2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally

Ignition

CAPONORD ADVENTURER ZERO SR STAR BOLT C-SPEC DAINESE SPACE SUIT RIP, MR. EKUAN

2015 APRILIA CAPONORD 1200 RALLY

Larger windscreen, tubular crashbars, boxy panniers, and LED auxiliary lights... meet Aprilia's new ADV machine, the Caponord 1200 Rally.

BY THE NUMBERS

10

MILLISECONDS:

Time it takes for Aprilia Dynamic Damping to switch from full hard to full soft (that’s one-hundredth of a second).

690

WATTS: Amount of electrical power produced by the 1200 Rally’s alternator at 6,000 rpm. Heated vest? Nav system? No problem.

At last, an ADV version of the Caponord

Andrew Bornhop

Come June, the new 2015 Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally arrives in the US. It's the ADV Caponord, fitted with tubeless wire-spoked wheels (17-inch rear, 19-inch front) and standard adventure hardware that includes tubular crash guards, large 33-liter side cases, an engine skid plate, auxiliary LED lights, and a taller manually adjustable windscreen. Aprilia has also tuned the TC and ABS to work better in the dirt.

I recently rode this $15,695 machine on Sardinia, mostly on grippy tarmac but also on a couple of easy dirt sections. My quick take? I’m impressed. The Caponord 1200 Rally is fun and totally at home on the sinewy roads.

The chassis is outstanding, and the i,i97cc four-cam 90-degree V-twin puts out plenty of power, aided by a new Helmholtz resonator in the exhaust that improves low-end and midrange power.

Could I feel this improved power? Not really. The 1200 Rally just felt strong, able to pull hard without protest from low rpm and occasionally even loft its front wheel when I was hard on the throttle and upshifting with the precise six-speed gearbox.

Because of the larger new front wheel, Aprilia altered the front

geometry to keep the handling as close as possible to that of the standard Caponord. As such, the Rally bends into corners with a natural ease and good clearance while staying composed under power on the way out. Grip from the stock Metzeier Tourance Next tires—size 120/70-19 front, 170/60-17 rear—is excellent. Via changing the offset of the triple clamps, Aprilia has increased steering rake to 27.4 degrees (from 26.1) and shortened trail to 4.6 inches (from 4.9). A simple look at the front axle reveals how Aprilia moved the axle forward a bit to reduce trail.

As on the standard Caponord, the new 1200 Rally has a ride-by-wire throttle with Touring, Sport, and Rain settings, the last cutting engine output to 100 hp to (from a claimed 125) for added safety in the wet. I spent most of the

IGNITION

FIRST RIDE

DRESS IT UP

A quick study of the accessories underscores that Aprilia sees its new 1200 Rally asa long-distance adventure. Most prominent? The huge 52-liter top case, which will hold two full-face helmets. But there are also soft bags, a larger foot for the sidestand, plus off-road footpegs that make it easier to stand while riding in the dirt. We like.

day in Touring because Sport felt too sensitive, too abrupt. Similarly, the traction control has three levels. Map l, though, has a new double threshold of intervention that allows more wheelspin for added control (and fun!) in the dirt.

Besides the excellent chassis and stout motor, what impressed me most about the Rally is its Sachs electronically controlled suspension, which has automatic damping control and four electronically adjustable rear preload settings. I rode most of the day in the automatic preload setting, and the constant stream of damping adjustments felt completely transparent, evident only in the remarkable composure of the bike as it glided through dips or was flicked through chicanes.

With its wide handlebar, wellpadded seat, upright ergonomics, and generous 6.3-gallon fuel

tank, the new Caponord Rally is a comfortable bike with a claimed dry weight of 525 pounds. While that’s heavy, it’s more than 50 pounds lighter than a BMW R1200GS.

Are we implying that this Italian is in the same ADV league as the big

Beemer? No, it’s way too early for that. But there’s no denying that it's been transformed into a much more formidable ADV competitor. Time to spoon on some Continental TKC8os and see how this Italian machine works in the dirt! E1U

Big radial Brembos with braided lines are on duty up front, where the axle has been pushed forward a bit to reduce trail. Note how the spoke nipples attach to the flanged outer edges of the rim. With Aprilia’s Multimedia Platform, your iPhone (below) turns into an instrument panel that displays all kinds of fun data, including lean angle. The bike will even tell you how far it is to the famed North Cape in Norway. Let’s go!

APRILIA CAPONORD 1200 RALLY

DOHC V-twin

.uII1~w~I~.' 1197cc

33.1 in.

FUEL CAPACITY 6.3 gal.

CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 525 lb.

$15,695