Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 2011 — Specifications

When Aprilia decides to play in the big supermotard league, it doesn't do so halfway. The Dorsoduro 750 arrived in 2008 with a clear proposition: to occupy the space left vacant between the anemic monos and the obese twins that populate the segment. With its 750 cc extracted from a 92 horsepower four-stroke V2, it settles where it hurts, exactly where the Ducati Hypermotard and the KTM 950 SM begin to weigh on the scale, in the literal sense.

This engine deserves attention. Bore of 92 mm, stroke of 56.4 mm, compression ratio of 11:1: the mechanics directly borrow its origins from the Shiver, but with a reworked mapping to muscle up the response at mid-range revs. The 82 Nm of torque arrives from 4,500 rpm, which changes everything in real-world usage. On a supermotard, it is this availability at the bottom and mid-range that makes the difference between an engine that pretends to be a supermotard and one that truly is. The six-speed gearbox and ride-by-wire throttle control complete the composition. The 200 km/h announced as the maximum speed are not the goal here, but they reassure about the health of the engine.

The rest of the Aprilia Dorsoduro 750’s technical specifications hold their own without compromise. The 43 mm inverted fork, the aluminum alloy swingarm with its adjustable preload and rebound damper, the double front discs gripped by Brembo radial calipers: the chassis file is made up of components that don't pretend. The bolted steel trellis frame on aluminum plates forms a modular structure with a detachable rear subframe, which will please those looking for an Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 accessory to personalize their machine. The 870 mm seat is not intended for small builds, and the 212 kg when full places it in the high average of the category, without harming its urban maneuverability.

To the eye, the Italian doesn’t go unnoticed. The bodywork design avoids the trap of generic supermotard styling: forged rims, exhausts housed under the seat, aggressive fork fairing. The whole clearly signs its transalpine origin without overdoing it. We understand why the Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 owner reviews so often come back to the visual character of the machine. In Factory version, the equipment takes another step up with Öhlins suspensions and a more refined aesthetic treatment. For those looking for an Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 used, the 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015 model years are the most common on the secondary market and benefit from progressive revisions on the electronics and basic settings.

At 8,999 euros in the catalog at launch, the Dorsoduro 750 positions itself above a Yamaha MT-03 but below the German and Italian large-displacement engines. The target audience is clearly the supermotard enthusiast who wants a road-approved machine with a Sunday trackday temperament, not a beginner or a touring rider loaded with luggage. The question of Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 reliability regularly comes up in discussions between owners; the feedback is generally positive on the mechanics, with a few points of vigilance on the electronic circuit of the first series. The 12-liter tank is the other concrete limit to live with on a daily basis: with consumption that rises quickly when you solicit the engine, the real range remains short. It’s not a touring motorcycle, it’s a desire motorcycle.