Aprilia RSV Mille
Discussion
I had one for a few years.
Quirky characterful bikes and some people really gel with them and keep them for years with high mileages.
Key memories for me:
Tall
Heavy
Plenty of power
Amazing torque from very low revs.
Took some getting used to if inline 4 cylinder sports bikes are your usual experience
Throttle blipping on downchanges was crucial otherwise easy to lock up the back wheel
Fun bikes though. Sound great. Look pretty good but a bit agricultural compared to modern machines
Mine was a 2005 V2 RSVR
Decent finish and construction quality
Had problems with the immobiliser (factory fit) on mine. Dealer wanted a small fortune to fault find and replace but I discovered it was a common fault and there was a 10 minute bypass solution by simply cutting two wire and joining them together. Google is a wonderful thing!
Quirky characterful bikes and some people really gel with them and keep them for years with high mileages.
Key memories for me:
Tall
Heavy
Plenty of power
Amazing torque from very low revs.
Took some getting used to if inline 4 cylinder sports bikes are your usual experience
Throttle blipping on downchanges was crucial otherwise easy to lock up the back wheel
Fun bikes though. Sound great. Look pretty good but a bit agricultural compared to modern machines
Mine was a 2005 V2 RSVR
Decent finish and construction quality
Had problems with the immobiliser (factory fit) on mine. Dealer wanted a small fortune to fault find and replace but I discovered it was a common fault and there was a 10 minute bypass solution by simply cutting two wire and joining them together. Google is a wonderful thing!
A993LAD said:
I had one for a few years.
Quirky characterful bikes and some people really gel with them and keep them for years with high mileages.
Key memories for me:
Tall
Heavy
Plenty of power
Amazing torque from very low revs.
Took some getting used to if inline 4 cylinder sports bikes are your usual experience
Throttle blipping on downchanges was crucial otherwise easy to lock up the back wheel
Fun bikes though. Sound great. Look pretty good but a bit agricultural compared to modern machines
Mine was a 2005 V2 RSVR
Decent finish and construction quality
Had problems with the immobiliser (factory fit) on mine. Dealer wanted a small fortune to fault find and replace but I discovered it was a common fault and there was a 10 minute bypass solution by simply cutting two wire and joining them together. Google is a wonderful thing!
Cheers, defo on my list to have a look at one next year. The other option is to spend a bit more and go for a Ducati 749s but the values of those seems on be on the up.Quirky characterful bikes and some people really gel with them and keep them for years with high mileages.
Key memories for me:
Tall
Heavy
Plenty of power
Amazing torque from very low revs.
Took some getting used to if inline 4 cylinder sports bikes are your usual experience
Throttle blipping on downchanges was crucial otherwise easy to lock up the back wheel
Fun bikes though. Sound great. Look pretty good but a bit agricultural compared to modern machines
Mine was a 2005 V2 RSVR
Decent finish and construction quality
Had problems with the immobiliser (factory fit) on mine. Dealer wanted a small fortune to fault find and replace but I discovered it was a common fault and there was a 10 minute bypass solution by simply cutting two wire and joining them together. Google is a wonderful thing!
It's important to fit an uprated battery (higher CCA) and sort out the main leads (earth and lead to starter motor) to ensure strong cranking on these. If the crank is weak (weak battery) then the starter motor sprag clutch can and will s
t itself.
Other little things worth upgrading are the clutch slave cylinder for something a little lighter, and some people shortened the side stand to ensure the bike leant over a bit more and didnt easily topple the other way.
A cracking bike, plenty of knowledge around them, sound great, go well.
They were always overshadowed by the ducatis of the time, and I suppose now they are also overshadowed by the SP1 / SP2 because HRC stickerz
Aprilia Performance are an excellent specialist, they are known to be very helpful.
t itself. Other little things worth upgrading are the clutch slave cylinder for something a little lighter, and some people shortened the side stand to ensure the bike leant over a bit more and didnt easily topple the other way.
A cracking bike, plenty of knowledge around them, sound great, go well.
They were always overshadowed by the ducatis of the time, and I suppose now they are also overshadowed by the SP1 / SP2 because HRC stickerz
Aprilia Performance are an excellent specialist, they are known to be very helpful.
Edited by thatdude on Friday 30th October 13:45
Before he died my brother and I began building / restoring an RSV-Mille. Very old school in feel, long and big.
Very grunty and torquey engine which are pretty much bulletproof.
Weak points are:
Mine is still in progress, so far it has:
Very grunty and torquey engine which are pretty much bulletproof.
Weak points are:
- Dog-bone linkage bearings (often badly maintained and can seize then snap)
- Hydraulic Clutch seals can go.
- Starting circuit is weak (solved by new cables, solenoid and a bigger battery)
- Sprag clutch can let go if staring circuit is not goo.
Mine is still in progress, so far it has:
- Acossato MC's
- Rebuild Ohlins Suspension
- Carbon sides, belly pan and standard carbon.
- Titanium and SS bolts
- AP Workshops airbox mod and filter
- AP Workshops chip
- Uprated starter kit.
A decade old video. Seems the prices and weather are much the same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLzoyBSNJLw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLzoyBSNJLw
I’ve just sold my ‘02 R after 8yrs and 10k miles including trips to Germany, France, Italy and a few U.K. track days. Never let me down once and aside from servicing only needed a new fuel pump in that time, which you can do for about £50 with a part shared across dozens of other bikes/cars.
As has been said, there are a few issues but they’re all very well known and relatively easy and cheap to fix.
