The first challenger to the ubiquitous 916, the RSV Mille offers V-twin delights in a rather more comfy all-round package.

The 60° cylinder angle gives a shorter, more compact engine to allow a little more flexibility in positioning it in the frame, the compact size helped further by a dry sump ....er, sump. Not so compact in the height department, though.

The RSV motor makes 128bhp (feels more like 100) and the bike weighs in at 190kg dry, so compares well to its rivals, the Ducati, Honda SP1 and Suzuki TLS/R.

In true Italian tradition, various specs are available, the cooking Mille, the R and the SP. The R has Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, a single seat and higher specification wheels for an additional £2000, while the SP is a £22,000 limited edition homologation special.

The R is the one to go for, the better suspension package making the bike a great road machine. But the motor is a bit limp at the bottom end and though the bike is a hell of a lot more comfortable than the 916 it doesn't have that charismatic engine.

Goodies include a "Pneumatic Power Clutch" which acts a bit like a slipper clutch, reducing rear wheel lock-ups when banging down through the gearbox, fuel injection, twin-spark ignition and a bit of ram-air assistance to the mixture input.

Styling wise the bike is a bit Startrekky - up front is a weird but effective triple headlamp and out back the raygun rear light. Still, who cares what's behind .... Sit on the thing and it's all a bit 1980s GSXR - great big windscreen, dashboard (I kid you not) which seems to have come from a 1976 Fiat Uno, slightly iffy fairing finish. Praps in need of a bit of Y2K update.

Bit tall and top heavy at low speed and falls into hairpins in an alarming fashion, but this all disappears at normal speeds. Steers well and seems to hold line under panic corner-entry braking. Motor fuels cleanly with no great injection glitches but needs to be revved to get much go out of it. When I say revved, bear in mind the power fizzles out at 9000 rpm.

The Ohlins suspension is top class, giving good feel whilst absorbing bumps and potholes well.

Dunno who designed it but he should have put his pen down 6 months earlier instead of doodling so much and adding horrible twiddly bits everywhere. Aprilia would be much better off just copying the 250 design. I might buy one if they did.

The main weakness is the engine. It needs to rev out more and a stronger bottom end. The whole point of a V-twin is mega stomp out of bends, and the Aprilia just doesn't have this - you need to be revving the bike hard to get decent drive, but then it's all too easy to hit 9000 rpm and run out of puff. Though it's probably as powerful as the basic 916 the motor just can't give you the grunt of the Duck. The top end may he helped by fitting a twin exhaust system to get more air out at higher revs.

Worth a try if you are not looking for mega performance and can live with the Startrek styling.

The really good news is that Aprilia is supposed to be releasing a new 1000 soon with revised more grunty engine with 130 bhp sitting lower in the frame and with the plastic completely redesigned to give a more modern, less fussy look. Here's hoping ...