EICMA: Aprilia Dorsoduro revamped

The Aprilia Dorsoduro is all grown up now, with a new 900 cc engine and other technical upgrades for 2017.

That engine (formerly a 750 cc V-twin) saw stroke increased from 56.4 mm to 67.4 mm, bumping peak output to 92 hp at 8,750 rpm, and torque rising to 90 Nm at 6,500 rpm. Along with the added displacement, the engine also got a new lubrication system and has been upgraded to Euro4 emissions standards.

Of course, that engine upgrade came with new electronic rider aids as well, including a Marelli ride-by-wire throttle, allowing Aprilia to include a three-level traction control system and three separate engine modes (Rain, Touring, Sport).

There’s also new two-channel ABS courtesy of Continental, and a TFT dash.

The chassis has been upgraded to handle the increased power and add stiffness, and Aprilia also added new front forks from Kayaba, and a set of lighter three-spoke wheels. Optional accessories include panniers, carbon-fibre bits, a smartphone interface system, and more.

Canadian MSRP and availability have not been announced yet.

For all the details, here’s the full press release:

2017 APRILIA DORSODURO 900
THE THRILL SEEKER’S MOTORCYCLE FROM APRILIA EVOLVES WITH THE SOLE OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING MAXIMUM RIDING ENJOYMENT. MORE PERFORMANCE FROM THE REVAMPED TWIN-CYLINDER ENGINE, A TIGHTER RIDE AND BETTER HANDLING FROM THE REFINED CHASSIS ARCHITECTURE AND THE BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY

Aprilia Dorsoduro is the fun bike par excellence. Born out of an ingenious intuition by Aprilia, it was built with the sole objective of providing the most possible road riding fun, drawing from the best characteristics of sport bikes with the best characteristics of a supermotard. The result is a bike with advanced technical solutions, agile and with performance at the top of its category. A truly unique bike, achieved not only thanks to Aprilia’s skills in packaging particularly efficient chassis architectures combined with high performance powerplants, but also thanks to collaboration with the Aprilia Racing Department, which has earned 54 world titles, 7 of which were claimed in world Supermoto championship.
Dorsoduro 900 is born out of Aprilia’s solid tradition in this motorcycle segment and it is a true thrill generator. The exclusivity is also due to its original and innovative technical choices, like the mixed steel trellis/aluminum plates frame with excellent handling and tight cornering characteristics. The 90° V-twin engine puts a smile on the rider’s face every time the throttle is twisted, thanks to new characteristics of maximum torque and power that amplify its personality. The fine electronic management that includes, besides the Ride-by-wire multi-map accelerator, traction control and ABS, complete the technical equipment on the Dorsoduro 900.

The Design: The Balancing Point Between Form and Function
The Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 project places riding fun at the center of its focus: for this reason, the superstructures are reduced to the minimum indispensable, as anything that is not essential for performance and maximum riding pleasure has been foregone. The technical elements, on the other hand, play a fundamental role, becoming a fundamental part of the design. It is not just the hand guards on the handlebar and the number plate on the front that highlight the close bond with the racing world. The shape of the center area, the one that most involves the rider during sport riding, also highlights the design created to achieve optimized and compact dimensions that allow the rider to find the right feeling straight away. Aprilia engineers achieved this result by designing a long and flat saddle, clearly derived from the sports world, capable of ensuring the most effective riding position at all times and allowing plenty of room for longitudinal movement. The tail is one of the most representative aesthetic aspects of the Dorsoduro: sleek and slender, it also houses the double exhaust, a solution that allows for excellent proportional symmetry and weight distribution.

