bi-cylinder, 7th out of the international Endurance teams, and 15th (therefore gaining 4international points) among the Extreme and the Jbks that race out of classification. They gradually reached the end of the race and with nightfall tension grew to its highest degree when, with 30 minutes left till the end, a tragedy seemed to be imminent. After the last refueling the motorcycle stalled out on the straightaway only to then start up irregularly. The rider gave the signal to enter into the box again but immediately realized that the problem was simply the non-complete shutting-off of the box speed limit switch. This way the Rsv was able to maintain all of its conquests and finish the race.
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