2008 Aprilia SL 750 Shiver

The first mass produced motorcycle equipped with “ride by wire” throttle control has been launched

The historic Aprilia factory at Noale in the Italian province of Venice, has just hosted the international launch of the new 750 SHIVER, the innovative Italian twin that is intuitive to ride, powerful, agile and packed with the latest technology. The SHIVER is destined to set new standards in the fiercely competitive medium capacity naked market that plays such an important role not only in Italy but throughout Europe, and is targeted by all the world’s top manufacturers.

Aprilia has been eager to take up this challenge and to translate its own winning philosophy into a brand new design offering unrivalled technology, performance, style, and riding satisfaction. The new SHIVER is the latest offering from a company that has won over 250 world championship victories and 32 world championship titles (including 27 in motoGP). Aprilia added 6 titles to its collection in 2006 alone: the riders’ and manufacturers’ titles in 125 and 250 cc motoGP plus the riders’ and manufacturers’ titles in Supermoto S2. Aprilia is also leading the 2007 world championship points tables in 125 and 250 cc motoGP and in Supermoto.

Present at the Noale launch ceremony were, among others, Chairman and Managing Director of the Piaggio Group Roberto Colaninno, General Manager for Operations Daniele Bandiera, and Aprilia Brand Manager Leo Francesco Mercanti.

Lightweight, agile and powerful, the APRILIA SL 750 SHIVER is driven by a brand new 90° V twin engine with four valves per cylinder. Putting out 95 HP at 9,000 rpm, this extremely compact unit delivers similar power to an equivalent four cylinder engine, while maintaining all the benefits of a twin in terms of torque (81 Nm at 7,000 rpm) and riding pleasure.

These extraordinary results have been achieved in part by the fact that the new SHIVER is the first production motorcycle in the world to use ride-by-wire electronic throttle control to optimise throttle valve aperture on the basis of a range of parameters including engine speed, gear selection, throttle grip position and movement speed, temperature and atmospheric pressure. The new system guarantees consistently exceptional performance in top-end acceleration and low-end pickup, with smooth, effortless, low rev torque and reduced fuel consumption. The result is a smoother, more satisfying ride and unrivalled performance on the open road.

The APRILIA SHIVER’s new 750cc V twin is also the first Aprilia road-going motorcycle engine to be designed, developed and manufactured entirely within the group, in keeping with the same strategy for technological innovation that has already seen the launch of Aprilia’s 450 and 550 cc off road twins.

As Aprilia tradition demands, the SHIVER’S chassis is simply unique in this class of motorcycle. The innovative, mixed trellis and aluminium frame delivers standard-setting rigidity to guarantee safety and precision control in the hands of inexperienced riders as well as experts. Thanks in part to this amazing frame, the new SHIVER weighs in at only 189 kg.

The braking system is impressive too. The SHIVER boasts the same, generous 320 mm front discs as Aprilia’s flagship models RSV 1000 and Tuono 1000 R.

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Aprilia SL 750 Shiver

It is certainly no easy matter to take the lead in a class as fiercely competitive as the medium powered naked class. A class where the battle is not just about technology and performance, but also design, economy of use and riding ease and pleasure, elements which are not always compatible and are particularly demanding for designers and engineers.

Aprilia has picked up this challenge and interpreted it by applying its own successful philosophy to a completely new design, destined to set new standards for years to come. A bike both strongly aggressive and at the same time clean-cut and elegant, in perfect Aprilia style. A bike at the top of its class for its sporty personality, designed on the basis of the know-how of a company which has to date won 250 world championship victories.

The pride of all Aprilia bikes, refined mechanics and a top class chassis, are once again the key to the success of the 750 V2.

The Aprilia SL 750 Shiver is the naked everyone was waiting for. A design able to satisfy the disparate needs of those buying this type of bike. From everyday use to a trip along mountain passes or use on the racetrack, the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver is completely at home in any situation, guaranteeing pure riding pleasure at all times. 

Light, agile and powerful, it has a new generation engine and the most advanced technical features in its class. The brand new 90° V2 produced entirely in-house by Aprilia is extremely compact. Above all, thanks to the advanced electronic management, it can deliver power comparable to four cylinder engines in the same class, but with much more favourable torque at low revs for an efficient and pleasing ride even on everyday routes. True to the Aprilia tradition, the chassis simply has no rivals in its class. The innovative mixed trellis/aluminium frame provides standard setting rigidity. All this makes the bike extremely compact, perfect even for the beginner. 

With a dry weight of just 189 kg, the lightness of the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver also satisfies the most canny motorcyclist, thanks to its manoeuvrability and engine performance a bike able to accompany its owner from his first few metres on two wheels up to his complete motorcycling maturity.