Better Performance from the Revamped V-twin Engine

Starting from the 750cc 90° V-twin engine base, well-known and popular because of its character and reliability, Aprilia developed a new 900cc unit with the goal of obtaining more torque and response at low and medium rpms for a thrilling riding experience. The Aprilia V-twin was therefore revisited in numerous details to achieve this purpose. The new engine capacity was obtained by increasing the stroke from 56.4 mm to 67.4 mm and leaving the bore unchanged (92 mm). By doing so, maximum power now peaks at 95.2 HP at 8,750 rpm, but more important is the maximum torque value that goes from 82 Nm (60.48 lb ft) at 4,500 rpm on the 750cc V-twin to 90Nm (66.38 lb ft) at 6,500 rpm on the new 900cc V-twin, a value that is truly at the top of its category. It should be noted that, despite the fact that maximum torque peak for the new 900cc V-twin is reached at higher rpms, the torque curve is more flat and always higher than the 750cc predecessor. This change allowed the acceleration response to be increased, all to the advantage of a fun ride, without limiting in any way whatsoever the proverbial reliability of the powerplant, that in any case, now benefits from a new internal lubrication circuit capable of limiting power loss due to churning and lubrication consumption. The exhaust system, fitted with a double oxygen sensor, contributes to bringing the engine to within the limits established by the Euro 4 pollution standard.

New Electronic Management Electronic engine management is now handled by the new and more powerful Marelli 7SM ECU that communicates with the new full Ride-by-wire electronic accelerator system, completely built into the throttle grip. This system allows even more accurate management of the fuel/air mixture and the injection throttle valve opening based on numerous parameters including engine speed, gearbox position, air flow (in quantity and speed), throttle grip and temperature, with great benefits in terms of smooth riding without opening/closing jerks, containment of harmful emissions and fuel consumption. The engine is, therefore, always able to distribute the ideal torque and provide the best acceleration, all to the advantage of a satisfying and fun machine to ride.

The system also allows a weight reduction of 550 grams compared to the previous Ride-by-wire that equipped the Dorsoduro 750. The sophisticated electronic management also provides the possibility of changing the engine mapping, radically changing the character of how the power it is capable of developing is unloaded onto the ground. The Sport setting provides an immediate and aggressive throttle response; the Touring logic provides a smoother response, ideal for touring and daily use, whereas the Rain map is ideal in the event of difficult weather conditions or on slippery road surfaces. Dorsoduro 900 introduces a new Aprilia traction control system with sensitivity adjustable to three levels (it can also be disabled) to limit rear wheel spin by acting on ignition and the injection throttle valves.

The Dorsoduro 900’s Aprilia Traction Control system is combined with a Continental two-channel ABS system that can also be disabled, with developed calibration in order not to take anything away from the sport-dedication of the ride. The new electrical system places the engine control and management systems in communication with the new color TFT digital instrumentation. The compact unit with a 4.3-inch screen contains a wealth of information that is always highly legible thanks to the light sensor detection capabilities. One of the optional features is the AMP (Aprilia Multimedia Platform) installation kit, the package that connects a smartphone to the vehicle to provide an exceptional quantity of information useful for the ride: the new instrumentation lets you view all the data related to incoming/current calls on the screen, as well as intercom or audio details you may be utilizing.

Chassis Architecture: Better Handling and Control
Aprilia bikes have always been considered a point of reference for their excellence in chassis architecture. The Dorsoduro 900 chassis provides high characteristics of efficiency, balance, a tight ride and precision even in extreme track riding, but at the same time it is easy and intuitive for daily use. These qualities are the merit of the particular layout of its various elements.

The frame takes advantage of the solutions Aprilia has developed in racing competitions, drawing deeply from the experience gained on the mixed structures used in the Supermoto world championship. The trellis upper part in steel tubing (now painted red, like the saddle support frame) is combined with wide spread aluminum lateral plates using special, high-resistance bolts. The result is an extremely rigid and lightweight structure, the best solution for taking full advantage of the revamped capacity of the 900cc V-twin, with an aesthetic impact that communicates light weight, extremely high technical content, and Italian style. Another strongly distinctive technical feature is the lateral and inclined positioning of the shock absorber, a unit that is adjustable in spring preload and hydraulic rebound. This solution has created precious space for an optimum exhaust manifold layout, without having an impact on the length of the bike and without stressing the shock absorber thermally. The aluminum swingarm is sized to withstand the asymmetrical stress due to the lateral positioning of the shock absorber and it boasts the torsional stiffness and elasticity characteristics indispensable for precision at rest and the ride feeling in transitory stages.

