Trail – Caponord 1200 test: sports trail according to Aprilia – In the water? Nah but in the water, what!

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Caponord 1200 test: sports trail according to Aprilia

Trail - Caponord 1200 test: sports trail according to Aprilia - In the water? Nah but in the water, what!

In 2013, Aprilia launched a new road trail: a Caponord 1200, from the explosive Dorsoduro! It features ABS and traction control, as well as electronic suspensions in its Travel Pack version, being tested on site !

At the water ? Nah but in the water, what !

It is therefore in the wet that we begin this test of the Caponord 1200 Travel Pack. The final reduction, a little longer than that of the Dorsoduro, requires playing a little more of the clutch. This one is hard, as we have seen, but fortunately does not lack progressiveness and allows you to start easily..

Due to the heavy rain, the first turns of the wheels are very moderate. The wide handlebars and its good turning radius are a great help to take the machine out of its box, lead it through small alleys, or turn around if necessary.

The fairly high weight of the bike encourages the reserve when embarking on the first roundabouts but the front axle with its 17-inch rim and its road tire is neutral enough not to destabilize the new entrants in the road. category "sport trail".

The "ride by wire" throttle management system is perfectly mastered by Aprilia and the engine responds correctly to the demands of the right wrist. In addition, the T (Touring) mode selected by the Aprilia staff before our departure, offers frank acceleration without being brutal..

Careful – especially curious! -, MNC produces a few flicks on the starter button and quickly validates the R (Rain) mode thanks to it, in order to verify that the large twin-cylinder 1200 has not lost any of its benevolent softness.

As on the Dorsoduro 1200, the engine accepts to start again in "rain" mode from 2000 rpm – even in 6th gear – and is extremely considerate up to 4500 rpm, including when first gear is engaged.

This engine mapping is ideal for bikers who disembark from lower displacement and consider – rightly – that the overflowing torque of the big "twelve hundred" must be managed with a much greater delicacy than the weak torque of a 600 cc 4-cylinder…

More experienced drivers will quickly return to T mode which shows more liveliness at low revs. Sliding of the rear wheel remains prohibited by the electronics of the Aprilia: ATC (Aprilia Traction Control, or even the "Electronics" part of our technical point) is on the lookout. !

Everything is under control

Set by our hosts to level 1, which is the least intrusive, ATC only manifested itself once on a white band, and in a manner as discreet as it was measured. We should salute the excellent grip of the Dunlop Qualifier II – the bitumen was also of very good quality – which greatly facilitated the task of traction control..

Likewise, the ABS shone with its discretion: the Continental dual-channel system has already proven its worth on the rest of the range – except the new RSV4 which has Bosch ABS – and has again fully convinced us in these particularly difficult driving conditions.

The front braking also won congratulations from the MNC jury since the Brembo monobloc calipers do not bite the two 320 mm discs too fiercely, contrary to what their ultra-sporty look suggests at first glance….

The feel of the lever is remarkable and allows you to adjust your braking as you wish, whether you are preparing to take a long turn, cross a crossroads – a priori – deserted or negotiate a tight hairpin! The rear brake pedal, on the other hand, is far too hard to allow such nuances. Pity.

After a few photo sessions in the rain – the only ones of the day unfortunately – it’s time to take refuge in a restaurant to dry the pilots and their belongings! We then realize the authentic effectiveness of the rear fender offset and fixed on the swingarm: not a projection in the back. Roads could be inspired by it…

We also take the opportunity to test the crutch on the control unit (supplied with the Travel Pack): the weight of the motorcycle goes unnoticed as the crutch is well designed! Hat !

Good point also regarding the side stand whose lug makes its deployment obvious. Less obvious, but also very useful on a daily basis: a long press on the turn signal control triggers the warning. thanks WHO ?!

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