Aprilia brings the full weight of its not-inconsiderable racing experience to bear in its revamped Shiver 900. Nicknamed “the naked bike from Noale,” the new Shiver carries changes and improvements all the way across the board with a new 900 V-twin engine, new body details, new instrumentation, and Aprilia's advanced traction-control feature for increased safety right along with its increased capabilities. This is arguably the closest thing to an entry-level machine that the factory offers, and toward that end, it comes available in an A2 license compliant version for riders in areas with the tiered licensing system.

Aprilia Shiver 900 Design

The overall design of the Shiver 900 may well be categorized as a naked-sport, but it clearly borrows from the realm of the Supermoto machines for some of its looks. It starts out right up front with a cut-down front fender mounted to the inverted forks' shoes with uprights to protect the exposed inner fork tube from deposits that would damage the seals in the stanchions.

The symmetrical, tri-spoke wheels add to the stunt-bike look while conforming to the norm for sport bikes in general. A minimal headlight housing carries the cyclops headlight and mounts the LED turn signals on short standoffs to complete the forward lighting.

One of the major improvements with this year-model is found in the instrumentation; namely, the 4.3-inch, color Thin-Film Transistor display. It's the very same unit used on the Tuono 1100 V4 and RSV4 models, and it brings the same level of functionality with an ambient-light sensor that allows the display to shift its colors and contrasts for maximum visibility under any conditions. If that isn't enough electronic fandanglery for you, it also comes stock with the MIA system that wirelessly networks with your smartphone to further expand your options.

The four-gallon fuel tank starts the flyline out in a sporty fashion with a flat deck and flanges up top that flow forward to meet the new cheek fairings and form a bit of a knee pocket where the tank tapers down to meet the narrow waist. The seat rests at 32 inches off the ground – tiptoe country for shorter riders – but the steep drop to the saddle and short hop up to the p-pad keeps the profile looking nice and sporty. A set of J.C. handles and subframe-mount, fold-up footpegs finish out the passenger's amenities. At the tip of the tail, a compact taillight takes care of business with turn signals and a tag mount out on the short, newly designed mudguard.

Aprilia Shiver 900 Chassis

The frame in the Shiver 900 is a composite construction that starts out with a steel-tubing Trellis design at the steering head. It is bolted to aluminum lateral plates supporting the swingarm pivots, and the engine is a stressed member that completes the structure in a bid to keep frame weight to a minimum. As for the swingarm itself, its an aluminum-alloy yoke with a stiffening truss for extra strength.

Up front, a set of lighter 41 mm Kayaba usd forks take care of business with adjustable rebound damping and spring preload, and in the rear, a Sachs monoshock matches those adjustments. Suspension travel measures in at 4.72 inches (120 mm) and 5.11 inches (130 mm) front and rear, respectively.

Cast aluminum, Tuono-inspired wheels round out the rolling chassis, and they eliminate about two pounds from the front rim and 2.86 pounds from the rear. ZR-rated rubber lines the rims in a 120/70 and 180/55 aspect ratio, and that's the highest speed rating you'll find on a street bike so you can be confident that they'll handle anything you throw at it, up to and including stunt riding.

Dual, 320 mm front discs are clamped by four-piston, radial-mount calipers with a 240 mm wave-cut disc and single-pot anchor out back. Plus, the Shiver comes stock with a twin-channel, switchable ABS feature that serves as the first layer of electronic safety net for the rider.

Aprilia Shiver 900 Drivetrain

Aprilia powers the updated Shiver 900 with a new 896 cc plant, up from 749.9 cc, that cranks out 93 horsepower at 8,750 rpm and 66 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm. Like the previous mill, it is configured as a narrow, longitudinal-mount, 90-degree V-twin, and it comes with liquid cooling for temperature stability and meets EPA, CARB and Transport Canada emission standards. A pair of four-valve, dual-spark, DOHC heads cap the jugs to wrap up the hardware.

A ride-by-wire throttle control feature filters its signal through the Marelli 7SM ECU and its engine maps that deliver a trio of power-curve profiles. For a final bit of safety, the Aprilia Traction Control feature monitors wheel spin and intervenes as necessary to restore traction, but if you're into stunt riding or other general shenaniganery, you can switch the ATC off just like the ABS for a full-raw ride.

I'll tell you what isn't raw, it's the power delivery. The new cases use vents and reed valves to reduce pumping losses along with a semi-dry sump oil system and rebalanced crankshaft that makes it buttery-smooth throughout the rev range. Power flows through a six-speed transmission that comes geared for solid holeshots and a 131 mph (210 Km/H) top speed.

Aprilia Shiver 900 Pricing

The 2019 Shiver 900 rolls for $9,399 MSRP. It comes in only one palette package with Hi-Tech Silver paint as the main color over black trim and a few splashes of red at the frame, rocker-box covers and monoshock spring.

Aprilia Shiver 900 Competitors

Ya know, Aprilia puts out a solid product in the Shiver 900, so in the interest of comparing apples to apples, I grabbed another Eye-Tie ride for my head-to-head, the Ducati Hypermotard 950. As usual, Ducati makes an aesthetically pleasing presentation, though I could do without the bird's beak if I'm honest. Duc also keeps to a more off-road-tastic look that incorporates a bench-type seat that is sure to allow for a more robust array of body English possibilities to further enable the stunt riders out there, not that they need any more encouragement. No matter how you slice it though, both bikes just seem to scream funtimes.

The Hypermotard pulls ahead a little in the suspension area with fully-adjustable Marzocchi stems up front, though it runs the same Sachs monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound damping out back, so the advantage is slight. In the brakes, Duc pulls ahead once more with Bosch Cornering ABS versus the vanilla Aprilia ABS. Ducati keeps up the pressure with a slight edge in displacement in its 937 cc, L-twin Testastretta mill, and that translates into 114 horsepower and 71 pound-feet to outperform the Aprilia.

It gets worse for Aprilia; the Hypermotard adds a wheelie control feature on top of the traction control and riding modes features to top the electronics ranking. As usual, there's a tradeoff, and for the Hypermotard it comes at the checkout counter. The Duc rolls for $13,295 MSRP, and that's a significant price difference that puts it in a higher price bracket.

He Said

“Ducati beats the Aprilia in a few areas, but that price break may well be the deciding factor, especially if you are looking for an entry-level or even a first-upgrade bike. That said, there ain't a thing wrong with the Shiver, and riders familiar with the 750 it replaced will appreciate the smooth power delivery and quick-revving nature of the new mill.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “That was an interesting way to go on the competitor. I might have gone with the Kawasaki Z900 or the Yamaha MT-10. Aprilia didn't just slap a new engine in the Shiver for the update in 2018. The bike has a new chassis and new suspension, so we have a whole new riding experience in the Shiver 900. Power delivery is super smooth, and suspension is adjustable now, so you can tailor it to your needs. The new instrument display is easy to read, and overall, the bike is very rider-friendly. If I have to give it a label, I'll call it an everyday bike, so make it your commuter ride and you can't go wrong.”

Aprilia Shiver 900 Specifications

Further Reading

Ducati Hypermotard 950 / 950 SP

See our review of the Ducati Hypermotard 950 / 950 SP.

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR & Factory

See our review of the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR & Factory.

Aprilia RSV4 RR

See our review of the Aprilia RSV4 RR.

Yamaha MT-10

See our review of the Yamaha MT-10.

Kawasaki Z900

See our review of the Kawasaki Z900.

Aprilia

Read more Aprilia news.