Aprilia plans 1200cc onslaught

Aprilia insiders have confirmed it’s working on a range of 1200cc bikes based on a bigger version of the new Shiver’s 750 V-twin.

The motor will be stretched from 749cc to 1149cc by increasing the bore and stroke from 92mm x 56.4mm to 104mm x 67.6mm, adding up to a power output of should be over 130bhp.

The new motor will be used in several machines, including a bigger version of the Shiver and a completely new road-going supermoto.

The firm has been inundated with requests for a road-going version of the SXV450 V-twin supermoto, but the small engine is too highly tuned to be used for long-distance road use – it would simply need rebuilding too often. Therefore the firm is turning to its new Shiver V-twin – in both 750 and 1200 form – to power a road-going SXV-style machine, which will be a direct competitor to Ducati’s Hypermotard.
Other new models confirmed by our insider include a half-faired version of the Shiver, while a faired version of the new Mana, complete with its revolutionary automatic gearbox, is also on the cards.

Aprilia has also confirmed that testing on its new 1000cc superbike is well under way, with the prototype proving fast and reliable in track tests.