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2011–2015 · Supermoto · Buyer's Guide
The Big Twin Supermoto Bruiser
Aprilia built the Dorsoduro 1200 around a 90-degree V-twin that has no business being this angry in a bike wearing travel-enduro clothes. It makes 130 hp and 85 lb-ft from 1200 cc, and it hangs on the throttle with real intent. The chassis backs it up: an upside-down fork, radial-mount front brakes on 320 mm discs, and fat 17-inch rubber front and rear. ABS, traction control, and ride modes are standard, so all that punch stays usable instead of chaotic. This is a maxi-supermoto that wants a canyon road, not a campground.
It rides tall at 34.3 in in the saddle, flicks between corners on those wide bars with almost no effort, and rewards a rider who already knows what they want from a front end. The reward comes with an honest tax. The 4.0-gal tank keeps range short, wind protection is minimal, and there is real seat time needed to sort the setup before it shines. Buy it if riding fun outranks every practical box on your list. If you want a bike that also tours, commutes, and carries luggage without complaint, this one will make you pay for the compromise.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 130 hp (96 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 85 lb-ft (115 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1200 cc |
| Engine | 90° V-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70 ZR17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55 ZR17 |
| Ground clearance | 6.3 in (160 mm) |
| Front travel | 6.3 in (160 mm) |
| Rear travel | 6.1 in (155 mm) |
| Seat height | 34.3 in (870 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 gal (15 L) |
| Top speed | 135 mph (217 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 34 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
Swing a leg over and the first thing you notice is how little is in front of you. There is barely a screen, a sparse cluster, few switches, and the whole cockpit reads as purposeful rather than commanding. It makes the big Aprilia feel lighter and more willing than the size suggests the second you tip it in. The V-twin fills your ears with a proper hard-edged voice at 8.5 on our sound scale, and there is genuine character in how it pulls low in the rev range. Two things nag at real road pace. The rear shock arrives too soft from the factory and wallows until you add a few clicks of preload, and finding neutral at a standstill is a genuine chore every time you pull up to a light. Live with those and the bike feels alive under you in a way no serious tourer manages.
My own 0–100 score for this bike against the class, area by area — the marker on each bar is the class average.
The chassis has genuine talent waiting behind one factory shortcoming at the rear. Out of the box the shock runs too soft for anything more committed than easy road work, and my first hard corner had the back mushing down and going vague as it compressed. It costs almost nothing to correct. A handful of preload clicks transforms the rear, and only then does the bike reveal its real quickness through direction changes and hold a line I can lean against.
Judge it by the touring-shaped panels and you'll misread it completely. Throttle response has real bite, and the motor keeps pulling with conviction long past where a soft adventure mill would sign off. Get it driving out of a bend and the thrust is almost comic for something this sensible-looking. The one catch sits at the soft end of the throttle: trailing inputs rolling into a tightening corner bring a stumble, right where I want the fueling seamless.
The stopping power betrays where this chassis came from. Potter around town and the front brake gives me no cause for concern, handling ordinary duty cleanly. Push the pace on a good back road or take it to a track, and the softness of the setup surfaces. What I miss is bite at the very first touch and the fine feedback that tells me how hard the front is working. Tuned for gentle enduro use, it holds back exactly when I want to lean on it.
Where this thing earns its keep is on a proper stretch of tarmac or inside the cones of a circuit. The involvement it hands back outclasses anything built for the long haul, something a dedicated distance bike simply can't match. None of that comes free. Weather protection is thin, carrying capacity is close to nonexistent, and a full day will wear on me sooner than a purpose-built machine would. That's the toll, and the riding pays it back in full.
What strikes me first is how little clutters the view ahead. Pared-back gauges, barely a windscreen, a bar free of switches: the machine demands less of me and feels readier to turn for the diet. My complaint is mechanical, not postural. Underway the gearbox behaves, yet rolling to a stop and going for neutral becomes a stubborn hunt every time I sit at a light or idle in the pit lane.
My own ride on this bike lives in another module. This one gathers what riders have told me over the years: back-and-forth in comment threads, questions at rallies, and the direct messages owners send when they want a straight answer. Together they form one clear picture of the Dorsoduro 1200.
Owners return to the V-twin first. Its 130 hp and addictive mid-range pull is the reason most of them bought in. Steering earns nearly as much trust: planted as speeds rise, still quick to tip into a tight corner on the wide bars. The front Brembos get repeated credit for holding up under hard, repeated braking without fading. A smaller group singles out the padded seat and compliant suspension for keeping longer rides comfortable.
The complaints are as steady. Throttle response leads: in Sport mode riders find it touchy at small openings, sharp enough that smooth riding takes real effort. Fuel range is next, with roughly 34 mpg (6.9 L/100km) cutting a day short and pushing owners toward a station before a long day is out. Its weight draws comment too, making low-speed handling more of a chore than the class expects. Shorter riders keep flagging the 34.3 in (870 mm) seat as a real stretch.
Electrical gremlins with ride-by-wire
Some owners report intermittent issues with the electronic throttle control, causing erratic behavior or warning lights.
Rear subframe cracking
The aluminum rear subframe can crack at a welding seam near a bolting point, typically around 17,000 miles (27,000 km). Several owners have reported the same failure.
Shift locking lever wear
The shift locking lever can wear prematurely, causing shifting difficulties. Replacement with an updated part resolves the issue.
Where this Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Dorsoduro 1200 is actually built for.
If your weekends are Angeles Crest and the LA canyons, this bike fits your obsession. The punch off slow corners and the effortless direction changes are made for that ground. Sort the rear shock and add front bite for the hard days.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
For sporty Saturdays on the Twisted Sisters this Aprilia is a riot, but go in clear-eyed. The short 4.0-gal range and thin wind protection mean it earns its keep on the twisties, not the transit miles between them.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
On the Dragon and Cherohala where technique beats top speed, the wide bars and quick turn-in reward precise inputs. Just know the front brake wants more feel than stock delivers when you start pushing the tight stuff.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway