Test drive ApriliaCaponord Rally ETV1000
Choosing a universal motorcycle on which you can run errands and go on a long journey is always difficult. In Ukraine, such a choice is further complicated by the deplorable state of most roads. But there is a class of motorcycles that provides the opportunity to travel without particularly worrying about the condition of the road surface or the distance. These are large touring enduros, one of which came to us for testing.
Whatever one may say, you get a real impression of a motorcycle when you see it “live” for the first time. Although it can also be the other way around: the picture is impressive, but the real device is disappointing. The Aprilia Caponord ETV 1000 is more impressive “live” than in the picture. There is something unbridled, something of an athlete in the appearance of a motorcycle. The silhouette itself looks smart, which is greatly facilitated by the mufflers hidden under the seat.
In practice, these purely external impressions are confirmed by the presence of a slightly deformed, but real “sports heart” - a liquid V-shaped liter “two” migrated to the frame of this tourist enduro from the purebred Aprilia RSV Mille sportbike. This “transplantation” explains the somewhat unbalanced (for an enduro) character of this motorcycle. Until the tachometer needle reaches o', there is a desire to help the engine by pushing off the asphalt with your feet. As the needle approaches o', the engine “wakes up” and produces enough thrust for leisurely movement around the city. But this dual-purpose “fighter” shows its real character in the range of 4.5-8.5 thousand rpm. It is in this zone of the tachometer that all its potential lies. Incredibly for an enduro, even in 3rd gear you can put it in “goat” mode. The sound of the engine also contributes to the fullness of the sensations obtained from the “sporty” dynamics. It seems that the frame does not have a two-cylinder V-twin, but at least a six-cylinder smallblock from a 70s Chevy Pick Up with a deregulated carburetor and a simplified exhaust. Such a juicy, asynchronous baritone.
Having heard this “growl” once, you will remember it for a long time. What else should Aprilia designers be praised for? For a comfortable seating position for both driver and passenger - yes! For excellent handling characteristics on asphalt for a fairly tall motorcycle - yes! For a smoothly and clearly operating gearbox, an informative automobile (there is even a t0 indicator for outside air) and an easy to read instrument panel, good (for an enduro) wind protection - yes too! But special thanks must be given to them for the separate braking system with ABS, powerful front calipers and reinforced hoses. You can probably criticize the “floating” mounting of the brake discs - on uneven roads, at low speeds, the discs rattle annoyingly.
Everyone knows that the brakes (which seem to have been invented by cowards) are actually the most important system on a motorcycle. Even when pressing only the front lever, Caponord already demonstrates excellent deceleration, while its information content is very, very high. But even if you “pinch” the handle, the ABS that works like a car (in jerks) will come into action, and it’s unlikely to make a “stoppie”, especially taking into account the amount of travel of the front fork. The latter does not “peck”, but folds smoothly, without even triggering “all the way”. To be fair, it should be noted that I was able to ride the version without ABS. There the picture was somewhat different: the fork folded much faster, giving a noticeable dive, and the front brakes blocked the wheel much more easily, so it was necessary to manipulate the right lever more carefully. Thanks to the optimal base and fork angle, the motorcycle behaves steadily when moving in a straight line, even at speeds close to 200 km/h. I don’t want to rise above this level - the aerodynamics and suspension performance at high speeds of the Caponord are by no means ideal, so if you drive even faster, the lateral stability of the vehicle decreases sharply. Although, we should pay tribute, the motorcycle demonstrates the declared “maximum speed” without much strain. But the rider needs to strain in this case, since the front wheel is greatly unloaded and the resulting “sausage” has to be extinguished by moving forward and leaning on the tank with his stomach, while simultaneously hiding his head from the wind behind the glass. I think that few owners of the ETV 1000 will want such an “extreme”; after all, the device being tested is not a sportbike, but a “soft” dual-purpose enduro!
