Brand spankin' new to the woderul world of Aprilia...would love advice

Doc, Lots of good advice is coming your way.:biggrin

One main theme is that you need to ride the bikes your considering. It's your hard earned money that you're gonna plunk down so, the bike should feel right.. TO YOU.:biggrin

I am "tall" at 6'4" and there are bikes that work for me and bikes that are torture racks. The real test will be to ride one. A sit in the showroom won't be enough. It's a good beginning, but not enough. You will find that there will be some compromises for almost any bike you try.

No bike is any better than the owner. If you'll take care of the scheduled maintenance and periodic items you need to check on, you'll ride for lots of miles with lots of smiles!:biggrin:biggrin:biggrin

If takin the missus with you, from time-to-time, is important, then take her for a ride also. OK guys, I can feel several of you reaching for your keyboards!!:rotfl Take her with you on a test ride on the bike.

For me the ergonomics were good on the rsvr. The Ducati felt really cramped and was painful in a short period of time. Ride them both, and then, buy the one that fits you.:thumbup

Some of you have mentioned the "Ducati Snobs" and we have a few. What's truly funny, here, in the US, is the "Harley Snobs".uke I know. I know. Everyone has what makes them happy, but I just don't get!! I love the sport bike and sport cruiser scene.:hail:hail:hail:hail:hail

Happy hunting.:thumbup

Sorry but back to the issues. I haven't had it for long but there seems to be more issues with it long term. The rear brake is becoming a pain in the arse , i bled it and it was bit better , but now its gone worse again. Its a pain because when i stop on a set of traffic lights down the hill, with the brake fully pressed it still rolls down so i have to hold the front. Is there any solution to this problem. Did they solve it on the newer bikes?
Also one of the reasons i changed the engine (besides the gearbox problem) was that the starter could not turn the engine over , so i contacted the dealer and he said it will cost £500-£600 to repair the sprung clutch. i thought that the engine will survive more then 28000 miles. (now i have a 4000 mile engine so fingers crossed it last at least that long without probs)
Another one is that it seems to have been ridden in the wet by the previous owner and the oil tank rusted through and started to leak oil, so there is another job for me...

Apart from the trouble it is great to ride and the power is unbelievable and i can look at it for hours is so gorgeous. Hope you will have more luck with the mechanical bit than me.

You know, I've only had one bike so far: a Cagiva Raptor 650, and I was convinced it was the best bike in the world for me, and loved it to bits.
I did two 3000mile biketrips on it, a trackday, the whole shabang.
Exactly a month ago (that's a scary coincidence !!! :dowhat) I jokingly swapped bikes with my friend, he has an '01 RSV.
I rode about 200miles with it that weekend, I just couldn't believe how awesome it felt/looked/rode/handled!! :drool
And I wasn't planning on getting any other bike !! That very week I put my beloved Raptor up for sale :hmm mg
Now, exactly ONE MONTH later (=yesterday), after plundering my savings, rationally pondering over the decision (allready made in my heart), I've got my own black beautiful '00 RSVR. I just can't remember the last time I felt this excited about anything.. That's just not love anymore, that's steaming passion !! :laugh :love2

So.. I'm with all the other guys on this: you'll never find out until you try one.. and then you will KNOW

Good luck with the lbs you're tackling, well done ! :thumbup

Don't worry about your height. I am 5'8 as well, and I don't have any trouble or tip-toeing issues whatsoever! :thumbup

Im 6.0.and own the 00 mille and its fine but i must admit its by far the tallest ride ive owned, as for the new rsvs i couldn`t comment if they are any higher than the 00 mille. Either way like most have said its a matter of trying out one for size but dont just sit on it in the showroon, take it out for a spin and then you will know its the one or not.

Av twin is different in many aspects but im sure once you have a go you will be hooked just like many of us here :thumbup.

Good luck doc and live the dream :thumbup

Good on ya Doc...Not many sleeps now :thumbup

As far as the back brake issue I 've never had a problem with mine on my 01 but I know people have had issue's with there RSVR's

i just get the back pressure bled whenever i can, try my hardest not to use either brake:thumbup

congrats on your progress doc!! ive currently got a Ducati 748 which is being collected on sunday to make way for my new (to me) 01 RSV1000 which should arrive *prays* next wednesday.

I must admit, the Ducati is a lovely bike, as fun to just stare at as it is ride mostly. Tho the duc is a pig to ride around town, it simply wasnt designed for it - and the amount of times ive had cage drivers ask me if my bikes fu**ed at traffic lights becuase of the dry clutch is embarrassing! I decided to change for a Mille largely becuase ive spent £1600 is servicing alone on the duc in the last 6 months and simply cant justify it anymore. I took her in for some new clutch plates last week to my local Ducati dealership and they had a mille in there that they had taken in part ex - and i just thought WOW! Id always known my duc was small, and have the stiff wrists and back to prove it, but the Mille is a MAN size bike and such an excentric design - i cant wait!!

Ill report back on the difference in ride next week.......cant wait!!

