From a press release:
The first and only Italian and European MotoGP to take part in the 2002 World Championship has been unveiled: the three-cylinder Aprilia RS3 990 was presented at 11:30 today at the MotorShow in Bologna. It was revealed to the public at the Aprilia stand by the company president, Ing. Ivano Beggio: “This is undoubtedly the most important racing bike in the history of Aprilia, and also the one which has required the greatest commitment in terms of time and money. This machine embodies all our passion, our finest technology and our very dreams. I’m proud to present the RS3 as the first European bike to line up for the challenge and battle with the titans of the Far East.”
President Beggio was joined by the head of the Racing Department, Ing. Jan Witteveen, who explained the technical concepts on which the new Italian four-stroke motorcycle is based: “Part of our mission was to contain both weight and size, so we decided that a three-cylinder engine would be ideal (135 kg minimum weight, next to 145 for the four- or five-cylinder bikes): the set-up is derived from our two-cylinder, two-stroke 500 which was used in racing up to the year 2000. We’ve selected only the most reliable and innovative technology for the engine, including the pneumatic valve return already tested in Formula 1. In a few days time, we’ll be out on the track testing with Marcellino Lucchi and, in January, with the World Championship rider.”
