Aprilia Falco, honest opinion.

[jjdugen]

Bought this a few weeks ago, weather and commitments meant I have only just got round to getting a few proper rides in. Sunday, hot and dry... at last.
As with any new to me bike, I had to set the controls up to suit. One thing about the Italans, all their alloy is a minor work of art.
Having ridden Hondas since Shochirio was a boy, the very first 'mod' was to fit an LED voltage indicator, can't understand why they are not standard on all machines.
First thing was to get the bike out. A clunk from the front showed that the steering damper rod had unscrewed from the rose joint on the forks. Bit of faffing, had that screwed back together. Left the damper on its 'softest' setting as I had been pushing and pulling the rod into place.
So of we set. Itinerary was a run up the M61 to Garstang for the autojumble, up the M6 to the turn off for Heysham / Kirby Lonsdale, up to Hawes for fish and chips, back via Settle Gisburn, Burnley and home. Good mix of M way and country roads.
Its actually quite well laid out, controls easy to use, but it is classed as a SportLight SL by Aprilia. So its clip-ons and achy back. If you want relaxed, look at the (far more expensive Tuano).
As we get into the ride, somewhere round about Preston, I notice that the voltage indicator is going a bit nuts.... Threading the traffic jams it shows a nice three LEDs of green, rev it higher, the indicator drops back to orange, classic failing of the old SCR shunt regs, the hotter they get the less they work. Had to turn off the lights to ensure the battery kept a good charge. No big deal, a Shindengan Mos Fet on order!
Next, we turn onto the country roads. Jeez, turning the steering damper to least resistance was NOT a good idea, head shakes over ruts and banding made handling 'very' lively!
Being kind you could say the engine noises are 'characterful', compared to the blade it sounds like its busily demolishing itself. Met up with a crowd of Aprilia owners at Devils Bridge, it would appear the cacophony is perfectly normal! (One did say that I should check throttle bodies for balance, he was perfectly correct).
Even (as I discovered this morning) with the TB's well out of sync, it goes quite ballistically. Instant Wham, unlike an IL4 that builds up to peak. It gives you no chance to change your mind, open throttle, instant reaction.
Handling a bit ponderous, but it has been fitted with a Mille rear shock with ride height adjustment, will be playing with that.
Braking is Brembo (very) good, far better than the blades.
A good day out, despite some obvious items to address, oh, and the obligatory visits to various petrol stations along the way!
Do I like it? Er... No, not really. Will I persevere? Not sure, but I will give it a good chance to impress.
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[Rogerborg]

Did you not test ride it before buying? Or was this a bucket list purchase?

Why throw a MOSFET at a bike that you're not sure that you'll keep? I mean, the next owner will thank you...
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[jjdugen]

No way to know until I 'Honderised' it.
Bought it because condition and asking price. Just fancied seeing what all the V twin fuss was about. The one owner from new was a mature guy in a very expensive area. His back needed the relief. Not a bad buy, in any way, shape or form. My ambiguity is all down to owning probably the very best, stupidly reliable, fast enough for anyone not intent on self destruction motorcycle ever made. Them old 'blades are an extremely difficult act to follow.

Edit. BTW, I have NOT sold the 'blade, it sits there sneering and waiting......
____________________
The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[bacon]

I considered a Falco earlier this year after a mate offered me his SV1000S. I considered the big twin options in this price bracket, Firestorm, Falco, SV etc.

I ended up with the SV, I like most of it! It sounds great, its pretty torquey and pulls well anywhere in the rev range, it doesn't have that kick you speak of with the Falco though, brakes are not bad.

The main area it is lacking so far is the handling. Compared to my zx7r it's slow steering and seems to understeer a little, I'm sure a good suspension setup from the stock settings will improve things though. more compression/rebound damping, correct sag etc.

