Road Test Report - Aprilia Shiver 750

So, a preliminary sit on a Shiver yesterday found me liking it and a
road test was requested for this morning. Oh how sneaky of a dealer to
encourage you to take a bike away for 2 hours.

Anyway, after a GFR the handling felt a little 'different' at first
until I realised that the riding position was not unlike a Nordwest and
being rather heavier than a 125 needed a bit more input than merely
raising an eyebrow in the required direction to initiate a turn.

The motor was much gruntier than I expected for only a 750. Smoother
than the Voxan until really revving high, but feeling almost as lively.
This is a 2009 spec. bike, so no 'pussy button' to remap the FI, but
WGAF? The Akropovic cans it wears give it a satisfying, but not too
obtrusive bark, and it proceeds very smartly from a standing start. Did
my standard run out to the river with a stop for coffee at the greasy
spoon. Suitable diagnostic speeds were attained with ease in the usual
places. On the ride back it felt as familiar as if I had been riding it
for years. Front Brembo brakes v. light but v. progressive and powerful.
Played with the trip computer a bit and realised that a digital display
of selected gear isn't an altogether bad thing for an absent minded old
gimmer.

Higher than the roadster, but not as high as a standard nordie. Both
balls of feet on the ground or with a bit of a shuffle on the seat all
of one foot. Very stable down to less than walking pace and thus
inspiring confidence. The seat seems pretty comfortable and I like the
'step' to hotch your nether regions against when in launch mode. Almost
a supermoto feel and really reminds me of a hybrid between Nordwest and
Roadster (yes, yes, so double trouble reliability wise probably). Only
incident was caused by it being rather wider in the bars than any road
bike I have ridden for years. A bit of inspired filtering led to a brief
interface between bar end and the wing mirror of a Merc. This being the
spring loaded variety suffered no harm, and after checking with the
driver that he didn't want me to stop to argue the toss I proceeded on
my way. Must watch out for that on the M6 slalom run to Liverpool next
June.

Couldn't resist it so note sig change below, oh and if you have any
shares in Aprilia[1] time to sell them now as the last two manufacturers
wares I have purchased are now both out of business.


[1] Though it's Piaggio really no? Shame they didn't badge it as a
Gilera.
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| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

oh, well done

CIHAGM?

 

Might take it to BOSM depending on whether it clashes with Wiscombe hill
climb. I'm not sure it will be so easy to carry a tent on 'ad hoc' as
the roadster though. Got to check if my Bagster tank bag (can't find a
label on it to remind me which model it is) will work OK with the tank
cover they do for it. The mountings are standard, but the shape of my
bag may not work on a Shiver. Not sure my Oxford throwovers will coexist
with the high level Akropovic system either. Still, I'll manage to carry
enough stuff for the TT next year somehow.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I'm unlikely to be at BOSM - it is very close to the submission date for my
dissertation.

I'm sure I will track you down somewhere after next May.

Baglux: if your current bag does not fit then get a black Alpha. I've used
one since 1996 on a TDM850, a CBR600 and now the R-GS. The adjustable
webbing straps means it should fit most applications.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180579426334 seems to
be a very good price as RRP seems to be about £100

 

I hope to get out on the bike more next year. Nothing like a 'new' set
of wheels to rekindle the enthusiasm for riding.

It does look good and seems to be compatible according to the Bagster
web site. Mine expands and has zip pockets along each side, I *think* it
is the discontinued 'Delta'. I suspect it's too wide at the front to sit
comfortably on the Shiver cover though.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

just looked at few more pictures of the Shiver - those exhausts are going
to make most luggage go krusty. If you are feeling flush, then invest in
some Ventura luggage which will sit on the presumably redundant pillion
perch. £270 for a big rack, fitting kit & 56 litre bag
http://www.ventura-bike.co.uk/

 

Pete Fisher wrote:

This is the problem I had with the Versys, so I bought a smaller
'Tweety' bag instead

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike
in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

ISWYM. I may have to go the Ventura route.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

With a bit of luck I may take it to Ixie Cadwell next year. That should
see that pesky hire bike 600 behind me OK.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I got Ventura rails & sportrack for the Raptor, & just use my old
throw-overs on it, one on the rack & one on the back seat (so the
vertical bit of the rack sits between them). Works a treat, much less
ugly than the big Ventura rack & much cheaper than the stupidly over
priced Ventura bags.

 

I feel the need for some darsyesque extended research featuring
spreadsheets. I see you can get 'genuine Aprilia' racks, panniers, tank
covers and bags, though at fairly eye watering prices.

I'll know better what may be achievable once the beast is in my garage.
A bit bemused to find Footman James wanted an extra £10 to cover it cf.
the Voxan - but they did at least let me off the admin fee as I had only
just renewed. Perhaps the Akropovic slip-ons spell 'crasher' to their
quoting system.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I didn't really get on with the one I tried:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.motorcycles/msg/72475a6ede26ef35

 

I never explored the rain/touring/sport business because I couldn't find
how to activate it and being a Honda dealer neither could the sales
droid (we even had a look in the manual without success). So I thought
that it only came on the very latest models. Prompted by your write up I
googled again and discovered that the S displayed on the speedo did
indeed mean 'Sport' and that you have to flick the *starter button* at
idle to switch modes. Hardly intuitive. Anyway, I liked it very much in
sport mode, and diesel lubricated roundabouts won't be its usual
stamping ground in my hands. The throttle response is V sharp though and
needed adjusting to after the comparatively gentle start of the curve on
the Voxan. It was pretty flexible though once I got the hang of it. It
blatted past 'B' road dawdlers in a very satisfying manner.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I think the problem I was having with it is that the only way to get a
CB500 to go anywhere fast is by revving it to 9k RPM and above. Which
probably isn't quite the right way to ride a 750 V-twin. Particularly in
the rain.

 

Indeed. I had just stepped off a 125 power valve two-stroke, so the
difference was so great that I knew I was going to have to re-calibrate
my wrist tension.


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

according to reviews I've read, the gear change light comes on at 6.5k and
the authors agree that following this advice gets the best from the engine,
in its Shiver tune. One reviewer described the engine hitting a thick
blanket after 7.5k

 

Certainly doesn't rev out at the top like a Voxan. In fact, the rpm for
gear change indication can be set as desired as far as I could tell from
a brief gander at the manual. I will fiddle with the 'computer' to my
heart's content next weekend.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

and possibly why Aprilia are getting a decent reputation for engine
reliability.

I also read: stick it in touring mode for everyday use and see a return of
over 50mpg, which should appeal to your inner parsimon.

 

Heh. The thing is that it didn't blow the big end until two years after
I stopped doing hill climbs and track days on it. But perhaps the damage
had already been done by those close to 3 figure speeds through the
finish lights at Shelsley whilst getting perilously close to the rev
limiter.

Not on two wheels. The lap timer will be more attractive than the fuel
consumption readout. Could be useful in a get me home with no petrol
stations to be found situation though.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Wot? no programmable shift RPM? Milles & Tuonos default to 6K if the
battery's disconnected but it's programmable to, err, over 9K, I
think.