2018 Aprilia Shiver 900 First Ride Review

When Aprilia invited Motorcycle.com to the press introduction for the 2018 Shiver 900 first ride, I thought, hadn’t that model been announced at EICMA 2016 as an upcoming 2017 model? If so, the model had been selling for a while already, right? It had. But as is typical, those lucky Europeans got it first and we had to wait. After the bikes made their journey across the ocean, braving Hurricane Harvey, and worse yet, meeting homologation, the new 900s arrived state-side. A few weeks later, the introduction of the new 2018 Aprilia Shiver 900 would commence.

Aprilia is a brand that is too little known in the U.S. of A, if you ask me. While speaking to Aprilia’s Brand Manager, Patrick Flynn, he related a story about a gentleman walking up to him at a gas station while he was putting break-in miles on these motorcycles, and attempting to pronounce: “Ape-pril-ee-ya.” Flynn gently corrected him on the correct pronunciation and informed the man Aprilias are Italian motorcycles. That was all he needed to hear. “Aw, yeah? Nice!” With 54 championships and the V-4 platform we all love here at MO, I wish more motorcyclists in the U.S. had access to Aprilia, however, it seems the most commonly cited issue is the company’s relatively small dealer network.

Aprilia is using the same 896cc 90-degree V-Twin motor to power the new Shiver, as well as the new Dorsoduro (but that’s a story for another a few days from now), which is why both models were included in this introduction. The previous Shiver (and Dorsoduro) were 750s and left many journalists and consumers alike, wishing for something more, so that’s what Aprilia did.

2011 Aprilia Shiver 750 Review

The engine is said to have revised its crankshaft geometry and balancing to deliver a smoother ride. It felt pretty smooth to me, so good job, Aprilia. Other changes to the Twin include a lighter piston with a new coating to reduce friction, a reinforced piston pin, semi-dry crankcase with reed valves controlling oil movement, and new double-jet fuel injectors which spray at a higher pressure for better air/fuel atomization. Another big upgrade we are happy to see is the inclusion of the Marelli 7SM ECU, which was brought over from the V4 platform and now works as the brains of the Shiver’s operations, enabling the new TC management and streamlining electrical systems while shedding a claimed one pound of weight.

Rider interface with the Shiver is quite nice in most respects, however, there are a few nits to pick. The new ride-by-wire throttle feels great, although actual fueling can be jerky at low rpm. The bend on the handlebar puts the user in a comfortable rider triangle, while the comfy 32-inch tall seat allowed my 30-inch inseam to flat foot comfortably on both sides. Rider and passenger footpegs include rubber inserts to quell vibration. The gearbox feels solid with tight tolerances resulting in positive shifts, however, the amount of pressure needed to downshift was surprisingly high. Aprilia says the hydraulic clutch pull was been reduced by 15% thanks to refinements to its design and a change in friction material. This must have been a welcome improvement over the previous iteration because I felt the Shiver 900’s clutch pull was still a bit on the heavy side.

Braking is handled by dual 320mm floating rotors, squeezed by 4-piston calipers which are fed by steel-braided brake lines, while the rear uses a 240mm wave rotor and single-piston caliper with steel-braided lines. No Brembos here, likely to keep costs down, but the brakes are adequate for the task at hand. ABS is, of course, standard, as on all European motorcycles since 2016. The front brakes initially felt a bit vague, but some of the motorcycles had less than 200 miles on their odometers, and improved somewhat after more hard miles. I think it was an issue of the pads having not bedded-in entirely. Initial bite improved once they were fully up to temperature.

The new TFT display and user controls are easy enough to figure out, with the only tricky bit being that, to switch ride modes, you press the starter button once the engine is running to toggle between Sport, Touring, and Rain. Traction control offers three levels as well as Off, with 1 being the least intrusive. ABS is simply on or off and only accessible to change while the bike is in neutral. Ride modes are adjustable while riding, having only close the throttle to engage, while TC is adjustable on the fly. The Aprilia Multimedia Platform is also an available option which will allow the rider to sync with his or her smartphone for a multitude of options, including displaying incoming/active calls and any music being streamed, among other functions.

As with the new wheels, not all of the interesting design elements are solely aesthetic. The caps on the under-tail exhaust serve an engineering purpose rather than just looking cool and emitting a more exciting exhaust note. They have been designed to improve passenger comfort by redirecting gas flow out of the exhaust to the sides rather than directly behind the passenger in an attempt to evacuate the hot, humid gases from the low pressure area created behind a passenger while riding. Happy passenger, happy life? Or something like that.