Yippee! New Bike! Oh, wait it's broken. Bugger.

Hi All

Have just put a really happy 200 miles on my 09 RSV4 Factory. It's SO ace and makes everything else I've ever owned and ridden seem like a dreadful metaphor wrapped in a simile.

Anyway, enough oh-so-creative gushing, my bike is- of course- already broken. It's ok, I'm English and 39 so I'm well versed in disappointment. But I suppose I would like to fix it if I could, after all there might be six or seven minutes this year when it doesn't rain and I'd love to be poised and ready to leave the garage to fully enjoy it.

So, firstly. I've thrown my first 'service' light. I say first not because its due its first service (it's done 4200 miles) but from doing my research on here it turns out that these 'service' lights are something I should very much learn to look forward to.

So, here I am, managing my expectations, and wondering what I can do to make it go away? I've looked about and nothing's obviously wrong, there's no codes in the diagnostic (tho I cleared it anyway as it made me feel powerful and clever) and I even tried going away from it and coming back the next day filled with misguided hope, but to no avail. It still says SERVICE in what I'm imagining is a whiny voice.

So, given I've literally researched the **** out of this subject, what else can I try to make it stop moaning? Other than not go to a dealer yet, as the nearest one is 3 hours away and I really don't want to lose a day when I could use that day to picture Kylies bottom in a Logan's Run style jumpsuit. Any ideas, please? Anyone? I'd really like to enjoy it before, well, it goes all obvious and Italian on me.

Plus, you know that sort of triangular foam leather covered pad that sits behind your back on the single seat unit? Well, that's flown off somewhere in the last 200 miles and I can't for the life of me find what's it called to buy another. Anyone?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Sorry to go one- I've exceeded my daily ration of foamy bananas.

Nerv.

Hilariously, I've just discovered a post on this very forum from the bikes previous owner about exactly the same thing. Small world, stupid electronics.

Please help. It might be sunny soon. View attachment 4429View attachment 4429

That's brilliant, thanks Paul.

You'll be thrilled to know that- having spoken to three Aprilia dealers today- you're not only better informed than them, but you're also considerably more pleasant. And not just because of the way you fluttered your verbs at me, you big tease you.

Oh, who am I kidding? You had me at 'triangular thing'.

So, anyone got any clues on the electronic situation? How about if I throw in almost seven flood damaged curly whirlies? Hmm?

Oh, I know it's The Agutter, alright. But for me she's at her best in The Railway Children.

Acting wise, obviously. I'm not a freak. >sniffsbrightredknickers<

Anyway, this service light- shall I ignore it, or what? I'm wondering if it might have been caused by at one point at the weekend I pulled over for an emergency wee, but couldn't find neutral in time to stop myself self-lubricating so stopped the engine by putting the side stand down. Reckon that would have caused a light to come on that for some reason can't be reset by anyone other than a dealer?

Think about those curly whirlies, people. Eyes on the (soggy) prize.

estranged said:

Can I think of a soggy Jenny Agutter instead?

As for the service light. If it's anything like the early Mille's (I say them as they're the only ones i'm sure about) then the service light comes on at a set time, and as long as it's been serviced at the right time, it will be safe to switch off.

Click to expand...

Rather brilliantly, it's not a service light in terms of needing a service, it's a more usefully all-encompassing-could-mean-anything-there-might-be-a-problem-but-then-again-there-might-not-be-light. The 'needs a service' light has a little spanner next to it.

Also, I can't switch it off. Hooray!

Think away though. I'll cover for you.

Well, I'm sure you're all on the edge of your seat with this, so I thought I'd update you.

Hooray! I found a massive oil leak from the front cam cover gasket, so have stripped and cleaned the bike (needlessly complicated, thanks Aprilia) and am now waiting the now obligatory 4-7 years for the new part to arrive.

Bad news is I'm pretty sure a gasket leak wouldn't throw the service light on. So there's that. And likely something else.

So, you can relax now. Sorry to have kept you so on the edge of your seats.

On the upside, at least your seat didn't fall off during the process.

Just to round this off, I've fixed it.

Turns out the cam cover gasket was leaking so spent about 50 hours replacing that twice to put out the panic inducing wont stop going on about it did we tell you there's a problem well there is and it's probably serious service warning light.

The light stayed on, but at least the oil stayed in.

Then noticed an impossibly located sensor with a bit if wear so fixed it in the hope the light would go away.

It stayed on.

Fixed about a million other little tiny things. Light stayed on.

Replaced number plate bulb.

Warning light went out.

**** you, Aprilia.

Good luck fella. Don't forget to pack a spare everything.