About a year ago I was in the hunt for a new bike……obviously I chose a
Shiver.
This choice was not at all by fluke and not without heavy research and
deliberation…….I stand by my choice…..the Shiver is a great bike.
The following reviews were posted by me to a well-known Motorcycling
forum – given the current BMW F800R test, I felt it was reasonable to add a
record of these reviews to the Blog as mark in history as to how I came to own
a Shiver.
Enjoy
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Bike
Ducati Hypermotard 796
Motor/Throttle/Clutch + Gearbox
The 796 L-twin is a free revving engine which provides usable power and
torque from low down.
Vibration was minimal, almost non-existent - at highway speed the power
is smooth and quick to react to throttle changes.
The throttle response was as to be expected, not snatchy, not lazy,
just right and when paired with a wet slipper clutch the action feels very
natural as the clutch pays out with a relatively low friction point.
Handling/Brakes/Suspension
This bike was simply awesome to ride – the front end provided so much
grip – it felt welded to the road and was very confidence inspiring.
The brakes and suspension, although not top-shelf, are just right for
the bike setup and made sense.
All in all this bike was massively fun to ride, easy to use, and very
addictive.
Seat/Comfort
The seating position is obviously very upright giving a clear view of
the road ahead and allows you to see through the traffic while filtering and
splitting (it would be a weapon as a commuter)
One drawback I see is that the seat is quite narrow and which maybe a
problem for longer rides or touring.
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Bike
Ducati Hypermotard 1100EVO
Motor/Throttle/Clutch + Gearbox
Unlike the L-twin of the 796 the 1100 was less user friendly. The
engine makes lots of torque, which is nice, however it changed the attitude of
how the power was delivered. The throttle response was a little snatchy which
tended to upset the bikes handling and overall road/rider feel.
Instantly, the EVO felt much more serious, not as fun as the 796. The
hydraulic clutch behaved like a pop clutch making the bike lurchy in low speed
traffic – the gear box was not as nice as the 796 either, not as tight and I
managed to find false neutral between 2 and 3 on more than one occasion.
Handling/Brakes/Suspension
Due to the clutch/transmission set up and the added weight of the 1100
L-twin the handling suffered a little – not too much, but enough to be noticed.
The bike is very stable in a straight line and feels confident on the
road – it doesn't change direction as quickly or directly as the 796 – you need
to shove this into a corner, the 796 was coerced into a bend almost by
telepathy (YES, the 796 was that good!)
The suspension and brakes are a step-up from the 796, again they make
sense on the bike – with the added weight and stronger transmission – the
suspension and brakes deal with the additional stresses being asked of the
bike.
Seat/Comfort
Like the 796 the seating position is upright and comfortable. However
the seat itself is much harder and would get pretty tiresome pretty quickly.
If you wanted to go for longer rides you'd really have to change the
seat – even the dealer agreed that the race style seat on the EVO is a little
serious for a road Hypermotard.
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Bike
Aprilia Dorsoduro 750
Motor/Throttle/Clutch + Gearbox
First of all – the engine is a donk.
The 750 V-twin makes more power the 796 and only 3hp less than the 95hp
of the 1100 Duc – not as much torque as the 1100 but more than the 796 (which
is actually an 803cc capacity but remains named as 796 for historical
continuity) – so yes, the V-twin of the Aprilia is wonderful.
This is where things went wrong.
The throttle response is very poor indeed. Aprilia use a 3 mode ECU
mapping and drive-by-wire technology on the Dorso giving you three choices:
Sport - snatchy and far too aggressive making the bike impolite on the road
Touring – lazy and uninspiring
Rain – don't bother
Essential this bike is a ball-tearer or nothing.....there is no in
between which feels right.
As with the EVO1100 the Dorso has a hydraulic wet-clutch. This is a
much better setup than the Ducs dry clutch setup – shifting on the Dorso was
clean with a short throw and the clutch friction point was not too high, not
too low.
