Small and big supermoto

• Video

Motorsport is fun, but there is nothing more fun than supermoto. The agility of a motocross race car and the stickiness of road tires is a combination that gives the rider the desire to stay on the right side of the law, which is tested every time.

How do you stay calm behind a slow car if you have a curved gray snake called a road in front of you? Hard. After a quick side view, the left hand grabs the clutch, and at the same moment the left foot hits the gear lever twice - the gas passes. It's even harder to resist aggressively opening the throttle and drifting through the corner on a familiar patch of slippery asphalt.

This sounds funny, but it is also dangerous and in most cases contrary to laws, articles and paragraphs that a police officer may indicate on your payment order. Since we had a supermoto version of the Pit Bajko without a license plate while testing the new Dorsodur, we didn't have to think long - we would have to hit the track!

The beauty Aprilia fell in love with us last year as we chased him through the hills of Rome for a press presentation. The Italians were surprised and made a very beautiful product out of the stripped Shiver. It can be seen that the individual parts are not just quickly "put together", but attention is paid to each detail separately.

The frame, which consists of die-cast aluminum and steel tubes, and the assembly are the same as on the Shiver, and everything else had to be redesigned. In this they were assisted by the department, which took care of the development of the two-cylinder super motors SXV 4.5 and 5.5.

Compared to the Shiver, the Dorsoduro has a longer swingarm that is three kilograms lighter and two degrees more open than the frame heads, another auxiliary frame and an exhaust pipe hidden under plastic with shark gills slots, and, of course, another seat in the front. ... grille, fender, rudder. ...

Quality components with adjustable preload and damping speed have been highlighted for the suspension elements, and the choice of anti-lock braking system has been added to the excellent braking package. ABS on supermot, are you kidding me?

Well, it should be noted that Dorso, despite its almost racing components (suspension and brakes), is not a racing car, but “just” a living two-wheeler for everyday use on the road, so the possibility of this electronic gadget is not superfluous.

Interestingly, despite the ABS, pushing too hard on the right lever on good asphalt can still knock you off the wheel. We are not used to this on bikes with similar braking systems, as it is usually the electronics to keep the rear tire in contact with the ground.

Well, not Dorsodur, which will delight everyone who loves to get behind the wheel. It's quite easy because of the 320mm discs and radially mounted four-toothed cams, only landing on both wheels can be hard and loud due to the weight of the bike (not an easy racing feature!), So we recommend a lighter car to practice such pranks ...

Thus, we were impressed with the ABS performance at the front and a little less with the fact that the Dorsoduro does not want to create “splashes” when braking. Most users will not do this anyway, but now it is the case that sliding rear wheel braking is one of the main elements of real supermoto riding. It is a pity that the ABS does not switch. If the electronics were somehow disabled on the rear brake, that would be nice too. ...

However, completely without any electronic means, there is a toy called Pit Bike. Sorry, Slovenians, but there are no Slovenian words for motorcycle, which means motorcycle in races (yet), so we will say it the same way as Americans.

With the off-road version, we scared the guards in our garage this year, and this time the agent pushed the smooth tire version into our hands. Instead of coarse stumps, the Sava MC31 S-Racer tires have shallow enough notches to meet road homologation requirements, making them true racing tires. And this is how they behave!

The pit bike lay like a nail in the corner, giving very good braking feedback when the tire started to slip. The Sava got a round of applause for both the product and the little toy on two wheels, but only after we picked up the tools and attached the side heads, rear sprocket and steering wheel. The bike arrived brand new for testing and it looks like the Italians were tightening the bolts before breakfast and therefore lacking power.

The price of Pit Bike is low (compared to similar Chinese products) for no reason. The toy has a quality Protaper handlebar, Progrip rubber levers (the same as on motocross racing cars), Marzocchi Shiver adjustable forks, and the rear single shock can also be adjusted in two steps.

Namely, this is a product with which our western neighbors are already massively participating in races, and as part of the minimoto championship, you can also compete on racing asphalt in our country. A single cylinder four-stroke motorcycle is enough for a fun chase after just under 70kg of heavy motorcycle.

The advantage of small size and light weight is incredible maneuverability and the possibility of complete control over what is happening. In a turn, you have to move to the outside of the seat and put your weight on the outside pedal, and then the feeling of how much lean angle the tire is still holding is perfect. Even under the bridge, where the asphalt is the most slippery, no one fell, despite the crazy move.

We'll have to get used to the somewhat unfamiliar gearbox layout. All gears, including first, are upshifted, so when braking before cornering, it sometimes happens that the transmission unintentionally stays idle.

