Comparison test of adventure travel enduros

Posted on by admin

Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally against Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere

Adventure travel enduro bikes in comparison

With a larger front wheel and off-road look, Aprilia gives the Caponord in the rally version a touch of adventure. In the comparison test it has to compete with the Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere.

The matte green appears to be the program AT.prilia to be Caponord 1200 rally. Ready to fight, assertive, on the warpath. Determined to pave the way through the dense jungle of travel enduro bikes. Not an easy task. Because in addition to the super athletes, the manufacturers recently chose these great all-rounders as their flagships. Traction control, various driving modes, sometimes even semi-active suspension – technologically, travel enduros have been using heavy artillery for some time.

Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally against Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere

Adventure travel enduro bikes in comparison

Aprilia Caponord on the touring enduro front is now getting reinforcements from the rally variant. The Italian was prepared for the trench war with spoked instead of cast wheels (in the front in 19 instead of 17 inch format), 20 millimeters longer wheelbase, 1.3 degrees flatter steering angle, larger windshield, crash bars and two additional LED headlights.

Caponord makes noises, Yamaha mocks cautiously

But despite all the war paint – gravel remains a secondary theater of war for travel enduros. Where it matters most is on the street. Yamaha knows that too. After all, the medals of the XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere have become a bit dull from the desert battles for Dakar in the 90s. Today, the two-cylinder presented in 2010 defines itself as a comfortable mile eater – and in this case, in the ZE model equipped with electronically adjustable spring elements, as the benchmark for the young Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally. Because with almost identical cubic capacity of almost 1200 cm³, moderately differing peak performances of measured 113 PS (Yamaha) and 123 PS (Aprilia) as well as the usual class prices of around 16,000 euros, the duo fights on equal terms.

Button pressed. The 90-degree V2 from the Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally, which comes from the Dorsoduro fun bike, breaks loose and joins its four-cylinder sisters RSV4 and Tuono with the bass from the stainless steel system. This noise floor is certainly least needed in a tourist-oriented concept like the Caponord. The parallel twin of the Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere, on the other hand, patters cautiously, breathing discreetly from its sheet steel silencer. A sensible move that allows many a detour on provincial roads or dirt roads with a clearer conscience.

The shortest-stroke of all touring enduro two-cylinder

But in the end the sound makes the music – at least from the Aprilia point of view. Because while a look at the Italian’s performance curve attests a torque that is inferior in the entire speed range and the superior performance in the data sheet only applies to the top 1000 revs, the Caponord literally crumples its test bench diagrams in practice. The two-cylinder kicks in, pushes the machine forward with power. The fact that he still grudges the chain up to around 3000 rpm hardly bothers. Finally, he catapults himself up the speed ladder with impressive ease, and can be shifted through the slightly slipping gearbox – with a relatively stiff clutch. No wonder, as the Aprilia propellant is the shortest-stroke of all two-cylinder travel enduro bikes.

It also behaves in an exemplary manner at the apex of the bend, shines with minimal load exchange reactions and – thanks to the well-coordinated ride-by-wire – accelerates extremely gently. With this in mind, the choice of driving mode is a matter of taste. In the spontaneously appealing sport mapping, the electronics combine driving fun and good manners so successfully that the tamer touring mode can be dispensed with even at a more moderate pace. On the rain mode, which is limited to 98 hp and reacts slowly, anyway. And anyone who now suspects that the cheerful performance was helped on the jumps with a short translation, is wrong. Compared to the Yamaha, the Aprilia has a longer gear ratio in the lower four gears. Which doesn’t stop them from always being one step ahead of the Super Tenere in terms of both acceleration and pulling power.

Super Tenere conveys a sublime driving experience

Which the Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere doesn’t seem to care. Strength lies in calm, this is the motto that the XTZ drive has made its own. Enhanced by the subtle sound, the two-cylinder, which is designed with a crank pin offset of 270 degrees, is particularly gentle. No tearing, no rough addressing stirs up the pilot. Instead, the Tenere gives him a sublime driving experience from the first meter. The twin responds calmly, only requires revs for the very ambitious ride, can be shifted smoothly through the gearbox and ultimately consumes 4.3 liters even one liter less than the Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally. The Yamaha rider can also save himself the need to switch from sport mapping to the more cautiously appealing touring mode with this characteristic. The inexperienced rider can hardly believe that the XTZ engine is actually hardly put in its place by the Aprilia engine during this pleasant appearance. A fact that ultimately speaks clearly for the efficiency and smoothness of the Japanese propellant. Precisely for this reason, the Yamaha technicians could have finally taken the throttling in the first three gears out of the program when revising the Super Tenere last year.

