Aprilia SL750 Shiver vs Triumph Street Triple
The pool of great-looking alternative sports machines continues to grow, welcome then, to the Shiver and Street Triple
Posted: 7 November 2008
by Jon Urry
Standing in the crisp winter air I couldn’t help but admire the looks of these two bikes. Both Aprilia’s Shiver and Triumph’s Street Triple stand out from the crowd. Neither is particularly overstated, although the Aprilia’s gold frame is a bit excessive, but they both cut a clear and defined line from the normal. And by normal I mean a Japanese middleweight streetbike.
But can any of the Japanese bikes really be called normal? The likes of Honda’s Hornet and Kawasaki’s Z750 are desperately trying to not fall into this category by having sharp, angular looks, and quirky lines. But they are trying too hard and over-egging the pudding. Cool style isn’t really something that the Japanese do well, they tend to err on the side of the wacky rather than the effortlessly eye pleasing. Which is probably why their bikes look out of date so quickly. Wacky has a limited shelf life.
The Japanese also have a common consensus when it comes to middleweights – inline four is best. But why is this, is there something particularly special about the inline four engine that lends itself to this class? It wouldn’t seem so. Middleweights tend to be aimed at newer riders, commuters or just those who want cheap, light and hassle-free riding. While an inline four might offer a softer power delivery and a faster top end, is this really the ideal blend? What about the real alternatives...
This is where the Shiver and Street Triple come in. Although the Shiver isn’t alone in offering V-twin power it’s bigger in capacity than its closest rival, the SV650, and has a far fresher look, more power and the added kudos of an Italian badge on the tank. You pay the extra, SVs retail at £4,399 while the Shiver costs £5,899, but with the Shiver you get radial brakes, ride-by-wire throttle, inverted forks and a whole host of less than budget components.
In many ways it’s unfair to compare the two bikes. Think of the Shiver as a rival to the similarly priced Hornet or Z750 as the specs are more comparable. And it’s the same with the Street Triple. With a £5,349 price the Triumph appears to be one if the best value bikes around, which is probably why buyers have snapped them up, creating a nationwide shortage until June 2008. In offering something different it would appear Triumph provided what the market was looking for. Aprilia’s Shiver is looking for a similar success.
Continue Aprilia SL750 Shiver vs. Triumph Street Triple
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Discuss this story
I never quite understand why these old features seem to suddenly appear or reappear with new dates. This feature dates back at least 6 months, possibly a year. In the Shiver's defence Aprilia has addressed the primary complaint of the throttle response (which was diabolical), some time ago, and also provided switchable throttle maps between Sport, Touring and Rain modes. Rain mode is a bit limp and pointless, although some new riders seem to like it, but the other two modes are useful options.
Posted: 07/11/2008 at 13:13
I dont know why they would do a shiva VS triple, the triples in the same league as the Z1000, Touno, CBF1000 etc, the Shivas more in league with the Z750.
its the street triple (675) not the speed triple 
Posted: 08/11/2008 at 08:59
OOPs my bad  . I've not ridden a Shiva, but the sstreet triple didnt feel any slower or any less lively than the T509 Speed Triple I had, I was quite pleasantly surprised. I have the XV750 at the moment, I'm saving for the street triple, which personally given the choice I would rather have than the Aprillia, simply because I like Triumphs. I'm still thinking of seeing if someone wants to swap this mint XV750 Virago for a Bonnervile of some description.
Posted: 08/11/2008 at 09:12
I've rode both before buying the Shiver and I really wanted to like the Street Triple as I have a bit of a soft spot for Triumphs. I found that the Street Triple very capable but really didn't light any fires, it seemed quite characterless. The Shiver in comparison had bags of character. I also felt at the time that the Shiver was better built, had better quailtiy components, and a more forward thinking design, whilst the Street Triple just came across as a cheap/small copy of the established Speed Triple - some people like that but it wasn't for me. That said, had the Street Triple R been available last year when I was looking it might have just swayed my thinking enough the other way.
Posted: 08/11/2008 at 10:06
I was looking at them in Wareham yesterday, that are a lovely looking bike with some quality comopnents and being sold for less than £5K otr. there are bargains to be had at the moment if you have the cash. 
Posted: 08/11/2008 at 12:03
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