On the Dorsoduro 900 a new Kayaba fork makes its début (combined with forged aluminum steering yoke plates), 450 grams lighter, adjustable in hydraulic rebound damping and spring preload and better capable of withstanding the stress of sport riding and absorbing bumps on the road surface, providing control in aggressive riding and greater comfort for those more relaxed rides. The overall improved performance of both the Dorsoduro 900 suspension systems is also due to the new pair of three-split-spoke wheels, more than 2 kg lighter than those that equipped the Dorsoduro 750. Reducing the gyroscopic effect increases handling and acceleration, as well as providing benefits for suspension performance due to reduction of unsprung masses.

The Dorsoduro 900’s top shelf chassis structure is completed by a sport-derived braking system. The front end relies on radial 4-piston callipers and a pair of 320 mm steel floating discs, lightweight and capable of guaranteeing reduced braking distances and excellent modulation. The 240 mm rear disc is gripped by a single-piston calliper. Both the front and rear systems have metal braided lines derived from the aeronautic sector, which eliminate the annoying buffering effect of conventional lines and guarantee precision and resistance to force.

Original Aprilia Accessories Range: Sport and Touring
A wide range of accessories dedicated to sport and touring is available for the Dorsoduro 900 as well. The former highlight the sport soul and the unmistakable Aprilia racing character: parts in precious carbon, billet aluminum components, such as brake and clutch fluid reservoir covers, brake and clutch levers and mirrors, as well as the must-have frame guard and fork bumpers. The accessories dedicated to touring increase the comfort of the Dorsoduro 900, such as the comfort saddle, side panniers and the seat bag. As with the other Aprilia motorcycles, the Aprilia Multimedia Platform is available which, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity and the interface with handlebar controls and the new TFT display, allow the rider to manage and share all the trip information, from data on more sport-oriented riding to touring-related information, with indications on consumption, routes and trip speeds, grip conditions and even Aprilia dealerships.

APRILIA DORSODURO 900 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Engine type
Aprilia V90 Longitudinal 90° V-twin engine, 4-stroke, liquid cooled, double overhead camshaft with mixed gear/chain timing system, four valves per cylinder, Ride-by-wire system
Fuel
Unleaded petrol
Bore and stroke
92 x 67.4 mm
Total engine capacity
896.1 cc
Compression ratio
11 : 1
Maximum power at crankshaft
70.0 kW (95.2 HP) at 8,750 rpm
Maximum torque at crankshaft
90.0 Nm (9.17 kgm) at 6,500 rpm
Fuel system
Integrated engine management system. Injection with 3-map Ride-by-wire throttle valve opening management (Sport, Touring, Rain)
Ignition
Digital electronic, integrated with the injection
Starter
Electric
Exhaust
100% stainless steel 2-in-1 with 3-way catalytic converter and oxygen sensor
Alternator
450 W at 6,000 rpm
Lubrication
Wet sump
Gearbox
6 speeds, drive ratio:
1st 14/36 (2.57) 2nd 17/32 (1.88) 3rd 20/30 (1.5) 4th 22/28 (1.27) 5th 23/26 (1.13) 6th 24/25 (1.04)
Clutch
Multiplate wet clutch, hydraulically operated
Primary drive
Straight cut gears, drive ratio: 38/71 (1.87)
Secondary drive
Chain-driven
Frame
Modular tubular steel frame fastened to aluminum side plates by high strength bolts. Dismountable rear frame
Front suspension
Upside-down fork, stanchions  41 mm. Adjustable hydraulic rebound damping and spring preload. Wheel travel 160 mm.
Rear suspension
Aluminum alloy swingarm
Hydraulic shock absorber with adjustable extension and spring preload
Wheel travel 160 mm.
Brakes
Front: Dual 320 mm stainless floating discs. Radial, four-piston callipers.
Metal braided brake hose
Rear: 240 mm stainless steel disc. Single piston calliper. Metal braided line.
Continental two-channel ABS system
Wheel rims
Aluminum alloy
Front: 3.50 X 17″ Rear: 6.00 x 17″
Tires
Radial tubeless tires; Front: 120/70 ZR 17, Rear: 180/55 ZR 17
Dimensions
Max length 2210 mm (87.0 inches)
Max width 905 mm (35.6 inches) at the handlebar
Max height 1100 mm (43.3 inches) at the instrument cluster
Saddle height 870 mm (34.2 inches)
Wheelbase 1500 mm (59.0 inches)
Trail 108 mm (4.2 inches)
Steering angle 26°
Tank
12 liters (3.17 gallons)