Mainly because they dealt with the bits and bytes also in terms of chassis. The Yamaha rider can leave the screwdriver for adjusting the spring elements in the tool kit for the ZE model (surcharge for the basic model: 500 euros). Similar to the ESA from BMW, damping and spring preload (only on the monoshock) and six fine adjustments each with different load conditions (one-person operation to two-person operation with Baggage). Sounds complicated, but it’s only getting used to. Later on, the electronic helpers turn out to be very practical, for example when two-person operation is used, they raise the rear by up to two centimeters and level the XTZ effortlessly.

The range of damping was also practical, preventing a faux pas even if the electronic dial is wrong – and allows the Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere to continue to show its strengths: excellent driving comfort. As if bedded down on down, the Yamaha glides over the ramshackle country roads, making full use of its up to 40 millimeter longer suspension travel and, on top of that, absorbs the worst potholes with one of the most comfortable seating in the travel enduro segment. Great. In general, the Yamaha does not let stress arise for a second, steers precisely and calmly, brakes properly, keeps the line clean and with this chassis configuration continues the smooth appearance of its engine. However: the calm mind takes its toll. The dashing Eckenwetz is not the Super Tenere’s thing. When swinging around corners, the 271-kilogram big bike feels massive, suggesting that it has significantly more fat on its ribs than the Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally, which is just four kilograms lighter at 267 kilograms.

Caponord automatically detects the load status

That adds a shovel on the subject of chassis. ADD, Aprilia Dynamic Damping, is what the Italians call their semi-active suspension based on Sachs spring elements. The special feature compared to the systems already used in the travel enduros from BMW, Ducati and KTM: In addition to the damping that is continuously adjusted during the journey, spring travel sensors also detect the load status. So automatic mode clicked – and whoosh, for example with loaded suitcases or a climbed passenger, a servomotor automatically tensions the spring of the monoshock, raising the rear by a maximum of 17 millimeters. If you don’t want to give up the scepter, you can adjust the load and damping settings manually. But the auto setup works well, giving the pilot the opportunity to enjoy the Caponord without distraction.

Because like the Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere, the Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally continues its conceptual alignment with the chassis. The Aprilia is tighter than the XTZ; The fork and shock absorber scan the road more directly, but not uncomfortably, and therefore provide significantly better feedback and encourage a more sporty pace. Bend? Works a bit more effortlessly than with the XTZ. Keep track? Dito. And not only in comparison to the Tenere, but also to the basic Capo version. Because the combination of 19-inch front wheel (standard version: 17 inch), 170-inch rear tire (standard: 180-inch) and the Metzeler Tourance Next (standard: Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II) is an excellent match for the rally. It can be bent around corners precisely and neutrally. And not only that. Even when running straight ahead, the Aprilia, which is still a bit nervous in the basic edition, has a 1.3 degree flatter steering angle (Aprilia mistakenly communicated 3.4 degrees in the presentation in issue 6/2015) and the changed fork clamps longer wheelbase to the model student. Even beyond 200 km / h and with attached suitcases, it does not twitch the handlebars on the motorway and also offers noticeably better wind protection due to the larger windshield. The rally never loses its sporting spirit anyway. The brakes, which are more snappy in comparison, and a more aggressive ABS control reduce the braking distance in an emergency to the record value in this segment of 39 meters (Yamaha: 41.5 meters). 

Ultimately just one more stone in the mosaic, through which the Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally not only pushes past the Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere, but also shows its changes in a completely different light: The rally is simply the better Caponord.

Technical data and result

25th Pictures

Pictures: Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally against Yamaha XT 1200 ZE Super Tenere

To home page

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

markus-jahn.com

MOTORCYCLE

Test result

Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally: The basis was already good. Now the Italian has fine-tuned a larger front wheel and some retouching of the chassis. And it delivers emotions – just typically Italian.

Yamaha Super Tenere: Homogeneity is their strength. Cultivated engine, balanced chassis, excellent comfort – the XT presents itself as a pleasure enduro. First choice for the really, really big tour.

Related articles

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *