2015 Aprilia Caponord Rally Review
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Review of the Aprilia Caponord Rally Review
Before riding the 2015 Aprilia Caponord Rally, our thoughts were that the new wave of high end adventure sport bikes were akin to that of luxury SUVs. They might be fast, they might look like they can go off-road but for 99% of people, they'll never leave the black stuff and wouldn't do very well off it anyway. Now however, we've had to change our tune. The Aprila Caponord Rally is as close to the holy grail of motorcycling that we've yet come across - comfortable for touring, agile for spirited riding and yes, actually quite capable of getting off the beaten path.
Read the full written review at www.therideadvi...
The Caponord Rally is an evolution of the Aprilia Caponord 1200 that was released back in 2013 which is strictly a road bike with an adventure style look and ergonomics. That means that Aprilia had to actually spend some time on the Caponord Rally to make it a genuinely dirt capable machine.
Visually, the big differences are the crash bars surrounding the front of the bike along with a crash plate covering the engine and exhaust headers, thought he latter is a mix of plastic and aluminium. Attached to the crash bars are a pair of LED spotlights, along with a new oversized windshield which can be easily adjusted in height and plastic hand guards. While there's a button for heated grips, you'll have to pay extra for them to be actually installed.
At the rear of the bike is a new steel rear subframe which allows for the standard inclusion of aluminium panniers (combined capacity of 66 litres). Situated beneath those is the ridiculously large exhaust can which is actually height adjustable - so if you're heading off road sans-luggage, it can be moved up and further away from danger beneath.
What really starts making this a machine capable of confidence inspiring riding on dirt, gravel or other poor surfaces is the use of spoked wheels both front and back, with the front wheel increased from 17 inches to 19 inches - much more in line with off road bikes. Because of the bigger diameter wheel up front, Aprilia changed the steering geometry ensure the bike still handles well on normal roads where even the most adventurous of riders will spend most of their time on this bike. Changes mean steering rake increases to 27.4° from (26.1°) and trail decreases to 4.6 inches (from 4.9).
Thankfully, these changes to the front end have done nothing to blunt the Caponord's handling abilities. This thing loves corners. Pushing on the wide bars sees the bike tip over better than many sportsbikes - chicken strips on the rear tire were gone without even trying. Part of that is no doubt due to Aprilia's continuing ability to make near perfect chassis' for their bikes. Like its sportier brethren (the RSV4 and Tuono), the Caponord has class leading handling and dynamics. Its modification to a dirt capable bike hasn't dulled it in any perceivable way.
For all my riding on bitumen, I'd set the electronic aids onto their lowest settings of intervention and the biked was flawless. No scares, no hiccups, both application of power and handling in the corners was perfectly confidence inspiring and I no doubt was only hitting a fraction of its limits.
Powering the Caponord Rally remains the same 1197cc V-Twin that produces a 125hp @ 8,000 rpm and 115Nm of torque at 6,800 rpm. The power delivery of the engine is definitely more adventure bike than sports bike. That's not to say this machine is slow - it's anything but - it's just that you're not going to pull wheelies with it unless you're trying. Which is a good thing when you head off road. In fact, Aprilia has modified the power delivery slightly for such applications, with throttle response more progressive and responsive at low engine speeds.
As we wrote at the outset, my perception of bikes like this before the Caponord Rally is they have no place off-road. Sure, just like any motorcycle (even liter bikes), one can ride on dirt and gravel if you take care - but you wouldn't ride at speed or in the wet with them. And that's still true for many bikes of this ilk - the Kawasaki Versys 1000 is a great touring machine but it's just too big and unwieldy to take off road seriously.
But the Caponord Rally is something else. Sure, a proper dirt bike will always be more capable of road, but the Caponord Rally is far closer to being a dirt capable machine than something like the Yamaha WR450F is to being a comfortable long range tourer. This machine actually can go off road.
Read the rest of the written review at www.therideadvi...
Nice review but more views/pictures of the bike would be nice. Now we only see parts of it. I just discovered this bike and for the past few days I'm looking into all the information/reviews there are. Can't wait to testride one and take it home!
Very good review, but I seriously think you should re-edit the video and cut out the random stuff.
what is the bleeping all about? spoils it
My dealerships just loaned me this bike (and year) while my Triumph gets a major servicing. I look forward to seeing if I agree with your take.
Please, stop including random shit in the reviews.. I'm talking about movie clips, and tepid animal jokes.. It's annoying..
Edgars Liepa What's everyone elses thoughts on this? I do it because I'm trying not to make boring reviews like 90% of what's on RUclips. But if you'd all prefer it without that's fine - it makes editing and creating the reviews a lot simpler.
TheRideAdvice I don't mind it.
TheRideAdvice Don't get me wrong.. Reviews are really good.. in fact, best ive seen on youtube..
But the random stuff, You include, removes the professional review feel, that You would otherwise definetly have..
Edgars Liepa Not at all, I appreciate the feedback. I'll take it all on board.
+TheRideAdvice
Just "read" the likes-dislikes, it'll be enough to answer your question...
I was really really annoyed by the high pitching sounds.
you can include the random section at the end or in the middle but not at random times.