Latest Cars News Blog: 2009 Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro makes U.S. debut

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750

The supermoto genre may have initially emerged when people began spooning 17-inch wheels and tires from road-going sportbikes in place of the larger-diameter hoops with knobbies that their dirtbikes came with from the factory, but things have certainly diverged from there. There's a big difference between single-cylinder machines like the Suzuki DR-Z400SM and much larger bikes like the Ducati Hypermotard, despite the fact that both platforms are said to fulfill a similar purpose. Aprilia recently joined the ranks of manufacturers going after the higher-end supermoto category, and the SMV 750 Dorsoduro is finally set to join the firm's other lighter-weight supermoto machine, the SXV550, in the American market.

Aprilia's self-developed liquid-cooled V-Twin engine displaces 750cc in this application and offers up 92-horsepower, making it a natural competitor for the air-cooled 1100cc Hypermotard from Ducati. Suspension and braking bits are suitably up to the task, with 43mm inverted front forks holding wave-shaped disc brakes clamped by radial calipers. Wheelies and stoppies are sure to ensue. Get yours now in either black or red for $9,599.

Gallery: 2009 Aprilia SMV 750 Dorsoduro