Aprilia Shiver 750

Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

  Aprilia Shiver 750

 Aprilia Shiver 750

For those in the market for a funky middleweight roadster, the choice has never been so good. Gone is the stuffy, slightly cheap image that used to go with these naked and half-naked streetbikes - because now the Z750s, Fazers and Hornet 600s of this world, as tested last week in MCN, are brimming with performance and style to match their practicality and reliability. And if you want to be a bit different from the Japanese crowd, there's always the brilliant little air-cooled 992cc V-Twin Monster S2R 1000 to tickle your taste buds.

But things are about to change because Aprilia has joined the party with its new V-Twin 750cc Shiver. This is the first Aprilia to be designed from a clean sheet of paper since cash-rich Piaggio have been in charge. It's the first of many new models that will eventually plug the massive gap in Aprilia's range between their 125cc and 1000cc bikes, which has just the single-cylinder Pegaso rattling around in it at the moment.

THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE APRILIA SHIVER 750:

90° V2 engine with four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshaft and liquid cooling;
ride-by-wire electronic throttle technology with 3 different mappings (Sport, Touring and Rain);
electronic fuel injection with latest generation injectors;
mixed gear and chain valve timing;
modular steel trellis and aluminium side plate frame for high torsional rigidity;
aluminium swingarm with reinforcement truss and lateral shock absorber;
43 mm upside down fork;
brakes with radial caliper at front;
latest generation two channel ABS;