Knowledge on the forums and Facebook pages is very good and there’s not much you couldn’t get an answer to, with a good availability of parts.
Most will have been sorted by now but if I was buying again, I’d be looking around the £3k mark for a good Gen1 R.
As has been said, there are a few issues but they’re all very well known and relatively easy and cheap to fix.
Knowledge on the forums and Facebook pages is very good and there’s not much you couldn’t get an answer to, with a good availability of parts.
Most will have been sorted by now but if I was buying again, I’d be looking around the £3k mark for a good Gen1 R.
Lots of known niggly problems on almost all of the big Aprilias. I'm not fully up to speed on all of them but a lot have been captured by others above..
From my experience (I own a Gen 2 RSVR 1000) the 'fixes' that are touted by owners on forums/Facebook aren't necessarily required.
For example everyone says buy the thicker starting cables... Mine are standard and just has an uprated battery and cheap uprated starter solenoid. No issues
Everyone says upgrade to an Oberon slave cylinder, I just rebuilt the original instead
Etc etc
They are typically half the price of the equivalent ducati but I'm not covinced they are only half the bike. Mine is the factory version (ohlins suspension all round, lots of carbon, light weight oz wheels) and it's a brilliant ride!
Not easy to ride like other jap sports bikes I.e fireblade or R1 but more engaging and exciting
Mine owes me about 3.5k which is crazy considering how much you get for your money.
From my experience (I own a Gen 2 RSVR 1000) the 'fixes' that are touted by owners on forums/Facebook aren't necessarily required.
For example everyone says buy the thicker starting cables... Mine are standard and just has an uprated battery and cheap uprated starter solenoid. No issues
Everyone says upgrade to an Oberon slave cylinder, I just rebuilt the original instead
Etc etc
They are typically half the price of the equivalent ducati but I'm not covinced they are only half the bike. Mine is the factory version (ohlins suspension all round, lots of carbon, light weight oz wheels) and it's a brilliant ride!
Not easy to ride like other jap sports bikes I.e fireblade or R1 but more engaging and exciting
Mine owes me about 3.5k which is crazy considering how much you get for your money.
I have owned an early steel tank Mille for 15 years and all the comments above ring true.
Milles are large bikes with plenty of room if you're a big bloke, I”m not so it’s a bit of a stretch to the bars.
They feel top heavy at standstill and can make you very hot in traffic due to the way the rads vent through the fairing, nice when the day is cold though.
Plus points are that all the faults and niggles are known with proven fixes snd a superb expert available in Griff Wooley at Aprilia Performance. The grunt these engines have is phenomenal, a contemporary Fireblade feels like a two stroke in comparison. Most of the components are top quality, Rotax engine, Showa/Ohlins/ suspension, Brembo brakes, Bosch electrics/injection etc.
A lot easier and cheaper to maintain than a Ducati thats for sure, probably more reliable too.
I would go for an R version because of the lighter wheels and Ohlins suspension, I can really feel the weight of the standard wheels on mine.
Milles are large bikes with plenty of room if you're a big bloke, I”m not so it’s a bit of a stretch to the bars.
They feel top heavy at standstill and can make you very hot in traffic due to the way the rads vent through the fairing, nice when the day is cold though.
Plus points are that all the faults and niggles are known with proven fixes snd a superb expert available in Griff Wooley at Aprilia Performance. The grunt these engines have is phenomenal, a contemporary Fireblade feels like a two stroke in comparison. Most of the components are top quality, Rotax engine, Showa/Ohlins/ suspension, Brembo brakes, Bosch electrics/injection etc.
A lot easier and cheaper to maintain than a Ducati thats for sure, probably more reliable too.
I would go for an R version because of the lighter wheels and Ohlins suspension, I can really feel the weight of the standard wheels on mine.
I have a Mille edwards, basically last of the gen 1 but with the motor spec of the gen2.
It’s tall, yes, but very flickable, on,y bike I ever has knee down on on the first roundabout on way home from dealer, brand new!
Riding position is quite extreme for it’s day but will accomodate taller riders. Pretty comfy and great on track.
Mine has the wsb spec akra on it and chip. It’s immense sound wise, real fruity and has nice flame outs on the overrun. Great to wheelie too, throttle is just a rheostat of how high do you want it!
Old skool cool, go for it.
It’s tall, yes, but very flickable, on,y bike I ever has knee down on on the first roundabout on way home from dealer, brand new!
Riding position is quite extreme for it’s day but will accomodate taller riders. Pretty comfy and great on track.
Mine has the wsb spec akra on it and chip. It’s immense sound wise, real fruity and has nice flame outs on the overrun. Great to wheelie too, throttle is just a rheostat of how high do you want it!
Old skool cool, go for it.
Wasnt the rsv mille only to 2003 they then renamed it the rsvr from 2004 . The bikes are very different. Some of the comments are about the rsvr. The mille had a slipper clutch and as said very top heavy it wanted to just topple over at low speed. Could ride in top at 40 mph then just open up and it would just pull away. Always said Italian flair with European build quality.
Fond memories of two ex aquaitances who owned Millies in 02 - 05, one was an R and another guy in the group, had a 996. I had a 90 FZR 1000R Exup back then and we had several early morning “ Hoons “ together. What really impressed me about the Mille, particularly the R, was it’s low down grunt and the Rs superb Ohlins suspension. Out of a corner, they would power away from me, but I could reel them in @ the top end.
I’ve thought about buying a Mille R, and off for a while now.
I’ve thought about buying a Mille R, and off for a while now.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff