Aprilia 750 Shiver

Punchy Priller

There's no doubt about it, when it comes to V-twins the Italians know a thing or two. We've all come to accept the established names like Moto Guzzi and Ducati, but in recent years, with a history going back to just after WWI, Aprilia has become more than a force to be reckoned with.

How much of a force? Since 1985 the company has won 34 world race titles and arguably has become as synonymous with racing success as Ducati. And since 2004, when the company was acquired by scooter giant Piaggio, Aprilia has been expanding its range to include some truly exciting V-twins.

They range from the ultra-sexy 450 and 550 Supermotos to the subject of this test, the 750 Shiver. It also forms the basis of the automatic 850 Mana, which in turn lends its engine to the Gilera GP800 Superscooter.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
What's in a name? Everything. When you name a motorcycle, it should conjure images of power, elegance, strength and speed - something spiced with a hint of danger.

Giving a motorcycle a name that normally accompanies snotty noses and abject misery seems to miss the mark. Not to worry, from here on we will refer to the Shiver as the 'Shiv' - thus changing its image from chilly trembling to Gypsy slang for a murderous knife.

ON THE MENU
The Shiv represents Aprilia's entry-level big bike, and priced at $14,990 plus ORC it will challenge the likes of Suzuki's GSX650F, Kawasaki's Z750 and Triumph's Street Triple.

The engine, built completely in-house, is a 90-degree, liquid-cooled, four-valve, twin-plug V-twin, which makes a claimed 95hp at 9000rpm and 8.25kg-m of torque at 7000rpm.

In a move that signals the need to meet Euro emissions as well as provide tuning flexibility, the engine is fuel-injected via ride-by-wire twin throttle bodies.

Perversely, the ECU that opens and closes the throttle butterflies is itself operated from a black box operated by twin cables from the throttle. Yep, just like throttle cables. Go figure...

Anyway, the super-compact engine sits neatly into a modular frame that uses two cast-aluminium rear sections and a steel-tube trellis front. The swingarm pivots in the aluminium sections, with the right unit carrying the front mount for the Sachs single shock, which is adjustable for preload and rebound. Complementing the shock is a non-adjustable, inverted fork.

The impressive-looking radial-mount brakes are in fact Taiwanese Brembo copies operating on 320mm floating twin discs. At the back there's a simple 245mm disc and twin-piston caliper offering support.

The Shiv is stylish in the currently fashionable 'Transformers' style that seems to have reached its ultimate expression in the wildly angular Suzuki B-King. I get it, and I can appreciate it when it's done well, but I can't help feeling that it'll be s-o-o-o last season in next to no time - especially when it's only available in black or silver. A couple of more flamboyant colour options would be good.

TRYING IT OUT
Discounting the colours, it'll be the ride the thing delivers that will turn test rides into dollars. In this area, the Shiv demonstrates the trademark Aprilia flair of performance and handling. Being a 750 is no handicap and it has to be said that although there's not the litre-plus bottom-end, you truly don't miss it.

Just as Triumph pulled off a master stroke with the prodigious grunt of the 675 Street Triple, Aprilia has followed suit. Slicing home the smooth hydraulic clutch and launching off hard from the lights will loft that front wheel in the first two gears.

For more sedate progress the engine is willing and smooth from down low, and this makes for easy city traffic duties.

There was an initial question over the ride-by-wire system, due to a doughy throttle response at low speed - it was like there was too much play in the throttle cables.

Overseas tests showed no such problem, so on our test bike it may well have been down to a slightly loose throttle assembly, which allowed a couple of degrees of extra movement. Not much, but perhaps enough to confuse the throttle position sensor. At higher speeds, the problem either went away or became unnoticeable.

It's my contention that regardless of outright power, in 90 per cent of Aussie road situations you can only find a use for about 50 to 85 horses, and it's the way you access the power that makes the difference between getting your kicks or getting nowhere. With the Shiv you can rip up the dial to 9000rpm, with a real surge coming in at 6000rpm, and the gears change easily.

But in close-combat, twisty country roads, you stay in third or fourth, where balancing revs and grip reaps huge rewards.

I love the upright, slightly supermoto riding position - I could ride this baby far further than its miserly 15lt tank would allow.

The steering is light and the geometry combines agility with feedback and forgiveness in equal measure.

But it's the Shiv's suspension that really stands out. Even though it's budget gear - a non-adjustable fork and preload adjustable rear monoshock - on a tight road it works superbly. Ridden in isolation without any serious competition, the Shiv may be the best handling bike for road riding I've tried in a long time. Full marks.

I was a bit suspicious about those Taiwanese Brembo copies to start with, but once again as with the suspension, Aprilia has shown a remarkable ability to keep costs down while providing good equipment.

There's more than enough bite and strength in the front to slow from any speed the bike is capable of - trust me. The often overlooked rear is perfect for low speed control, especially those tight turns in narrow areas.

Let's deal with some criticisms: like the fact the 15lt fuel tank equates to around 200km or less before you're looking for a servo. It's more than a little ironic that the Shiv's accessories list includes panniers for touring.

Then there's the pillion accommodation. On the face of it things look good - until you put your hand on the seat on a warm day.

The underseat exhaust is a large canister the entire width of the seat. The radiated heat may well be a welcome addition in colder climes, but here the seat felt hotter than I would imagine a pillion would find comfortable.

Okay, I admit a different exhaust would fix things, and to a greater or lesser degree other underseat exhausts on other bikes may well be as bad - but it's not good design.

I do have some niggling doubts about the finish, but only time will tell on that count.

Overall, based on what admittedly was a short acquaintance, I liked the Shiv. It manages to be more than, say, an SV650 in character and performance, but less then, say, a Tuono or SV1000.

Its overall civility is great for day-to-day use and there appears to be a genuinely sporting capability that an SV650 simply doesn't have. How well the Shiv sells will depend on price and how it stacks up against the competition in back-to-back comparisons.

Personally I hope it does well, as it has so much to offer both experienced and inexperienced riders.

RANGE RAGE
Call me old fashioned, but when was it decided that no-one wanted to travel more than 200 to 250km in one hit? In recent years we have seen fuel range reducing litre by litre. At first it was to save weight, but now it's all about style - like a Harley Sportster - and it's dumb.

Perfectly practical motorcycles have become illogically impractical, simply because they need a fuel stop in less than 200km.

The Aprilia Shiver is a classic example: 15lt means a usable 12 or 13lt. Even the master of mileage, BMW, has sold out with a paltry 16lt in the F800 and a ludicrous 13lt assigned to the HP2 MegaMoto.

And while 16lt seems to have become some sort of manufacturer-imposed limit on a range of machines, at least Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha are showing some signs of good sense (the 2008 Honda Hornet and the recently-released Suzuki GSX650F both carry 19lt).

Anything less than a range of 250km is simply unacceptable and, just as every electronically fuel-injected bike should come with a cruise control as standard as well as adjustable handlebars, having a decent range shouldn't be too much to ask for.

Even the cheapest cars have a decent range and adjustable seating, so how come the motorcycling public is being short-changed?

RATINGS:

NOT SO GOOD