The hearty twin is astoundingly tractable, allowing for a wide demographic of riders to make use of the newly updated Shiver. Less experienced riders will appreciate the relatively soft clutch pull, precise throttle, and seductively smooth charm, while experienced riders will be able to wring every bit out of the twin engine, making it a satiating powerplant.

A new engine means new tech and Aprilia certainly did its research. Aprilia engineers focused on getting more out of their powerplant—not just more power, but more utility, regardless of the type of riding you’re doing. To satisfy that requirement, Aprilia has updated the fuel injectors, reduced piston friction, and rebalanced the crank assembly, all of which improve the Shiver’s rideability.

The motor is smoother thanks to a semi-dry sump design with reed valves in the crankcase to relieve internal pressures and temperatures. Also, the six-speed transmission is treated with anti-friction coatings and gear ratios changed to match the increased power output.

Sporty, yet comfortable suspension awaits. The 41mm Kayaba fork has spring-preload and rebound damping adjustment, as does the Sachs shock. In urban environments, the Shiver 900 performs admirably, soaking up potholes quite well. In the canyons, the story is the same—comfortable and compliant, performing adequately under hard braking, settling well on the edge of the tire. Where the suspension does falter is at higher speeds when there is a sizeable bump mid-corner, which can get a hair bouncy.

Though the Shiver hasn’t been imbued with a new chassis, its 57.7-inch wheelbase and relaxed rake of a hair under 26 degrees gives the Shiver a mountain-goat-like sure-footedness. A bit of input in any direction and the Shiver acquiesces with ease, despite its substantial 481-pound wet weight.

Utilizing the Marelli 7SM ECU—the very same ECU found in the top-spec RSV4 and Tuono—the Shiver is has three-step traction control and ABS, both of which can be adjusted on the fly. Three engine maps are available—Sport, Touring, and Rain. You do get full use of the power in Sport and Touring, with throttle response damped for Touring. Rain dropped the peak horsepower to 70.

Though the Shiver 900 does not receive the full APRC electronic suite, its reserved electronic aids do quite well for the scope of work. The traction control behaves as you’d expect, with Level 1 being the least intrusive.

A full color TFT display keep you informed. Although the left-thumb controls are carryovers from previous generations of Aprilia bikes, the display and interface certainly isn’t—and we graciously thank them for that. Simplistic and intuitive, the Shiver 900’s menu system is self-explanatory.

You get braking power for the masses. Featuring Aprilia branded four-piston radial calipers, clamping on 320mm floating rotors, and a single 240mm rotor in the rear; the Shiver’s brakes do an adequate job all around. Braking power is perfectly effective and allows for positive feel at the lever, which is great for trail braking either wheel. Initial response is soft, which less experienced riders will appreciate. To get the most out of them, you will need to apply a bit of pressure, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Two-channel Continental ABS is standard and unobtrusive.