Two Italian beauties. One a fiery, alluring red; the other a pristine, pure white and gold. And not a flaw between them.
And although they do wear other colours, the livery that you see them sporting in these pictures aptly brings out the difference in characteristics of these two cutting-edge machines. Comparing them is like pitting chalk against cheese.
Oh, all right, I concede that is slightly far-fetched, considering they are both motorcycles and so similar at a basic level. Nevertheless, the two bikes are at least two different kinds of cheese. Since they are both Italian, one has to be a feisty, edgy Gorgonzola to the other's smooth and creamy Mozzarella. That's the Ducati Monster 796 and the Aprilia Shiver. In that order.
DUCATI MONSTER 796
The Ducati is the more single-minded of the two. It has the sportier styling and riding position, with the rider's feet swept backwards and more of his weight resting on the handlebars. The tank is a big, bulbous one, giving the legs something to grip, especially while leaning the bike into corners. The seat is narrow, though, and, coupled with its low height, aids slow speed stability.
Both new riders and those of the vertically challenged sort will like the Ducati's dimensions. Its wheelbase is shorter than the Aprilia's and the seat is only 31.5 inches high, making it easier for most to get both feet planted firmly on the ground.
Completing the Ducati look and feel is a single-sided swingarm, a trellis frame and alloy wheels shod with Pirelli Diablo tyres.
An air-cooled, two-valve, 803cc L-Twin lump provides the go in the Monster 796. The power is a claimed 84bhp, which is high enough for wheelie-popping action and traffic light drag races in a bike that has a dry weight of only 161kg. More impressive is where that power is produced - at 8,000rpm. This is one Italian beauty that loves to be ridden hard — and begs to be revved.
Hauling all that power down are dual four-piston radial-mount Brembo callipers grabbing 320mm discs in the front and a two-pot Brembo squeezing a 245mm disc out back.
An attractive "micro bikini" windscreen, four-way adjustable clutch and brake levers and a pillion seat cover complete the list.
What all that translates into is a bike that feels sporty enough to thrill the rider — yet retaining the right shade of assurednes in motion not to be intimidating. The short wheelbase translates into instant responsiveness to rider inputs and it's a piece of cake to manoeuvre - simply point the front wheel where you want to go and the rest of the bike will follow obediently.
Flick it to one side, press down on the handlebars and it leans; steer to the other and it straightens - all of it instantaneously.
Stability is assured with most of the rider's weight over the front wheel and even while crawling at a snail's pace in rush hour traffic, the front end did not twitch at all, making the bike feel rock steady. It was much of the same on the move out on the open road.
The true test for any bike's handling and stability is its slow speed dynamics. If it inspires confidence in a brake and crawl situation, it is usually equally reassuring in the rev and haul of the open road. And that's just what the Ducati does - gives you the confidence to push its boundaries, and yours. And exhilarates you while you're doing it.
This Ducati is like a jealous girlfriend. It does not take kindly to the presence of a pillion and tries to claim you for itself. The pillion's ride is distinctly uncomfortable on the 796, which is not aided by the way the seat slants into the tank.
The entire weight of the pillion falls on the rider, slamming him tightly against the fuel tank, giving him a wince-inducing crush every time the brakes are applied. Which is perhaps why they covered up the pillion seat under that red plastic guard, as a warning that this is primarily a solo runabout.
APRILIA SHIVER
The Shiver is a slightly more sedate bike. But its forte is power and straight line stability - a brute, mile-crunching strength if you add the two up. It has a longer wheelbase than the Ducati, a narrower tank and seat but a slightly higher ride height. But the Aprilia's coup is in the engine. Its 750cc V-Twin produces a claimed 95bhp at 9,000rpm, which are ten more horses than the Ducati.
And it shows. Twist the throttle and you are instantly hit by a wave of acceleration that throws you back and has you hanging on to the handlebars for dear life. While it can be intimidating for some, especially for newer riders, that passes pretty soon to be replaced by exhilaration. And, if that exhilaration gets a little too much, there are the excellent Aprilia four-piston brakes with twin 320mm discs up front and a single 240mm at the rear.
And the Shiver gives the rider a few riding modes to chose from. In the Sport mode the throttle is aggressive and edgy, and the engine revs high for cheek-flattening acceleration. Touring mode, however, is smooth and shows more of the engine's impressive mid-range.
There is also the Rain mode that limits power delivery for a safer ride in the wet, but which would have limited usage in this region, to put it mildly.
The Shiver's rider dynamics operate on a completely different principle than the Monster's. The handlebars are placed higher and the foot pegs more in front to give the rider an easy, upright position. Comfort is impressive compared to the Ducati, but what you have to give in the trade-off is front-end feel and sportiness.
The mixed steel trellis and aluminium plate frame is the most desirable feature on the Shiver. That's what gives it a great ride through both corners and straights.
Despite being heavier than the Monster, the Shiver on the move is easy enough to throw and lean through corner combinations, requiring just that little more experience due to its weight and inertia. What it lacks in quick steering response it more than makes up for in its straight-line stability.
The Shiver's 189kg of weight - 28 more than the Monster - is felt slightly more only at slower speeds, but the bike's planted feel is impressive enough to put the rider at ease. Treat it with a little respect and it rewards you, and a significant other, with a fantastic ride.
The Shiver's upright seating position is ideal for both rider and pillion to go on mile-crunching odysseys, with the more powerful Aprilia engine pulling with ease, as if it could carry on forever.
The Shiver is definitely the tool for touring and two-up riding.
FINAL ANALYSIS
In the final analysis, these are two bikes that will appeal to two different sets of riders. The Ducati is more of a track tool to the Aprilia's terrain tamer. While the Monster is an engaging, exciting ride, it is little else. The Shiver, though, has multiple uses - you can tour on it, take your better half for long spins and even take it to the track to peel the layers off this more complex bike and master it.
The clincher has to be the price. At around Dh49,000 (for the ABS version) - a full ten grand more than the Shiver's Dh39,000, the Monster is an expensive Italian beauty, affording you a fling with some momentary thrills. The Shiver's all-round ability, however, makes it the abiding affair - and our winner. It's the one bike to have if you can have only one bike.