Positive race debut for the 2009 Model Year Aprilia MXV 4.5

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With less than two weeks remaining before the start of the World Motocross Championship, Team Aprilia Off Road showed its hand on Monday, March 24th at the fifth round of the Italian championship: the 2009 Model Year Aprilia MXV 4.5.
It is a profoundly redesigned bike that operates around a powerful 77° V twin engine. The main difference in respect to the previous version is a more rigid yet lighter frame, including upright anterior latticework with a different diameter and material. The gas tank has also been moved to the area under the saddle. The box filter was lifted again to better concentrate the bike’s weight. Other changes include the posterior frame, home to a new undersaddle and double-exit exhaust that is about 2 kg lighter than the previous version. In effect, these alterations changed the weight distribution and decreased the bike’s overall mass by almost 4 kg.

Tighter radiators allow for more compact conveyor belts that improve the overall ergonomics.

The motorcycle, in the pre-series configuration, was entrusted to Fabien Izoird, who marked the 8th-best time in Sunday morning’s MX1 time practice. In the first fraction, the French rider was immediately slowed down by a pair of fallen riders in front of him. He was thus forced to mount a comeback that allowed him to move from 18th to 11th place. At the start of the second heat, Izoird’s MXV 4.5 took off in the lead of the group. The Frenchman, relieved of his position by Antonio Cairoli (Yamaha), battled for the podium for half the race until a fall caused him to fall back and finish 11th.

Cedric Melotte instead raced an Aprilia MXV 4.5 Factory. With the third-best time, the Belgian rider had a spectacular Race 1 in which he came back from 9th to 2nd place overall behind the international Mx2 champion, Antonio Cairoli. While battling for the podium, Melotte registered the race’s fastest lap with a time of 1.51:281.
Slowed down at the start of Race 2, he made contact with an adversary in the initial phase of the race and inflicted irrevocable damage to his anterior brake. His withdrawal was inevitable.

From this point on, all of Team Aprilia Off Road’s energy will be directed towards the World MX1 Motocross Championship that will take off on Sunday, April 6th in Valkenswaard, Holland.

Cardano al Campo (VA) - 5th round of the Italian Motocross Championship

MX1 Class

Race 1:

• 1. Antonio Cairoli (Yamaha);
• 2. Cedric Melotte (Aprilia MXV 4.5);
• 3. Jan Zaremba (Ktm);
• 4. Cristian Beggi (Honda);
• 5. Chicco Chiodi (Tm);
• 11. Fabien Izoird (Aprilia MXV 4.5).

Race 2:

• 1. Antonio Cairoli (Yamaha);
• 2. Chicco Chiodi (Tm);
• 3. Alex Salvini (Suzuki);
• 4. Cristian Beggi (Honda);
• 5. Jan Zaremba (Ktm);
• 11. Fabien Izoird (Aprilia MXV 4.5).
• Withdrawn: Cedric Melotte (Aprilia MXV 4.5).

********************************************************************************************************************** Aprilia misses the podium at the 4th round of the Italian motocross championship

The first half of the Italian motocross championship has been completed and the final phase began on March 16th in Cingoli (Macerata province) at the third-to-last round on the schedule. On Saturday, the qualifying sessions took place on the difficult and tricky track in Le Marche. An optimal Cedric Melotte (Aprilia Mxv 4.5) marked the fourth-best time of the Mx1 class. It was instead a tormented round for Fabien Izoird (Aprilia Mxv 4.5), who wasn’t able to find the right balance for the track, where he had never before raced. The young Frenchman clocked in the 24th-best time overall.

The next morning’s warm-up allowed Izoird to gain further confidence on the track to the point that he was able to finish 6th in Race 1. Yet in the second heat scrimmage, he clashed with an opponent and was forced back to 14th place. From there he mounted a comeback and finished in 7th place. In Race 2, he was able to climb back from 9th to 7th place, battling it out at long with the top riders.

The opening fraction saw Melotte start well as he settled into 8th place during the first lap. Cedric forced the pace and made his way into 6th place before being hindered by a slip in the ninth lap. The Belgian completed a few more turns before heading to the box early due an anterior vibration that was caused by the fall.

Melotte wasn’t able to repeat his brilliant Race 1 start in the conclusive session. He instead found himself in 17th place after the first lap but nonetheless climbed back into 9th place. Then, being a bit fatigued, he slid during the last lap and fell back to 13th place.

It has been confirmed that the “Step 3” evolution of the official MXV 4.5s will be debuted on March 23-24th at Cardano al Campo (VA) before the World Motocross Championship begins on April 6th in Valkenswaard (Holland). The race in Cardano al Campo will take place the day after Easter, and perhaps the debut will reveal a few pleasant surprises...