Aprilia SMV 750 DORSODURO 2012 — Specifications

When Aprilia decides to take the supermoto segment seriously, the result doesn't look like a timid attempt. The Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro follows a clear logic: occupy the ground between well-mannered machines like the Yamaha 660 XT-X and the high-strung heavyweights that are the Ducati Hypermotard or the KTM 950 SM. Between the two, there was room. Aprilia took it without hesitation.

The engine is at the heart of the debate. This 90-degree L-twin of 749.9 cc, shared with the Shiver but remapped for supermoto use, produces 92 horsepower at 8,750 rpm and, crucially, 82.4 Nm of torque from as low as 4,500 rpm. The mapping was worked to beef up mid-range response, where a supermoto finds its character. Ride-by-wire manages everything, ensuring a welcome progressiveness when exploiting this displacement without finding yourself sideways at the wrong moment. For a twin of this size, the figures are solid, and the Italian as well as Austrian competition has no reason to feel comfortably settled.

The chassis deserves closer attention. The steel tubular trellis frame linked to two aluminum plates borrows its architecture from the SL 750, and the result — both visually and on the road — is convincing. The 43 mm inverted fork with 160 mm of travel, the rear monoshock with matching travel, the radially-mounted Brembo calipers on 320 mm petal discs up front: nothing was compromised on braking or handling. The Pirelli SuperCorsa tires in 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 state the machine's intentions without ambiguity. You don't show up shod like that to go for a leisurely Sunday ride.

The styling deserves a separate mention. The gold wheels, the sculpted swingarm cross-section, the blood-red cylinder head covers reminiscent of certain prestigious Italians, the exhaust outlets tucked under the seat with their scale-like openings: all of this forms a coherent, taut package that doesn't look like a catalog of bolted-together parts. The absence of passenger footpegs is not an oversight — it's a statement of intent. This motorcycle is built for one occupant: the rider.

At 212 kg fully fueled with an 870 mm seat height, the Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro is not intended for those who recently got their license. The size demands serious experience, and the twin's character will quickly confirm whether the rider belongs there. For those wondering about the price, it launched at 7,999 euros, a figure consistent with the level of equipment on offer. The question some still ask today — what is the price of an Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro 2009 in France on the used market — yields highly variable answers depending on condition and mileage, but residual values remain strong. That's no coincidence: machines with real character don't depreciate like commuter tools.