RSV-R Vs TL1000R?

Hi guys, how are you? I wanted to come on here and ask your opinions on the RSV-R vs the Suzuki TL1000R. I have always wanted a TL1000R and have found a couple of great examples for sale (haven't seen them in the metal though) that are between £2,500 to minter for £3,500 which is still a lot for a 99-00 model bikes with 20,000 miles on them. A few of my friends have said for that price I am crazy not to get a RSV-R instead for that money and a quick check of classifieds show that I can get 01-03 models ten a Haga Rep for £3,000. You get the Brembo,s Ohlins, akro pipes etc.

I just want something to take for the occasional Sunday road ride and just enjoy owning a bike again. I am an ok road rider but no track hero and I don't care about keeping up with anyone. I just want a nice bike to ride, own and enjoy looking at that is not going to cost me a fortune to keep running or have a ton of issues.

I know this is a RSV forum butI am sure a lot of your have asked the same question.

Anything I need to look out for or particular year model to get like 01-03 etc? Any options that are must haves?


I will be keeping it outside under a cover until winter too.

Here from you all soon!

I looked at all the V Twins, SP1, TLR,999 and triples, Daytona before I bought Mille and can honestly say I made the best decision, in 11 years the only thing that has gone wrong was the side stand switch which I have had disconnected. She is comfortable enough for touring and all day riding, makes an incredible noise and if Griff at Aprilia Performance services her you will have the best serviced bike money can buy!

tlr big and heavy i've been told..you'll get a nice 01-03 rsvr for that ..try and get a late 03 as they have the black frame and swinger and radial brakes.. the best ones in my opinion

if keeping outside try and rig up an optimate for it to plug into , notorious for draining the battery

my dad has a tlr and i had the tls both nice bikes but wish i got my millie first much better bike

hi big tav, i had a tlr i sold it when i got my rsv, engine wise they are very similar power delivery and torque.but the handling is night and day if you pushed the tlr the back end was very squirmy to do with the rotary damper heating up,the brakes werent good either compared to the rsv,but it was a good big bike but i would take the mille over the tlr anyday ,i never had any problems with the tlr and like the mille you dont see many about .if you got a tlr you wouldnt be disapointed but the rsv is abetter bike alround in my opinion.

I had a Suzuki SV1000s before the Mille. The SV has a good Engine, but its so heavy & once You really push the Cornering mine would Weave & gave me no confidence at all. I fitted a GSXR1000 Rear Shock & had the Forks reworked with K-Tech Springs, & although much better i still couldnt get rid of that annoying weaving motion when sending it on so i just sold it.
The Mille is a completely different ball game, its so much lighter & more confidence inspiring in the corners & the Brembo Brakes are just amazing. I honestly think if You buy the TL its only a matter of time before You sell it & buy the Aprilia!!

I got a TLR years ago, it only had 300 miles on it so it was/is the newest bike i've ever owned, i really really wanted to like it but it just didn't handle & was way too heavy, it soon got chopped in for a blade....

Go for a RSV, you can pick up a nice R for 2.5k with all the trick ohlins suspension/oz wheels. brilliant value for money. :slap_TLR

only thing with RSV's, they arn't ment for short arse's :bigsmile

Hi Big Tav,
I'm fairly new to RSVR's but have ridden twins for years. Had a Honda Firestorm that was a thoroughly reliable bike but not very inspiring. Changed it for a Honda SP1 which was a lot better handling but is now fairly dated and quite heavy feeling. I've owned my Ducati 999 for 7 years and just love the way it feels. Problem with it is the expense of owning it. My mates say it always breaks down...... I call it "character"!!
I recently changed my GSXR track bike for a RSVR Factory and can honestly say it was by far the best decision I have made. Still getting used to it but it feels good and handles very nicely. I like the way it looks and it is different from most other bikes around. To be honest, the Ducati may turn more heads mainly because it sounds like a bag of spanners getting dragged down the road with the dry open clutch, but I think I'm enjoying riding the Aprilia more. It's probably too good a bike for me to put on track.
Personnally, between the two you're considering, if I was after a bike for taking out in the nice weather I'd get the Aprilia. It looks good, handles well and isn't too common. If I was after a bike to go to work on through summer and winter I wouldn't actually have thought of a TLS, I'd probably get a VFR or Fazer.
Oh,,,,, and another thing to consider..... even though I'm new to Aprilia the folk on this forum seem to be very helpful and friendly and could probably give any advice needed if you got yourself an RSV :thumbup
Best thing to do is get on one and see how you feel. That's what is important.