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Features:

90° V2 engine with four valve cylinder head, double overhead camshaft and liquid cooling.
Ride by Wire technology for electronic control of the throttle bodies;
Electronic fuel injection with latest generation injectors;
Mixed gear and chain valve timing;
Three way catalytic converter on the exhaust, Euro 3 compliant
Dismountable trellis/aluminium frame for high torsional rigidity;
Aluminium swingarm with reinforcement truss and lateral shock absorber;
43 mm upside down fork;
Racing brakes with radial caliper at front;

The V90 engine: technology in the pure state

The V90 engine inherits all Aprilia’s experience in high performance mechanics. Endless hours of bench and road tests have produced a genuine masterpiece of mechanical engineering, capable not just of high performance, but also complete reliability. Thanks to its particular technical characteristics, the Aprilia V90 combines high specific power with maximum usability and easy riding.

A generous heart, destined to set new performance and technology standards for medium powered bikes. The engine has been designed by the Aprilia Research and Development department which set out to create a powerful and reliable engine requiring very limited maintenance.
The quest for performance at the top of its class led to the adoption of a number of advanced and innovative technical features:

90° V structure;
Ride by Wire technology;
Bore and stroke ratio markedly supersquare;
Four valves per cylinder;
Ignition with two plugs per cylinder;
Double overhead camshaft, controlled by a mixed chain and gear system;
Electronic fuel injection with two throttle bodies;
Three way catalytic converter and lambda probe oxygen sensor (Euro 3 compliant).

For this type of bike, the 90° V arrangement of the cylinders was found to be the best solution in terms of performance and size. With consistently generous torque available across a wide range of revs and negligible vibrations, the Aprilia V2 750 is full and powerful at the top of its class.

The timing deserves special mention. Motion is transmitted to the four valves per cylinder and double camshaft by a mixed gear/chain system. This technical application, already adopted by Aprilia in the V60 mounted on the RSV 1000 R, enables the size of the engine to be kept down, while guaranteeing more precise and reliable timing. The chain is shorter, for less overall stress and a longer working life; this makes the engine shorter.

The latest generation injection system uses fine atomising injectors. This, together with the ignition with two spark plugs per cylinder, ensures optimum combustion for an engine which is not just more powerful, but also cleaner.

The sophisticated electronic management makes the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver a new benchmark for nakeds. In the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver, Ride by Wire technology becomes part of the standard equipment of a naked bike for the first time in the history of motorcycling. The electronic accelerator management optimises opening of the throttle bodies according to numerous parameters, including engine speed, gear selected and position of the throttle. The engine is therefore always able to offer optimum performance in acceleration and the lowest possible consumption for a still more fluid and profitable ride. This innovative solution guarantees even fuller and more regular output at low and medium speeds, optimising running of the engine, even with the choke.

Thanks to the technology used, the Aprilia V90 manages to deliver exceptionally high power for the engine configuration. 95 HP at 9000 revs and maximum torque of 81 Nm at 7000 revs are excellent for a twin of this capacity. The high torque available even at low speeds makes the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver incomparable to ride on mixed routes.

A latest generation engine management unit controls all engine parameters. All data passes through a CAN (Controlled Area Network) line to the instrument panel, which also acts as a diagnostic terminal. The CAN line uses just two wires to transmit all data. This simplifies the electrical system enormously as well as reducing the total weight of the bike.

The exhaust is made entirely from stainless steel. The manifolds come together under the seat in a single silencer with twin tail pipes. The large volume (10 litres) contributes to perfect engine breathing for excellent efficiency.

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The design: shape at the service of power

As with every Aprilia product, the SL 750 Shiver has a highly innovative design where form and function come together to create an almost perfect object. The Aprilia SL 750 Shiver is pure technology and this is evident in its sharp, sporty lines. 

The frame and engine are the foundations of the design and are also, rightly, the main elements characterising the look of the SL 750 Shiver. Each element has been designed to be not just beautiful but also functional. The design is refined, but at the same time clean-cut, without too many frills for the maximum possible functionality. The Aprilia SL 750 Shiver exhaust is also a very distinctive design element. On the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver, the technical component becomes a design element at the same time, creating a bike both aggressive and at the same time elegant. 

The tank-seat-tail assembly further emphasises the compactness of the bike. The rider becomes one with the machine, perfectly integrated in the short, agile, slim bike. This helps establish an immediate feeling between the rider and the bike, making everyone feel as if they have always been riding it. The strongly tapering tail also incorporates the twin exhaust with triangular silencers, a feature which makes the design even more aggressive, while keeping weight distribution highly symmetrical.

The Aprilia SL 750 Shiver is compact, functional and attractive. The adoption of a side shock absorber not just adds a further distinctive feature to the look of the bike, but also enables the length of the bike.

The frame: rationality and efficiency

Experts have always acknowledged that Aprilia bikes have the best chassis in their class. The Aprilia SL 750 Shiver is concrete confirmation that once again Aprilia has managed to create a chassis which is both extremely easy and intuitive and incredibly high performance. The frame exploits all the knowledge Aprilia has gained in racing and also draws on new studies on mixed structures with the futuristic RXV and SXV, already winners of a number of titles during their debut on the racetrack. The top part of the tubular steel trellis is connected to large side plates by means of special high strength bolts. This creates an extremely rigid lightweight frame, the best solution to harness all the horsepower of the Aprilia V90.

