Opinions
Phil Lawrence
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190 lb
Pro
When you look at this machine you think that it's a very special bike, but when you start it and twist the throttle to hear the rapping power of a unique 450, you know that it is special. It sounds like you're on something straight out of the Ferrari factory. At first I was a little timid on it because the bike is so different you don't know what to expect. The power of the Aprilia was incredible; you could use the low-end torque or rev the thing out. I did a couple of starts on it and I think the bike could definitely pull holeshots. As I grew more comfortable on the bike I could only wish I could go out with the Aprilia race team to set the bike up for my individual riding technique. The reason I say I wish I could go out with the race team is because in order to use the power to its full potential you'd need to take some weight off the bike and set the suspension for a pro-level rider.
Chris Barrett
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180 lb
Pro
I love the way the V-twin sounds. The sound alone gives you that feeling of raw power, but she's not all bark. The power on this bike is super smooth down low, which gives awesome traction coming out of the turns, and then wheelies into a really strong mid. She has decent top-end power that pulls hard, but doesn't like to be revved out really far. When ridden correctly, the MXV pulls through the gears with little effort (aside from hanging on).
I was expecting an off-road type of handling and suspension. Much to my surprise, the suspension worked decent on the hammered Glen Helen track. A tad on the busy side, the suspension didn't do anything unpredictable and really soaked up some nasty downhill Flying W-pucker-up-and-kiss-your... well... handled some serious downhill braking bumps without any pucker-up characteristics. My only change would be a little more of a calmer, controlled setting through the initial to mid-stroke. Other than that it worked really well.
Karel Kramer
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215 lb
Novice
Even I am not old enough to have ridden the old twin-cylinder desert bikes back in the day, but a few years back John Hateley let me ride one of his Triumphs, and ever since then I have been a little smitten by the idea of a twin-cylinder moto bike. When I rode the off-road Aprilia 450, I realized that I loved the motor but not the rest of the bike. The Aprilia MXV is a whole different animal with ergonomics that work and a much slimmer, lighter feel. This is a real bike. As soon as you get riding, though, you forget about the rest of the bike. This thing is all about the engine. The twin-cylinder EFI was a little fluffy at idle, but after that the thing is a silken monster. It hooks up, and it seriously rips. And the sound is sheer music. I wish all my rich friends had this bike so I could borrow it once in a while. I don't see this as a rider's only motocrosser, but man, is it fun to play with on the track!