RSV Factory 2004 - Suspension Settings

Hi All, new kid on the block and all that.....

Just sold my 996SPS and bought an 04 Factory (has PC III fitted with Mivii GP slip-on's). Can I get some advice on finding the settings to soften up the suspension a bit - I live out in the country on bumpy B roads and the suspension is way too hard. Weight around 95Kg kitted up (on a good day!).

Have owned just about every make of bike over the years but this is my first Aprilia and I know very little about them. Am much more interested in low down grunt and acceleration, than top end speed so if you can think of any "must have" mods I'd appreciate the advice. Cheers, Lindsay

Cheers for that. Unfortunately on a rig offshore Norway right now, only due home Wed or Thursday next week. Appreciate it anyway. If you don't mind, can you ask him for a rough setting guide for a fat boy on rough roads? Cheers.

Excellent, sorted. Will call you when I get back.

Quite similar in fact, although I'm not that much of a racer where I can tell you the precise differences. I think the Factory is definitely more user friendly and a bit easier to ride, especially at lower speeds (anything below 50 mph and the SPS turned into a pig). Both bikes suffer from the same issues in that they are both heavily track orientated and on the bumpy B roads where I live they bounce around a lot and can get quite hairy. I'm also not that good at playing with the suspension to sort it out myself (thankfully I'll have a word with Griff when I get back and he can put me in the right direction). Lastly I guess, at the end of the day I had invested £16,500 in the SPS so never wanted to take it out in the rain or push it to the limit (mine, not the bike's!). Managed to get the Factory for a real bargain so I won't be that fussy about it. Aye, the SPS was really cool, had some excellent rides but certainly not the best bike I've ever had. Sold my Speed Triple a few weeks after the SPS so the bike fund is looking pretty healthy. Holding off buying something new until I see what the RSV4 Tuono / BMW 1000RR / Honda VFR 1200 turns out like next year...

Will keep the Factory for abusing and riding in the rain (i.e. that's most of the time in Scotland!) . Plan to fit the air box kit from "Hooked" and re-tune it for max mid range.