Yesterday we brought you a concept by Luca Bar Design for the Suzuki SV1000S, so it only seemed fitting today to show you another half-fairing sport bike from our other favorite Italian designer, Oberdan Bezzi.
Inking a concept for an Aprilia Shiver-based motorcycle with a half-fairing, Bezzi calls his creation the “Aprilia SS V2 Project” and it looks like something we would like to ride.
For 2011 Aprilia is gracing the Dorsoduro 750 with three new colors: white, black, and what’s passing as green these days. For now the colors seem to be only coming to the European market, but we wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of them ended up bound for the shores of North America (especially the white and black models, yum). The new colors for the Dorso 750 will join Aprilia’s larger displacement model, the newly debuted 2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200 (which will also come in white and black color schemes). No news yet on the a 1,200cc version of the Aprilia Shiver, the Dorsoduro’s sister bike.
Suzuki made a design departure in 2009 when it revamped its GSX-R1000, while leaving the GSX-R600 & GSX-R750 unchanged aesthetically. Finally bringing the two smaller middleweight gixxers in-line with the larger superbike, the 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 & 2011 Suzuki GSX-R750 get not only a face lift for the new model year, but also a revised engine package that has ample weight trimmings. While the new Suzuki GSX-R600 & GSX-R750’s won’t make more power than the 2010 models, the revised motor and other components shed roughly 20lbs off both the 2011 Suzuki GSX-R600 (413lbs wet) & 2011 Suzuki GSX-R750 (416lbs wet).
Making the weight-loss program possible, Suzuki went in with its surgical knife and dropped weight in a variety of places, primarily focusing on the bikes’ four-cylinder motor. Losing 4lbs in the motor alone, Suzuki lightened the pistons by 14% and the connecting rods by 12%, while increasing the ventilation holes between the cylinders, helping reduce pumping losses and improve combustion efficiency. Relocating the ECU has saved .6lbs in weight from wiring, which is sort of crazy and impressive at the same time. The new exhaust system sheds 3lbs from the prior models’, while revised injectors increase fuel efficiency by 10% and meet the strict Euro III emission standards. More info and photos after the jump.
The street-naked segment, what used to be known as the “standard” motorcycle segment, is heating up this year as another Japanese OEM enters the fray with the official announcement of the 2011 Suzuki GSR750. Suzuki’s answer to the growing middleweight street bike segment, the GSR750 is like the Yamaha FZ8 in that it uses a de-tuned sportbike motor (sourced from the GSX-R 750), and employs a relatively cheap and basic frame and component set to make an affordable, yet punchy, bike for the street warrior.
With power in the 120hp range, and weight expected to be under 420lbs dry, the 2011 Suzuki GSR750 stacks up decently well on the spec sheet (compared to its competition at least), and knowing that swap-over aftermarket parts from the GSX-R line should bolt up nicely, the new Suzuki GSR750 should be popular with the modder crowd. No word yet if Suzuki plans on selling the 2011 Suzuki GSR750 in the United States, but we expect the Japanese company will take a page out of Yamaha’s book, and make a late entry into the model year.
The wrappings have been taken off the 2011 Aprilia Shiver 750 ahead of the Intermot show in Germany this week, with the middleweight street naked getting an adjusted rider position that should prove to be sportier than previous models. With a narrower seat, and revised foot and hand positions, new Shiver 750 owners will find themselves hunched over more as they slam through city streets and canyon roads (we’re not too sure about Aprilia’s claim that a “sportier” riding position will be “perfect for longer hauls”). This concludes everything new about the 2011 model compared to the 2010, thank you for reading.
On the heels of a strong Dakar Rally showing, Aprilia is rumored to have a full-tilt adventure bike in the works. Based on the Shiver platform, the Aprilia Tuareg will feature a 750cc v-twin motor, steel tube chassis, and a 21″ front wheel for maximum off-road capability. The Aprilia Toureg is expected to tip the scales under 200kg (441lbs), and a road version with a 19″ front wheel and 1200cc motor could also make the 2011 line-up.
For this Tuesday morning we have a vague rumor on what the Suzuki GSX-R600 & GSX-R750 will look like for 2010. Both bikes should see a modest power increase, with the GSX-R600 going from 125hp to 128hp, and the GSX-R750 going from 150hp to 154hp. The bikes will also see cosmetic changes and new features, as Suzuki once again sticks to its 2-year revision cycle.
Not content to let KTM and Ducati play in the big displacement motard segment by themselves, Aprilia is bringing their Shiver based SMV 750 Dorsoduro motard state-side for 2009. The Dorsoduro’s 90°, 750cc, 8-valve, v-twin makes 92 hp (at 8,750 rpm) and 61 lb•ft of torque (at 4,500 rpm), and with a claimed dry weight of 409lbs, it would seem to be an ideal hooligan machine. Read more for the full details on the Dorsoduro with pictures.