Aprilia Shiver - Admiration

The title line says it all - nothing further needed.

\Bitsar

ABS....Vs......the iWalker

A couple of mornings ago - on the daily commute into work I had a moment........not a nice moment.....and it was one where I was thanking the Shiver for its' ABS......

Traffic was very heavy......so much so that every CBD intersection was full - packed......bumper to bumper.....at this point Traffic lights were incidental....mindless cagers just crowded out intersections and hey - if they got stuck in the middle between two red lights....who cares! They have a nice mobile lounge chair to sit in........hmmmmm....

So as any commuter rider will attest - heavy traffic is a dangerous proposition....cagers, with their small minds, can get impatient and hesitant - at the same time - making them even less predictable than usual.......not something you want to be involved with.....engage GTFO.......

I was nearly at the office and was approaching the street with the entrance to the car park......I was filtering through traffic and switched to the outside of the left lane - in between the gutter and the traffic - to make my left turn < 10m ahead......mind you this is a legal use of the road shoulder........

As I came up to the corner - albeit a little on the throttle - I encountered an iWalker who popped out of the stationary traffic..........BAM! - or should I say.....Baahhhhh

This guys had his iPhone glued to his face......his AWESOME oversized DJ headphones over his ears - looking super-fly as he wandered through traffic.......good job fella!

My eyes had already spotted movement from my right and my right hand reacted before my brain processed the situation - I set up the brakes and squeezed......and squeezed.....a little rear brake to stabilize.....and squeeze....

With the aid of ABS the front pulsated slightly as did the rear - the bike pulled up hard and remained stable......by this time I was pretty much stationary.....balancing the bike using rear brake...keeping the chain and chassis under tension.....rocking, rocking, rocking....

The iWalker looked at me with bewilderment.....I was adamant not to put a foot down.....he scuttled off through the traffic.....live to iWalk another day.....

\Thanks ABS

--BitSar

To clutch or not to clutch

I've been meaning to post about clutchless shifting - both in general and on the Ape.

Firstly - I am a big advocate of clutchless shifting, especially when you've got the hammer down and really want to crack on some power and speed. Clutchless shifting under this scenario does not upset the power train as much as using the clutch would - hence, smoother and faster acceleration. Game on.

Secondly - clutchless shifting, especially on the Ape (I have found) also hones your clutched shifting technique giving seamless clutched changes without issue. I've found the "throw" between gears on the Ape is a little longer than other bikes, using a clutchless "type" technique, even when using the clutch makes clutched shifting very smooth indeed.

So. What is the clutchless shifting technique? It is all very simple.

Firstly - load the gear shifter with your toe.


Do this while in gear and when you still have power on - you will feel resistance through the shifter.


Keep this positive pressure applied on the lever.











Next - give the throttle a momentary close.


You will not need to fully close the throttle - nowhere near it infact. Just a roll-off.


Make sure to keep the same amount of positive pressure on the shift lever throughout this throttle action - bang - the shift happens smoothly and cleanly.....done!


What is actually occurring in the transmission is that the clutch "dogs" which are engaged via torque and hold the gear position are momentarily released when you back off power, this allows the sequential gear box to slide into the next gear. Simple!


So do you clutch or no-clutch?

\BitSar

Why did I buy a Shiver?

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

German Validation

So it's upgrade time for a buddy of mine - he's in test pilot mode and I've been along for the ride.

Initially the top of his list was the Street Triple R - sounds familiar - I was convinced after the Kwaka my next bike was going to be a StripleR.

Like me, my buddy decided the StripleR is a very nice motorcycle which handles and goes well, but it lacks soul. Too much pentium processor, not enough "Do it again.....I dare ya!"

So the StripleR was stripped from the list, in the interim he asked if he could take the Shiver for a blat, I said sure - no chance he'll buy anything else now. He loved the Shiv, her agile frame, natural ergos and the way the V-Twin pulls with satisfying torque, not to mention with the Akras she definitely barks! 

The next bike was something quite interesting - I had to ride it myself too, it was a 2013 BMW F800R

What an insipid bike. I didn't realise it was possible to make something which looks the goods go down the road like a bus.

Don't get me wrong - it has some good points: Factory heated handgrips, under tail fuel tank, ABS, touring pack etc - but meh - if the bike doesn't encourage you to ride what's the point?

The parallel Twin 798cc motor is very smooth and linear, but it lacks urgency and punch. There is no surge, no arm pulling power - unlike the Shiver can produce in Sport mode and a quick crack of the throttle - snapping the throttle on the Beemer just made the bike-bus move faster, all in a very agreeable way. Boring....

It did handle well, the brakes were good, instruments were easy to read and the switchgear felt great, but like the StripleR this thing has no character other than a polarising front end; very love/hate.

