Motorcycle specifications Aprilia 1200 DORSODURO 2011 Tighten the laces

we've known for a while - in fact, ever since the FV2 concept car appeared - that Aprilia was preparing the arrival of a big 1200 cm3 twin. Now it's finally here, and it's in a big Supermotard that it's making its first production appearance. In the 1200 Dorsoduro to be precise. A long-awaited machine, it uses the same solutions as the 750 of the same name. It has the same sporty silhouette, with just a few minor refinements (mini windscreen, engine cowling...), the same chassis profile with 43 mm inverted forks, 4-piston radial calipers on 320 mm discs, a very attractive double-spoke swingarm, and a tubular steel trellis frame connected to aluminum side plates.

on the engine side, however, there's a lot to get excited about. Noale's brand-new twin-cylinder engine measures 1,197 cm, with super-square dimensions (106 x 67.8 mm). It features 4 valves per cylinder, liquid cooling, dual ignition, dual ACT, and Aprilia's favorite electronic technology: ride-by-wire throttle, triple mapping (Sport, Touring, Rain), ABS, and ATC traction control derived from the RSV4. These last two elements are supplied as optional extras, which explains the high price of the ABS version. Each system can be disconnected, allowing riders to choose their level of safety and/or drifting according to their experience and skill.
To take the wind out of Ducati's 1100 Hypermotard and elbow KTM's SM 990, the twin has not skimped on power. Under the right hand you'll find 130 hp and almost 12 mkg of torque. That's a lot of watts for a machine in this class. Maximum power is obtained at 8,700 rpm. Maximum torque of 11.7 mkg arrives a little earlier, at 7,200 rpm. Mind you, the 1200 Dosoduro is also a machine weighing over 200 kg that needs to be mastered, and therefore leaves less room for improvisation than a pure Supermot' machine weighing one quintal less. But where this big SMV falls short is on the suspension front: ill-adjusted, it doesn't allow for muscular riding and clearly doesn't live up to the expectations raised by this machine.

bigger and stronger, the 1200 Dorsoduro doesn't just inflate power and weight. It also boasts a longer wheelbase, a 4-liter larger fuel tank and Sachs suspension with more adjustability. Let's let our imaginations run away with us in this Aprilia launch video.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos