Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro
- Video
You don't have to be a terrible motorcycle connoisseur to know that the supermoto originated as a branch of off-road motorsport. Wider and smaller wheels with slick tires for initial handling and then suspension changes with harder and shorter strokes, of course there should be more powerful brakes, shorter fenders and aerodynamic accessories.
In short, components that are closer to road bikes. So why not create a supermoto out of a road beast? This conversion was decided in Aprilia. They took the naked Shiver as a basis, which hit our roads this spring. As far as the frame is concerned, only the die-cast aluminum part remains, and the pipes connecting this element to the head of the frame and those that carry the rear of the motorcycle have been measured and re-welded.
The rear swingarm, which helped develop the uncles in the sports department who took the SXV to the racetrack, is also different and is a full three kilograms lighter. So, it turns out that the Dorsoduro is longer compared to its Shiver cousin and has two degrees more open position than the frame heads.
Proof that electronics is increasingly coexisting with mechanical engineering is the generator. The liquid-cooled two-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder is mechanically exactly the same, but you've probably guessed that the exception is the electronics, which take care of ignition and fuel injection.
Thanks to the different bit settings, they achieved maximum torque at 4.500 rpm, which is 2.500 rpm less than the Shiver. It's true the SMV has three horses less, but on twisty roads mid-range responsiveness is more important than red-field breaking capacity. For this achievement, the developers have earned a bee in a notebook.
When the transmission is idling, the driver can select one of three different transmission characteristics by pressing the red start button: sport, hiking and rain. I don't know, it might really be more pleasant to ride on wet asphalt with a few kilowatts less on the rear wheel, and maybe it annoys someone that in a sports program the motorcycle sometimes creaks a little, which is especially noticeable when driving slowly in a column. But as soon as I “passed” all three programs, the inscription SPORT remained on the digital screen forever, amen.
Dorsoduro is not a traveler and not for the poor, so the gentle acceleration in the tourist program and the rain are a little annoying, especially if the road suddenly pleasantly turns into an infinitely transparent snake, and a slow four runs out in front of you. wheels.
When the throttle lever is turned, the electronic injection is no longer controlled by wire, but by a second generation “Ride-by-wire” system. The slow reaction of the unit, which is the only drawback of the system, has been almost completely eliminated, and in the sports program this fly is practically invisible until ...
Until you open the throttle fully in first gear and go flat on the rear wheel. In striking a balance between this, a direct link between the driver's right hand and the engine is extremely important, and with the Dorsodur, unfortunately, it feels like the electronics are not as fast as the classic zajla.
Just do not think that this is really a big mistake - after a few tens of kilometers I got used to the novelty, and the trip turned into one great pleasure. The engine pulls very continuously to the soft limiter at a good ten thousand rpm and to a top speed that stops at 200 kilometers per hour. And interestingly, that plastic piece above the headlight is obviously well controlled by the wind as 140 km/h is still quite acceptable.
As a result, a rich trip computer showed a consumption of 5 liters per 8 kilometers, which means that you can drive about twice as much without stopping. If you don't already have the stamp you want in the pink booklet, you can buy the Dorsodura in the 100-kilowatt version. They achieved this (you won't believe it) with an electronic lock, and it is very easy to remove it with the help of a service technician. Another important fact: there are no standard passenger pedals, but they can be purchased separately. That there will be no heavy blood when you first bring in a mistress with two top hats to show the better half ...
Contrary to expectations, Dorsoduro is truly a supermoto. The rider's stance is upright, the bike is narrow between the legs, the seat is level and stiff enough, the handlebars are high enough to ride while standing, and the cycling is such that a two-wheeled bike hides those 200 kilograms as much as it weighs with all the fluids. It is very easy to change direction, slopes can be very deep, and the characteristics of the surprisingly stiff suspension are really great.
The only drawback we noticed when cornering on the roads around Rome was the instability in the corner. Somehow you need to convince the rational part of the brain that the motorcycle will not do anything unpredictable, even if there are bumps in the middle of a deep turn, and hold on tightly to the handlebars and just run over. In all likelihood, the anxiety could be eliminated with a few clicks of the mouse for a softer suspension adjustment, which we will of course try at the earliest opportunity.
The brakes are some of the best on the Dorsodur. The pair of radially clamped jaws comes from the Piaggio factory in China, which the design engineer admitted with a heavy heart, but at the same time said that, except for a few smaller elements, everything is made in Italy and that they are very strict instructions for cross-eyed employees and standards.
Holds - the brakes stop like hell, and if you put more than two fingers on the lever, you risk flying over the steering wheel. Thanks to good suspension and brakes, the bike is so frisky that a sliding clutch was desired. “It’s in the accessories catalog,” said a man in a Dorsodur sweater, pointing to a red beauty that featured all the sports accessories: milled handles, smaller mirrors, a stitched two-tone seat, a different license plate holder, a golden electric drive chain inside clutch to prevent the rear wheel from locking up.
It is said that one copy of Dorsodur was also delivered to Ivančna Gorica, from where we can expect a couple of sports pots, although the serial exhaust is already working with a very beautiful drum. These shark gill cans are simply decorative caps that can be left on or removed when replacing exhaust pipes.
What motorcycles can we deliver near Dorsodur? KTM SM 690? No, Dorsoduro is stronger, heavier, less races. Ducati Hypermotard? No, the Ducati is more powerful and, above all, much more expensive. So Dorsoduro is proof that the Italians have done something new again. And the quality!
The details are thought out very carefully, only the uneven molding surface of the rear fork will interfere with the annoying operator. Otherwise, Dorsoduro turned out to be a beautiful, fast and, above all, a funny car. Have you missed Moto Boom Celje? Expect this bike at the Vienna Motor Show this month.
Test car price: approx. 8.900 XNUMX euros
engine: two-cylinder V90, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, 749, 9 cm? , electronic fuel injection, four valves per cylinder, three operating modes.
Maximum power: 67 kW (3 km) @ 92 rpm
Maximum torque: 82 Nm @ 4.500 rpm
Frame: modular made of steel pipes and aluminum elements.
Suspension: front adjustable inverted telescopic fork? 43 mm, 160 mm travel, adjustable rear shock absorber, 160 mm travel.
brakes: two coils ahead? 320mm, radially mounted 4-piston calipers, rear disc? 240 mm, single piston cam.
Tires: before 120 / 70-17, back 180 / 55-17.
Seat height from ground: 870 mm.
Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.
Weight: 186 kg.
Fuel tank: 12 l.
Representative: Avto Triglav, Dunajska 122, Ljubljana, 01/5884550, www.aprilia.si.
We praise and reproach
+ engine power and flexibility
+ ergonomics
+ high-spirited driving performance
+ brakes
+ suspension
+ form
– instability in turning on bumps
– small electronics delay
Matevž Hribar, photo :? April
