Aprilia's Beemer Basher

APRILIA'S BEEMER BASHER

Europe’s chic on/off-road adventure-touring category has a spicy new challenger: the Aprilia ETV 1000 CapoNord Rally. Based on the two-year-old CapoNord with its 60-degree 998cc V-Twin and “double-wave” aluminum beam frame, the swank-looking Rally debuted at the Bologna Motor Show this past December. Upgrades

include a narrower headlight surround, handguards, modified seat with suede cover, 1-inch-longer-travel suspension with remote-reservoir shock, frame and engine guards, aluminum saddlebags and top trunk, and tubeless knobbies. Capping the too-cool Capo are a dashmounted global-positioning system and projector-beam driving lights. Availability? Not this year.

Matthew Miles