2015 Aprilia reviews

The Dorsoduro 750 is a nimble fun supermoto like bike on the tight twisty roads. I logged 4500 miles of curvy roads in the Ozarks in southern Missouri where the yellow arrow signs recommend 15-30 mph. For reliability my experience is that I had zero issues. For quality I feel like the bike could have come with better wheels and tires. I bought my bike with dealer installed Arrow exhaust and a factory re-map so my bike was already 11 lbs lighter. After the break in miles completed and oil change I bought a set of forged wheels, a lithium battery, and switched the 525 chain and sprockets with smaller less teeth but keeping the same ration sprockets and a premium chain. These mods reduced unsprung weight by almost 15 lbs and the battery took a few more lbs off the sprung weight. The bike now handles much better especially at speeds over 80 mph when switching directions, braking also acceleration was greatly improved. The Dorso is a great bike stock and much better with a few mods. This bike is very good in the curvy roads but doesn't have anything for a sport bike over 130 mph. If you like the upright style of riding and want to ride the twisty roads without being tucked into a crotch rocket you will probably love the Dorso. As for comfort I'll say the Dorso is comfortable until it's not. For me that was about the 300 mile mark. Once I hit 300 mile I wanted off and to qualify this I've done 900 miles in 12 1/2 hours on a gold wing F6B before I decided to quit and that was the day after I had done 450 miles in the Colorado mountains. Short rides around 100 miles with a passenger are ok if your passenger is small and under 150 lbs. Show less

I bought this bike brand new in 2015, which now has 18k miles. I test drove several other motorcycles, but this one stood out in handling and performance. It reminds me of a "rocket on a rail," with plenty of horsepower and superb, razor-sharp handling. Compared to other bikes I have owned (about 40 in all) this Caponord has been a pleasure to ride. It has most of the modern handling features like ABS, Traction Control, Aprilia Dynamic Dampening (ADD), Ride-by Wire throttle, etc. There were a couple warranty issues within the first 3K miles, but the dealer took care of them right away. I had an issue with small oil drip from the water pump seepage hole, and it was replaced with a new unit. The other issue I had is quite common for this Caponord model, which is a malfunctioning fuel gauge. The problem has to do with the plastic float that slides up when gas tank is full, then drops back down when fuel is consumed. Apparently, the engineers at Aprilia figured out that the ethanol in American gasoline was causing the plastic float to swell up and stick inside the float tube, and thereby causing an improper reading of fuel level. This part was re-engineered and replaced under warranty as well, with problem resolved. Routine wear items like tires, chain and battery can be DIY at home or by most local motorcycle dealer's service department. I needed my dealer's expertise for more complex service like checking valve clearance at the 12K interval and diagnosis of a stalling problem, which turned out to be a relatively simple replacement of the main starter relay switch located under the passenger seat. Over the six years I have owned this Caponord, it has become my favorite ride. I can ride in the comfortable saddle for 400 miles in a day without much fatigue. Gas tank holds over 6 gallons and gets about 42-45mpg on the road, providing well over 200 miles between fill-ups. MPG drops to high 30's if you twist that throttle hard and start feeding that second pair of fuel injectors. This is a comfortable, yet high performance motorcycle. Just be ready to bring a fresh box of donuts to your qualified Aprilia mechanic if the need arises. Show less