Aprilia mulls Pegaso 660 revival, confirms Shiver, Dorsodoro axe

The Aprilia Pegaso dual-sport could be revived as an indirect replacement for the axed Shiver and Dorsodoro models, it has been revealed.

The machine, which had its roots in the supermoto class, was launched in 1992 as one of Aprilia’s mid-range offerings with a 650cc engine but dropped off the price lists in 2009 to be replaced by a combination of the Shiver and the Dorsodoro which partially crossed into its category.

However, the future could see history reversed according to comments by Cristian Barelli - Aprilia’s marketing manager - who told Motociclismo that the Italian firm is focused on extending the new 660 platform to include more than the three confirmed models spinning off it.

Indeed, Aprilia has been focused on developing and extending its fresh 660cc twin-cylinder middleweight platform, which began with the well-received RS sportsbike and has been followed since by the Tuono.

Next up will be a Tuareg adventure-version which will look to go head-to-head with the popular Yamaha Tenere 700.

However, Aprilia won’t necessarily stop there with Barelli hinting it will revive the Pegaso nameplate for a dual-sport version that bridges between the Tuareg and Tuono.

“At the beginning of the project we asked ourselves which to debut first, whether the RS, Tuono or Tuareg. We decided to start with the RS [because] Aprilia’s DNA is rooted in the sports segment and is part of our history, therefore it seemed right to start from there.

"Then we think we can offer something different, compared to the mid-engined sports bikes on sale. The small market is growing, and sooner or later those riders will want to change bikes and grow. However, they will hardly focus on a supersport or 600 because it is very far from entry level. Ours could be the right solution.

“We are thinking about it [the Pegaso]. We have a lot og ideas because the engine allows us a great modularity. We just have to decide what to do first. The crossover segment is a very attractive segment that we look at with interest.”

Aprilia Shiver and Aprilia Dorsodoro won’t be replaced

The official confirmation there won’t be a new generation Shiver and Dorsodoro will come as little surprise to many.

The models were not tweaked in the latest round of updates to ensure Aprilia’s models meet Euro5 emissions regulations and, the UK at least, have already dropped off the price lists.

“At this time we have no plans to upgrade them to Euro5. We are focused on this new, more modern platform. The 660 engine has a layout that can be exploited in several ways. It is very compact, which allows you to build around different types of frames for various applications.”