APRILIA DORSODURO 900 REVIEWED | WHAT THE MEDIA SAYS

Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 Reviews

For 2017, we revised the Aprilia Shiver 900 and its brother, the Dorsoduro 900. Both bikes were unleashed to the press earlier this month in and around Ventura, Calif.

We already provided some review highlights in our “2017 Aprilia Shiver 900 Reviewed | What the Media Says,” but now it’s time for its supermoto counterpart, the Dorsoduro.

The Dorsoduro was launched in 2008 as a 750 model, but grows to 900cc for 2017. The 90-degree v-twin now produces 95 horsepower @ 8750 rpm, and 60 ft/lbs of torque @4 4500 rpm.

The new Dorsoduro arrives with three riding modes (Sport, Touring, Rain), traction control, ABS and a new color TFT digital gauge. The supermotard arrives with a 41mm Kayaba fork, three-spoke wheels and dual 320mm discs up front.

The styling speaks for itself, but how about the ride? Here’s what the world’s top journalist had to say about the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900.

Cycle World’s Sean MacDonald gets right to the versatility point of this Dorsoduro: “If you want something light and fun for around town, get the Husky. If you want something that you can take to a proper race track or tour with, get the Ducati. If you want a nice all-rounder, get the Yamaha. Or, if you have to have something Italian that does all three, get the Dorso.”

Ryan Adams of Motorcycle.com touches on styling “I have always appreciated the styling of these big supermoto-style bikes. The 2018 Dorsoduro, like the Shiver released concurrently, showcases great attention to detail which, in my opinion, elevates the appeal of the new 900s. The red valve cover, red trellis frame, wheel decals, loud graphics, and gold fork look fantastic and won’t allow you to mistake the bike for anything other than an Aprilia.”

Billy Bartels of Motorcycle Daily says “So despite the price premium over the Shiver, it turns out the Dorsoduro 900 is a fabulous deal … at least, when you consider the competing “supermoto” models. If you like the street-tracker style, you could possibly just get it for that and have a hell of a motorcycle. While I may sound damning with faint praise, make no mistake: If this is what you’re looking for, it’ll wow you with a sweet exhaust note, easy handling, fantastic braking, and gobs of torque.”

TJ Hinton of TopSpeed says: All in all, it’s a bike that was built using the best characteristics of two worlds with an emphasis on urban performance and agility, and really fairly versatile since it can be set up to race, tour, commute or do stunts.

Lance Oliver of Revzilla reports that “The added power and new features make the Dorsoduro a stronger competitor to the Hypermotard and a stylish alternative to a standard bike, for those who love the supermoto look. If that's you, then the Dorsoduro is definitely worth a look.”

Ultimate Motorcycling’s Nic de Sena wraps up the 2017 Aprilia Dorsoduro perfectly: “The bottom line is that the 2018 Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 is an absolute blast. With a nice refresh to the platform, the Dorsoduro offers an aggressive yet light-hearted experience. This bike should be paired with friends and a good set of canyon roads or a track, but don’t let that stop you from getting the front-end light on the way to the office.”

Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally: What The Media Says

Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally

Aprilia rolled out the first Caponord in 2001, and we’ve improved the breed every year since. Today’s Caponord 1200 Rally has an unprecedented array of features for toughness, technology and versatility. This testament is shared by many moto journalists, as you’ll see in a bit.
 
But first let’s review just why our Caponord is an optimal machine for any type of riding. The 2017 Caponord 1200 Rally is specifically designed to bring the kind of power and comfort necessary for high-speed, long range touring in the Interstate, the easy handling and low-cost to operate for daily commuting and the brute strength and ruggedness for off-the-pavement adventure riding.
 
The heart of the Caponord 1200 Rally is Aprilia’s race-bred 90° four-stroke, double overhead cam 1196cc V-twin with four valves per cylinder. The engine delivers 125 hp @ 8,000 rpm and 84.8 ft/lbs of torque at 6,800 rpm at the crankshaft. All that power is brought under precise control with Aprilia’s ride-by-wire system with three engine maps. In addition, cruise control is included for those long, lonely stretches of stable-speed cruising.
 
