Flite

I'm moving back to the east coast here in a couple months and I was going to pick up a commuter car to keep the miles off my S2000. Well, it turns out I live closer to work than I thought I would so I don't think I'll need a separate car. If I don't get one, I'll have the opportunity to afford another bike... so I think I'll get one.

I'm really looking into an Aprilia SXV 5.5. I know it's not a 200mph 170hp monster bike. I don't want one. Performance wise, I know what it is.

I'd like to get some unbiased opinions of it if any of you know anything about it. Does it really have any serious downfalls? Where is the closest Aprilia dealer in the area and how good are they? Do they sell with a markup? Reliability problems? etc etc.

Truth be told, I don't think I've ever lusted over a bike so bad in my life.

JDM74

I have wondered the same thing about the Touna but after talking with people that have owned them, I decided against it. Parts are very expensive, which is ok, but they are also hard to get. I know Red line on the pennisula is the closest dealer.

xshanex

you probably couldn't pick a less reliable bike out there. Tons of issues with the fuel injection and various other issues. There's not that many of them out there but lots of people have issues with them and the engines need rebuilds a lot more often than most other brands. Its not a bike you can put 5-10k miles on a year without likely having it in the shop. Parts would be an issue because of how few of them there are out there. I literally haven't seen one in motion anywhere and I see a lot of exotics out here like MV augustas and that sort of thing

The SXV is probably one of the coolest supermotos out there and one of the funnest bikes in the class. I would absolutely love to have one as a 3rd bike but as an everyday bike it would be very expensive and more labor intensive than I could deal with.

It cannot be compared to the other Aprilia models and I'd buy a tuono or mille or any of the big v-twin models without thinking twice...reliable and solid. If I was going to get a supermoto I'd be getting a new KTM

streetsk8er757

I assume you will be on the southside. I do not know of any aprillia dealers on that side of the water. I know of one in yorktown and i have gone in there a few times and I hated the customer service. I got a really bad vibe from them i dunno. If you are not looking for a sports bike i would look into a triumph speed triple i beleive it is a 1050cc bike 130hp and is cheaper than the street triple if you go to the right dealer(willing to travel i have heard under 9k OTD from tennesee dealers). There are not to many triumphs in the area that I have seen. The local triumph dealer is really down to earth the owner Brian is always up front to help the customer out. The speed triple will definitly be one of my choices once i payoff my 675.

Speed triple
http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/Speed%20Triple_5298.aspx

street triple 675
http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/Street%20Triple_5353.aspx


sorry i couldnt help with your aprilia descision just throwing something else at you

Flite

I guess I should have been more specific with what I would expect out of the bike. I would probably put 5000-7000 miles on it per year max. It would simply be a toy, not a source of transportation I would rely on.

As far as the Triumph, that's really not what I'm looking for. I don't want a big power sport bike. I want a supermoto.... plain and simple. I'd like a little more bike than the Suzuki and other normal supermoto bikes though. I don't know much about the KTM, maybe I'll look into that some.

JDM74

Check into the Ducati Hypermoto too if you want. Not sure if it requires the same Ducati maintenance as the rest of their bikes.

JDM74

Also check out this:

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/bikes/...eSection=urban

Real Random

aprilla's sound so sexy

xshanex

This is an official answer from Aprilia:

"The piston and rings are changed every 9000km (5590miles) in road form and in full power mode for liesure use it would be based on 90 hours of use."

"Rebuild schedule is 5592 miles before piston replacement, or 9,000 km. At that mileage you're also supposed to check (and replace as necessary) the con rod, the oil pump gears, camshaft lobes, camshaft bearings, valves, valve guides, forks, rear shock, and a couple of other odds and ends."


here's the complete list of what needs to be checked

-chk complete gearbox for wear
-chk oil pressure relief valve and spring
-chk cyl barrel for wear
-chk con rod and bearings
-chk starter gears
-chk oil pump gears
-clean head lubrication jets
-replace pistons and rings
-chk piston gudgeon pin
-chk rocker arm rollers
-chk valve lift
-chk cams
-chk cam bearings
-chk valve seats for sealing
-chk valves for wear
-chk and adj valve clearance
-chk valve guides for wear
-chk spring washers, caps and buckets for wear
-chk chain tensioner teeth for wear
-chk valve spring length
-measure drive chain stretch
-chk drive chain slider for wear
-chk fuel pump
-fork complete maintenence
-chainge fork oil
-shock absoprber complete maintenence
-check con-rod bearings play
-clean headstock dust seal
-chk chain guide slider, guide, tensioner roller and tensioner slider for wear


Common problems/issues with Aprilia 450/550

http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/s...d.php?t=118816


even at 5k miles a year it will not be a gas and go model like most anything out there.....you're most likely looking at new pistons/rings once a year which isn't cheap. It will most likely be at the shop during the year and it has much tighter maintenance intervals. 1k mile oil changes. Anytime maintenance intervals is listed in hours and not miles there's going to be a lot of time spent wrenching.....be good friends with the dealer. It is a high maintenance and high strung race bike with plates that has no equal when it comes to the fun/fast factor.

xshanex

just bought a 2006 speed triple for $6.2k and took it out for the first ride yesterday in the canyons/hills/mountains/country. It was amazing.....the engine is absolutely awesome with power everywhere and it was just perfect out there. Best streetbike that I've been on and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.....also nice to have something different than the squid crowd

They are also stupid reliable. A local here has 120k miles on one, the mechanic I talked to has 40k and I almost bought one with 42k miles on it. The 120k mile didn't need anything other than a water pump seal and some other type of seal. Lots of other ones running around with 40-80k miles.