A superbike is too radical and not comfortable enough for you? A standard sport bike feels ordinary and too timid? Aprilia has the answer you're looking for! Meet the new 2011 Dorsoduro 1200, a supermotard on 'roids that's primarily designed to deliver a unique combination of performance and comfort. I've tested the machine once on the track, now here are my impressions on the road.

The big Aprilia is part of a new breed of street bikes that serve a perfect change of pace from your typical everyday ride. (Photo: Pascal Bastien/Moto123.com)

With racer-type accelerations, surprising comfort in and out of the city, and styling that packs quite a punch, the big Aprilia is part of a new breed of street bikes that serve a perfect change of pace from your typical everyday ride.

The sweet-sounding, delightfully-vibrating engine is everything you expect from a V-twin of this size. Torquey and lively, yet flexible, it shoots all the way to the redline without ever showing signs of letting up. In fact, the amount of torque at ultra-low revs limits shifting and allows you to ride about town in 2nd gear most of the time. Wonderful.

Not suitable for everyone
Dorsoduro roughly translates into ''hardcore,'' which is why the virile Italian targets seasoned riders who can straddle – and handle – a big steed. Either that or Aprilia was thinking about the narrow, maze-like streets of the famous Cartier Dorsoduro in Venice to illustrate the agility of its new bike.

Anyway, the 2011 Dorsoduro 1200 is not easily tamed. Sure, if it were not for the high seat, even a beginner could find it as rider-friendly as a standard middleweight in normal riding conditions, but the minute you crank things up a notch, prepare for a totally different beast.

On the speedway, the Dorsoduro 1200 felt powerful yet smooth under acceleration, no doubt because I was riding on a closed track devoid of incoming traffic, intersections and road signs. What a contrast with the street, where Dr. Jekyll turns into Mr. Hyde. Such an aggressive and somewhat unruly behaviour proves to be a real treat for advanced riders.

On the speedway, the Dorsoduro 1200 felt powerful yet smooth under acceleration. (Photo: France Ouellet)