As a journalist, I try not to let my enthusiasm for a particular subject corrupt my impartiality, but when I heard Aprilia was finally bringing their Caponord 1200 to the United States, I admit I got a little excited. When I found out the North American press launch was to be held three blocks from my house in Prescott, Arizona, and I was invited, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Objectivity out the window, let me explain why I love this motorcycle as much as I do.
When viewing motorcycles through the lens of Expedition Portal, we often place off-road performance as the primary evaluative metric and look for things like a 21-inch front wheel, long suspension travel, and positive ground clearance. The Caponord has none of those things, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant. Although the adventure motorcycling segment is growing rapidly, only a small portion of those motorcycles actually venture off-road. This leaves the majority of adventure riders carving tarmac, often on machines not ideally suited to the task. The Caponord on the other hand is an unabashed road machine and if my brief term on it made one thing apparent, it is that ample adventure can be had even within the confines of painted lines.
Aprilia is best known for their highly advanced sportbikes and that DNA is evident in every aspect of the Caponord. One of the most sophisticated motorcycles on the market, it was launched in 2013 with an unprecedented list of technological firsts and the patents to go with them. The driving theme behind each advanced feature is not just to make a better ride, but to make the rider better. Almost all modern motorcycles come brimming with high tech electronic features. They also require the rider have a full command of how to use those features and know when to employ them. The Caponord 1200 goes a step further and largely automates many of the electronic aids for a more predictable and consistent ride experience.
Like most newer motorcycles, the Caponord’s throttle is electronically controlled, something Aprilia achieved before anyone else in the industry. The ride by wire system has three settings for Touring, Sport and Rain. The rain setting reduces throttle response and restricts power to 100 hp. The Sport mode does the opposite and gives precise throttle feedback to best deliver all 125 hp on tap. Linked to the electronic throttle is Aprilia’s traction control system with settings for sport, normal, or full off. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Caponord is the Aprilia Dynamic Damping system.
Taking electronic suspension adjustments (ESA) to a new level, the ADD system is designed to give the rider a predictable ride quality that doesn’t require too much rider input to fine-tune. The Sachs suspension components have damping managed by a dedicated ECU with proprietary Aprilia software and related actuators. The ADD components effectively “read” riding conditions and make adjustments accordingly, and they do so in a matter of milliseconds. An industry first, the rear shock can even modify spring load as well as damping effect. As an example, going into a hard turn, the rear suspension will become more compliant as the front stiffens to compensate for braking forces. Exiting the turn, the front relaxes to allow the wheel to follow the road with maximum efficiency and the rear stiffens to help deliver more power. The ADD system also has the ability to self-adjust preload for rider only, rider with luggage, two-up, and two-up with luggage.
The wide bars were postioned perfectly for my average build. The instrumentation was easy to read and protection from wind was excellent.
The Caponord in Travel Pack configuration is available with cruise control, matching luggage, and another industry first, a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone app which links your device to the motorcycle for an additional information interface. That app allows the rider to view engine performance, suspension settings in real-time, fuel economy, real-time power output, as well as full navigational features. It even includes a complete user manual and can direct you to the nearest Aprilia dealer for servicing. As a fun bonus, it even displays your distance to the motorcycle’s namesake, Nordkapp in Norway.
Ride Impressions
Standing in front of the Caponord, it’s obvious it is aimed at the sport touring sector and a direct competitor to bikes like the Ducati Multistrada. It has an edgy aesthetic that speaks to its Italian heritage and looks the part of a bike designed to devour twisty roads. Throwing a leg over it, I couldn’t help but notice how balanced it was. It felt much lighter than its 500 pound wet-weight would suggest. Starting it for the first time made me an instant fanboy as the 1200cc 90-degree V-Twin roared to life, an audible confirmation of its 125 hp promise. Switching the ride mode to “Sport” actuated a shutter in the exhaust system giving the Caponord an amplified rasp that made the hair on my neck bristle.
Once underway, the design objective of the Caponord was impossible to ignore. Diving hard into turns and exiting with a handful of throttle, it had the feel of a sportbike, but with far more composure and comfort than expected. What I noticed most was the predictability of the bike in every setting from bumpy turns to high-speed sweepers. The throttle response and power delivery inspired immediate confidence and with speeds rolling towards triple digits, had plenty more oomph to be unleashed. Many high-powered bikes have a violent acceleration that while fun, serves only to press your organs against the back of your ribcage. The Caponord spools up to speed with authority, but without unwanted drama. Cruising speed achieved, the protection from the adjustable windscreen and flared tank reduced wind buffeting for a very comfortable ride. The seat is nicely shaped and the riding position is upright and feels ergonomically spot-on. I was surprised to find the slightly high position of the pegs didn’t bother my less than healthy knees. I attribute much of the riding comfort to the fact the Caponord likely won’t ever need to accommodate any standing, which might explain the extra attention paid to the seat, which is one of the best factory seats I’ve ever had the pleasure to use.
The Caponord is flush with nice design details. With the panniers removed, there is no visible mounting hardware or framework exposed.
The Dirt Proposition
As is so often the case with any bike flying the adventure flag, discussions of forays into the dirt were inevitable. While there is ample room to fit a proper set of AT tires on the Caponord’s 17-inch wheels, doing so would be akin to putting hiking boots on a ballerina. Everthying about the Caponord is tuned for pavement and that is where it should be used. This is a motorcycle purpose-built to carve the mountain roads of the Alps, Rockies, or either versions of the Sierra Nevada. It will eagerly dispatch miles of slab on-route to twisty roads, but it is best enjoyed on serpentine pavement. As a two-up sport tourer it is comfortable for rider and passenger, and is finely appointed for extended hours of riding.
If I had to guess, I’d peg the typical Caponord customer as someone currently piloting a traditional adventure bike, albeit seldom if ever off-road; Perhaps someone who still likes the adventure designation, but seeks that adventure in the form of spirited rides on curvy roads. As much as I love to ride the dirt, I could easily see myself, and my wife riding pillion, circumnavigating Lake Como in northern Italy. Mama mia. Doesn’t that sound like an adventure?
Images courtesy of Aprilia USA and Kevin Wing
www.apriliausa.com
