What this lineage proves
Niche categories die
The Dorsoduro had a 12-year production run (2008-2020) but Aprilia killed it. Reasons: Euro 5 emissions made the V-twin uneconomic to update, sales were declining, and Aprilia engineering resources were needed for the more profitable 660 platform (RS 660, Tuono 660, Tuareg 660). Niche categories die when manufacturers can not justify the development spend.
Engine architecture
V-twin (uniquely)
The Dorsoduro was the only V-twin supermoto on sale. Every other supermoto in the modern era has been a single (KTM 690 SMC R, Husqvarna 701, Suzuki DR-Z400SM). The V-twin gave the Dorsoduro a different character — smoother, more refined, less peaky than the singles. Heavier too (186kg vs 147kg) but with much more peak power.
Why Aprilia killed it
Emissions + development cost
The Dorsoduro engine was a 90-degree V-twin originally designed for the Shiver and SL750 — designed in the mid-2000s. By 2020 it could not meet Euro 5 without a major redesign. Aprilia chose not to invest. The supermoto market had also shrunk. The 660-series engine took priority.
Power vs the singles
+18 to +25bhp
92bhp Dorsoduro 750 vs 67-74bhp from the KTM/Husqvarna singles. The V-twin gave the Dorsoduro a real performance advantage — it felt closer to a Tuono naked bike with supermoto bodywork than to a true big-single supermoto.
Weight vs the singles
+39 to +40kg
186kg dry Dorsoduro 750 vs 147kg dry KTM/Husqvarna singles. The V-twin came at a 27% weight penalty. For a category whose entire identity is about being light, that was a problem. The Dorsoduro was always more of a "naked bike with supermoto styling" than a true supermoto.
Cheapest way in
£4k
A clean Dorsoduro 750 from 2010-2018. The only V-twin supermoto on the UK used market. Different character to the singles — smoother, more refined, less hooligan, more "everyday usable." Probably the cheapest 90+bhp Italian V-twin you can buy in 2026. Aprilia parts can be tricky on older bikes.
What replaced it
Nothing direct
Aprilia did not replace the Dorsoduro. The Tuono 660 is the spiritual successor in some ways (similar peak power, light weight, hooligan attitude) but it is a road-biased naked, not a supermoto. The supermoto category is now KTM and Husqvarna only — and they share the same engine.
