Update on the Aprilia

[Roadstergal]

After the dealer swore up and down that I did something wrong to kill it, I took it into Moto International, since a dealer will stand a better chance of trusting another dealer than trusting me. The guy there (those guys are quite cool, know a lot of stuff about a lot of bikes, and have the cleanest and best-organized work bay I've ever seen) took the engine apart and noted that it was jetted far too lean. As it's a two-stroke, this is a lubricant starvation situation at high RPMS. So the piston melted. Pretty impressive.

He's talking to the guy at Mototek about getting a new kit and reimbursing them for the labor to install it. But MI is backed up for at least three weeks. So fuck that; I will make noise and see how much of my purchase price I can get back, but I'm going to sell that puppy once it's all fixed up again. I wanted a fun toy for the summer, not something to sit for a couple months. So I picked up a GS500F left over from '04; the faried version of my old GS500E. Good reliable fun nimble comfy bike.

[ARCHER]

After the dealer swore up and down that I did something wrong to kill it, I took it into Moto International, since a dealer will stand a better chance of trusting another dealer than trusting me. The guy there (those guys are quite cool, know a lot of stuff about a lot of bikes, and have the cleanest and best-organized work bay I've ever seen) took the engine apart and noted that it was jetted far too lean. As it's a two-stroke, this is a lubricant starvation situation at high RPMS. So the piston melted. Pretty impressive.

He's talking to the guy at Mototek about getting a new kit and reimbursing them for the labor to install it. But MI is backed up for at least three weeks. So fuck that; I will make noise and see how much of my purchase price I can get back, but I'm going to sell that puppy once it's all fixed up again. I wanted a fun toy for the summer, not something to sit for a couple months. So I picked up a GS500F left over from '04; the faried version of my old GS500E. Good reliable fun nimble comfy bike.

That sucks. Any idea what new top end parts cost for that bike?

I admit not knowing the brand but typically, freshening the top end on a 2-stroke is amazingly simple. Since they are talking "kit," I assume the cases will not need to be split and the jug is still viable. In which case, you could have it swapped and running in the new piston gear within one afternoon. With your experience working on cars, my bet is that you could do this in your sleep.

edit - And save a hell of a lot of jack in the process...

[Roadstergal]

Ja, I need to figure out what the final deal is. If the guy is going to work a deal with MI, though (MI buys parts from Mototek), I might have to let them do it. If they're doing it as a cash deal, I'll do just as you say. The only kicker might be, the guy who is doing the work hinted that he might machine the inside of the head and chamfer the ports as part of it, which I don't have the equipment to do.

[ARCHER]

Ja, I need to figure out what the final deal is. If the guy is going to work a deal with MI, though (MI buys parts from Mototek), I might have to let them do it. If they're doing it as a cash deal, I'll do just as you say. The only kicker might be, the guy who is doing the work hinted that he might machine the inside of the head and chamfer the ports as part of it, which I don't have the equipment to do.

Hell yeah. If he throws in the machine work, that's cool! :thumbup:

[Roadstergal]

Talk about a lucky shot. And some ****ty weather to ride through to get it. But a bike of gold at the end of the rainbow - it must be auspicious!

http://www.roadstergal.info/5_19_05/18.jpg


Some more pics. It's just like my old GS, only smoother than I remember - maybe it was just my bike? - and the full fairing is very, very nice. It's a good complement to the other two bikes.

http://www.roadstergal.info/5_19_05/22.jpg

http://www.roadstergal.info/5_19_05/23.jpg

http://www.roadstergal.info/5_19_05/24.jpg

http://www.roadstergal.info/5_19_05/26.jpg

Edit - oh, and the other nice thing - the specs list a frickin' 5.3gal tank. With as much space as it takes up, I believe it. If it holds to the old bike's 65-70mpg, that's as much range as a car. The other bikes get ~180miles to fuel light...

[John V]

Now that this thing is starting to break in (2,000 miles just rolled), it's really starting to get good mileage. I got 50 on the last tank, and the tank before that was 48. Translates into about 155 miles at the fuel light. The reserve is something ridiculous - 1.5 gallons IIRC.

rumble, rumble.



http://vorlon.cwru.edu/~jpv/M3/SV1000.jpg

[Roadstergal]

Now those things are dang pretty!

[John V]

Now those things are dang pretty!
Uncomfortable for the passenger, though. And uncomfortable for the driver after about two hours in the saddle.

I'm looking into some helibars for me. Might help the passenger since I'll be more upright, but I'm not sure.

[Roadstergal]

For my SV, I put my torso on the tank for long trips and let it support me. Still not as comfy as the F or the GS, though, and certainly not for the passenger, either, just by design. Well, it's a sportbike.

[John V]

For my SV, I put my torso on the tank for long trips and let it support me. Still not as comfy as the F or the GS, though, and certainly not for the passenger, either, just by design. Well, it's a sportbike.