We then went to Zhukov Island to test the off-road capabilities of the Aprilia Caponord. The fact that the motorcycle is structurally designed for travel off paved roads says a lot: firstly, considerable ground clearance, secondly, long-travel suspensions, thirdly, the ABS switch off button, fourthly, the large pattern on the wheel treads, and finally , fifthly, branded protection for the handlebars, front fork stays, as well as the engine and side panels. We find a clearing from which paths of varying relief and surface composition diverge in different directions. Nature offered the following options: compacted soil with dense, sticky mud in the holes, dense and loose sand, tall grass and thick, creeping turf. In some places there were narrow ruts. We started with the most difficult thing - with loose sand, but it quickly became clear that the tread pattern of the Metzeler tires (150/70R/17 at the front and 110/80R/19) + lack of traction at low speeds + the above-mentioned soil are completely incompatible things. Aprilia showed significantly better results on hard ground. This is where you can enjoy high-speed winding path movement with “semi-cross” techniques for passing uneven surfaces. You just need to bend your head in time when rushing between trees and bushes in a “standing” position and be careful in using the gearbox and brakes when driving through mud baths, where the motorcycle instantly loses stability. Driving on turf and tall grass gave an intermediate result: the lateral slip of the front wheel became slightly less than on sand, but the slip of the rear wheel was almost unnoticeable and did not cause any problems. Particular respect goes to the work of the suspension: the front travel is more than sufficient to overcome any unevenness, while the rear can always be adjusted in a couple of minutes to suit specific conditions according to two parameters: spring preload and shock absorber travel stiffness.
In general, much more good words can be said about the motorcycle than criticized. Only the future owner should clearly understand that he is buying a large touring asphalt enduro with limited off-road capabilities and a sporty engine. His credo is long-distance travel on paved roads, the quality of which is of secondary importance for both the motorcycle and the riders to achieve the final goal of the trip.
Dmitriy
ZOLOTAREV
Chief Editor
Having rather large dimensions, Caponord looks very elegant, which I would never say about its direct competitors (BMW R1200 GS, Honda Varadero 1000, Kawasaki KLV 1000, Suzuki V-Strom 1000), what can you say - the Italian school of aesthetics. The ergonomics and comfort of the Italian-style motorcycle are excellent. By the way, the height of the motorcycle seat is compensated by the correct saddle profile, which makes Caponord comfortable even for short riders. The sound of the engine is very rich, reminiscent of a running KAMAZ diesel engine, with the only difference being that the diesel engine does not like such high speeds, at which the Caponord feels very comfortable. The rapidly spinning (to put it mildly, explosive) racing V-shape undermines the front wheel with any inaccurate movement of the throttle. On the contrary, a very short first gear allows you to move very slowly without strain, which is convenient for overcoming very rough terrain. The motorcycle can move without any problems without a hard surface, but the tread pattern clearly identifies it as a typical city dweller. There are no complaints at all about the brakes as such; even the participation of ABS is not annoying. The only BUT: the front brake discs constantly remind of themselves with an obsessive metallic rattle.
It’s easy to fall in love with the impressive “glasses” of Caponord’s headlights forever!
Text: MotoDrive Magazine
Tutors for the user
During the presentation, Aprilia specialists first explain how all the new things used in the motorcycle work. After these stories, I know that if I am going to buy an Aprilia Caponord 1200 in the Travel-Pack version, I must take tutoring in the maintenance of all electronic toys. Everything or almost everything here is done by electronics. Gas cable? Forget it! This is ride-by-wire. In addition to this there is cruise control, electronically controlled semi-active suspension, traction control, ABS and automatic level control and three driving modes.
Aprilia Caponord 1200
Training before the start
The roads are still wet, so before driving, I adjusted the traction control on the on-board computer (without communication with ABS and other systems) and changed the characteristics of the suspensions. It only took a few button presses.
Aprilia Caponord 1200
Then the sound of an electric motor is heard. The twin sounds cool at idle, let alone while driving! The liquid-cooled fork is taken from the Dorsoduro, but for the Caponord it has been slightly modernized - the throttle bodies have a smaller diameter, two injectors instead of one improve engine performance and torque at low and mid-range speeds. The couch is 840 mm higher than the asphalt. Here is the ideal ergonomics for a statistical European. In the first few meters, entering the turn requires the use of force. Dunlop Qualifier tires are not known for their fatigue and need to warm up. But even then, with a full tank weight of 247 kg (according to the manufacturer), Caponorda in the Travel-Pack version can hardly be called a ballerina. However, the bike navigates accurately.
We're going downhill. The roads are narrow and - fortunately - dry. The third level of traction control, even with constantly changing asphalt, works as it should. The same applies to ABS. The brakes are effective, although not brutally harsh. However, if the clutch is engaged, then remembering the KTM Adventure 1190, one has to question why the Caponord needs so much force to start it.
Aprilia Caponord 1200
Our goal is third-order roads after snow removal. The idea is to let the Sachs semi-active suspensions show everything they can do. The computer is literally stuffed with data such as suspension speed or driving style and calculates the appropriate damping value in a split second. The front reacts to heavy braking by closing the damping, making it easier for the fork to sink deep.
Aprilia Caponord 1200
