CarBrandLogos archive · Aprilia · 2008

ApriliaDorsoduro

Supermoto proportions and a V-twin, for riders with no use for fairings.

Photo: Corvettec6r · CC BY 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Aprilia history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Aprilia Dorsoduro, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The Dorsoduro is the Shiver's sibling, built around the same engine and much of the same chassis but dressed as a supermoto: tall and narrow, with long-travel suspension, a flat seat and the riding position of an oversized dirt bike.

Aprilia SMV750 Dorsoduro · S. Bogdol · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

Aprilia's 90-degree four-stroke V-twin appeared in three capacities over the model's life - 749 cc from 2008, a 1197 cc version from 2011 that made the bike genuinely quick, and an 896 cc replacement from 2017 - all with six-speed gearboxes and ride-by-wire throttles with selectable maps.

In production

The type has always been a niche one. A supermoto is uncomfortable at motorway speed, limited on range and very hard to beat on a tight, broken road, and buyers who want one usually know exactly why. The 1200 in particular gained a reputation for offering more power than the format strictly needed. Production ended in 2020.

At a glance