Of course, all that punch needs to be matched up with a rigid chassis and terrain-eating suspension. In that, even the suspension and brakes are ultra-high tech. To do that, the Aprilia Dynamic Damping (ADD) suspension system was developed.
 
The ADD system optimizes control and comfort by measuring the energy transmitted from the road surface to the bike and adjusts the hydraulic fork calibration and shock absorber in real time to minimize acceleration force on the frame.
 
To achieve maximum performance at any fork and shock absorber operating frequency, ADD uses a patented “MIX comfort oriented” algorithm that combines the principles of the well-known skyhook and acceleration driven damping algorithms.
 
ADD utilizes an integral piggy-back shock absorber which provides electrically adjustable spring preload to four-predefined settings, indicated by specific icons on the digital instrument panel: rider only, rider with passenger, rider only with panniers and rider and passenger with panniers. 
 
This exclusive Aprilia system is patented as is the automatic preload control mode for the rear spring. Once this option has been selected, the system can detect the bike's load by itself (weight of fuel, rider, passenger, luggage, etc.) and automatically adjust preload to the optimum value to balance the bike properly. This frees the rider to focus on riding; the most vital safety feature of all. Aprilia is the first motorcycle manufacturer in the world to have introduced active suspension. 
 
The Caponord receives the most advanced electronic control and rider enhancement systems through the Aprilia Performance Ride Control System (APRC). The system includes Traction Control and ABS.
 
The Caponord’s astonishing power and handling must also be matched with powerful, predictable brakes. That stopping power is managed by a two-channel Continental Anti-lock brake system (ABS). Front braking is handled by double 320mm floating stainless steel discs with an aluminum carrier clamped by four piston radially mounted Brembo calipers with steel braided brake lines. Rear has a 240mm wavy stainless steel disc clamped by a single piston Brembo caliper with braided steel brake lines.
 
The chassis mates a steel tubing upper trellis connected to aluminum lateral plates forming an extremely rigid, lightweight frame that allows the use of the power of the engine to maximum advantage on pavement or trail. 
 
Rear suspension is a double-sided aluminum alloy swingarm with single lateral positioned Sachs shock absorber adjustable in hydraulic rebound damping and spring preload, with the ADD system. Rear wheel travel is 150 mm (5.9 in.). Front suspension is by a completely adjustable Sachs 43 mm inverted fork with hydraulic rebound and compression damping electronically controlled by the ADD system. Fork travel is up to 170mm (6.7 in.).
 
Striving for the versatility necessary to perform well in such diverse environments can lead to so many compromises that the old “jack of all trades, master of none” syndrome can set in. Does the Caponord 1200 Rally achieve the right balance? Here’s what some of the experts have said.
 
Allyn Hinton, writing for Top Speed Motorcycles said: “Aprilia serves as the large-displacement sportbike/race branch for Piaggio, and as such, put out a lot in the way of supermoto and stoplight-burner bikes. The subject for today is not one of those, but rather an on-/off-road bike that carries that unmistakable Italian style with a veritable alphabet soup of fancy electronic subsystems. Aptly named the Caponord 1200 Rally, this ride straddles the line between race-tastic ability and real-world practicality with an eye to long-distance comfort. A 1200 cc mill pushes the thing with ride-by-wire throttle control, variable rider modes and cruise control, plus dynamic suspension and traction control to boot. As one of the few non-crotchrocket bikes made by the company, the Rally stands out as something of an anomaly, but I see no sign that Aprilia is in over its head with this design.”
 
Jonathan Handler, writing for Ultimate Motorcycling said, “As an all-around bike I found the Capo to be friendly, capable and willing. Like a good dog, there was nothing the bike would not do for me. It was mild around town offering the ability to, almost, mindlessly go about my business. In the twisties it simply flung itself from corner to corner with precision control and no excuses.”

 

Jamie Robinson, in a video review for Moto Geo, said, “Overall, from the Caponord 1200 Rally you’ll get a bike that has bags of power, is agile, you can go on-road or off-road, you can definitely click by some miles and you’re going to really enjoy riding this bike.”