Bargain bike of the century
The Shiver 750 might just be the best-value bike you can buy right now, reports
What motorcycle currently offers the best value for the bucks on the New Zealand market? It would be hard to go past the Aprilia Shiver 750 in 2017.
About to be replaced in the spring by a new 900cc version, the cost of the current 750 is effectively $2000 less than when last reviewed two years ago. It already represented outstanding value back in 2015, when it retailed for $13,999 with the option of a ABS/Traction Control pack for a further $1000.
Now it lists for $12,999 and comes with the riding aids fitted as standard equipment. Blimey! A rorty Italian V-twin streetbike with lots of tech for learner-bike money! It’s the absolute bike bargain of the 21st century.
Time then to swing a leg over the Shiver and check what else has changed in the last two years. It was quite a resolved machine in 2015 as Aprilia had ironed out the throttle response glitches in a model that debuted the world’s first electronic throttle. Well, in the Touring and Rain riding modes anyway; Sport was still a little jerky for my tastes.
Fast forward to 2017, and it seems Sport has been taught some better manners as well. It became my preferred throttle selection for this test, whereas most of my riding was done in T-mode on the MY2015 version.
The other big difference is the fitting of the bulky ABS/ TC module to the bike. It adds five kilograms of mass and obviously presented a packaging problem to Aprilia, given that they’d already managed to stuff a 90-degree liquid-cooled V-twin engine into a short-wheelbase streetbike.
Ducati once solved this problem by thumping some extra dents into the underside of the fuel tank of the Monster 1100 Evo, and fitting the module there, reducing the fuel capacity of the bike from 17 litres to 13 litres.
For the Noale factory, this wasn’t an option, as the Shiver already had a 15-litre tank, and couldn’t afford to lose any more capacity.
Nor was placing it under the seat viable, as the stainlesssteel exhaust system already resides there.
The only place that bulky module would fit without hurting either the attractive design of the Shiver or harming its weight distribution, was therefore to mount it directly behind the front wheel. A plastic body pan hopefully deflects any stones flicked up by the front tyre, and there’s a notable improvement to the steering of the Shiver through the addition of an extra 5kg of weight on the front wheel.
The bike feels more neutral as you turn into, rail through, and charge out of corners, especially in the final phase, as the power of the V-twin has less opportunity to unload the front tyre.
A further improvement is the fitting of French-made Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier radials. The steadier grip of the new tyres and the shifting of more mass forward have had the combined effect of increasing this rider’s confidence in the latest Shiver. I felt more encouraged to chuck it around and soon began to scrub out the ‘‘chicken strips’’ at the edges of the tyres of the brand-new testbike. I don’t remember feeling quite so enthusiastic when riding the 2015 edition.
The Shiver is quite firmly sprung, and the 43mm Showa inverted forks lack any adjustment of their control of 120mm of wheel travel. Out back, a preload and rebound adjustable Sachs shock mounts directly to the beautiful sand-cast alloy swingarm, and offers 130mm of travel.
It’s a package that works best on smoother surfaces, where the Aprilia demonstrates the dive resistance engineered into the forks when braking, and imparts plenty of feeling for tyre traction. However, corrugations and bumpy lowspeed turns aren’t its happy places as it’ll buck off the rider’s chosen line to seek a smoother path.
Nor is this the ideal city bike, especially for shorter riders. The seat is located 810mm from the road, and its generous width makes it feel higher than it is. The lack of steering lock increases the turning circle of the Shiver, and when parking it up, it feels at least 30kg heavier than its claimed 189kg (dry).
But there are good reasons to adapt to these challenges (other than the price). The powertrain is refined and smooth, at no detriment to its engaging V-twin character. The 750 pumps out rideable torque at 3000rpm and maintains its forceful surge forward all the way to the 10,000rpm rev limiter. The gearbox clicks through its six ratios with the precision of a pukka sportsbike.
The fuel use will let you roam for 250km before you have to refill that 15-litre tank. The engine sounds superb, and has just the single foible – those under-seat exhausts can chuck out unwelcome amounts of heat on hot days.
Good as the dynamics of the Shiver are, the best reason to buy one is found in the details. No bike is better made at this price point and there are quality touches to be found all over the Priller. The stacked halogen headlights enlighten a wide path forward at night, the instrumentation gives a wealth of easily-read info, and the switchgear is positive and rider-friendly to operate. It’s a quality Eyetie, now available at a mainland Asian price.