Aprilia Shiver 900 Returns

It was in early 2022 that the joint venture between Piaggio and Zongshen (now styled as “Zonsen”) first confirmed plans to build a 900cc twin-cylinder bike in China, and now it looks like that machine might be finally nearing production in the form of a reborn version of the Aprilia Shiver 900.

The bike has appeared in Chinese type-approval documents as the Aprilia APR900, with styling and specs that leave no doubt that it’s essentially the same as the Aprilia Shiver 900 that was dropped from production in Europe in 2021. The news isn’t entirely unexpected, although the final form of the bike comes as a surprise, as all the evidence so far has suggested that the reintroduced Shiver would be a springboard to relaunch the Gilera brand name that Piaggio also owns.

Back in 2022, the 896cc V-twin engine was shown by Zonsen’s premium Cyclone brand, both in its RA9 concept bike—which also used the Shiver chassis, but under radical, futuristic styling—and in Gilera-branded form as a bare engine. Design registrations also revealed a version of the engine with the Gilera badge clearly on display. Later on, photographers in China captured shots of a pair of disguised prototypes that clearly looked like Aprilia Shiver 900s, but wore Gilera script on their headlights and instrument panels.  Finally, in November 2023, design registrations were filed in China for a redesigned version of the Shiver, complete with the name GLR900 that left no doubt that it was intended to use the Gilera name.

Now, however, the first type-approved machine to appear using the Aprilia Shiver 900 engine and chassis in China has emerged, and rather than being a Cyclone or a Gilera, it’s badged as an Aprilia APR900. The approval documents show that the machine is very much the same as the old Aprilia Shiver, which disappeared back in 2021 when Euro 5 emissions rules were introduced.

The 57.7-inch wheelbase is the same, as is the 485-pound curb weight, while other details listed on the document including the wheel and tire sizes and the overall dimensions also perfectly match the old Aprilia model. The single photograph of the new bike (part of the filing) shows that it has been mildly restyled with new side panels reaching from the fuel tank down the edges of the radiator. It generally conforms to the original Shiver’s design elsewhere, using the same headlight, instrument panel, fender, and tailsection. The bike’s peak power is listed as 94 hp, which is much the same as the old model, and the top speed is 130 mph.

It might be simply that the Zongshen-Piaggio joint venture, which already sells bikes under the Aprilia name in China, has decided that it makes more sense to bring the bike back as an Aprilia rather than trying to introduce the name Gilera to a market that has little connection with the history of that marque. While Gilera was once a dominant force in GP racing, few riders alive today will remember that era, and while there were interesting small Gilera sportbikes in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the most recent iteration of the name only appeared on scooters.

What’s clear from the new type approval is that the new bike, despite its similarity to the old Noale-produced Shiver, is to be manufactured completely in China, with Zongshen taking on responsibility for making the engine. Whether the accompanying reduction in manufacturing costs will make the Shiver, or “APR900,” to be a viable proposition as an export model remains to be seen, but despite its age (the original 750cc version was launched in 2007) it was still an appealing machine when the 900 was discontinued.