Even before Aprilia's first 1,000cc sportsbike, the RSV Mille, broke cover, there was talk of the Italian company building an RSV-powered sports tourer.

Aprilia aimed to make the most of the Mille's success by putting the stonking Vee twin motor - built to Aprilia's specification by Rotax - into as many bikes as it could get away with.

The most successful of these, the Tuono, was little more than a naked RSV with flat bars. But first, in 1999, came the SL1000 Falco - the SL stands for Sports Light - a budget RSV with a classy frame and a little less performance.

Then, in 2000, the company announced the big trailie ETV1000 Caponord - and the RST1000 Futura.

Aimed squarely at Honda's VFR, the RST (Sport Touring, of course!) bristled with innovation and technology as could be expected from a design team led by Bimota's former chief engineer, Pierluigi Marconi - you can read more about the Futura's development here.

The new bike borrowed its name from Aprilia's early 90s sports 125.

The RST 1000 harked back to Aprilia's ground-breaking AF1 FuturaAt the time the 125 Futura helped carve Aprilia's image as a company that used brave technological solutions and bold styling to good effect. The company believed the 1,000cc Futura would further bolster that image, and show the world what a sports tourer should be.

A history of Aprilia

Aprilia is very much the new kid on the block where Italian motorcycles are concerned - indeed, until the late 1980s hardly anyone outside Italy had even heard of the company.

Right from the start the company bought in engines and other components and fitted them to its own designs, an effective way of keeping costs down. This process culminated in the RSV Mille, with its Rotax engine built to Aprilia's specification, as the company's latest machines now have Aprilia-built engines.

This history lists landmark dates for the company as relevant to the RST1000 Futura.

Aprilia Futura - Factory colours

The first production Futuras, built in 2001, came in three single colour paint schemes:

They were Stream Silver (sometimes described as 'Stream Grey'), Flame Red and Blue Infinity.

The blue and silver were also used on Caponords, and a 2008 RSVR even appeared in a very similar (if not the same) blue.

In 1998, with the first RSV Milles flying out of showrooms, Aprilia launched a new project to create a new sports tourer with the emphasis on sport.

In charge of the project was Aprilia Research and Development's Technical Manager, Pierluigi Marconi, who had joined the company from Bimota the previous year.

Aprilia Futura - Seat

The Aprilia RST1000 Futura came equipped with the best seat in the business, as any owner will tell you.

But it appears there were differences over the production run.

The most obvious difference came with the RS Touring, the cosmetic makeover of the Futura that launched in 2003 - see Futura model history for more details.

These pictures, provided by Befbever, show the profile difference between an early, Flame Red Futura and an RS Touring. The RS Touring has a slightly lower seat height.

Several owners are on their second or even third Futura and have noticed a difference between Futuras built in 2001 and those built the following year.

This (admittedly anecdotal) evidence suggests that the earliest bikes, built in 2001, had the firmest, most comfortable seats, and later bikes are less comfortable, though not by a great deal.

These specs are as listed by Aprilia in the sales brochure for the Aprilia RST 1000 Futura. I've added a couple of others in in response to questions I've received by e-mail.

Engine type: four-stroke, longitudinal 60° V twin, with anti-vibration double countershaft (AVDC patent)

Cooling: liquid cooled with three-way pressurised circuit. Double radiators.

Operating temperature: Approx 76 degrees C (169 degrees F).

Fans come on: 95 degrees C (203 degrees F)

Bore and stroke: 97 x 67.5 mm

Total displacement: 997.62 cc

Compression ratio: 11.8 : 1

Timing: double overhead camshafts controlled by mixed gear/chain system, four valves per cylinder

Max. power to shaft: 114 HP (84 kW) at 9,250 r.p.m.

Max. torque to shaft:94 Nm at 7.000 r.p.m.

Fuel injection:integrated electronic engine regulation system; indirect multipoint electronic injection. 51 mm diameter throttle bodies; 95 RON lead free petrol

Ignition: digital electronic with two spark plugs per cylinder (TSI Twin Spark Ignition), integrated with injection; electronic DIAC (Dynamic Ignition Advance Control)

Starter: electric

Lubrication: dry crankcase with separate oil reservoir; double trochoidal pump with oil cooling radiator

Primary transmission: straight tooth gear, transmission ratio: 60/31 (1.935)

Gear box: six ratio, transmission ratio: 1st 35/14 (2.5); 2nd 28/16 (1.75); 3rd 26/19 (1.368); 4th 24/22 (1.091); 5th 22/23 (0.957); 6th 23/27 (0.852)

Secondary transmission: chain; transmission ratio: 43/16

Clutch: multiple disk in oil bath with power-assisted hydraulic control (PPC patent)

Frame: aluminium alloy box-type sloping double parallel side beam; removable high tensile steel saddle mount

Dimensions: max. length: 2170 mm; max. width: 740 mm (at half-handlebars); max. height: 1240 mm (at front fairing); saddle height: 820 mm; handlebar height 940 mm at external points

Wheelbase: 1435 mm; trail 98 mm; steering angle 25.6°

Front suspension: Showa upside-down fork, 43 mm diameter sleeves, adjustable in braking, rebound and preload; wheel travel 120 mm

Rear suspension: aluminium alloy single swingarm; progressive linkage with APS system (Aprilia Progressive System); sachs hydraulic shock absorber, adjustable in braking, rebound and preload

Wheel travel: 120 mm

Front brake 298 mm diameter Brembo stainless steel double floating disk. Floating four-pot callipers with differentiated diameter, 34 and 30 mm; pads in sintered material and Freudenberg brake tubes

Rear brake: 255 mm diameter stainless steel disk; floating two-pot callipers, 28 mm diameter; Freudenberg brake tubes

Rims: aluminium alloy (shell-shaped casts); front: 3.50 X 17"; rear: 5.50 X 17"

Tyres: tubeless radial; front: 120 / 70 ZR 17; rear: 180 / 55 ZR 17

Voltage: 12 V

Battery:12 V 12 Ah

Alternator: 470W

Tank capacity: 21 litres, including 5 litre reserve