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01 Aprilia RSV Mille discussion forum:RE: Ex inline 4 and present RSV 1000 owners enlighten me please |
| RE: Ex inline 4 and present RSV 1000 owners enlighten me please |
| NN said 2002-05-13 20:23 |
| Howdy! If you´re still interested in comments about the Aprilia RSV Mille, I´m an American living in Munich, Germany who owns one. I bought a black 2001 (German spec. model) RSV Mille at a local dealer in mid-September 2001. It´s not quite broken-in (1200 kilometers so far, as of May, 2002), so I haven´t had it W.F.O. yet. I have put most of those kilometers on it riding in the Alps south of Munich however, and have had a blast doing it! One minor disclaimer: this is the first NEW bike I´ve owned since 1985 (a 1985 Kawasaki Ninja 600). And I´ve only been for short rides on a few bikes belonging to friends or dealerships for the past few years (a 1997 Ducati 900SS, a 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa, a 2001 Ducati 748, and a 2001 Triumph 600TT). The last time I owned a bike was 1996, and it was a nostalgia trip for me: it was an exact duplicate of the Honda CB750F I bought new back in 1981. I must say, the most impressive of the bunch was the Hayabusa. It was difficult for me to comprehend just how quickly and effortlessly it could accelerate, how fast it was (it was showing 155 M.P.H. on the speedo when I had to slow down for traffic ahead, and it was STILL accelerating so hard that I literally had to hang on for dear life!), and how stable it was at speed. It was like riding a bullet. Although the Hayabusa is a big, heavy motorcycle it was not intimidating, and easy to ride fast. But, it was too perfect, as are many Japanese products. I like things with a few "rough edges". Riding the Ducatis convinced me that I had to have a bike with a V-twin engine. I find the way V-twin engines make power to be viscerally satisfying. The torque produced by those two big pistons just can´t be produced any other way. And the sound produced by a big-bore V-twin is appealing to me as well. The Ducati 748 was akin to a surgical instrument, the most precise handling bike I´ve ever ridden. But it was not strong enough, and its riding position is rather extreme. I´m in my forties now, and I need to be comfortable. Which brings me to the Mille. I chose it first and foremost because it´s a big-bore V-twin. The engine is a jewel. It makes torque like a farm tractor, revs like a Formula 1 car, and sounds bad-ass even with the stock exhaust in place. The chassis is possibly the most neutral-handling I´ve ever experienced, and it´s rock-solid steady at speed. It´s very confidence inspiring (as were the Dunlop 207 tires in the Alpine twisties). The fairing works very well. The airstream is controlled, and there is no buffeting to speak of (even at 175 K.P.H. on the Autobahn). And, although it is most assuredly a rather narrow-focus sportbike, it is comfortable enough to ride all day. I´m 6´1", 185 lbs. with a 34" inseam and 36" sleeve length, and the bike feels like it was custom-made for me. I will admit that around town, my wrists do get tired. But once a decent amount of air starts flowing over the fairing, the clip-on hand-grips are no problem. I´m very impressed with the technology (such as the Pneumatic Power Clutch), and the high-quality components (such as braided stainless-steel brake lines) Aprilia used to build the Mille. Although it´s Italian (with a few "rough edges", it ain´t no Honda, that´s for sure), it appears to be a precisely built machine that should give years of trouble-free service. So far, I love it. It´s quick, it´s fast, it handles, it´s stable, it´s comfy, it has character, and it cost literally thousands less than a Ducati. |
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