amcn.com.au 45
Dorsodurodspecs
the launch had to be packed up, which meant no
road ride. But after getting off the bike, having one
last look at its beauty and weighing that up agains
its performance and its exclusivity, the fact I was s
keen for another turn indicates that the Aprilia an
I made a connection.
Can improvements be made? Of course. I
haven’t found a perfect bike yet, and although
the Dorsoduro is damn good there are a couple of
things that could be tweaked. The gearbox was an
eight out of 10 – great but not perfect. I found it
difficult to shift up or down at times, and the lever
was a little stiff. Despite that I never missed a gear
or found a false neutral.
The other area Aprilia might improve on is
performance. It’s fast, but a bike like this needs to
be lively and I think another 10 ponies would help
achieve that. Neither of the above would stop me
buying the Dorso as it sits though, because I’m
sure a pipe would give it some more mumbo and
the gearbox, well, I’m just being picky.
It would be easy to compare the specs panels
of the outgoing 750 and the new 900 and note the
minimal difference in outright performance, but
one thing I have learnt from riding hundreds of
bikes over the years is that specs and stats never
give you the whole picture. It’s true that this model
is a reworked 750, but it’s had enough changes to
transform its personality. It’s not the aggressive
monster the 1200 Dorso was, and it’s punchier
than the 750. If there was ever a bike that had to
take over the role of two then this is it. Having
said that, it’s anything but middle of the road, and
that’s why I like it.Bring on the road-tard
PETER STEVENS IMPORTS distributes Aprilia in
Australia, and marketing manager Dale McBride
said that with the Dorsoduro and new Shiver
models, Aprilia is aiming to provide more options
in the sportsbike market.
These models sit alongside the racing-inspired
Tuono and RSV4, and it’s hoped they will attract
new fans to the Aprilia range. To make the bikes
more tempting, the company has cascaded some
of its racing technology down and brought in TFT
displays and the Marelli 7 SM ECU used on the
bigger V4 machines.
Billed by Aprilia as a supermotard, the
Dorsoduro is intended to provide riding fun. It
presents with the characteristics of a sportsbike
with a stripped-back naked look, and an
emphasis on urban performance and agility. In
other words you get the cool look of a motard, but
with real-world useabilitywith real world useability.
st
so
d f n r r pENGINE
Configuration 90° V-twin
Cylinder head DOHC
four valves per cylinder
Capacity 896.1cc
Bore/stroke 92 x 67.4mm
Compression ratio 11.5:1
Cooling Liquid
Fuelling EFI, ride-by-wire Marelli
Power 70kW @8750rpm (claimed)
Torque 90Nm @6500rpm (claimed)
TRANSMISSION
Type :Six-speed
Clutch :Wet
Final drive :Chain
CHASSIS
Frame material Steel/Aluminium
Frame layout Trellis
Rake 26°
Trail 108mm
SUSPENSION
Front Kayaba 41 mm USD, adjustable
preload and rebound, 170mm travel
Rear Sachs monoshock, adjustable
preload and rebound, 160mm
WHEELS/TYRES
Wheels Aluminium alloy
Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0
Tyres Dunlop
Front: 120/70ZR17
Rear: 180/55ZR17
BRAKES
Front : Twin 320mm discs,
four-piston radial calipers
Rear: Single 240mm disc,
double-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Weight 212 kg (kerb, claimed)
Seat height 870mm
Width 905mm
Length 2130mm
Wheelbase 1465mm
Fuel capacity 12L
PERFORMANCE
Fuel consumption 5.3L/100km
Top speed 200km/h
CONTACT & SALE INFO
Tes tbike Aprilia Australia
Contact http://www.aprilia.com.au
Colour options Adrenalinic Silver
Price $15,790 (+ ORC)
Warranty Two years, unlimted km
Availability NowTop left Excellent stopping
power, front and back
Left One schmick colour
scheme is all that’s needed,
but did they have to call it
‘Adrenalinic Silver’!?