All Tests – Dorsoduro 1200 2012 model test: even more explosive! – Chi goes Dorsoduro, goes allegro

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Dorsoduro 1200 2012 model test: even more explosive !

All Tests - Dorsoduro 1200 2012 model test: even more explosive! - Chi goes Dorsoduro, goes allegro

It was at the foot of the Etna volcano, in Sicily, that Aprilia brought together the European press to (re) discover one of its most sulphurous models: the Dorsoduro 1200. What are the few modifications made in 2012 to this? maxi supermoto ? Test.

Chi goes Dorsoduro, goes allegro

The increased maneuverability of the Dorsoduro 2012 is confirmed when it comes to attacking the more or less open laces that lead to Etna. Stalled on 3rd gear, the maxi supermotard propels from one turn to another with disconcerting ease! The torque of the twin cylinder and the total lack of protection of the windshield force to grip firmly to the handlebars.

The footrests may be provided with rubber, the vibrations are felt around 4,000 rpm and then rise to the crotch. But the pilot hardly notices it, much more concentrated on this road which does not stop turning. !

If it too goes completely unnoticed during acceleration or angle changes, the weight of the Dorsoduro "1.2" – it is written on it – is noticed during braking..

Indeed, while we appreciate this time all the bite and the immediately available power of the two front brakes, we also realize that the Dorsoduro is not a frail SXV 450 and that it requires anticipation. and a good dose of cold blood !

Unless your name is Adrien Chareyre (S1 world champion on Aprilia in 2011), it is better to keep the bike well in line to properly manage the surroundings of a pin. By looking a little, we – the journalists paid for that, much less the bikers who paid for their motorbikes! – moreover reaches the limit of the grip of Pirelli and the Sicilian dirty roads during very heavy braking.

The opportunity is too good: by looking "really", we force the ABS (Continental brand, dual-channel separate front and rear brakes) to intervene. The result is convincing: the jerks in the lever are minimal and the slight extension of the braking distance allows you to take a turn while staying on your portion of the road..

On the other hand, the behavior of the bike on a curve is a little worse. Releasing it and then resuming the front brake causes too great a variation in the trajectory to continue to attack in this way. Intervention on the rear brake is more discreet, but the best is not to have to intervene at all !

A passage in a long series of bends strewn with tiny lava balls – Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and had woken up the day before our passage – puts a strain on your nerves: it slips really passing on the black streaks and you have to focus to keep the front wheel in the right place.

The precision of the Dorsoduro claimed by Aprilia can be further improved … By the rider initially, by keeping the thighs firmly glued against the tank – skillfully flared – in order to become one with the bike and to better control its deviations. .. Then in a second step, in 2015 who knows, by the engineers of Noale ?!

A fiery character

Out of bends, the Dorsoduro 2012 convinces much more: it sits correctly on its rear axle and only moves or widens if the pilot presses the right handle with insistence … and assistance, since ATC is on standby (for € 1,000 moreover, with ABS).

In mode 3, the "Traction Control" is a bit too intrusive and is slow to put back the (kilo) watts after having detected the tiniest slip … To take advantage of the nasty character of the 1200, mode 1 is therefore recommended in order to to delay and reduce the action of ATC on the intake throttles then, if necessary, on the ignition advance.

Small bonus 2012: ATC refines its indirect anti-wheeling role: "in mode 3 for example, the return to the ground of the front wheel (which has stopped accelerating at the same rate as the rear by taking off from the ground) is done more quickly than in mode 1".

In fact, the Dorsoduro 1.2 can effectively lift the front wheel during heavy acceleration, without being immediately cut off. And fortunately because smoothly led, the Aprilia takes advantage of each hill to rear up !

To see what the Dorsoduro really has in its belly, the pilot will have taken care to re-engage the S mode, too aggressive for city driving but well suited to driving on departmental roads !

After having stuck a first slap at 4000 rpm, the engine distributes a second, even more violent, around 6500 rpm … Difficult to be more precise, as it is difficult to stay the eyes riveted on the tachometer in this situation !

The still noticeable injection jerks are irrelevant when trying to exploit the potential of Aprilia. We even welcome the "On-Off" character of the engine in the "Sport" version! Likewise, the somewhat harsh selection in town does not prevent up and down gears without resorting to the clutch..

The pleasure is then enormous … Too bad, however, that the handlebars are a little too bent because it essentially puts stress on the inside of the palms when braking.

Impossible, despite this slight inconvenience, to resist the call of the arson … So much so that after barely 100 km, the reserve indicator of a colleague starts to flash! Be careful, because the very complete dashboard (see technical sheet on the following pages) does not have a fuel gauge..

During the ascent, the onboard computer of the Dorsoduro led by MNC showed an average consumption of 7.9 l / 100km. On the return – downhill – it dropped to 7.1 l / 100km.

Happiness is on the road

However, these values ​​seemed a bit optimistic, since the result of the quick head calculation after a pump run (1.87 € per liter of Super!) Was more around 10 l / 100km…

With its 15 liter tank, the Dorsoduro will never be cut for long trips, despite the panoply of luggage and accessories offered by Aprilia. We would therefore prefer to leave the Dorsoduro on sunny weekends..

The "R" mode (for Rain, "rain" in English) of the traction control is however very well calibrated. Extraordinarily smooth from idle to 3000 rpm, same handle screwed into the corner.

The engine then offers something to accelerate hard as soon as a dry portion occurs (it leaves 100 horses all the same!) Or if necessary, to overtake on the fast track for example..

The lack of a rear fender means you have to take out your raincoat as soon as the road is wet. A raincoat that we will have loaded in our bag, and not under the saddle where even a mandatory breathalyzer (read) would hardly find its place…

To summarize, the Dorsoduro 1200 does not allow you to make long journeys, to engage in Supermotard competition or to go to work every day … And yet, the 2012 version pleased us !

Because the Dorsoduro 1.2 allows … to ride a motorcycle, the "real", with all that that entails: joy, bad faith, fear, arsouille, pride, sweats, etc. ! Offered at a now attractive price, it should be tried at least once in your biker life. And in priority by the lucky ones who can afford a second motorbike, like that, just for fun…

Still as powerful and enjoyable, the big Dorso has become more agile. All it needs is precision to become truly "Fun". Precision and a hint of comfort, whether in the saddle or the suspensions, still a little dry on small amplitudes.

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