Once we figured out how funny the little supermoto was, Dorsoduro remained parked by the track. In fact, the 750cc car is great on the road, but too large and heavy for such a twisty track. However, without the slightest doubt, it can be said that the Dorsoduro is currently the best choice for all super motors that want to drive vigorously but not race. If you are not worried about the wind, it can withstand high speeds, the unit does not emit annoying vibrations, even the passenger pedals are standard!

And Pete Bike? The problem with the fart is that it can only be driven on racing asphalt as it cannot be registered. But besides, it is so loud that I was ashamed to bring it to life on my home street. But we got an interesting idea: you know the six-hour inertia races with pulleys? Hey, this is going to be an amazing racing party. We're serious. ...

Well, find out everything at the right time.

S, T to R

These are abbreviations for Sport, Touring and Rain, or, in Slovenian, sport, tourism or the motor electronics rain program. With a long press of the starter button, we can change the engine characteristics for the Dorsodur. Last year, while wandering Italian roads, we argued that the rain and tourism program was boring, but after a test in the city center we changed our mind.

The T program works great from one traffic light to the next, as the twin-cylinder engine responds smoothly and continuously without annoying knocking. In R? Otherwise, a living engine at low revs is lazy, as if it has some 250 cubic centimeters.

Face to face. ...

Petr Kavchich: The kid surprised me. At first I thought it was another plastic toy from China, but after a few laps we went crazy on the rear wheel and gripped the asphalt with the extremely soft and sticky Sava tires. So for fun and some kind of racing with friends on the same motorcycles, this is a very worthy product.

The Dorsoduro is a different story, a powerful and agile unit great for tight turns. The only thing that bothered me was that as a passenger he had no handles to hold on to. Otherwise, another funny beast from Noal.

Pitbike Dream 77 Evo

Test car price: 2.250 EUR

engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-oil cooling, 149 cm? , carburetor.

Maximum power: 12 kW (16 km) price np

Maximum torque: np

Energy transfer: Transmission 4-speed, chain.

Frame: steel pipe.

brakes: front coil? 210mm rear coil? 190 mm.

Suspension: front adjustable Marzocchi telescopic fork, rear adjustable single shock absorber.

Tires: Sava MC31 S-Racer, front 110 / 80-12, rear 120 / 90-12.

Seat height from ground: np

Fuel tank: 3 l.

Wheelbase: 1.180 mm.

Weight: 69 kg.

Representative: Moto-mandini, doo, Dunajska cesta 203, Ljubljana, 059 013 636, www.motomandini.com.

We praise and reproach

+ live engine

+ quality components

+ adjustable suspension

+ fun agility

+ sound

- loosely tighten the screws

- gearbox design

– noise

- limited use

Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 ABS

Test car price: 9.599 EUR

engine: two-cylinder V 75 °, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 749, 9 cm? , 4 valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection.

Maximum power: 67 kW (3 km) @ 92 rpm

Maximum torque: 82 Nm @ 4.500 rpm

Energy transfer: Transmission 6-speed, chain.

Frame: modular from cast iron and steel pipes.

brakes: two coils ahead? 320mm, 240-rod radial jaws, rear disc? XNUMX mm, single piston caliper, anti-lock braking system ABS.

Suspension: front adjustable inverted telescopic fork? 43mm, 160mm travel, rear adjustable single shock, 160mm travel.

Tires: 120/70-17, 180/55-17.

Seat height from ground: 870 mm.

Fuel tank: 12 l.

Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.

Weight: 206 kg.

Representative: Avto Triglav, Dunajska 122, Ljubljana, 01/5884550, www.aprilia.si.

We praise and reproach

+ great engine

+ gearbox

+ ease of use

+ brakes

+ ABS work

+ design

– ABS does not allow braking across

– restlessness at high speeds and cornering

Matevž Gribar, photo: Aleš Pavletič

• Basic data

  Test model cost: € 9.599 XNUMX €

• Technical information

  engine: two-cylinder, V 75 °, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 749,9 cm³, 4 valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection.

  Torque: 82 Nm @ 4.500 rpm

  Energy transfer: Transmission 6-speed, chain.

  Frame: modular from cast iron and steel pipes.

  brakes: two discs Ø 320 mm in front, radially mounted four-piston calipers, rear disc Ø 240 mm, single-piston caliper, anti-lock braking system ABS.

  Suspension: front adjustable Marzocchi telescopic fork, rear adjustable single shock absorber. / front adjustable inverted telescopic fork Ø 43 mm, travel 160 mm, rear adjustable single damper, travel 160 mm.

  Fuel tank: 12 l.

  Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.

  Weight: 206 kg.

We praise and reproach

live engine

quality components

adjustable suspension

funny dexterity

sound

great engine

Transmission

ease of use

brakes

ABS work

design

anxiety at high speeds and in corners

ABS does not allow braking across

limited use

noise

gearbox design

loose screws