Creation of an Aprilia bike always involves synergy between chassis and engine engineers. The fundamental design choices for the V90 engine led to construction of a highly rational and efficient frame. The reduced longitudinal dimensions of the engine made it possible to design a short, agile bike, helped by the particular side positioning of the shock absorber, not a simple cosmetic mannerism, but a precise technical decision which created valuable space for the exhaust manifolds whose shape and size have been calibrated perfectly to ensure maximum engine efficiency. This enabled the optimum exhaust manifold configuration to be obtained, without too heavily affecting the length of the bike and without exposing the shock absorber, a fundamental element for the ride, to heat stress.

The aluminium swingarm with reinforcement truss has been sized specifically to support the asymmetrical stresses caused by lateral positioning of the shock absorber. The rigidity of the swingarm sets new standards for the class.

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Suspension

Optimum definition of the suspension is an obsession for Aprilia designers. Even such a "simple" bike as a naked must have the best possible available. The Aprilia SL 750 Shiver therefore stands out from the pack in this delicate area as well. 

The 43 mm upside down fork with forged feet to support the radial calipers provides benchmark smoothness. The 120 mm wheel travel makes the bike equally at home on about town trips and mountain routes. The bottom steering yoke is made from forged aluminium, the top steering yoke from forged anodised aluminium.

The side shock absorber rests directly on the swingarm, according to the cantilever principle, and provides adjustments for spring preload and hydraulic rebound. Rear wheel travel is 130 mm.

The brakes

The best technology currently available is incorporated in the Aprilia SL 750 Shiver, the first medium powered naked with a radial caliper system, a feature emphasising even further (as if it were needed) the sporty personality of the design. The 320 mm front disks are the same as used in the racing flagships, the RSV 1000 and Tuono 1000 R.

At the back, a 245 mm disk with twin piston caliper provides adequate backup for the front circuit. 

The front and rear braking circuits both use aeronautical metal braid hoses to eliminate the pressure variations associated with conventional rubber brake lines, guaranteeing maximum braking precision for a top level system.

Components

The Matrix instrument panel: the combined digital and analog instrument panel receives all the data over a CAN line and acts as an integral part of the self-diagnostics system as it also has a memory. The design is extremely modern, compact and lightweight. All functions can be switched by means of the handlebar control. The LED backlighting can be adjusted to three levels: white in the analogue zone and red in the digital zone.
The biconical aluminium handlebars are a direct reference to the handlebars of the Tuono, Aprilia’s naked flagship. Maximum lightness and maximum control. A top quality component no other bike in its class can boast.
The double parabola front light has complex surfaces and a double parking light.

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SPECS

Engine: Aprilia V90 Four stroke longitudinal 90° V twin. Liquid cooling. Double overhead camshaft with mixed gear/chain drive; four valves per cylinder.
Fuel: Unleaded petrol.
Bore x stroke: 92 x 56.4 mm
Total displacement: 749.9 cc
Compression ratio: 11 : 1
Maximum power at the crank: 95 HP at 9000 rpm.
Maximum torque at the crank: 8.25 kgm at 7000 rpm.
Fuel system: Integrated engine management system. Injection with Ride by Wire technology control of the throttle bodies
Ignition: Digital electronic, integrated with the injection, two spark plugs per cylinder
Starting: Electric
Exhaust: Two in one system in 100% stainless steel with three-way catalytic converter and Lambda probe
Generator: 450 W at 6000 rpm.
Lubrication: Wet sump
Gearbox: six speed, transmission ratio:

• 1° 36/14 (2.57)
• 2° 32/17 (1.88)
• 3° 30/20 (1.5)
• 4° 28/22 (1.27)
• 5° 23/26 (0.88)
• 6° 24/25 (0.96)

Clutch: Multi-plate in oil bath, cable operated.
Primary drive: Spur gears, transmission ratio: 60/31 (1.75)
Final drive: Chain
Transmission ratio: 16/44
Frame: Dismountable steel trellis connected with high strength bolts to aluminium side plates. Dismountable rear frame.
Front suspension: 43 mm upside-down fork. 120 mm wheel travel.
Rear suspension: Aluminium alloy swingarm with reinforcement truss. Hydraulic shock absorber adjustable in spring preload and rebound damping. Wheel travel: 130 mm.
Brakes:

• Front: Double stainless steel floating disc (Ø 320 mm ). Four piston radial calipers. Metal braided brake line.
• Rear: Steel disk (Æ 245 mm) with twin piston caliper. Metal braided brake line.

Wheels:

• In aluminium alloy
• Front: 3.50 X 17"
• Rear: 6.00 X 17"

Tyres:

• Radial tubeless;
• front: 120/70 ZR 17 
• rear: 180/55 ZR 17

Dimensions:

• Overall length 2066 mm
• Overall width: 815 mm (at handlebars)
• Overall height: 1132 mm 
• Seat height: 810 mm
• Wheelbase: 1449 mm
• Trail: 109 mm
• Rake angle: 25.7°

Dry weight: 189 kg
Tank capacity: 15 lt