Then & Now Aprilia Dorsoduro
Aprilia’s addictively fun Dorsoduro supermotard has been around for a decade. The original Dorsuduro 750 was a hoot, while the potent Dorsoduro 1200 launched two years later was best described as insanity on two wheels. The current Dorsoduro 900 sits somewhere in the middle.
When Ducati launched its Hypermotard models in the mid-noughties, Aprilia obviously decided it wanted to get in the action and so in 2008 the Dorsoduro SMV750 was born, followed two years later by the all-out crackers Dorsoduro 1200.
Both Dorsoduro models offered extreme fun in their own ways but neither were by any means perfect – the 750 was a little underwhelming at times and the 1200 way over the top… so Aprilia has gone for the middle ground with the current Dorsoduro 900.
Then – 2008
The premise behind the Dorsoduro has never changed, with Aprilia describing its purpose as providing the most possible road-riding fun by combining the best aspects of sportsbikes and supermotards. And certainly when the Dorsoduro 750 was launched a decade ago it achieved that objective.
Aprilia packed a sweet mid-capacity 90° V-twin engine into the Dorsuduro 750’s modular frame, which combined a steel trellis upper section with aluminium side plates. It then threw on some trick-looking bodywork designed by Miguel Galuzzi (who had previously designed the original Ducati Monster), and added traditional motard bits such as the wide handlebar, big handguards, a tall seat and loads of ground clearance.
The Dorso’s 750cc fuel-injected engine made a claimed 67kW of power at 8750rpm and a meaty 82Nm of torque from as low as 4500rpm. While not astounding peak outputs, the wide spread of torque across the rev range made the Dorsoduro easy to ride in just about all conditions, from stop/start traffic to super-fast twisties. In fact, the only thing the Dorsoduro was not good at was long-distance touring, thanks in part to a tiny 12L fuel tank and the engine’s prodigious thirst, which resulted in a touring range as short as 130km or so.
The Dorsoduro featured a ride-by-wire throttle and had three engine maps: Sport, Touring and Rain. Sport sharpened up throttle response for when the rider wanted to extract the most from the engine, but Touring generally proved a better option, allowing most riders to get the best out of the performance on offer by slightly damping throttle response without detracting from overall output. The Rain mode ensured riders didn’t spit themselves off the bike when roads were greasy by further backing off throttle response, and limiting peak output.
The Dorsuduro 750 offered predictable handling on smooth roads and it could be easily chucked around thanks to the upright seating position and wide handlebar. On tight, twisting roads, and in the right hands, it would give litre-class sportsbikes a run for their money. But not content with the 750cc V-twin, Aprilia launched the mighty Dorsoduro 1200 in 2010.
With a stonking 1197cc 90° V-twin engine developing a claimed 87kW ay 9200rpm and 98Nm at 7800rpm, the Dorso 1200 had the grunt to out accelerate just about anything else on the road. Open the throttle wide in Sport or Touring modes, in just about any gear, and you’d better be holding on tight. Lofting the front wheel into the air was just a twist of the grip away in first, second or third gears.
A little heavier than its 750cc sibling, and with a longer 1528mm wheelbase, the Dorsoduro 1200 required a bit more effort to punt hard along a tight twisting road, but again the wide handlebar helped in this regard. The Sachs suspension worked well on smooth roads but needed a bit of tweaking to handle the bumpy stuff. The front-end came equipped with a fully adjustable Sachs fork while the rear Sachs shock was also fully adjustable.
In the Dorsoduro 1200, Aprilia definitely fulfilled its design brief by building a bike that provided the most possible road-riding fun. The only real downsides? The 1200 was even thirstier than the 750 (although it did have a slightly larger 15L fuel tank) and the tall seat height made it a bit difficult for shorties to plant their feet on the ground. Oh, and without judicial use of the throttle, it sometimes provided too much fun!
