New Caponord

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/N...ember/nov0912-aprilia-caponord-1200-revealed/

Didn't see it posted yet. I want one! Damn, much better that the new DL1000.

It does look good. I just hope that the fuel consumption of the DD12 motor has been improved - or it'll be a pricey beast to run.

That´ll be a competitor to the Multistrada 1200. A road bike, though I´m sure it´s a great one.

it all looks a bit exposed.

here it is in white




What happened to this colour scheme?

I want one. I really like the DD1200 but the tank is too small to be useful.

More pics

looks like the crud catcher has gone from the original "prototype". Unless they are going to have two models like the KTM?

Hmmm.

Parts-bin.

Looks like the tank from a Shiver, swingarm from a Dorso, fairing from an RSV, and do Aprilia have a dozen factories filled with the hard luggage from the deleted Futura?

And that engine will get blasted by road crud unless you live in an arid climate.

I like it.

Only the Italians could do an "adventure" bike with twin radiators immediately behind the front wheel and a bobbed mudguard (fender for you US folk).

What is it about something to prevent tyre fling-off plastering the front of a bike that designers find just so ugly?

That aside, it could work okay. Aprilia know how to make a bike handle, and they have sensibly fitted an exhaust that allows full bags either side. Interested to see the spec. Resale will of course be zero and a half over here.

Well looks pretty useless offroad, lame.

Yup. Will have a go on one - but looks like no centre stand fitment. Annoying in this class.

Because it's "adventure" mission statement is:

"Would you like milk in that" ?


Sweet bike though!

Aprilia had an interesting problem to solve with this bike. The original Capo had wire wheels and a 19" front, making it at little more suitable to rougher roads. But since they are owned by Piaggio, who also owns Moto Guzzi, should they keep their "mild off-road" pretense and go with wheels to match that mission and compete with Guzzi's Stelvio, or make a more road-oriented bike to be more in line with the Honda CrossTourer. It seems they made their choice.

I guess we'll see how well it works out. Personally I would have preferred they go with the wire wheels and 19" front so there is another choice in the "all roads" category, but maybe that's still doable with after market parts. Either way, I'm glad Aprilia updated the Capo!

-SM

I'll take a stab at this.

I do think this was built because they could, that is had the parts and motor, but that doesn't instantly damn it.
What I think it may suffer from is a lack of clarity in focus. With a circa 130HP motor, adaptive suspension and probably good aerodynamics, this bike should make a very decent tourer in the modern tall bike sit up idiom that is in vogue today so where's the competition? Well obviously, Ducati. This is not a Stelvio or GS competitor starting at the chain and ending with the tires, but as a road bike for people who want something different.....but we all know this.

So what are the prospects? It's easy to predict that it will be much cheaper than a commensurate Ducati, BMW and the new KTM, probably not a ton more than a VStrom because that is what it has to be. For Aprilia to offer this in the same price range as a GS or Multi would be wishful thinking and suicidal. If it isn't cheaper by a bunch, the first (23) early adopters will suffer the usual Aprilia torment of miserable resale value and the next 1123 buyers will get them at a steep discount. In the long run, this will not be a Good Thing for Aprilia.

So the hope is they will price it right. It looks (an the rumors are) that is will be heavy, (if so, why did they not get the message of light weight when the Stelvio already holds the "heavily constructed" niche?) and clearly it is street oriented, but for a person like me that's not a bad thing as I do like steamed milk in my latte.

However, I think it's mission is maybe a bit muddled and that's a shame when the bike could offer a genuine alternative to the Ducati and some of the other adventurish touring rigs.

Hopefully they will nail the handling, hammer the quality at a great price and have created a really fun to ride, robust good handling tourer with sporting pretensions in the modern idiom that can later be up-specified with wheels and such to create a versatlie platform at a great price.

To do that, they will need to stick to their guns and continue to develop the concept. Right now, for me, I suspect the thing is probably going to be a very decent bike with an unclear mission and will not forge new ground. Also, as BMW, Ducati and KTM get the message that light is good, I fear the Aprilia will be heavier than it needed to be to be truly exciting.

But it probably will be a really good deal for people whose mission it does fit, and I actually like the way it looks. I'm pretty confident that it will be comfortable to ride long distance and will have a really fine motor. Maybe that will be enough, but in today's market, I'm not so sure.

I have more thoughts but that's enough from this verbose adventurer for now.

$13995.00 US.

13,995!? US....in Oz that'll end up being about 20-23 k the Yam s -10 is about 20,Stelvio 25 BMW GS 29...
Give them a few years and they'll be some heavy discounts...as always happens with Guzzi/Aprilia here.
I do like it and hope Piaggio are thinking ahead with a KTM like dirty version as well as a little brother 750/800.

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841017

I'm just guessing 'bout that, but let's start a rumor!

i could be wrong!

Another sit-up-and-beg bike for old people, to compete with that other misguided Mis-Adventure bike, the Ducati Mono-Strada coffee-shop cruiser.
In reality this Aprilia will be horrible (and vulnerable) on anything but the most manicured dirt roads - just like the Ducati.
The original Caponord doesn't have a great reputation, which is a pity because if they persevere, owners can do the job the factory didn't, and finish the bike properly. Then it becomes a fast, good-handling, reliable, comfortable bike that IS capable of tackling at least rough dirt roads - and if you're pretty competent, fire trails too.
Both my wife and I have Caponords - the original ones.

Like our bikes, the 1200 Capo's tank holds 24 litres - it'll have to, given the Dorso's notoriously hefty thirst.
Instead of being innovative, Aprilia have proven to be mere followers of fashion.
That Tigerette XC's looking better and better.

I agree with much of this but take exception in a few areas. The V 1.0 Caponord is not fast in the current idiom, and it's handling is adequate but heavy and not inspired. I would call it competent, not "good."

The Multistrada's inability to tackle dirt roads means little to it's buyers because it is truly fast, and more capable and comfortable than you credit it as a long distance tourer. What it is not is a dirt bike, but if your mission isn't dirt, it is a thrilling ride and while it is distinctly not without it's own flaws, I suspect you have never ridden one because it is the most addictive tourer on the market at this moment.

I own one of each as you know and the old Capo has good ergonomics, a pleasant demeanor and better native wind protection than the Multistrada, or the GS as far as I am concerned (never could understand the bitches about the aerodynamics but........). It is a fundamentally tough bike but with a deserved reputation for letting one down when the electrics go wonky. But it is a good buy and was almost from the start. However, it is no match for the Ducati on paved roads, (few bikes are) and it is one more thing: boring. The problem with the new Capo as I see it is that it threatens to continue in the same direction, but with a 17" front tire rendering it even less capable of dirty play, not that I much care.

I have no idea why anybody who had used their own money to buy it would want to take a bike as expensive and easily binned as a Multistrada on a serious tour off the path, but for touring on tarmac and covering distance on pavement, it is one hell of a hoot. Ducati's success with it suggests there are a lot of folks who like the idea.

As for being innovative and forging a new niche in a niche, that's a tough one given the number of machines on the market. One may reasonably wonder why Aprilia bothered, but since they did, they might have done better to have put the Capo on a diet ( as somebody already said) or sold it as the new Futura. Of course it remains to be seen how it will pan out, and it's premature to condemn it before it has been ridden and the owner reports are in, but where we agree is that Aprilia would have benefited by building something unique and ground breaking.

What might that have been?

It all this to guess the price, really? The Dorsoduro sell for 11.5K plus 2K to dress it as adventurer and we have 13.5K for a bike that will outperform all others except the MT1200 where most of them are ridden ASPHALT.