Parked up next to Salisbury Cathedral on Sunday, I was stood next to Mille and an old grey haired dear said ""Oo, that is a lovely looking bike" now that would never happen with a TL!!

TL has an old fat arse!

i used to commute a 120 miles a day on my rsv then go ride a bike all round london for 12 hours.... didnt matter how tired how bad the weather was watching peoples faces as i cut threw the traffic big booming v-twin scared shxtless was priceless. took tlr out before i tryed the ape dated mate like trying to drive a bus.............rsv all the way... one thing i will say is dont leave her in garage for just weekends they are ment for riding and in all weathers get decent battery and the est is smiles

tlr has ***** rear shock has no xtraz and is and ugly. the only positive vs Mille it has 90deg V-Twin which has IMHO much better sound and power delivery. allthough i love mille any multistrada with aircooled engine has better feel of the power output. i just hate the rotax dullness in the middle and even though i did all the mods to minimise it, it is still there. back to the topic - TLR can't even dream about being comparable to Mille.
TLR -the superbike which has never been one

mmw14 has pretty much nailed it. I've had a tlr and four tls's and whilst I loved em when I rode my mates falco I thought "this is what I've been trying to get the Tl's like" and after have a superduke R for a while (which was absolutely awesome but just too much money) I ended up with an 03 rsvr and love it. It's reliable (touch wood), easy to maintain and just as quick as the superduke and the forum is great for info, mind you the Tl Zone and Tl Planet were fantastic for info as well

i used to have a TLs a few years ago, bright red and i can say it was a cracking bike and thats where the love of v twins came from. i loved the way it handled as well a proper mans bike sort of way, if you adjusted the suspension to suit your style. the only thing was the it loved schredding the rear tyre, usually less than 1000 miles, but that was me as i loved cooking it out of bends etc. really simple to modify and service. it made way for the hankering of an R1 which also was agreat bike in its own right, but very light in the corners for i never come to like, thats why i got the mille the v twin and great handling, was looking at tlr before i brought the mille, but it come down to money, every tlr i was looking at was at least £500+ more. but i fancied the mille for a change since i had a tl already so dont really care. either way you look at it both the tlr or tls or the mille are all great bikes, the tls is more of a bargin and easier to look after as only half fairings and cheaper. what i comes to is your riding preferance and ££££.

well mate your here ,which means theres no tlr-zone on the net to find "whats that tellyah" if your one of these sad old farty types you wont be long in getting the big grin factor mate thats what milles do to you ,so your in for a treat why even bother with a tlr or even a **** tls both nicknamed the widowmaker when they first came out **** handling to blame for many deaths .also how many tlr`s do you see on trackdays .if your getting another bike buy a tlr mate keep it outside and under your cover and forget all about it,as thats the best place for a tlr lol.
milles aint fault free bike either mate but when there going good there great its up to you to make sure its looked after and kept in tippy top condition. ive had mine 2 year now and had a few problems on the way and thought about selling the ****** a few times but dont think i could find what im looking for anywhere else but a mille mine is 12 years old now and minted starts first time every time sounds cracking ,im looking to buy another mille in a few weeks got my eye on a nice mille r this time just so i can have one of each "stereo sound lol" them over the fence are gonna love me lol .i also i can ride all day without any problems i can even ride harley poof mode or total ***** left the brain at home mode but as long as im having fun and on my mille thats all that matters . so do the right thing bud APRILIA RSV MILLE (R) ENJOY :slap_TLR:slap_TLS :sucks :thumbup

tlr's are fantastic and would be my first choice if i wanted a pig of a bike that will never sell lol
there a pretty poor bike finish and popularity wise .

get a mile and enjoy the brakes engine handling and some reliability quirks but enjoy it you will .

just my 2p

Hi guys. Thanks for all your tips and advice! To say the tlr is ugly and a pig is a bit harsh. I want a street bike just for having a nice ride on. I'm no track hero and would probably go to a track only once or twice in the time I'll own it. The tlrs have their cult following too and I've always wanted one...it's just the rsv-r just looks so good! Hard decision!

Your best bet is get a test ride on both bike's before deciding....

Ive had a TL and found them to very fast but handeling not so good. Had my Mille for a few years now - by far a much better all round bike. Go for the RSVR