Now – 2018
Rather than develop an all-new engine for the Dorsoduro 900, Aprilia stroked the original Dorsoduro 750cc V-twin (from 56.4mm to 67.4mm). This contributed to a modest power increase of 3kW and a more significant torque increase of 8Nm. Peaks for the Dorso 900 are now a claimed 70kW at 8750rpm and 90Nm at 6500rpm. But, of course, these outputs are still well shy of the superseded Dorsoduro 1200’s 87kW/98Nm.
While it might not pack the punch of its larger capacity predecessor, the Dorsoduro 900 is certainly a more refined package. As well as the longer stroke, the engine has new pistons with an anti-friction mantle and new pins for reduced rotating mass. Other friction-reducing features, such as a rebalanced crankshaft and semi-dry crankcase, are said to minimise oil consumption and keep oil temperature lower, negating the need for an oil radiator.
The Dorsoduro 900 also has a revised ride-by-wire throttle, and engine management is now handled by a more powerful ECU. The result is smoother throttle control and improved fuelling. The switch-on-the-fly Sport, Touring and Rain maps are retained, the latter not only subduing throttle response but also reducing peak power output to 52kw to help prevent ‘incidents’ on wet or greasy roads. The new Aprilia Traction Control (ATC) has three selectable intervention levels, or it can be switched off altogether, and the new twin-channel ABS can also be switched off.
A colour TFT dash display provides a wealth of information including speedo, tacho, engine temperature, gear position, time, trip, fuel consumption and current engine map and traction control settings, as well as aMP (Aprilia Multi-Media Platform) functions. By adding an accessory aMP installation kit and downloading the aMP app (Apple or Android), the TFT dash supports multi-media functionality, as well as phone interface, music selection and rider-passenger intercom.
The Dorsoduro 900 retains the modular steel trellis/aluminium side plate frame of its predecessors, but scores new suspension consisting a Kayaba 41mm USD fork and new forged alloy upper and lower triple clamps, as well as a new rear shock. Unsprung mass is reduced 2kg thanks to the use of three-split-spoke magnesium alloy wheels.
To look at, the Dorsuduro has lost none of the visual cues of its predecessors, but scores a new silver colour scheme, new graphics and red cylinder-head covers.
The Dorsuduro 900 is pretty much what it says on the box: it’s got more poke than the 750 but isn’t as wild as the 1200. And a host of technical upgrades are aimed at ensuring it’s more refined than ever before.
Key Specs Then // Now
2008 Dorsuduro 750 // 2010 Dorsoduro 1200 // 2018 Dorsoduro 900
Engine: Liquid-cooled 90° V-twin, DOHC, 4-valves // Liquid-cooled 90° V-twin, DOHC, 4-valves // Liquid-cooled 90° V-twin, DOHC, 4-valves
Capacity: 750cc // 1197cc // 896cc
Fuelling: EFI // EFI // EFI
Power: 67kW @ 8750rpm // 87kW @ 9200rpm // 70kW @ 8750rpm
Torque: 82Nm @ 4500rpm // 98Nm @ 7800rpm // 90Nm at 6500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed // Six-speed // Six-speed
Front suspension: Sachs 43mm USD fork, fully adjustable // Sachs 43mm USD fork, fully adjustable // Kayaba 41mm USD fork, adjustable preload & rebound
Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock, adjustable preload & rebound // Sachs monoshock, adjustable preload & rebound // Monoshock, adjustable preload & rebound
Front brakes: Brembo 320mm discs with four-piston radial-mounted calipers // Brembo 320mm discs with four-piston radial-mounted calipers // Brembo 320mm discs with four-piston radial-mounted calipers and ABS
Rear brake: Brembo 240mm disc with single-piston caliper // Brembo 240mm disc with single-piston caliper // Brembo 240mm disc with single-piston caliper and ABS
Front tyre: 120/70ZR17 // 120/70ZR17 // 120/70ZR17
Rear tyre: 180/55ZR17 // 180/55ZR17 // 180/55ZR17
Wheelbase: 1505mm // 1528mm // 1515mm
Weight: 198kg (kerb) // 224kg (wet) // 212kg (wet)
