2003 Aprilia reviews

I am in the midst of buying my fourth Aprilia and it's my second Tuono 1000R. It's the best all arounder bike out there, more comfortable for my wife than a Honda VFR, more power and fun than one, too. It's value for money and here in South Africa, you stand out as Aprilia is not big out/down here. Show less

When I went looking for a replacement I was looking at F650 BMWs, Big BMW GS's, etc. I knew about the Caponord and saw a few for a good price. I did a lot of reading, research etc. But when I looked at bang for the buck, a 2-3-year-old Capo with 7k miles on it looked like a reasonable choice. It's quick enough for me, fun to ride, unusual, looks good, comfortable, runs down the interstate all day, carves up a back road, hauls all of my stuff, etc. One poster mentioned dealer support. There is truth to that. If you want a bike you can ride, to a dealer and drop off like your car, don't buy an Aprilia. I order my parts through AF1 and it has been effortless and painless. They also have a great owners' forum. I do my own work and the Rotax engine is solid and pretty straight forward. Remember, this bike (aside from the bodywork, etc.) is a collection of parts from well-known vendors. If you look at BMW these days, we can't keep a dealer in town, and the long term quality/reliability is not what it used to be. (I have three BMWs and still have a K-Bike) Is an Aprilia Caponord for everyone? No. The only reason I would say no is the lack of a nationwide dealer network. I find this to be a shame as it is a well thought out bike with solid design and performance. Show less

I bought this scooter in 2005. I really enjoy riding it around town, it's a real gas saver. The SR is very comfortable to ride and quick. The fuel injection makes it easy to start everytime. I have upgraded the exhaust and clutch to get a little more top end, now it will go around 50 mph. Show less

Embarrassingly, my first ride on the new 2004 Aprilia ended in slight spill as it was my first scooter ride ever! I picked myself up, dusted myself off and got on and went!!! After the first few miles I got the hang of the bike and zipped my way home- a bit fearful, but confident I could do it! I rested up, dug in my heels and spent the afternoon riding all over my neighborhood--no more spills and had a blast. The more I rode the more comfortable I was with the scooter...it handles pretty well for the first time rider, and other than being a bit heavy, its great!!!! Show less

The mechanics and handling are just awesome. It takes a lot of skill or stupid inexperience to bring this bike to its limits. Meanwhile, the toque band is still manageable for an intermediate rider. I personally have limited riding experience and find the sure handling, dynamite braking and ever-ready engine power/torque really assuring. This is a very pretty bike to look at. It has attracted a lot of attention from even non riders - It's very interesting how ordinary people ask questions about it in parking lots. Show less

I looked long and hard to find this bike. I had a GSXR and wanted more comfort. The riding position is great compared to a sport bike and it is still fun to ride. The low end torque and sound is awesome. The only negative is the suspension is a little harsh. But I would recomend the bike to anyone. Show less

Overall this is a great scooter. I have been riding it daily for almost two years and it has a lot of miles on it now. When I can keep it running, it runs like a champ. For the last five months though I have had a lot of problems. The spark plugs continue to foul and I can't find anyone in my area that can figure out why. I have only found two dealerships near me that will even look at it, everyone just says they are too complicated. Show less

The bike is a great touring mount and extremely comfortable. The windscreen could be bigger, but it does an okay job. There are aftermarkets to pick from. The torque is impressive, but not overwhelming. The bike is deceptively fast. I'm used to a much "busier" motor. It handles as good as some sport bikes I've riden and is very predictable in the corners. It feels too heavy when taking it off the kickstand, but that all goes away the moment you start to roll. This bike has all the things you'd buy a sport touring bike for and all the flickability of a dirtbike on road. Hoenstly, the only complaint was easy to fix. The gearing is too tall. Change the front sprocket from a 17 tooth to a 16. Not only will it put the engine in the sweet spot, but wheelies are easier to do. My only other complaint is that the tripmeter is too complicated to use. I chose the Hepco becker bags for saddlebags because they aren't as oddly shaped as the factory bags and the give the bike the Paris to Dakar look. The bike never fails to turn heads regardless of where I go. With all that room, the rear rack and the platform under the rear seat, I can literally take the kitchen sink with me. This is an SUV for the street and at roughly half the price of the BMW, it's a steal. Show less

I've had the Tuono for 10 months and have about 5,000 miles on it. Very comfortable, fast, and handles great. Encourages bad behavior because it makes it so easy. Good looks in an industrial sort of way - sort of unfinished but purposeful. Has been completely reliable though it came with a few problems from the factory (cracked instrument glass cover, vacuum leak, damaged throttle cable housing) which were all fixed under warranty with no trouble. I've commuted on it, toured, and just screwed around and it works well for everything. I have no complaints. It is like owning a Honda but with character (no offense intended!). Show less

I bought my bike used but with showroom looks. I put 2000 miles on in the last few months, and I am really please with the performance, comfort, and appearence (luxurious and more standard options than any other bikes in the same category). I had a sound system installed that I enjoy very much, it consists of a set of speakers by Blaupunk and a equalizer/booster Pyramid (1201GC)installed under the seat standing up on the front side using almost no space at all except that you need to be careful to let the thing breathe, so do not clog anything to the back of it. Thirdly you can plug it to any personal devices such as walkman AM/FM cassette, CD player, or MP3 that you stick with a velcro patch on your handle bar or on your left oil brake container near your fingers. Make sure that you will use a nonshielded wire to connect to your jacks, because this will become your antena for your AM/FM and a shielded wire will block the emision of the broadcast. This is wonderfull, you will love it. I said in my title that I owned a Honda reflex before my AA500. Both are a good buy, but the AA500 is just in a class by itself. You cruise at 75-80 on the AA500 in comfort and stability with the Reflex you are feeling well at 60-65. Above that you feel too insecure for my taste. At 65mph AA500 is around 5000RPM, the Reflex at 65mph is 6800RPM. I had 6 bikes before, but this is the best in all aspects. The dashboard INDIGLO at night time is surreal, out of this world. Drive safely. Show less