Sure, it sold shedloads of trendy little scooters - but its ultimate sports bike was a 250 stroker. The RS250 was a fine machine, but it was hardly likely to steal sales from Honda's CBR600, Ducati's 916 or Suzuki's GSX-R750.

That would be Troy Corser, helping to develop the new RSV-R

When Aprilia plonked its first superbike on a stand at the Milan Show back in 1997, no-one was surprised that it looked good. But could it mix it with the best superbikes on the planet? The answer was a resounding yes. Japanese manufacturers - as well as Italian rivals - must have been genuinely surprised to have a new competitor straight from the crate.

They didn't have to worry too much on the race track, though. In its debut year, the RSV showed potential in the hands of Aussie Peter Goddard, but it never posed a threat to the established teams. It was only with another Antipodean, Troy Corser, aboard that the RSV became a surprise title contender this year.

And it's Corser's race track experience which has inspired the development of the 2001 RSV-R, proving that racing really does improve the breed. The 2000 RSV-R was a sort of halfway house between the £25,000 RSV-SP - built for race homologation purposes - and the stock RSV made for the masses. At £11,000 it featured a higher spec than the £9000 stocker and offered a more refined all-round package. Now, with Corser's direct input, it has just got even better in terms of both looks and performance. In fact, there are over 200 changes to the version for 2001, some of them small, some not so small.

Every body panel has been redesigned, giving it a much more radical, aggressive look. Sat in the low Italian sunshine it looks less bulky than before, but it keeps much of the first version's distinctive characteristics. The fat exhaust and pyramid-shaped tail unit are the most obvious similarities with the original - but even the tail looks sharper.

The plastic tank is all-new and helps save weight. It's also shorter and designed to give the rider more space, making it easier to move around the bike and creating a more purposeful riding position, which is noticeable as soon as you sit on the bike.

It still fits taller and shorter riders, though some might still struggle with the fairly high seat.

The front also looks much sharper. The grille-enclosed fans are still there, but they look less like the original's food blender blades. The new headlight unit and side-mounted air outlets bring the bike bang up to date in terms of style, and the carbon-fibre " ears " to shield hands from cold wind blast are also new.

Can you hear the exhaust note start to pound?

Carbon-fibre mudguards and huggers are usually reserved for aftermarket specialists, but on the R they're standard. In fact, new owners will find themselves spending hours in their garages admiring the bike's typical Italian attention to detail.

But style and go-faster looks don't matter a stuff if the RSV doesn't do the business where it counts - on the Tarmac. Thankfully, performance has been boosted, too.

The 60o V-twin motor hasn't been radically tuned, but it is claimed to churn out 130bhp instead of 128bhp. It's not something you'd really notice on a Sunday run, but it's an improvement nonetheless and the motor has always been the Aprilia's strong point anyway.

Start the bike up and there's still that slightly muffled off-beat tickover that just begs for a race can (these will be available "for race use only" from Aprilia), and that strange V-twin burble that's slightly harsh-sounding but won't let you mistake the bike for anything else. Aprilia is the only firm with a 60 degree sports V-twin in its current line-up.

Like the old version, it pulls smoothly and doesn't suffer too badly from chain lash, like some other

Perhaps you'd like to get it over a little, Sir?

V-twin sports bikes. Rev it and it starts to pull at around 3500rpm and really kicks in at 7000rpm. The exhaust note really starts pounding as the revs rise to 10,000rpm.

Like most other big twins, it's the motor's torque which provides the most giggles, and the lazy drone of the pipes gives the impression that you're going much slower than you really are. Fours can often be more high-revving noise than effect.

The 998cc motor is good for a top speed of around 170mph, which is more than you'll ever need on a public road or most race tracks. Only at two-mile testing grounds would the Aprilia run out of steam, and then it will only be outrun by Hayabusas or ZX-12Rs.

The inlet cams have more lift to increase power and they operate 2mm bigger diameter valves, which meant new pistons, too. The inlet tract has also been altered, while the exhaust manifold and silencer internals are new, making the whole exhaust 1.5kg (3.3lb) lighter. The engine mapping was revised to make the most of those changes. It does seem a lot of trouble to go to for a 2bhp increase when you consider a full race exhaust could boost power by up to 10bhp.

But Aprilia didn’t just focus on the engine. There are lots of handling improvements too. The engine is mounted 5mm higher in the frame to bring it nearer to the true centre of gravity and the swingarm pivot has been raised by 3mm to keep chain tension constant as the suspension travels.

The R has all the RSV quirks... Buck Rogers styling and all

The steering head angle has been increased from 24.5 degree to 25 degree to improve stability, but you still get an Ohlins steering damper to help you out in that department. Though the Aprilia turns in sharply and progressively, the steering isn't as quick as radically set-up rivals like the SP-1 - but that's something you'd probably only notice on a hot lap of a race track. However, the lower centre of gravity and a 2kg (4.4lb) weight reduction help the new bike turn a fraction faster than the older model.

The multi-adjustable Ohlins suspension gives you a fantastic sense of control and stability mid-corner, which encourages you to lean the bike farther than you'd think possible. Once you're on the racing line, the R will hold it like its life depended on it, giving you the confidence to get on the gas without the fear of drifting wide on the exit. It also works progressively enough to iron out the worst bumps and holes on typically Italian roads. You can feel the front tyre working every curve and bump and the rear tyre digging in as you wind on the power.

The new Brembo braking set-up really boosts stopping power. The bike has 320mm front discs with four-piston calipers and four separate Brembo Gold Series pads. The pads are used by the racing team and Aprilia claims they are the most advanced on the market, offering better feel and durability. They feel pretty bloody good to us. The pads are also used in conjunction with the rear 220mm disc.

The engine has been shifted up in the frame to sharpen handling

What that means is that you can get away with liberties on the R, hauling it down from over 160mph on the clock to 40mph corners with no trauma and very little pitch of the bike on the forks. The old version used to be susceptible to lifting its rear tyre, but the new bike is much more stable under the kind of braking you'd only ever do on a track day.

The original Mille was also criticised for having an uncomfortable riding position, but the new R has addressed that. The new tank allows your legs to rest in a more natural position and your backside isn't crushed into an impossibly small gap. It's still a racy position, though, and if you suffer from aches and pains on long-haul jaunts, you may want to look elsewhere. But hey, it's a full-on sports bike, so you don't exactly expect it to be like an armchair - and it's more comfortable than many of its rivals.

The 2001 RSV-R is a new bike in terms of looks and an improved rather than a radically different one in terms of performance. But it's still one hell of a machine when you consider that just three years ago Aprilia had never even built a superbike. Makes you wonder what they'll be producing in three years’ time...