Handling/Brakes/Suspension
Being nice and light the bike tips in from the front no problem – it
just doesn't behave itself.
Although the suspension was good, it was not good enough to make the
bike feel connected to the road. Under compression when cornering the front-end
tended to wander a little more than I would have liked – the back was no better
– Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad bike by any means and the handling is
not poor – it's just not as good as the Ducs or as good as it should be.
The brakes are nice and strong with good solid bite and good feel
through both hand and foot controls – no problems here at all.
Seat/Comfort
Again, an upright motard style riding position giving you a clear view
of the road and good vision through the corners.
The saddle is actually a little wider than the Ducs and maybe slightly
more comfortable – probably still inadequate for lengthy rides or touring
without some sort of modification or accessory.
After ride update
I've since found out the Dorso tested was an '09 model with the original fuel map - hence the poor throttle response. Furthermore, this bike had a slow leaking rear tyre which more than obviously accounts for the poor handling exhibited during the test - what a shame.
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Bike
Triumph Street Triple R
Motor/Throttle/Clutch + Gearbox
First things first – that engine! What a peach!
The in-line 3-cylinder of the Striple is simply intoxicating. The power
and torque curves feel superimposed on one another. From down low the familiar
triple free revving whistle provides very usable power and torque for low speed
traffic filtering making the bike stable – no lurching or surging whatsoever.
At highway speed the motor feels even better. In top gear it will pull no
problem from 4,000rpm and spool up rapidly......but kick it down into second
and the 3cylinder revs like a little Ferrari giving you the most satisfying
feeling of torque and power – not to mention ham-fisted wheelie capability!
Did I mention the engine is intoxicating yet?
The throttle is a simple cable setup and feels natural and smooth to
use – coupled with a lovely transmission with a positive neutral finder,
shifting gear is completed with a satisfying click and positive feedback. The
clutch pays out a little higher than I expected but something I got used to
immediately then forgot about instantly as it became natural. Validation enough
of the setup. I wouldn't change a thing.
Handling/Brakes/Suspension
Considering its test partners, the Striple R is in a league of its own
when it comes to handling and road manners. It is mind blowing.
At low speed it is stable, light and nimble – very controllable – as a
commuter I really don't think there is a better machine for finding gaps in
between cages.
Increase speed and you can feel the race bred frame geometry of the
Daytona tap you on the shoulder and say “go on, tip it in.” And tip it in you
do. This bike countersteers on a knife edge – the suspension is firm but fair
making the bike change direction from the nose like nothing else. Continue to
increase speed, the bike remains stable, the suspension soaks up poor road
surface and the whole package works in concert.
The brakes are fantastic – a little trail braking and the front stands
up before letting the lever out and flicking the nose in another direction. I
played a little with hard braking – setup and brake. The bike was well mannered
and pulled up hard with linear and predictable deceleration. No complaints
here.
Seat/Comfort
Now, this is where I am a little disappointed. It's not that the seating
position is bad, it's just not as good as the rest of the bike. I suppose you'd
get used to it, but with everything else being spot on I just wish the saddle
was too.
My only concern with the seat is for long ride capability and touring.
I just can't see either happening with a Striple R – it's a great shame and I
hope I am wrong.
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Bike
Aprilia Shiver Sport 750
Motor/Throttle/Clutch + Gearbox
The Shiver is blessed with the same 750 V-twin as tested in the
Dorsoduro – however unlike the Dorso – the Shiver has got it bang on. Very
smooth, better fuelling and 3 extra HP to boot!
Output is now 95HP – the same as the 1100EVO.
Again, the Shiver has three throttle modes and drive-by-wire, and again
the three choices are the same as the Dorso: 1- Sport, 2-Touring, 3-Rain.
These maps are much better suited and work in tandem with the improved
fuelling of the Shiver – I played with both Sport and Touring and they were
both vast improvements from their counterparts on the Dorso providing lots of
torque and smooth roll on of power. No problems with the throttle.
