OK so I've only ridden it for about 70 miles. Big deal. The most accurate long term assessments are often established in the first fleeting moments by gut feel. At least I have found that to be the case. I have friends who believe in their gut-feel more than they believe in God or science. I have friends who don't have gut feel. They have a gut but don't feel. I'm sort of suspended between cynicism and love-at-first-sight. This weakness/strength can prove good/bad with human relationships (who needs those when you have a hot bike?) and bike/owner relationships. I'll stick with bikes here. Everything in life is 50/50.
I fell in love with my R1. I also lusted after the Aprilia RSV1000. Well now I've owned and ridden both. My first impressions? Both are superb.
The RSV takes the prize for soul with a capital S. It also walzes away with the prize in the confidence-boosting handling. Styling? I'd actually give the R1 the edge. The RSV in my eyes has sexy details but overall is a tad too Busa-obese and that porky pig face is not nice. I may see what I can do about that with a front fairing and some HID lights. (I found the HID lights on my USA 05 R1 to be life-savers!) Oddly enough the RSV actually feels a wee bit lighter yet here are the crucial comparison figures:
98 YamahaR1 05 YamahaR1 03 ApriliaRSV
BHP: 150 175 130
Torque: 80ftlb 78ftlb 73ftlb
Weight: 175kg 173kg 187kg
Top Speed: 175mph 175mph 165mph
(Those figures come from a leading bike magazine. I say Bollocks. I saw an indicated 189mph on my 05 R1 in Arizona and realised it was the 186mph electronic cut-out.)
Split second, on-the-road, first impressions of the Aprilia RSV Mille: Easy clutch, smooth take-up, planted feel, easy-turning, excellent road manners on our crappy roads ( I doubt Charlie Boorman could survive our b-roads on his BMW these roads are so patched and potholed!). Fueling seems excellent and the thrust is delicious if not in R1 territory. Comfort is good (I LOVE the arse-up-head-down position for riding). Engine braking is very strong which suits me cause I am a chicken at braking hard. (Mind you, my superb rolling stoppie on the now deceased R1 saved my legs!). The rear brake is phenominally powerful but the front brakes, in spite of braided hoses (on this used bike) were quite soft. I like them 'grabby' like the Aprilia 750 Dorsoduro I tested.
The gearbox I have learned is, as of 2003, a close-ratio box. Rather.
I wouldn't like to suggest that one actually rows the bike along by gear changing but shall we say that 'it's rather lively' compared to the R1. I needed 2 gears on the Yamaha R1 to decimate the population. 3rd and 6th. The RSV keeps Alzheimers at bay. Changing gears is like looking after grandchildren. The nappies just need changing all the time! I may chat about a lower rear sprocket for better fuel economy and higher top speed (more my style..wheelies and drag racing fade to insignifacance versus petrol-stops and top speed on Autobahns).
Ergonomics: Very nice! I really love the left hand switchgear. It is far more natural and glove-friendly than the Japanese switches. After 6 years I was never able to find the bloody R1 horn in a panic. In seconds I had it on the Aprilia and the dip/main beam switch is a godsend! That switch is the most important switch at night on the tree-tunnel roads of Surrey and it falls to hand like a bottle of finest Scotch. The riding position is wonderful for me (I'm a whisker under 6') and the wind protection with the double-bubble screen and full fairing is much better than the R1.
I love the bum stop - tuck position on fast A roads and I'm convinced this baby will be a great touring bike. The clocks are very comprehensive and clear. I HATED that I had to choose between time and trip on my R1. WHY can't you tell me what time it is (for urgent meetings!) AND how far I have travelled AND how much fuel I have left! You feckin' eedjut bike builders! Of course you can give us what we NEED to know NOW. Oh no! We must pander to bike mag journalists that think all we want are lap-times! For gawd's sake even Dani Pedrosa doesn't need a lap timer! He can see Valentino's arse! That's enough!
Was I ranting? Sorry. I think I need to take over the world's bike standardisation program... OK so back to the Aprilia ergonomics. Great. I can see my speed (kmph or mph), the time, trip meter, temp, and revs at one glance...if the clock worked! I push the buttons and see the hour flashing...press the lap-timer button on the left hand switchgear (doubles as a dip/flash overtaking warning when riding) and ...Nothing. A big fat Italian nothing! I hope their lovers aren't like their electronics!
I rode my RSV around to a friendly Triumph-riding car dealer/biker in Haslemere. The first thing he said was "Wait 'til you're on a Motorway in the pissing rain mate". He didn't realise that Pete delivered it in the pissing rain with no problems and got nailed for speeding (daft bugger). But the 'urban myths' about Italian vehicles persist in England (which is why you can buy most Italian vehicles at half their value here). As if the bloody Brits can talk!!!! Did you know that England has now managed to manufacture TVs? They finally figured out how to make them leak oil...
After a sunny ride (3 hours of sunshine today at 9C/49F - that's our allotment for the year) I arrived at my mates business (KG Sprayers in Aldershot) to request a favour. Could you cut and re-weld and the powder-coat my side stand? The bloody thing holds the Aprilia so upright that if a sparrow farts the bike falls over! It's a non-stop heart-attack-waiting-to-happen. The problem is guessing how much to cut out. How can a designer get it so wrong? Doesn't anyone in these firms TRY the bugger out? Or are they all drunk? It reminded me of my amazed/stupified rant when at 21 years of age I bought a cheap old Norton Dominator. The centre stand hit the ground at such a low lean angle that 8 neighbours had to help the crane operator get it onto the stand. I was young and green but even I took 3 seconds to see that the damned thing was ridiculously calculated! How do these people get the job? (Do NOT get me started on mobile phone designers...retards!)
My mate reckons I should also powder coat the few bits that are raw aluminium (Yanks listen up - Aluminium as in Titanium and Magnesium. You do NOT say Titanum or Magnesum!!!) matt black. Hmmmm. Sounds tasty. If that happens photos will be produced!
So 2 days riding on mixed manufacturer front/rear tyres including frozen roads, fast curves, small roundabouts, dark tree-tunnels, child-collection mummy drivers, old gits in Micras, white-van hoody-boys, upright lime-green-vest bike learners, familiar corners of terror and pride, patched and pot-holed roads, orange-cone-land, dithering University professors in Rovers, self-righteous Volvo drivers and nutcase Suzuki GSXR riders and I LOVE this Aprilia!!!!
No drama, no fuss, no heart-stoppers, no 50 pence piecing (google that one Americans) and nothing but the sublime sense of speed at no speed (Cor but this baby is perfect to dawdle and stare at thatched roof pubs!) yet no speed at speed. Perfection? I may have found it... but then I haven't ridden the RSV4... YET!!!
Garrett and I were leaving the fitness center yesterday and we saw a beautiful blue R1 sitting right outside the door. We immediately thought of you. Our second thought is what kind of NUTCASE would ride a bike that fast when there is winter sand and salt covering every inch of the road. Not that i cared too much for the idiot that rode it, but it would be a sad loss if the bike got trashed...
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