Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 Unveiled

The long awaited 1200cc version of the Aprilia Dorsoduro has been unveiled.

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Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200

When Aprilia released the Shiver, and motard version Dorsoduro 750 a few years ago, they promised a 1200cc version of the engine was in the works. At a Piaggio group showcase event in Milan yesterday, the parent company of Aprilia unveiled the 1200cc version of the Dorsoduro.

Powered by the brand new liquid-cooled 1200cc Aprilia V90 engine, with double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, twin-spark ignition, the 1200 has Ride-by-Wire fuel injection with three injection maps that deliver performance to suit road conditions and rider’s requirements.

As well as the engine boasting 130hp at 8700rpm, and torque of 115 Nm at 7200rpm, the Dorsoduro still meets the stringent Euro3 emission regulations.

The hybrid steel trellis frame with aluminium side-plates is similar to the smaller Dorsoduro/Shiver models. The 1200 has Sachs 43-mm upside down fork, gas-operated Sachs shock absorber with separate tank, Brembo braking system with 4-piston radial calipers and two 320-mm floating discs up front and 240-mm brake disc at the rear.

The biggest news is the Dorsoduro 1200 will also be available with ATC (Aprilia Traction Control) combined with two-channel ABS. Both systems can be disabled independently.

No word yet on availability in Australia.

UPDATE: The 1200 Dorsoduri is headed to Australia, and should be available in January 2011.

Roberto Colaninno, President and CEO of the Piaggio Group and Max Biaggi at the unveiling.