Alright, let’s talk about a motorcycle that was inspired by the brutal, stripped-down aesthetic of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb racers. This is a 2022 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100, transformed by Michael Vienne of Championship Cycles in Los Angeles into a purpose-built track machine, aptly named “Peak Performance.”
The goal was to embody that Pikes Peak look: a bike wearing handlebars instead of clip-ons, with minimal bodywork, driven by the pure function of speed.
This Custom Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Shows Anything is Possible
The challenge was immediately apparent: the Tuono’s factory fairings hid a complex web of modern electronics. Vienne’s solution was a single-piece, flat track-inspired carbon tail unit, cunningly designed to house the bike’s essentials, including a super-slim lithium-ion battery.
With the 180 horsepower V4 engine already potent, the focus shifted from power to weight and handling. Vienne kept the engine simple—adding an SC Project slip-on and an ECU reflash—but ruthlessly stripped over 50 pounds of streetbike stuff.
He sharpened the handling with Marchesini forged aluminum wheels to cut unsprung weight, upgraded the braking with high-performance Brembo components for track precision, and retained the factory Öhlins electronic suspension. To dial in the geometry, he fitted a billet adjustable offset triple clamp from IMA.
The finished bike is all business, an absolute beast in black. With a Kevlar belly pan, custom carbon air runners, and that razor-sharp tail, it looks like it was born in a paddock. The final figures are staggering: over 180 horsepower and a total weight of just 346 lbs fully fueled. Championship Cycles created a muscular, function-dictated machine that embodies the raw, stripped-down essence of a true race bike.
Source: Pipeburn, Championship Cycles