The gearbox is tight and shifting is short and well indexed. The
gearing itself is a little tall – I was cruising at 80-90km/h in 3rd @
~3,500rpm which makes hi-way miles a breeze – however roll on throttle and
there is no hesitation as the V-twin's torques kicks the Shiver along and you
GTFO.
The hydraulic wet-clutch is light and very usable with a low friction
point – it provides good feel and is well matched to the transmission.
Handling/Brakes/Suspension
At low speed the bike is manageable and nimble hiding what little weight it has
well. As speed is increased the Shiver remains extremely stable.
The Shiver has very good road manners. It changes direction wonderfully
from the nose and stays online when pitched over. The Sachs upside-down front fork
provides good front end grip and feel giving a comfortable and responsive ride.
The brakes are excellent with dual wave rotors and four pot callipers
on the front and a single wave rotor, single piston on the rear. Both sets of
anchors are given braided brakes lines which accentuates the initial bite and
continues with linear and powerful deceleration.
Seat/Comfort
The seating position is upright and relaxed. The bars are wide with a
neutral body position – I felt no pressure on my wrist or shoulders and had a
clear view of the road ahead as well as the instrument cluster on the dash.
The seat itself was excellent. Nice and wide and very comfortable with
a generous pillion shelf. You would be able to complete long distances in the
saddle without any accessory or adjustment – from the current suite of bikes
tested, the Shiver has the most forthcoming touring capability.
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Bike
Husqvarna Nuda 900
**I had originally booked a 900R – ohwell.......
Motor/Throttle/Clutch + Gearbox
So what does a bored out BMW F series 800 feel like?
Ride the Nuda 900 and you'll find out! This parallel twin 900 is
relatively free revving and very strong indeed. Output is ~105HP and torque is
on tap all through the rev range. Vibration is a common trait of parallel twins
– however the Nuda has this sorted and vibration was no issue whatsoever.
In sport mode the throttle is quite aggressive and a little snatchy –
especially when rolling on in 1st and 2nd gears. Throttle action is much
smoother and predicable in touring mode, power is still available on tap and
the torque curve seemed to favour the higher rev range, this arrangement makes
sense and the bike benefits from it.
Although the gear box was good, albeit with short gearing – the clutch
was very heavy with a stiff action – even in the short test it became tiresome.
A longer pull-arm on the clutch case side of the cable would help – but as it
is, it's not nice.
Gearing is quite short requiring a higher gear at hiway speed to keep
RPM at an acceptable level – however the gear box itself is very usable with a
clean gear selection, neutral is located no problem.
Handling/Brakes/Suspension
Being a Motard, the seating position if very upright – the seat is
quite tall giving you a great view of the road – however I did find that the
sky was reflected on the instruments which made them a little hard to read.
Handling was as expected – very nimble, very agile. This bike makes you
want to be a bit silly – something I couldn't ignore at one point as I took the
shortest path through a roundabout (straight over the top). However, as
good as the handling is – I still think the Ducati 796 has it beat, I even felt
more connected to the road on the Shiver – the front end of the Husky was a
little vague for my liking and can probably be attributed to the lower spec
front forks.
Again there are braided brake lines on the dual front rotors and single
rear – and again, the brakes are great. Good solid initial bite which continues
without fade.
Seat/Comfort
The seat is actually relatively comfortable – I might go as far to say
that out of the tested Motards, the Nuda has the best saddle.
The pegs and bars are perfectly positioned – standing up on the pegs
over rough ground (and when traversing the roundabout) felt natural and allowed
me to control the bike through both the pegs and the bars. Other than the small
12L fuel tank – I think you'd be able to do long rides on the Nuda without an
issue.
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So that was my journey to buying a Shiver.........after a year of ownership and over 10,000kms I am still enjoying every single moment on my Ape.
\BitSar