Doc, do yourself a favor and go see Ricky at Smith Powersports in Hayesville. Tell him Shannon sent you. He will make you an outstanding deal on a new RSVR or he has 3-4 demos he just got in. I would say you could buy a new one for under $11,500 (not including taxes).

Hayesville is on 64. It's east of Murphy and southwest of Franklin. 64 is the only way in or out but it's worth the trip. If you go on Saturday keep in mind they close at 3.

Go for it Doc 4 lbs go for the hot hot hot curry that will get yoyu down to the riding weight:thumbup

Whats up Doc? (sorry had to say it) I'm 6ft and 170lbs. When you get back into the riding lifestyle you WILL lose another 5lbs quick. When you are out riding you completely forget about eating at all and when you do stop for a break or to walk around you won't want to go eat much because you don't want to be full of food when your riding. I was visiting a friend and his wife who are gaining weight quick now that they are married. I found myself walking around picking up my pants cause I lost a little weight since I started riding a lot in the past couple weeks. I said, "damn riding the bike makes you lose weight!" My friend was like,"yeah whatever!.". Jealous! haha.

Besides a newer Ducati I've ridden allll sorts of bikes, other Milles, Falcos, all the Jap bikes, Busas etc etc and owned a TLR1000 for about 10k miles. My current RSV is the best all around package I've found. The suspension is at the TOP even without the Ohlins (which I have coming on the way). The brakes are Brembo... Can't get Brembos to work well? The problem isn't with the calipers. My bike has a small 40 tooth sprocket and still pulls in front of every one of my friends litre bikes still on the straight. I like to mess around a lot, wheelies for long, bunny hop cross streets and pitch it back and forth every chance I get. With the torque from the engine you can have SO much more fun than any I4. It spins the back tire all the time if you want and breaks it into smoke at a standstill with barely any throttle at all. Just throw some sticky tires on and you are good to go. And for hauling passengers torque is important. The only other V-twin I've ridden with similar power was my TLR with the Power Commander and Pipes. It was allllmost as powerful, easily enough to satisfy but the suspension was HORRID and just like Abakab said, "and after i helped rip out the stupid rotary damper... And it still felt like a huge beast of a bike that would try and spit you off if you wernt inch perfect on the road..." Without a doubt you feel like you are sitting on top of a plank on the TLR, wide seat and all. The Aprilia has an aggressive riding position for sure and it WILL give your midsection a workout so it's a good thing actually. You can get risers to let you relax your back some also.

My favorite thing about my RSV besides the sound? The windscreen. Even the stock one offers much more wind deflection than all those other Japanese 1000's out there. The R1 and GSXR are a joke in this department. The Aprilia has better wind protection for a superbike and looks great of course. The nearest dealer to me is a couple hundred miles from me and I'll probably never need them. I wouldn't trust anyone to work on my motorcycles or risk them scratching anything.

No matter what riding any Aprilia you will get attention that other I4's can only dream of. I hope you like talking to people. They are going to be commenting on your new bike wherever you go. When I stop for a break or for coffee whatever, it seems that people either think it's a space machine or they are enthusiasts and want to talk about it. It's all part of the fun and awesome, unquestionable performance that you will not have on another brand. The Ducs cost a lot more and be similar in speed but I've never seen one pass me in my life (not that I race but I've been on the track). I made quick work of a 999 last week in fact =]. I have a friend with a Duc S4 bike and it costs him a grip of money every time he has to do anything to it and the valves are making noise again.... time for him to get out his trailer and his wallet to take it to a mechanic!!! LOL.

Go pick up a Mille and post the pics! I ride a 2000 RSV (soon to be R) and your's will be even better. Don't be in a hurry when you are in there and demand 20% off accessories for the rest of your life at that dealership or get some free gear. Aprilias don't move fast from any showroom floor so they desperately want to move them before the next model comes out.

Oh my god Smitherz i thought you were writing your novel then:lol:lol:lol

I just type REALLY fast. :eatcorn

doc said:

one last question...
the diet and exercise have started...even though i really have my mind set on the rsv...i am not really a "race track" sort of guy...i plan on going to work a few times a month and enjoying many many rides in the country...etc...i plan on taking my wife on a few small tips as well (like a 40 mile ride to get ice cream, etc)...and going on some kick butt rides in the mountains with a few of my friends (there is a 11 mile stretch of mountainous road that has over 300 very tight turns....sweeeet!!) :thumbup

before i found the rsv, i was really looking at different class of bike (the honda vfr 800)... will the rsv be the kindof bike i am looking for? :dunno

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Doc I'm not a "racetrack" sort of guy either, I've also owned a VFR750 and Loved the howl of the V4 when you opened it up. Very capable at long distance and comfortable for the wife when she goes on the back. The newer VFR's dont have the same sort of "Character" as the older 750's
and I always regretted selling it BUT, after buying my Mille I havent given it another thought. Even tho' I'm new to Aprilias, the RSV has character in abundance and so much more fun to ride than any bike I've ever owned.

When you read any threads on this forum you can "feel" the affection these guys have for these bikes and it's pretty infectious, all other biking forums I go on dont compare with this one for the love they have for their bikes :love2

Dont forget we've all come over from inline 4's...we cant all be wrong can we ?