Aprilia has just introduced the latest updates of its Shiver and Dorsoduro in India, sporting a new, larger V-twin motor and a more comprehensive electronics package. The Shiver 900 is basically a light, agile roadster while the Dorsoduro 900 is beefier motard capable of handling touring duties (much like the Ducati Hyperstrada). These bikes were launched internationally earlier this year and it will mark the debut of the Shiver range in the country. The larger Dorsoduro 1200 has been available for a while now and its smaller-capacity sibling will join it on showroom floors.
At their heart, these new 900s get a new 896cc, V-twin motor that is capable of outputting a peak power figure of 95.2hp coming in at 8,750rpm, while the peak torque figure is a healthy 90Nm at 6,500rpm. Both these bikes are built around the same steel-tube trellis frame which is bolted on to aluminium side-plates and gets a bolt-on rear subframe.
Suspension components are shared as well, with 41mm Kayaba upside down fork up front and an adjustable monoshock at the rear. However, since both bikes have been designed to fill different roles, suspension travel is different. The Shiver 900 has a maximum front wheel travel of 120mm and a maximum rear wheel travel of 130mm, while the Dorsoduro 900, understandably, has increased travel of 160mm at both ends.
Braking is provided by twin, 320mm floating discs up front with radial four-piston Brembo calipers and a single, 240mm disc round the back with a single-piston Brembo caliper. Dual channel ABS from Continental is standard across both bikes. The six-spoke, 17-inch cast aluminium wheels are different in terms of design from the 750s and lighter as well.
The bikes will feature an enhanced electronics package compared to the 750s. There’s switchable traction control on both bikes, but the Shiver only gets an on-off option, while the Dorsoduro has a three-way traction control setting. Thanks to a ride-by-wire throttle, both bikes feature three riding modes – sport, touring and rain – which alter power delivery and throttle response. And to round things off, there’s a full-colour 4.3” TFT display that gets Bluetooth connectivity for a smartphone and can control multimedia as well as trip computer functions through buttons on the handlebar.
Both the Shiver 900 and the Dorsoduro 900 will be available at Piaggio’s exclusive MotoPlex showrooms in Pune, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The company is offering a significantly reduced introductory for these two motorcycles. You can check out the specifics of that here:
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
Dinshaw Magol
Vishal Venugopal
