2018 APRILIA DORSODURO 900
FULL TEST
P94
main difference between the two
is the Dorso gets a one-tooth-
smaller front sprocket to coerce
a little more hooligan behavior
out of the pilot.
The new engine makes a
claimed 93.8 horsepower and 66.3 lb-ft
of torque—respectable numbers—but when
paired to a claimed wet weight of 476 pounds,
isn't going to set the world on fire, perfor-
mance-wise.
Aside from the bore increase, the new
engine enjoys some frictional losses thanks
to new pistons and a lightened piston pin,
and electronics are now governed by the new
Marelli 7SM ECU that houses traction con-
trol and a new Continental two-channel ABS
system.
The throttle is a ride-by-wire unit (quick pub
fact: the first Dorso of 2007 was the very first
Aprilia to get ride-by-wire as standard) and
houses three separate riding modes in Sport,
Touring and Rain, all accessed through the
4.3-inch TFT dash that comes straight off the
RSV4 and Tuono 1100 range (but still without
a remaining fuel range meter). It's an easy
system to read and use, and is the best dash
in the class against the Hypermotard 939 and
the MV Agusta Rivale.
Also swiped from the standard Tuono V4 are
the three-spoke wheels that drop a claimed
(Above) A face only a mother could love?
(Below) Brembo brakes are good but are let
down by an old-school master cylinder.
1.9 pounds off the front and 2.8 pounds from the
rear of unsprung mass of the old 750, while Kayaba
donates the 41mm front suspension and rear canti-
lever shock—both ends adjustable by preload and
rebound.
Two things immediately stand out when you com-
plete your first five miles of riding a Dorsoduro 900:
the first is it feels heavier than an urban supermoto/
streetbike of this ilk should, and the second is the
claimed 93 horsepower feels too little for a bike this
size. It simply doesn't have the get-up-and-go I was
hoping for out of a bike that looks this cool. Couple
the overall lack of punch with a ride-by-wire throttle
that's surprisingly heavy, given that it's not actually
pulling open the throttle bodies and just sending volt-
age to the ECU.
The flip side of this is the throttle is not jerky in any
Excellent
dash is
missing only
one thing—a
fuel gauge!