Interesting to hear you are not keen on the Falco though

[Rob Fzs]

Just got myself a TLR and it's pretty decent, first litre bike and first v twin , love the instant power and it's almost too fast
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30> Yamaha RD350 YPVS F2 > Kawasaki ZZR 600 D1 > Yamaha TZR 250 2MA >Suzuki TL1000R > Yamaha TDR250 > Honda 929 blade > Suzuki SV1000 > Honda H100
Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

[jjdugen]

Cars in a certain price bracket are very much of a muchness. Bikes are a whole different kettle of fish. Each manufacturer is actually different.
I make no secret of my preferences, a smooth, well to over-engineered inline four, 900 cc up. Enough torque at the low end, plenty power at the top. I am quite happy to right the wrongs of the cost accountants, as long as they are peripherals. Things like chocolate gearboxes, rough, buzzy engines, poor quality finish and furry alloy speak of insufficient development / cost allocation. I make the same comparisons with all the machines that pass through my hands.
In its defense, the Falco is extremely well built, high grade equipment all round, the Mille rear shock the only real necessary improvement. I've not been out on it since the TB balance so I might be revising things a little. But, to be blunt, ALL the V twins sound agricultural, the Suzuki V's being the most civilised. I was looking for an SV to play with, but I knew I would be spending more on anti rust spray than petrol, and they drink both the stuffs. This came up, looked 'nice', not lost money if I do decide to part.
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[stevo as b4]

I think all big V-twins are awkward, quirky, not sharp handling out of the box, and need time and riding technique to get the best out of them. They generally are never instant like bikes, or familiar and easy to ride from the off. I think they are growers and the sort of bikes that do in time get under your skin before you love one.

I test rode a CBR954 blade in 2002, and though I liked it, I decided it was too much bike for me and not worth trading up to. I then looked at buying a Falco as I liked the local dealer and their attitude, and my dad had a VTR which I'd ridden a few times and found it very different to my Ninja6.

I liked the half faired style back then, and liked the fact the Falco was cited as more sharp and sporty than the VTR and better handling than the TLS or fat bloated TLR. It was also far less extreme and full on than a mille, as again I thought the RSV would be too much bike for me. I stuck with my ZX6R in the end, but reckon that the Falco at the time would have been the only bike that'd be better for me this side of a Ducati 999.

[bacon]

[jjdugen]

Love to talk Z's, but certain people get a bit apoplectic at the mention of cars. But, actually, the comparison is a fair one. The same lazy power, a bit too ponderous for the 'ring, but a great way to bash autobahns. The Falco is very much in that mold. I do have a little experience of the V breed, in that my friend has the Cagiva Raptor, TL engine in a nice compact and light frame. That is civilised, goes very well, has needed nominal maintenance. Its a bit too quirky in the looks department for (even) me, beauty is as beauty does in my book. The SV does get a bit of a panning on here, but it goes well enough considering its price, better than any comparable Monster. And there is the rub. The Falco cost me peanuts, move on up the rankings and you pay considerably more, especially in todays marketplace. If I do come round to its ways, it can be upgraded to near as damit Mille performance, which is on a par with everything else barring the Panigale....... Sigh, I wish I was ten years younger, then I could wait until they become affordable.... unless they all blow up before that happens....
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[arry]

[jjdugen]

Point taken arry. Handling is a very subjective subject.
Most bikes come with neutral handling, in that they are stable at speed, but tend to feel 'heavy' at moderate pace. (IMHO!).
I like a very weighted front end, if I could reach, I'd mount the bars directly on the wheel spindle! I like a tall, softer rear, (In B4 ooerr) the roads I enjoy are narrow and bumpy, I let the back end do its own thing, as long as the front goes precisely where I want it too.
The Falco is not precise as yet, the front is too light, feels like it wants to run wide. The trade off is that the 'blade can get a bit lively at very high speed. (BTW 'blade has R1 front end, RSV swinger, Nitron rear shock and runs a 190 late blade back wheel. Most everything adjustable.)
As I say, we'll see, it took a year before I had the blade to my liking. Once I have a reliable reg/rec installed, I'll be doing a little more evaluation.
____________________
The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[Kris]