During the test ride, when I was astride the Beemer, my buddy was re-riding the Ape. We pulled over to swap back and I asked him which he preferred, the grin on his face was an answer enough. The Shiver!

Looks like there will be another Ape on the road soon......

Thanks for the German validation BMW. You make nice things.

But you can't inspire me to ride like an Italian can.....

\BitSar

Moments............Ape style

Since the GOR run all the riding I've been doing is daily commuting and errands etc...........

Inner city work........urban jungle bullshite.........yes - still fun with the right attitude - but not the natural environment for an Ape.....

At first this was getting me a little irksome.....feeling a little impetuous........I need release!

But then - just today.........I walked back to the Ape after picking up groceries. She's a little dirty, needs a good wash and detail.....but she's such a stunner......and - she's mine.......my bike......

I rode home like there was a wasp up my arse..........can't tame that Ape!

Even the mundane is magic..............with the right attitude.....

\Realises the ride is not where you go - but what you make it
................frame of mind.....the moment
-- BitSar

GOR!

Every Australian motorcyclist knows the term GOR - Great Ocean Road - one of the all-time must ride roads comprising of more than 350kms of Coastal road, Rainforest cuttings and spectacular views.

So it was on for the GOR this Saturday. Pumped.

We were not going to complete a full run - much less in fact - due to the ride being a single day trip and the  forecasted heat.........the forecast was right......

An early start was a must - get up, hit the road and get the first 1.5 hour slab to Torquay completed.


The sky was already looking scorched. It was 6:50am and I was about to throw a leg over the Ape and hit the black top: tail bag packed, full tank, empty bladder. Game on.





I swung past my buddies place for a pickup at ~7:15am - quick G'day - onto the next meeting point.....

The third rider joined us in Belmont on the outskirts of Geelong. 8:30am meet - done. We rolled into Torquay by 9am for a quick regroup and caffeine then onto the GOR!

Heading out of Torquay traffic was starting to build - the GOR is a key tourist location and of course I had forgotten this was a long weekend with a public Holiday on Monday, needless to say - traffic was shite!

Coming into Lorne is was evident that we were going to have to use some "special motorcycling technique" to find holes in the mindless procession of cages. The GOR is posted from 80kp/h to 100kp/h with the majority of the switchback corners somewhere between 30-40kp/h advisory speeds. Most of the vehicles we encountered were travelling in full-blown sightseeing mode - a mode with a max speed of 60kp/h and the unconventional practice of braking hard mid corner and refusing to use the "Slow vehicle" turnouts F#^King A$$hole B4stards....

Enough was enough. Time to get creative with some passing maneuvers.

Eventually we punched through and managed to string together a beautiful run into Apollo Bay

The black stuff was warm, sticky and twisty, encouraging the bike not to be upright for very long, flicking the nose in another direction and getting the butt-cheek off the seat......

Having made our way into Apollo bay and after seeing the horrendous traffic which was back building before continuing further down the GOR, the decision was made; back track - head inland into the Otways....

Not that the Otways are a bad thing. Oh no - quite the contrary!

We stitched our way through Skenes creek and the Otway National Park. A lovely road in the shade of the rainforest with very little traffic and a more moderate temperature, from here we continued out through Deans Marsh in the hunt for some rural fast sweepers.

Without the tree canopy the temperature starting rising. It was getting HOT - I mean really hot. Out here with zero breeze and no shade we started to feel the couple of hundred kilometres already travelled.

We had another break. Fill up with water, empty the bladder, you know, do your bit for the environment - water a tree eh?

<-- look in the backgroud of this pic....what an environmentalist!




From here we changed pace. We all engaged "Cracking on Mode" - this is a mode well-known to any seasoned rider - it means "over it for now.......crack on!" Through the fast rural sweepers and back roads of inland Western Victoria I think is fair enough to keep the average tempo to a moderate $1.50.......

As we stumbled across Ballan - heading for different location - we decided another short hiatus from the saddle was in order, quick bakery refuel for the humans; the bikes would have to wait for the final refuel point in Bacchus Marsh no more than 25kms away.

Making the final stop we refuel, shake hands - "safe home fellas.....see ya next time!"

The last slab homeward bound is when the aches of the day start to come on. You've been on a bike for 8 hours, ridden near as makes no difference ~500kms in 37 C heat - BUT!

You have the biggest shite eating grin on your face for the effort....


Riding really does enrich your life - it takes you to places which are not accessible in a cage. Not because you can't drive the route we took, you can. But I'll damn well guarantee you if you'd spent 8 hours driving it you'd be wanting to forget it, not savour it.

You can't get to where we were with 4 wheels - simple as that!

I did make it home, but by then I was slightly broken


Thank you gentleman for the ride, as always - a pleasure.....
Where next?


\BitSar