FINALLY!!!

[Nooj]

Went out for a ride on the Falco today. Slightly over six months since the last one what with one thing and another. Bit different now though, Renthal bars instead of clip-ons, 54mm throttle bodies (bored out from 51mm) and a different map for the PCIII.

The bars are very comfy, very impressed with them. Bit more breezy now I'm sat up in the wind, but time inevitable spent fartling through town and stuck behind pensioners on double white lined twisties was infinitely more manageable for being sat upright.

Not entirely sure how different the overall performance is as I can't really remember what it felt like last time I rode it. I do know it feels smoother, and pulls cleanly from lower revs than it used to. Didn't get up to the really fun section of the rev-o-meter as it was just a run to make sure everything was firmly attached and working correctly. Will give it a more spirited test when I've got back into the riding groove again. After being limited to 60mph flat out (and taking minutes rather than seconds to get there) in my ****ty old van even the first third of the Falco's performance feels mind bendingly fast.

Felt good to finally be back on two wheels though! :D
On the down side... £23.80 to fill up!!!!! I could do that for £12 when I got it six years ago :o

[njl]

Ah good news, you've been busy then! Only thought tonight that I didn't check out the widely aclaimed tail light mod on yours when I was over the other day. If I get myself sorted tomorrow (today?) have some LED indicators, tail tidy, bar ends to get on with, might even see if I can find that GSXR side stand that should be lying around.

[Nooj]

GSXR side stand is a good mod to do, needs a bit of drilling and tapping here and there, but nothing too difficult. I got a bit involved with mine and relocated the spring bar and the kick-down bar as well, and tapped a small hole for a bolt to go in where the stand hits the bracket in the up position as it was resting on the link pipe instead (it'll make sense when you put it on the bike). You can park it anywhere you like then though and it won't fall over if you so much as fart near it :)

I keep thinking of excuses to go out on it now, but I know as soon as I stop at a petrol station I'll be filled with the urge to get off and push it home. Sad state of affairs!

[njl]

well didn't get close to the sidestand. Garage is a pigsty and needs sorting out! Forgot about a numberplate light for the tail tidy today, managed to get one from a mate but is really bright - it's an R&G one seems to have a couple of surface mount LED's in. Have you used these much? I'm tempted to put some resistance in line with it to dim it down a bit TBH!!

[Nooj]

I don't have a numberplate light, it still gets though it's MoT. If yours has one, I believe it'll pass as long as there's no white light directly visible from the rear of the bike, doesn't matter how bright it is or how much is reflected off the plate.

There's not a lot of room to maneuver with LEDs, they have quite a narrow operating voltage band, so choose a small value resistor if you want to do that, otherwise it just won't come on at all.

Cheap and easier option... one thin layer of black nail varnish over the lens ;)

If you don't get round to doing the stand, a guy on the Ridersite forum mod's GSXR stands specifically to fit Aprilias and then powder coats them. All for something like £30 inc. postage back to you.

[njl]

Got the LED indicators and tail tidy finished today....unfortunately it's not great with a std 9 x 7 plate though!

[Nooj]

BIG YELLOW BARN DOOR! Need to do something about mine, it's offensive to my eyes.

At least it matches the colour of your bike ;D

[tommyjgraham]

What bike is that??

[Nooj]

Aprilia Falco, same as mine, but mine's a nicer colour ;)