Greetings everyone and kudos to all members for creating a great repository for all things AT.
I'm currently riding an Aprilia ETV1000 Caponord and also keep a Kawi KL250 Super Sherpa for dedicated trail riding. I like the Capo but it has a couple of shortcomings the AT may address:
1) Its top heavy. Makes the Capo daunting in off road conditions (especially down hill in sand!).
2) Its hot. The Rotax V-Twin is a great motor but sitting with your crotch a few inches away from the rear cylinder head and exhaust manifold makes for an uncomfortable ride in summer (its great in winter tho!). I had to fabricate a pair of "bollock coolers" to direct cooling air up the sides of the bike. They work fine and the heat is really only an issue in traffic although the seat still does tend to get hot from underneath no matter what.
3) Wind noise. This is a problem on a lot of adv-style bikes. Much experimentation has pretty much eliminated the issue on the Capo but it has taken a long time to sort out.
4) Dealers... Few and far between. I do all my own work but when you're out on the road its nice to have plenty of options.
All that said, the bike is great to ride. 96 HP is just about perfect in my opinion. The AT is a little lighter (not much) but the weight looks better distributed. Honda is known for taking this into consideration. I also think that parallel twins are the best design for off-road. The weight is forward for better balance with the rider and the heat is also easier to control.
I'm looking forward to seeing one at our local show in February. According to Honda Canada, we get the all black version and the red rally livery here (DCT is silver). My favorite is the white rally with gold rims. Not sure if any market is getting that. Wouldnt be surprised if that is a future special edition.
Looking forward to the first owner reports here on the forum.
Cheers!
I'm currently riding an Aprilia ETV1000 Caponord and also keep a Kawi KL250 Super Sherpa for dedicated trail riding. I like the Capo but it has a couple of shortcomings the AT may address:
1) Its top heavy. Makes the Capo daunting in off road conditions (especially down hill in sand!).
2) Its hot. The Rotax V-Twin is a great motor but sitting with your crotch a few inches away from the rear cylinder head and exhaust manifold makes for an uncomfortable ride in summer (its great in winter tho!). I had to fabricate a pair of "bollock coolers" to direct cooling air up the sides of the bike. They work fine and the heat is really only an issue in traffic although the seat still does tend to get hot from underneath no matter what.
3) Wind noise. This is a problem on a lot of adv-style bikes. Much experimentation has pretty much eliminated the issue on the Capo but it has taken a long time to sort out.
4) Dealers... Few and far between. I do all my own work but when you're out on the road its nice to have plenty of options.
All that said, the bike is great to ride. 96 HP is just about perfect in my opinion. The AT is a little lighter (not much) but the weight looks better distributed. Honda is known for taking this into consideration. I also think that parallel twins are the best design for off-road. The weight is forward for better balance with the rider and the heat is also easier to control.
I'm looking forward to seeing one at our local show in February. According to Honda Canada, we get the all black version and the red rally livery here (DCT is silver). My favorite is the white rally with gold rims. Not sure if any market is getting that. Wouldnt be surprised if that is a future special edition.
Looking forward to the first owner reports here on the forum.
Cheers!
