After waiting more than 2 weeks, my Aprilia arrived this morning. Did a short run until the roads turned wet, stopped for a burger and returned home for a bit of a wipe under the guards and belly pan etc. Truly magnificent machine and a cut above the VTR in every way. Those who don't know Aprilias, this is the top spec labelled as 'Factory' hence the Ohlins, Brembos, and dripping with carbon. Few pics here that I know will be welcomed by @PauloHRC and @Millsp1 :
That looks brill but I don’t know how you do it @nigelrb - where you putting this one? Have you sold something to make space or are you renting lounge space off your neighbours
I might have made mention on another thread, but I'll give you the short version. In August I bought a 1999 VTR as a 'general runabout'. Bloody hell, I rode it a couple of times and thought, 'Frig, this is great.' The V-twins are a whole different ball game to the inline fours. So, since I was so impressed, I thought I might as well 'upgrade' to a VTR SP1. Sold the VTR at auction on ebay (dropped a couple of hundred but still exceeded my reserve) and then set about searching for the RIGHT SP1. Had discussions about a silver one, but for me the colour was the killer. Sort of like when I was seeking a partner on Sudanese Brides dot com and ended up with an albino. Can't win all the time! A few days later a member dropped this bike into the For Sale section of this forum. I think it took me 8 minutes to start the deal! There's not too much Feng shui happening in my lounge room at the moment. I'm working on a remap of furniture placement.
Perhaps not much difference if you're referring to, say, a 2002 etc Mille. These of course are the fuel injected models so might have a bit more oomph, but my first impressions are great. Very light front end compared to the Blades. Perhaps because of the Vs centre of gravity being more rearward. A bit off-putting at first, but no doubt I'll adapt.
It'll definitely keep your Gonads warm if your riding in the winter!! The heat that will come off it is slightly disconcerting at first. In the summer you will sweat like a pig sat at the traffic lights!
Yeah, I've read about that and got a bit of an indication just with today's light session. MV is about the same.
Nice bike Nigel. I also rode a Mllie my mate had and found that to be extremely light at the front even compared to the VTR, however I’m sure you’ll get used to it.
Yeah, probably will, but just a bit unnerving at first. I suppose I've got used to the heavier 2004 and 2011 fronts in that they really feel planted to ground under normal riding. We have a dry day tomorrow (supposedly) so I should get a true feel for it. Agree that the VTR felt heavier and more Blade-like.
Nice one Nige, that is super clean. I had a 2001 Mille R (forerunner to the Factory, also dripping with OZ wheels, Brembo and Ohlins). Awesome bike with loads of V-twin stomp but still has the ability to rev like a 4???? mad thing.
Fantastic looking bike, well done for being patient! There is no better value superbike than an RSV/Tuono Factory. The Ohlins forks, shock and OZ forged wheels are nearly worth more than you will have paid for the whole bike So you got that amazing V twin engine and Akra's for free
So true, a fact I can verify courtesy of my continual pouring over ebay and Auto Trader. I suppose this is only due to aprilia being a 'minor player' in the market. The equivalent Honda SP2 is MORE than twice as much for a similar spec, but even with my Honda bias, I am sure that both bikes are very equal in terms of quality and rideability. This aprilia is equally as good looking as the Honda SP1 & 2 (in my opinion) and the finish is superb. The weird thing is that I would NEVER have considered buying one of these had it not cropped up on this forum. I have had good and band experiences of being impulsive (I bought this bike without personal viewing). I use a lot of analogies in comparisons. (For the record, 'analogy' can be traced back to Latin and French roots meaning 'anal logic'. Quite apt when it comes to me) The best analogy I can describe here with being impulsive is that when buying a bike you can sell it and recoup costs. When buying a bride, you can divorce it but pay through the nose for life!!
