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A Brief Ride On An Aprilia Shiver - By Ren Withnell
I took a mates Aprilia Shiver out for a ride around the block today. He bought it a few months ago and has been offering me a ride ever since. He seemed very keen for me to learn just how powerful and nippy this shiny new toy of his is.
Up at Rivi I finally said I'd take it for a spin. It's a nice day and I've got all my bike gear with me as I've gone up on my own bike. It's funny how his tone changes when the crunch comes, when it's time for him to let his new pride and joy be ridden by someone else. He starts to tell me to be careful of the power, watch the brakes and perhaps he should put it into touring mode for me. PAH! I've been riding bike for years and years. I'm a big boy I am, a mere 750 V Twin can't scare me, I've ridden 1200's and covered hundreds of thousands of miles, there's nothing I don't know about bikes. He puts it into touring mode...I promptly put it back into sports mode.
Thats the first new thing I'm not used to, different modes. It actually makes a lot of sense though. If the computer is riding the bike, well at least looking after the engine, then the rider is just asking the computer to go faster or slower. This 2007 Shiver has 3 modes, Rain, Touring and Sport. In rain mode when you ask the bike to go faster the computer reacts lazily and gently. This means there's less risk of spinning the back wheel or making jerky and lumpy gear changes or generally upsetting the bike's stability. In sport mode the bike will give everything it's got, full power and no holds barred. Logic dictates the touring mode should be a nice compromise between the 2.
It's sports mode for me though. I mean, 750 twin? I've ridden an NTV 600 twin for 50,000 miles with no issues, what can the difference be? A blip of the throttle does concern me though, it's obvious there's a bit more squirt in there. Ah well, it's still only 95bhp, the same as my current bike, Fazer 600. I ride out of the car park and the first thing that shocks me is the slow speed handling. The damn thing just falls into the corner, it feels like it's going to fall over, very twitchy. I put that down to sharper handling and given time I'd probably adjust to it just fine.
The next issue is the throttle response. Sharp? Just a whisper of throttle sends huge lumps of power to the back wheel, so much so that at one point I think I've just been rear ended. I adjust my throttle control to miniscule movements and wonder if I should stop and put it into touring mode. No, it'll be fine out on the road. The noise from the twin pistons is quite sharp too, individual bangs crack from the exhaust and the bike shudders with each one if the revs are a tad too low. I adjust the revs to smooth out the transmission.
Whoa! Easy on the slow speed corner onto the main road, the bike wants to fall over again. Right, settle down and focus on the road ahead. First - snick - second - snick - third and that's already up to speed just fine. The riding position is quite high, as high and as comfortable as the DL 650 Vstrom I tested the other day. The seat feels firm but wide and comfortable. I can't take it out for 4 hours so I can't tell if it'll be truly comfortable, but it's a good start. The rider sits not in the head down ass up sports mode, it's much more akin to the big trailie position. There is a little screen but I'm not going to go fast enough to test it on this short route.
Stuck behind a couple fo cars I'm moving slowly. The bike rides fine, the clutch is light and gearbox easy to change. The revs need to be kept above 3k to stop the power train from trying to snap the chain. The only thing I'm struggling with is the extremely sharp throttle, keeping the bike smooth is not easy. Perhaps I should have used touring mode. Another corner, I'm careful of the falling feeling but now the speed is above walking pace it's a lot less noticeable.
Finally a chance to overtake. I twist the throttle and BANG, we're off. No waiting for the revs to build, no delay whilst the carbs open the sliders and no chance to prepare yourself. What is different is the power comes in immediately, but then seems flat after that. The 2001 carburetted Fazer 600 builds to a crescendo as the revs rise, the Shiver gives everything immediately but then continues to give the same as the revs rise. This means overtaking is very easy and the riding relaxed but I wonder if I'd miss that manic scream of the four cylinders.
Another junction comes up all to quickly so I dab the brakes. They are very sharp, both front and back. Again I make another adjustment to my riding style, I put the sharpness down to the fact this bike's only got 3,000 miles on the clock so everything's still new and working as it should be. My Fazer got 25,000 miles on it anow and that sharpness is wearing off. I wonder if I need to change my fluid sometime soon.
Another straight, from first gear up. Snick snick snick, the bike pulls like the proverbial train and the power delivery is strong but so flat. I ease off at 60 and wonder what gear I'm in...snick snick snick, I was in third. That's another thing I'd need to get used to. The Fazer screams it's revs at you the Aprilia disguises it's revs with power pulses that the rev counter describes as rising but it never feels like it's going to rev out. I slow down as I approach some bends and catch up with another few cars, the revs don't seem to drop in my ears but the bike becomes lumpy, I need to hook down a few cogs for the bends.
The final straight is spoilt by the police car in front of me, I figure it'd be rude to fly past him and let my mate take the heat. I take a moment to relax again and feel the bike. It is so nice to cruise in this comfortable position and to actually feel the motor working beneath me. I just wish I'd put it into touring mode, I've got to be so careful with that damn throttle.
