Discussion
anonymous said:
[redacted]
That was MV I believe.As for Aprilia being on their way out, I highly doubt it. They're the premium brand in the Piaggio portfolio so I think they're a safe bet.
Can't comment on the UK dealers but I'm on my 3rd RSV4 and apart from the 1st destroying itself, the next 2 have been faultless.
All Italian manufacturers suffer the August shutdown but apparently Piaggio have taken on board the spares delivery timeand are getting it sorted.
When I had my Tuono, I used Wheels in Peterborough - even though I live over 100 miles away from them making it a 200+ mile roundtrip.
When the bike needed servicing or seeing to, Wheels collected and delivered the bike back in superb condition in their fully liveried van. This made it painless for me; and they set the standard, imho, how any reputable dealer could handle customer bikes. This took the pain and concern out of owning an Aprilia from a servicing perspective. It probably cost an extra £50 each time, but it was worth it in terms of my time/fuel and lack of hassle.
I have no affiliation with Wheels, but credit where credit is due.
When the bike needed servicing or seeing to, Wheels collected and delivered the bike back in superb condition in their fully liveried van. This made it painless for me; and they set the standard, imho, how any reputable dealer could handle customer bikes. This took the pain and concern out of owning an Aprilia from a servicing perspective. It probably cost an extra £50 each time, but it was worth it in terms of my time/fuel and lack of hassle.
I have no affiliation with Wheels, but credit where credit is due.
gwm said:
That was the case when I started riding 10 years ago as well - Aprilia had f
k all dealers, poor rep; but were always on the cusp of "sorting it out". I'd have one, but the lack of dealer network/support is the biggest drawback for me.
Can't speak for the UK but here, there's a single dealer and support is very good. My friends with Ducati's actually have moore probelms with parts through the official dealer. It's so bad, the idependent service guys ship their own parts in from Italy or the US.k all dealers, poor rep; but were always on the cusp of "sorting it out". I'd have one, but the lack of dealer network/support is the biggest drawback for me. As for reliability, I'd say the bikes are light years ahead of before, with 2011 being an especially bad year for engine destructions. But judging by the US based forum, where the Yanks become very vocal about the slightest hiccup, everything seems very quiet on the relaibility front.
As for dealers, regardless of whether they're opposite your house, a s
t dealer is no use either. i got a bike from frasers gloucester who are 100 miles away from me - bit of a trek - but have been very happy with service. On the parts front - i lost my service book and manual out of the back of my rucksack on the way to the running in service. So at the end of July they ordered the manual and service book from the factory - i knew Italy goes on holiday for August - but the other week the manual had arrived but service book had yet to - or the other way round - which even through rose tinted spectacles of adoring the bike i have to admit that parts supply is a bit lax. As far as reliability goes - in nearly 2500 miles of enthusiastic use on the road and a trackday - bike has been faultless.
Steve Bass said:
gwm said:
That was the case when I started riding 10 years ago as well - Aprilia had fk all dealers, poor rep; but were always on the cusp of "sorting it out". I'd have one, but the lack of dealer network/support is the biggest drawback for me.
Can't speak for the UK but here, there's a single dealer and support is very good. My friends with Ducati's actually have more problems with parts through the official dealer. It's so bad, the independent service guys ship their own parts in from Italy or the US.k all dealers, poor rep; but were always on the cusp of "sorting it out". I'd have one, but the lack of dealer network/support is the biggest drawback for me. As for reliability, I'd say the bikes are light years ahead of before, with 2011 being an especially bad year for engine destructions. But judging by the US based forum, where the Yanks become very vocal about the slightest hiccup, everything seems very quiet on the relaibility front.
As for dealers, regardless of whether they're opposite your house, a s
t dealer is no use either. Running Duke and Aprilia now and have to say I prefer the Aprilia service attitude, at least from my local Aprilia shop (Mototechnics - Stowmarket). My Duke dealer missed a bent front wheel (pothole) on its first service. I did not tell them as I wanted to see if they would spot it. Maybe expecting too much for them to spot it. Either it was sever enough to buy a new wheel. Since then obtaining Duke parts has been ok, usually 2-3 weeks worse case for something.
Aprilia dealer services my Duke now (mainly interim oil changes, track prep, etc.). They spotted the front wheel issue straight away and few other minor things. They provided all the info I wanted on the RSV when I was looking at one, organised demo with no hard sell. Excellent service/support was the main reason I went with the RSV4RF over a Panigale.
Supply of service items seems ok but they're still some way behind the Japs when it comes to things like cylinder heads (required when the earlier models had incorrect clearance from the factory and the valves ate through the seats before first service!!).
Reliability wise I had a few issues with leaking fluids, ste standard hose clips and an exhaust valve throwing up erroneous ecu errors without reason once every few months - that was on a 2013 Factory with 2000 miles.
