Nice one gents, thanks for all the replies. Pretty much all positive replies, which just goes to show, in all seriousness, that your average Ape rider recognises a good bike when he sees it ! :thumbup
Okay, I`ve been out on it again today (yes, even in the rain), because I can`t keep off it at the moment, and I now feel able to provide a quick review.
I`ll start with the main criteria first:
Engine ~ One word.........FANTASTIC ! It really is, honestly. It has power everywhere; bottom-end grunt, in every gear, is immediate, and with 175bhp, and 84lbs/ft of torque, so it should be. I was on the motorway yesterday, had briefly forgotten what gear I was in (top), and needed to hit lane 3, so a simple twist of the throttle and everything started going backwards rapidly. I subsequently went to change up, and duly found I was in top already...........simply marvellous ! Again, middle of the range is suberb, and pretty much all you need on UK roads is 4th gear, as it will pull from nothing all day (okay, if it`s really tight and twisty, 2nd and 3rd as normal, but you get my drift.......). Top end...........Ferkin mental, and you really need to hold on tight, it`s ballistic !! Like most bikes today though, (including the Ape of course) you cannot fully exploit it, as it`s simply too bonkers; but this is what we like isn`t it ?? :devious
Handling ~ Again..........FANTASTIC, and much, much better than me. You will struggle to find its dry weight listed anywhere these days, as manufacturers are now preferring to list wet weights ? Anyway, I have managed to find it, and it`s listed at 171kg. I promise you, it really does feel that light, and I swear I`ve had heavier 600`s than this ! As such, you can lob it about with ease, and it turns in quickly (enough for me anyway) with no running wide that I`ve experienced. It`s currently shod with Bridgestone BT015`s, which are OEM, and so far I`m finding them to be fine. FYI, Honda lists Dunlop Qualifiers as the alternative........
Brakes ~ Radials, which again, provide plenty of stopping power (certainly for me), and yes, the back works fine.......which is nice LOL. :biggrin
Comfort ~ I`ve had Blades before, so this was like putting on an old pair of slippers again ( all I need is the pipe now, LOL ), only more-so. The riding position is comfortable, but make no mistake, it aint no VFR !!
Controls ~ Everything where it should be, although I`ve had to get used to the indicator cancel being higher up again !
Looks ~ Obviously, I like it, or I wouldn`t have bought it, but I can accept that there are those that think the nose looks squashed, and yeah........I`d have to agree !
irate
Okay, bad points, as everything needs a balance ~ You`ll laugh at this, but the clutch lever feels a bit light ? Yeah, I`m aware though, that it could be that I`ve got used to the "grip of the devil" that you need with the Ape......!
I`m also not a great fan of this "fashion" thing that Honda are still doing with the headlamps, ie, only displaying one, unless you go to main-beam to activate the second one. I still feel that you get people that don`t know think you`re riding around on some old dog with only one headlamp working...:angry
Probably the only thing I don`t care for looks-wise would be the view of the back end from right behind, as somehow, it looks a bit to small, and understated. I really did think that the view of the Ape, from the rear, is fantastic, with the twin-exhaust set-up (my Ape was an `04 plate), looks very purposeful. :cool2
In finalisation then, gents, it`s very hard to compare the Blade with the RSVR. There`s absolutely no doubt about this one; the Ape has more character, and is somehow more exotic, both in looks and feel. If I`m honest, I do miss the engine-characteristics of the twin, and of course.........THE NOISE !..........but; I also like the clinical feel of the Blade, as this thing is just awesome at what it does, and is a proper, proper road lazer.
In the end, it`s horses for courses, and you pays-yer-money, etc........but out of the two, for most "ordinary" riders (and I definitely class myself as ordinary), you will probably be quicker on the Blade, but ultimately, is this not the measure of talent, and yes, I have to admit that I`m probably not good enough to extract the best out of the Ape, whereas the Honda.........:thumbup
And after all that, I hope you enjoyed it, and you`re still awake, safe in the knowledge that the Aprilia is a mighty-fine motorcycle !! :cool3:cool3
