Trail – Caponord Rally test: Aprilia maxitrail wants to shine – Caponord Rally, yes … but not too ‘steep’!

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Caponord Rally test: Aprilia maxitrail wants to shine

Trail - Caponord Rally test: Aprilia maxitrail wants to shine - Caponord Rally, yes ... but not too 'steep'!

Even in its fully equipped Travel Pack version, the Aprilia Caponord 1200 did not have the expected commercial success. To relaunch its maxitrail, the Italian manufacturer is releasing a more adventurous version that Site has tested… under the rain !

Caponord Rally, yes … but not too ‘steep’ !

If the big pot of the Caponord is not the most elegant, it continues to sing true and loud! Undoubtedly strong point of the (of!) Caponord, the twin-cylinder 1200 cc resulting from the Dorsoduro always gives as much desire to put big gas !

Unfortunately for us, the still dripping road frankly does not make you want to screw the handle in the corner, even if Site has taken care to set its traction control to 3 (max) and the engine mapping to T ("Touring") , between the more responsive "Sport" and the softer and bridled "Rain" at 100 hp (does that remind you of something ?!).

Like the front brake lever, the hydraulic clutch control is adjustable in gauge. Too bad we can not play the same way with its hardness: crossing a big congested city was "sporty" with the first Caponord, and it will remain so with the Rally.

The left foot, it is quieter because the selector is softer. As long as the interventions of the left ankle are well synchronized with those of the right wrist, it is even possible to relieve the left hand: no need to use the clutch lever to up or down the four upper gears..

With its 19-inch front wheel and spoked rims "heavier by 2 or 3 kg"than the stick rims, the Caponord Rally places a little more strain on the driver’s shoulders but at low speed, the neutral character of the Aprilia is still very present.

After 50 km / h, a certain inertia becomes palpable. The technical sheets show a more open caster angle (27.4 ° on the Rally instead of 26.1) but a shorter socket (118 mm against 125). The theorists-mechanics can always tear their hair out: on the handlebars, MNC finds that in its "Rally" version, the front end of the Caponord loses its lightness.

Equipped with the ADD (Aprilia Dynamic Damping) suspension system, the Caponord Rally is nevertheless as pleasant to drive in town or on poorly paved roads as the Travel Pack. The compromise automatically selected by Aprilia continues to emphasize comfort.

The bikers who were looking for a maxitrail – or a roadster ?! – comfortable will certainly not be disappointed. The small imperfections of the tarmac are very well filtered and the largest holes or bumps are perfectly erased: the "flying carpet" effect of the algorithms patented by Aprilia is preserved !

Thanks to the higher screen (+35 mm compared to the Travel Pack according to the technical sheets) and wider, the pilot is also better protected from the elements. Raised to the maximum (via two screws), it deflects the air on the top of the helmet but the neck still has to work a little to keep the helmet in place.

The upper arms are not completely protected either, but we finally ride without getting tired. The rest of the body is at rest, including the right wrist since ACC (Aprilia Cruise Control) keeps the speed of the bike constant. We just regret not being able to vary the speed of a few km / h, by means of a small additional trigger.

We regret even more that the heated grips are optional, while their button is mounted by default. This may generate some disappointments or misunderstandings … Finally, it’s a pity that the warnings are not indicated: to trigger them, you have to keep the turn signal control pressed for about three seconds..

The engine is closer to faultless and seems to have gained in roundness. In any case, this was the goal sought by the Italian engineers by placing a new chamber on the exhaust line, called a resonator. "Installed as standard on the Rally, it is available as an accessory for other Caponord", warns the product manager Marco Luziani.

Still jolting under 2500 rpm, the big twin still accepts to go under 70 km / h in sixth and the acceleration then seems a little more regular than with the previous generation. The 90 km / h is always reached at 3250 rpm and the 130 km / h at 1500 rpm higher (the other half of the tachometer remains then).