I looked at the RF this year and the dealer was full of stories of 4 year factory backed warranties and guaranteed 72 hour delivery of any part or you get it for free - all gone quiet now though!
However, as I always say - the issues and niggles are soon forgotten once you sample the handling - fantastic.
R1 motor and clocks in an RF chassis - MMmmmmmmm...
Reliability wise I had a few issues with leaking fluids, s
te standard hose clips and an exhaust valve throwing up erroneous ecu errors without reason once every few months - that was on a 2013 Factory with 2000 miles.I looked at the RF this year and the dealer was full of stories of 4 year factory backed warranties and guaranteed 72 hour delivery of any part or you get it for free - all gone quiet now though!
However, as I always say - the issues and niggles are soon forgotten once you sample the handling - fantastic.
R1 motor and clocks in an RF chassis - MMmmmmmmm...
I had one of the first in the country in 1990 ....it was lovely, only siezed up twice in my ownership and spent more time off the road than on ...I still love them, but the parts/dealer network needs some development
Not that Ive been put off, as I have an MV who seem a little better in some ways but similar in others. The only Italian brand thats made it mainstream in any way seems to be Ducati ...and owned by the Germans, I guess thats what Aprilia need, to be a subsidiary of BMW
Not that Ive been put off, as I have an MV who seem a little better in some ways but similar in others. The only Italian brand thats made it mainstream in any way seems to be Ducati ...and owned by the Germans, I guess thats what Aprilia need, to be a subsidiary of BMW
legzr1 said:
R1 motor and clocks in an RF chassis - MMmmmmmmm...
Sorry bud but you need to try the new V4. The motor is a peach and monsters the new R1 all day long We're off to Phakisa t the end of the month and I'll have video to prove it As for the dash, personally I prefer the analogue tacho, the new Digi Dash's are just too busy for my liking.
Overall, the new v4 is a revelation. Quieter engine, neutral that can be found when stopped, faster spin up, ballistic top end and still the telepathic handling.
Steve Bass said:
Sorry bud but you need to try the new V4. The motor is a peach and monsters the new R1 all day long We're off to Phakisa t the end of the month and I'll have video to prove it
As for the dash, personally I prefer the analogue tacho, the new Digi Dash's are just too busy for my liking.
Overall, the new v4 is a revelation. Quieter engine, neutral that can be found when stopped, faster spin up, ballistic top end and still the telepathic handling.
That was almost a bite !As for the dash, personally I prefer the analogue tacho, the new Digi Dash's are just too busy for my liking.
Overall, the new v4 is a revelation. Quieter engine, neutral that can be found when stopped, faster spin up, ballistic top end and still the telepathic handling.
The R1 dash (and 1299) are a revelation compared to the dated Timex fitted to the Aprilia
The analogue tacho is OK but the rest is a disgrace on a top-end machine.No doubt, the RF is a step on from the 2014 F model but UK pricing is a bit of a piss take - at £18,300 they should be good!
You're right though - I really should have tried the RF when offered but I'm happy with the R1 in A mode. For now.
Can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the RF (unless it starts to leak, you need a part between July and October, your nearest dealer is 300 miles away...
)
ShaunTheSheep said:
Andy XRV said:
at the moment the only bike I can see replacing my Multi is an Aprilla Tuono Factory
That's the bike catching my eye
Have you test ridden one?
15 years with Aprilia, and all nine bikes were just fine, two still are. The RSV Factory (twin) for me, left alone but for the option exhaust, is great. I don't care about perceived problems, they actually don't have many, and those that may have encountered something probably gave up early. Some things can annoy, but overall, there isn't much comparable for me, proven to me after selling them, only to have to replace it when nothing else worked, other than a pre 2010 MV F4. The dealers that were there gave up as they got fed up with Italian ways. Aprilia are part of Piaggio, and bigger now, but still churn out nicer stuff than others. Also they are better value than there Asian competition, which have cranked up prices to a stupid level.
Quote: "I guess that's what Aprilia need, to be a subsidiary of BMW"
I would say not, because BMW make some pretty fugly stuff, and we don't want Aprilia catching that disease do we now! They also have some reliability problems of their own, so I'd let Piaggio handle it. Maybe the other way round, for a quality change to the dealer network and overall experiences from staff involved, other than that only BMW have something to gain, in terms of styling, and fun.
Quote: "I guess that's what Aprilia need, to be a subsidiary of BMW"
I would say not, because BMW make some pretty fugly stuff, and we don't want Aprilia catching that disease do we now! They also have some reliability problems of their own, so I'd let Piaggio handle it. Maybe the other way round, for a quality change to the dealer network and overall experiences from staff involved, other than that only BMW have something to gain, in terms of styling, and fun.
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