Advice please! 2004 Aprilia RSV Mille

[cw200]

Need some help here people. Seen one of these at a good price not too far from where I live and I am going to go and have a look and a test ride hopefully on Saturday or Sunday. A friend of mine had one and he loved it and has advised me to not only take their hand off for it but also most of their arm too.

However, I feel a balanced approach (ie the view of more than one nutter) is in order. So, anyone got experience with these? If so is it bad or good and what kind of things should I be looking out for and what can go wrong?

Bike is an '04 with 25k miles on it too.

[trickywoo]

They can be a bastid to start.

Anything less than a strong battery just won't do.

I had one with an uprated solenoid and it was still a git.

If this happens a lot you run the risk of breaking the sprag clutch which is expensive to fix. Worth having a listen out for when you start it any rattling is a walk away issue.

[lawrence567]

CW200,

I had a RSV Mille, of 2000 vintage, now i loved it & hated it all at the same time, it's a hell of a lot of bike for the money they go for & they sound absolutely incredible, but i just could'nt get on with the V-Twin style power delivery, i just preferred IL4 style power delivery, i also bought one that was absoutely spotless & as such i spent most weekends with the Mehr & a polishing cloth buffing the damned thing as i did'nt want to ruin it.
Try and get one without an alarm as the alarm on mine fked me off no end & make sure you get it on a trickle charger as they're known to 0 the mileage if the batterys go dead, also see if the sprag / starter clutch mod has been done & if you do purchase one, make sure you get a straight through system, as it then sounds like Satan is riding the earth!

[smack]

I think the Factory's look the Mutts.



Love the Oz wheels

[Rubin215]

They are a huge amount of bike for the cash, finish is generally very good, handling is awesome if a bit too "focussed" for some, performance is good enough.

Spares can be a bit of a wait, rear brakes are st, depreciation is poor.

Buy it!

[rich_b]

Pretty much all the issues above have happened to my friend's RSV. Needed a new battery, mileage reset when he changed it. Also needed a new set of clocks as they are quite temperamental, and the 'new' set are playing up now. Sprag clutch got replaced also.

The side stand terrifies me as it's like balancing the bike on a matchstick at a 45 degree angle.

Saying that, I forgive it - the noise with baffleless Akrapovic exhausts is brutal

[dibblecorse]

Great bike, i'd love one but find they are 'tto tall' for me, always feel i'm perched 'on it' rather than being one with it, if it fits you and you feel right on it, then for the money they are these days you can't do much better ....

[T5R+]

Things to look out for as "usual RSV Issues"

1. back brake
2. mileage as resets if electrical issues/changes
3. need a decent battery
4. sidestands generally get modified
5. clutch due to poor starting discipline

Mine never missed a beat even though I never used a trickle charger.

If you buy one, be prepared for the "Italian factor". However, they bring a grin to your face with the V grunt.

[VB]

I had the last of the old style Tuonos.

Electrics:

• The battery needs to be in tip top condition or it will knacker the sprag starter clutch. A good way of monitoring condition is to use an Optimate.

• The Electrical connectors between the Stator & Reg Rec will melt at some point (they were just very cheap connectors, nothing sinister). A good way to check is the charging voltage at idle & at 4500rpm. If it's below 13v then they're probably on there way out- just chop them out and solder the wires together.

• The Starter Solenoids can get a little rusty on the connections and cause cranking issues- Yamaha part is cheaper, just look on AF1 forum for remedies

• The Earth strap for the battery has been known to cause problems when they furr up with corrosion- just unbolt it & clean the contact points.

• Sidestand switch can cause engine cut-outs, just cut it out. AF1 produce a plug in connector whih does away with the switch altogether.

• The dashboard will re-set & revert to Kilometers if the voltage drops when cranking- see above.

• Oil Pressure switch can get funny when wet & give you a scare. Hardly any reports of an engine stting itself through oil starvation so just change that at the first available opportunity

Engine:

• very reliable unit, difficult to check the oil level due to dry sump system. You have to do it after riding it for 5-12 miles & within 10mins of switching it off.

• make sure it comes with the tool kit, or else you won't be able to get the front plugs out

• the old style with the 2-1 exhausts have a flat spot at 4k rpm. This makes pulling wheelies a tt because it's right in the way when it's starting to lift up, so you rev through it hard & you st yourself at the rate it starts climbing

This can be cured with an Akra system, or by an aftermarket can & balance pipe between the primary pipes. I believe the later RSVs & Tuonos don't have this flat spot.

• make sure its running the correct map- there is a wire you need to snip on the ECU (again check on AF1) IIRC the UK ones should already be done, but worth checking anyway. Gabro (a member on AF1) does awesome maps for them & is quite reasonably priced.

Other than the minor stuff above, it's an ace bike. Never found mine too focused, more the opposite (sloppy crap suspension on the rear & a vague front end no matter what pressures I put in the front tyre) It was however, an animal of a bike & I loved riding it.

[ChasMill]

Rubin215 said:

Rear brakes are non-existent, depreciation is poor.

Buy it!

EFA

[jp-speed-triple]

Got one as a track only bike...a '99 and its epic fun.

Easy to deal with, easy to service, parts are not a lot of money and lots of Ebay bits and bobs inc some strong upgrade parts.

Me Likey Lots.

[CQ8]

Had my 04 Factory for two years and it never missed a beat. Great sound, fantastic handling and brakes, but I found the engine abit down on power compared to the litre bikes.

Biggest irritation with mine was that it was an absolute pig to get into neutral. Also, I'm 6'4" and I found the leg room pretty cramped. My 07 R1 feels like a sports tourer in comparison.

Apart from that I think they represent excellent value for money. Alongside a similar year Ducati 999 the RSV is cheaper to buy, cheaper to service and (with the Factory) has a much better spec. I also prefer the looks of the RSV over the 999 too.

The Factory is worth seeking out as, for not much more, you get adjustable ohlins suspension front & rear, ohlins steering damper, lightweight OZ wheels, brembo radial brakes and a splattering of carbon fibre bodywork.

The engine is no match for the R1 I have now, but I preferred the handling and braking on the RSV (probably alot to do with the wheels).

Running costs a service was around the £200 which was the same as the R1. My experience of Ducati is that they are more expensive to service (although I am a fan and this wouldn't put me off owning one). I never had any issues with the battery (I kept mine on an Optimate) or the clocks resetting.

[Perrisbone]

Iam rhinking of buying a 2004 aprilla with 36000 miles is this to high mileage for a bike like this??

[snake_oil]

Perrisbone said:

Iam rhinking of buying a 2004 aprilla with 36000 miles is this to high mileage for a bike like this??

Nope. The engine is bombproof.

[neutral 3]

I have two pals with 04 models.
One had nothing but trouble with it and sold it at a huge £ loss.
The other still has his 04. He is very fond of it, but has had Lots of issues with it, so buyer beware.
I still have the 04 brochure pack that I was sent out, but sadly I never got a test ride on one.