Road-testing the Aprilia ETV 1000 Caponord: Aprilia's ETV 1000 Caponord follows the well tried and tested 'big traily', or as our European neighbours would have it, 'motard' formula. A tall machine, with a litre or more high-torque engine, long travel suspension, large fuel tank and dual purpose, Aprilia's declared aim is "total touring, total comfort".
The advent of the 'big trailies' can arguably be traced back to BMW's 1980 R 80 GS. For a while the concept remained a BMW thing until, in 1989, the appearance of Honda's XRV 750 Africa Twin. Nowadays, the roll call of 'big trailies' includes BMW's R 1200 GS, the Cagiva Navigator, Ducati's Multistrada 1000DS, Honda's XL 1000V Varadero, KTM's 950 Adventure, Triumph's 955i (and soon to be 1050i) Tiger and the identical Suzuki DL 1000 V-Stroms and Kawasaki KLV 1000s.
It is a crowded field but, if you are interested in this sector, at least there is plenty of choice. That makes the answer to "what's best?" a bit difficult. So enormously has build quality and reliability improved that these days it is hard to name a bad bike. Even harder to declare emphatically that X is better than Y.
In terms of price it is also a highly competitive marketplace. Virtually all the 'big trailies' are priced in the €12,000 to €14,000 range. The Aprilia Caponord is normally priced the same as Triumph's 955I Tiger at €11,950 but is available on special offer at €10,500. That definitely makes it worth a closer look.
The Caponord wouldn't be the best choice if competing in the Paris-Dakar was your sole ambition. Most people interested in 'big trailies' simply want a bike that is a pleasure to ride and which, when touring, can take the less travelled tracks in its stride.
The engine with its twin balance shafts is responsive and smooth running. Power delivery is linear throughout the rev range, although it starts to run out of breath around 8,500rpm. Not that you are likely to go there, 4,500rpm in top gear gives a very laid back, go-on-for-ever-and-a-day, 125 km/h cruising speed.
There is a six-speed gearbox, not that such a high-torque engine really needs six gears, it's just following the modern fashion. The gear change is a bit notchy, more robust than agricultural.
The suspension, true to the big 'traily' formula, has long travel. That imposes strain on the final drive chain. To offset this there is a spring-loaded jockey wheel similar to that on Yamaha's XT 500. In our view it could do with a stronger spring.
The frame is of a twin beam aluminium-magnesium construction. Some may think this is rather lightweight for the rough and tumble for which 'big trailies' are intended. We have not heard of a frame failure and know of a rider, one not known for his gentleness with machinery, who thrashed his Caponord round the world with nary a bother.
The front forks have dirt shields but no fork gaiters, which we would prefer for serious touring. Rear suspension is simple to adjust, a knurled wheel so well placed that you can change settings without getting off the machine.
The wheels are spoked but of an ingenious design which both enables tubeless tyres to be used and, if needs be, a spoke to be replaced without disturbing the tyre. There is also a 12v power socket convenient for powering a heated waistcoat which, if you have never tried one on a cold day, you should!
The brakes are excellent. Our test bike did not have the optional switchable ABS which, strangely, is not often imported to Ireland.
The seat height is 820mm, fairly modest for this kind of bike. It is very comfortable from a rider's point of view and our pillion passenger declared it good, albeit with her usual reservations about sitting on a modified ski-slope!
The handlebars and controls are well placed, the mirrors excellent with robust man-sized lock nuts. The 'dashboard' is well laid out. We have two minor gripes; it would be better if there were left and right indicator warning lights, rather than a single one on the left.
Also, the way in which the indicator light is sighted means that if it is in direct sunshine you cannot see it. A button on the bars so one could scroll through the LCD information when on the move would be so much better than a fascia-mounted button which can really only be used when stationary.
This kind of machine really ought to come with a centre stand as standard, rather than the option it is. There is a whole host of useful dealer fitted options: rugged alloy panniers and topbox, engine crash bars, different height seats, heated grip, tail and tank bags and a heavy duty rear suspension kit, enabling you to equip your machine for the really demanding trip. However, we feel that in standard trim the oil-cooler, mounted below the radiator on the right, could be vulnerable. Fitting a protective grille would be well within the capability of even the most dexterously challenged.
In terms of handling, like any of the good 'trailies', if you have never ridden one before you will be amazed just how well they hold the road, how nimble and confidence inspiring they are in the twisty bits. You wonder why anyone tolerates the discomfort of sports bikes for ordinary road use when they could go every bit as fast in such comfort.
The fuel tank's 25 litre capacity gives a very useful, close on 400 kilometres range, confirming the machine's serious touring credentials. This is the kind of machine that really can do almost anything you ask of it. Given the discounts currently available, this is the least costly 'big traily' on the Irish market.
Tech Spec
ENGINE: 998cc fuel injected,60º 4-stroke liquid-cooled DOHC 8 valve V-twin, 10.4:1 compression. 100 bhp 97bhp (72kW) @ 8,250rpm. Torque 97Nm @ 6,250rpm. 6-speed gearbox, chain drive.
FRAME: double wave, twin beam aluminium-magnesium. Front Suspension: Marzocchi 50mm, 175mm travel. Rear: Aluminium swinging arm, Sachs monoshock 185mm travel. Brakes front: twin Brembo 300mm disks. Rear 272mm single disk. Wheels: Front 19", rear 17" with tubeless spoked rims.
DIMENSIONS: Weight: 215kg. 820mm seat height. (800 & 860 options) Wheelbase 1,544mm. Fuel 25 L
PERFORMANCE: Max. speed: 215 km/h. Consumption: 6.73 to 8.12 litres / 100 km. 0-60mph in 4.18secs.
PRICE: List price: €11,950, (Currently on offer at €10,500)