That the amateurs of strong feelings rest assured: the curves of torque and power do not seem flattened so far and the strike of the "twelve hundred" is always reinforced around 4500 rpm. This is what Site notices, as the sun pierces the clouds and ends up drying a few portions of bitumen…

We then take the opportunity to shake the Aprilia a little more by engaging the S mode. Unlike the French version which releases the weapons beyond 7000 rpm, the Caponord "full power" attacks more beautifully until the switch which occurs around 9,500 rpm. What health, this beautiful Italian !

On the winding and tricky roads of southern Sardinia, the original fitment proves its worth: the Metzeler Tourance Next greatly delay the interventions of the traction control and the ABS. We must therefore insist heavily on the rear brake pedal (dosable and softer than in our memories) to feel the minimal jolts due to the Continental system..

Ditto for the front: the large inverted fork plunges generously when the right lever is violently grabbed and gives the tire time to settle on the asphalt, thus avoiding stalling. "The Metzeler have won over our development pilots", assures Site the product manager of Aprilia.

"These tires offer excellent grip in the wet (MNC approves, Editor‘s note!) as in the dry, and their endurance is very satisfactory since in testing, our rear tires could last up to 12,000 km", continues our interlocutor.

"They are less well placed in terms of cost", he finally recognizes,"but we still selected them The final price of the Caponord Rally increases accordingly (16,499 € in all), but customers will not complain..

Reassuring in the wet, the ATC (Aprilia Traction Control) system ends up frustrating when set to 3 and the road becomes – always a little – drier. A stop is therefore necessary to lower it to 1, ie the least intrusive mode … apart from the inactive "mode", of course. !

While the power of our Caponord Rally was until then copiously erased when crossing small bumps or large joints, it is now fully expressed, without jeopardizing the traction, the bike and its rider. Site was able to verify this by accelerating toc on an earthen car park: the Caponord remains on course !

In the – too – rare exits of dry curves, it was also noted that Aprilia engineers had left the electronic slider – which automatically manages the hydraulics of the suspensions – placed closer to the comfort / flexible value than to that sport / steep.

Very effective when you are content to wind, the lines were just starting to lack rigor when we arrived at the hotel, on almost dry roads (grrr)! Bikers with a more engaged and choppy ride, tempted by this sporty-mouthed maxitrail, risk finding the mass transfers a little too sensitive…

"No, offering a "Sport" mode like the competition would bring no advantage to the driver.", anticipates Marco Luziani when we get off the bike."Suspension adjustments are made automatically and continuously, depending on the road and driving: management is therefore optimal", he tries to demonstrate.

The only exception to this rule of "fully automatic so easy"imposed by Aprilia: adjustment of the rear spring preload, also automatically managed by default but that the driver can force to adopt a" solo "," duo "or" loaded "position.

Still, fans of "great arsouilles" with friends will regret not being able to further slow down the dive of the fork on very heavy braking, and the back and forth of the shock absorber during strong acceleration on a slightly wrinkled road.

Perfectly dosable, the front brake also lacks a bit of bite to compete with the best brakes in the category. But the power of the two Brembo calipers is there … Just like the sound power of the pot, very sporty, him !

"The new resonator does not prevent the silencer from being placed in the upper position once the cases have been removed ", reassures the marketing manager of Aprilia. On the other hand, it will be necessary to take out the toolbox to separate the suitcase supports.

"The bindings are effectively integrated on the Travel Pack", confirms the sympathetic – and patient – Marco,"but we chose beefier models on the Rally which correspond to the adventurous vocation of the bike and can protect it in case of a problem in off-road".

The all-terrain did not pose a problem for Site: the 8 km loop initially planned off the beaten track had to be replaced by a quick round trip – only for the photo! – on a really muddy path…

Barely enough time, in short, to feel the front wheel struggling to make its way through the boiling water … and our confidence weakened as we felt the weight of the motorcycle taking us into a ditch or sending the suitcases to kiss some bushes. Caponord "Rally" maybe, but not too "steep" !

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