A few more bends, taken at medium speeds behind cars, are no problem at all. The handling seems fine once I'm moving properly, it's just slow speed where it feels so alien. I pull back onto the driveway up to the car park and stop the bike. It only takes a few moment to mess with the starter button and put the bike into rain mode. HA! Suddenly with the press of a switch the bike has changed from snarling monster wishing to wheelie into oblivion and eat your licence for breakfast into a timid 250 with a dodgy spark plug and a throttle with a stretched cable. It's completely gutless, flatulent and deviod of life.
I only ride for quarter of a mile in rain mode. It seems the rain mode is perhaps a little too soft. I expected it to be more like my Fazer at low revs, not like my old CD 200 Benly when the crank was on the way out. I guess I should have used touring mode...
It's difficult to draw conclusions from a 5 mile test ride. The slow speed handling is probably my fault, not being used to how the bike corners. That said I had no such issues when I rode the DL 650 Vstrom the other day. The motor is very snappy and responsive and it does not need revving, that has good points and bad points. I think the different modes is a really good idea, so long as the computer behaves itself as the years take their toll. I think the rain mode is too soft and the sports mode should be reseved for those manic days. If only I'd taken my mates advice and ridden it in touring mode.
Reader's Comments
martco78 said :-
I agree with pretty much all the forgoing having just jumped from an easy-riding Honda Hornet CB600FA-8 to a Shiver GT. A COMPLETE change of character, but you can adjust to it by a touch of finesse on the throttle and avoiding the lumpy zone low down. The Hornet is so easy to ride that it it is initially a bit of a shock, but after a couple of weeks I'm happy now with the mastery of it, finding that it is in fact easier to ride with care in Sport than relaxed in Tour.
A sophisticated ride it is not, but I am really enjoying the necessary involvement needed to get the best from it.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Thanks Martco78. My mate is still very much in love with his shiver and all that it has to offer. It is indeed a monster of a machine that if treated correctly will give much pleasure.
I do completely agree with your point on "involvement". Some bikes are too easy to ride, I can see that the Shiver requires respect and considered input to ride it well. That in turn must make each ride engaging and entertaining.
Cheers, Ren.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
martco78 said :-
Update - I've now been riding the Shiver daily for about five weeks over my central London commute route plus some longer forays out onto country roads and motorways.
The involvement required for this bike really is directly proportional to reward and I have been happily transported back to earlier days in my 40-year biking career when every ride is eagerly anticipated.
As usual, a bit of personalisation was soon in mind and a bit of forum-trawling revealed the benefit of reduced gearing. So one tooth down on the gearbox sprocket has immensely improved the already excellent drive from the engine/gearbox. (Though as a result of this benefit I will admit that I have now reverted mostly to the Touring engine map for my commute as the London traffic increases towards the end of summer). A pair of Arrow slip-ons has also improved the breathing/tractability further and made glorious the sound of that great free- revving V-twin engine.
I've also changed the screen for a larger and more efficient Puig item and added the commuters essential, the Givi rack and top box.
The handling does not feel top notch when pushed with the front end being especially vague in feedback, but again there are good tips on the well-populated and informative Aprilia forum which I will be toying with in the future.
All is good so far from the Shiver as a day-to-day bike and I'm looking forward to some longer runs to test it's touring potential.
From me it's the most interesting machine I've had in a long time as it quickly takes you out of the pipe-and-slippers zone that a a typical Japanese middle-weight four can lull you into and reminds you why we all love motorcycling so much.
Recommended to all of you out there who are feeling perhaps a little too comfortable.......
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
The mate(latchy) said :-
Well I still have the shiver which has been laid up since October when the tax expired, it will also need its first mot to re tax it for summer, boy do I want to ride it again soon having been riding around on my small but excellent cg 125es. But the weather has been against me in that the roads are covered in salt which would surely ruin my sparkling red shiver.
A couple of issues with the bike naffed me off a bit but should have been expected after all it is not a jap bike, the master cylinders weeped but were sorted out by Aprillia, then four of the six clutch springs broke which caused massive clutch slip, thankfully though was a cheap and easy fix as the warranty was out.
More recently the starter solenoid packed up due to internal corrosion, frustating but again an inexpensive fix. I actually managed to service the bike myself at 6500 miles but it didn't need it for another 5500 miles, yes that is 12000 miles between oil changes and I don't know if I can trust what the manufacturer states should be the correct interval or not.
I have put 7000 miles on the bike so far (9000 in total) in 2 years of ownership and I think that this year another 7000 miles at least will be covered because I am taking the shiver down to Benidorm with a couple of mates in September ......... Can't wait. Fancy it Ren?
Must watch out for the massive torque though when I do get to throw my leg over it on warmer days to come.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Old ident said :-
Have had mine 3years it is a 2008 model no abs, 3000 m&s when purchased ,brilliant for touring in france when you hit the villages and towns change mode on the move ,down to rain, up to touring as you start to move on a bit then into sport for the bigger roads and motorways. Yes it does take a little input but when you get used too it it is fun.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
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