To be fair the Falco's suspension could probably do with a rebuild. I mean, what is it? 13 years old now?
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[jjdugen]

Give the PO his due, he did all the right things. The shock is a nearly new unit, taken from a crashed Mille of 6000 miles. I'll look at the settings as I get stuck in, ride height, damping. Spring rate seems fine. It may be that the head shaking is due to the back end squatting under acceleration, like I say, this thing is not gentle, power comes in with a bang and it will pull wheelies for fun. Too early for me to be definitive, this is just my first impressions and familiarity might breed harmony.
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[MarJay]

You shouldn't be seeing head shakes as a matter of course with the weight and power of the Falco. I suspect something awry with the suspension.

The Sachs rear shock is widely known as a weak point on those bikes. I'd go with a fork rebuild and perhaps a nice Nitron or something. I guarantee once in good condition and set up for you it'll be a magic carpet.

There isn't a lot you can do about the discomfort though...
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Falco should not be feeling like that, and should not need a steering damper.

I didn't have one on mine and I never needed it, although you may very well ride quicker than me, although I like to think I didn't hang about. I only weigh 60kg (9 and a bit stone) though so would expect a flighty moment if they were too happen.

I had my forks dropped with four rings showing above the yokes, assuming they're Showa (black) ones. Think my pre-load was only a turn and half out, some people put in a longer/extra cartridge to increase the pre-load further. Can't remember what other settings were. Worked fairly well over bumpy surfaces though.

My shock was an after market WP on standard dog bones so not sure on that. Had it set up pretty firm though due to wanting to ride fairly quick. Even with all of this it always had a tendency to push on in corners/wan't to run wide.

Battery is important so keep on top of that. I'd also have a look at the airbox and check it has been modded/cut out to the larger size. Also that the wire has been cut (have to look up which specifically) to remove power restrictions. Though Id be surprised if this hasn't been done. Some people have made it more comfortable by dropping the forks just enough to put the clip-ons above the top yoke. You might have to cut the edges of the screen to do this as they may foul on your hands though.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[jjdugen]

Hi I aka R not going to try typing that lot out!

The PO did all the necessary, airbox and ECU mods, braided brake lines, Mille shock, large oil filter. On his own admission, he only rode it two up with his wife to go touring, although where and how he carried luggage is anyones guess.
I gave the throttle bodies a dose of looking at and it feels and sounds much happier. Back pot OK. 1 1/2 turns out, front... 3 and a bit! Vac gauges nicely balanced, with a bit of a lead on the back pot, as advised. Beginning to wonder just how good the dealers were that he took it to, religiously, to be parted form a fair number of beer tokens in the process.
Going to do a bit of Mea Culpa here, just checked the tyre pressures..... Ooops!
Have a day off to do the reg rec tomorrow, then I can get down to some proper testing and riding.

Cheers

Edit.
Just reread your post. At the moment I cant drop the forks, it was my first thought. If I did, the stupid sidestand would have the bike virtually upright. Must have a dig around in my blade spares box, pretty sure theres a sidestand loafing about doing nothing. If not, hacksaw, studding and the welder!
____________________
The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[jjdugen]

Bit of an up-date.
Took her down to Cornwall for a long week-end, mate had some time off and wanted 'a good ride out'. Yeah, Cornwall in the middle of the school holidays....
Fought our way down the M5 along with most of the population of the UK, started raining at Bristol, didn't stop 'till we were coming home. Its slim and, relatively, light so made threading the traffic jams easy. Can't complain about anything, it just did its job with nary a murmur. The low bars have left me with stiff shoulders, first job I did on my return was to raise them over the top yoke, easy enough job and now a far more relaxed riding position.
My main complaint was the over gearing, I hardly ever touched top gear. A one tooth down front sprocket ordered and came yesterday, Wemauto are pretty damn good.
So, given I had some time setting up the ride height and damping on the rear shock, I have to say that it does work very well. Becoming a little pleased with myself. The Falco is well worth a look if you want performance for scooter money, a tentative highly recommended.
____________________
The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?