I've done the torso on the tank thing. The problem for the passenger is it's uncomfortable to hold onto the driver, but there aren't any hand holds on the sides.

Bummer, because it's such a great bike to ride, once you dial out all the compression damping and dial in all the rebound damping it has. ;)

JV

[Roadstergal]

You know, I rode a mid-90s FZR1000 at Aurora Suzuki a couple of weeks ago - I was thinking, I've never ridden a liter bike, and I want to do so just to say I have. I tried very hard afterwards to get ZeattleDave to buy it - it seemed like the ideal 2-up touring bike that still had sport credentials. Plenty of power, and very well-behaved power - not too peaky or too low-end; very comfy; quite responsive. I was shocked to look up its weight and see that it was about 600lbs; it didn't feel that heavy. It did help that it was an obviously loved bike that the PO had put very sensible mods into. For a bike to carry two normally-sized people on a regular basis, but isn't a big ol' LT, that one is a condendah.

[John V]

You know, I rode a mid-90s FZR1000 at Aurora Suzuki a couple of weeks ago - I was thinking, I've never ridden a liter bike, and I want to do so just to say I have. I tried very hard afterwards to get ZeattleDave to buy it - it seemed like the ideal 2-up touring bike that still had sport credentials. Plenty of power, and very well-behaved power - not too peaky or too low-end; very comfy; quite responsive. I was shocked to look up its weight and see that it was about 600lbs; it didn't feel that heavy. It did help that it was an obviously loved bike that the PO had put very sensible mods into. For a bike to carry two normally-sized people on a regular basis, but isn't a big ol' LT, that one is a condendah.

Mmm. The FZR1ks were neat bikes. Strange looking, though.

I was >this close< to buying a VFR800 Interceptor. Figured it would be an ideal bike for me - commuting, weekend trips two-up, occasional 300+ mile day trip. But I couldn't find one local for a decent price and they were clearing out SV1kS bikes like they were going out of style. Not as torquey or neat sounding as the SV either. And they look sort of .. boring. Like most Hondas.

Then I was >this close< To buying a Yammie FZ1. Then I saw how much insurance would be. You should look sometime. It's almost comical. Comfy bike two-up, though.

I've ridden lots of 600cc sporties - they don't do it for me. I think I'm pretty much past the inline-four thing. For now. :devcool:

It seems like the "power cruiser" thing is the hot ticket right now, which does absolutely nothing for me either.

You should get a ride on a liter SV - dunno how tall you are, but if you're under 5'10 you'll need lowering links and tall boots to be able to ride one. It's a really great bike.

[Roadstergal]

The liter SVs look close to the height of the 650 SVs in the showroom - i.e., way too tall for me to ride. :( And there just aren't as many around as six fiddys, so the likelihoood of one being lowered and sitting around somewhere I can ride it is pretty darn low.

Every type of bike engine I've owned has its advantages. The thumpers are compact in the horizontal dimension, have nice low-end torque, and are easy to get to to service. The V-twin is also compact in the horizontal dimension and has just marvelous sound and power that won't quit when you rev it up. The horizontal twins are smooth and efficient and quiet. Never tried an inline or a boxer, but I don't really feel a need to right now...

[ARCHER]

Gawd! I remember any kind of distance on my GSX-R 750 was belly-to-tank and feet on the passenger pegs to spare my wrists! Fun bike, but shit for road trips.

[Roadstergal]

OK, this post is a shameless pimp for a local business. <a target=0 href=http://www.richscustomseats.com/>Rich</a> had done a friend's Z3 seats, and he had nothing but good to say about the work (reshape with gel pads) after a couple of cross-US trips. The dealer had outsourced the seat cutting for my new yaller as part of the purchase deal, and it just wasn't right at all. Rich is good - he watched me sit on the bike, hauled it in, broke the seat down, cut it, tested it, and recovered it right there. And it fits my heinie like a glove. Night and day.

I wish I had remembered my camera's battery today - I would have gotten a pic of the R1150RS and R1150GS next to my GS500F at Rich's. He was fitting a bigger seat to the astonishingly tall dude on the former, and making a beautiful set of black-and-silver leather seats for the couple on the latter. The latter were a really cool Brit couple who used to own an F650 Classic and had come down from Canada. And there were a couple of other interesting bikes in there, as well as a neat car or two (old Corvette convertible that looked mid-restoration; I didn't see what was under the car cover). Oh, and the woman who was working there gave me a calendar of scantily clad men on bikes as I was leaving (I had made a comment, on seeing the obligatory calendar with scantily clad women on the wall, that I never see the complement...).

[Optimus Prime]

And it fits my heinie like a glove.

How "hands on" was the fitting process? :)

[Roadstergal]

<img src=http://forums.carmudgeons.com/download.php?id=257>