A Close Look At The 2013 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200.

Globally, the name Aprilia is reckoned with bikes that are very fast and very agile. So, going by that definition, Aprilia is one brand which any motorcycle enthusiast would like to have in his or her possession. But, there is a downside to the scenario when it comes to India. it has been over a year Piaggio has brought the brand to the Indian market but till now there are only 2 dealerships- one in Pune and the other in Gurgaon. With so low penetration in the market, I would say here that Aprilia is still yet to take off in a proper manner. Which brings me to the topic of this post- the 2013 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200.

2013 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 drive

Let us start with the looks. The Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 belongs to the category of SuperMoto, meaning it portrays a do-it-all image. the bike looks stunning with its beak shaped front mud guard, golden reverse telescopic forks, trapezoidal headlamps, with the centre having a vertical extension which houses the parking light. The vertical parking light gives a unique frontal look, and just by looking at this, you can tell, a Dorsoduro 1200 is approaching.

It also gets large knuckle guards to to protect your hands from dust and cold. Coming to the rear, it is dominated by the dual under-seat exhausts. Right between them, sits the tail light, which though is relatively quite small. The side looks impressive too with its exposed trellis frame, offset rear suspsnsion damper and the aluminium swing arm.

2013 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 headamp

Housed between the trellis frame is a 90-degree, V-twin 1197cc motor that taps out a peak power of 130 PS at 8700 RPM and a peak toque of 115 NM at 7200 RPM.  the healthy power and torque figures come with clever electronics to handle them like 3 riding modes- Sport, Touring and Rain. The Sport mode makes it very track focused at rev-friendly with the maximum power delivery from the engine. The Touring Mode gives you a smoother power delivery, suited for long rides. The Rain Mode on the other hand drops the power output to 100 PS and ensures your motorcycle is under control in slippery conditions. The bike also comes equipped with ABS and Traction Control as standard. The engine is mated to a 6 speed gearbox sending power to the rear whels. At the front it gets 3 mm Sachs upside-down front fork with fully adjustable compression while the rear houses an Aluminium alloy swingarm Piggy-back design Sachs hydraulic shock absorber. Stopping power is provided by dual 320 mm stainless steel floating discs with four-piston radial callipers at the front. For the rear end, it is a single 240 mm stainless steel disc with a single piston Brembo calliper. The bike rides on 120/70 ZR 17 at the front and thick 180/55 ZR 17 spec tires at the rear. The 180 section tire is no doubt going to give you oodles of grip under all circumstances.

2013 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 engine

All these look absolutely fine on paper and as far as it goes just as a product, the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 is quite impressive. However, it has one small problem. It is priced close to Rs. 15 lakhs (on-road) which spoils the show. I understand, being Aprilia it can command a brand value but Rs. 15 lakhs is slightly on the higher side, considering the fact that Aprilia doesn’t have such a brand value as is enjoyed by Ducati and BMW Motorrad in India. Are you game to shell out Rs. 15 lakhs for the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 ABS?

2013 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200