Aprilia RSV mille reviews

Anyone questioning the performance or quality of this bike must not be riding the same bike I am. My neighbor used to leave me on his R1 when I had my Ducati, this bike is so easy to ride at the limits of traction I am now blowing him away. I am sure on a track the Duck would keep up just fine, but on the street the Mille's slightly softer suspension works much better and inspires confidence, and in the slower twistier sections of road, it turns in with much less effort and settles into a solid groove. The finish is first rate, the only issue I have had so far is a leaking battery which the dealer took care of immediately. The valve adjustments are much easier to swallow than on the Duck too with more extended intervals and lower cost. So far my only gripe is that not enough people have caught on and bought one of these beautiful bikes so we get some more aftermarket goodies here, though on the web you can find most everything in the UK. Show less

Mine is a 2001 yellow with sp exhaust and chip for about 8 more hp and 10 fewer lbs. This bike is sick. You never know how fast you're going and it is much easier to go fast on than any Inline 4 I've ridden. Yesterday a fellow on a brand new GXR-1000 high sided trying to keep up! And no he's not the world's greatest rider. Neither am I for that matter. Yes he's ok, had his helmet and leathers on. Anybody buying bikes like these needs to do track days! Anyway, the sound and looks are too cool. There is always a crowd around it when I come out of stores etc. There are some issues. This motor hates operation below 3000 rpm. I you are the type that likes trundling around you need a different bike. Over 3000 and she's glorious right up to redline. Never would I have believed that relatively minor suspension adjustments could make such a difference. Get a good tuner! Show less

I originally purchased the R for a track bike and occasional street rides. The Ohlins suspension is awesome once it is tuned for your dimensions and riding style. I have one setting that works great on the track and street. I have never been able to do that on any other bike I've owned. The bike is a little slow steering and calls for raising the forks and increasing the rear height by 1/4 - 1/3 inch. Stability on the track is phenominal and the quality suspension eats up bumps on the street. I highly recommend the RSC (Aprilia) "racing" pipe and chip combo and derestriction of the airbox. The bike pulls strong from low RPM to redline. My bike now has about 2,000 mostly track miles and feels to be getting stronger. Find one - buy one. You won't be sorry. Show less

Going on 3000 pampered miles and haven't had any problems at all. Beautiful, unique bike that is a good investment. Make sure you take time to properly warm the bike up before throwing on the throttle. Aprilia can only get bet. Show less

I must say that I have closely inspected the bike and have found no flaws with the mechanicals or the finish. I agree that the decal application can use some improvement but have received nothing but high compliments on the yellow metallic finish. I agree that around town the heat builds (all bikes do to some degree -- no pun intended) and it's a little jittery at low rpms. Let's face it though...this machine was not made to be a commuter. Get it out on the back road twisties in the 6K-8K rpm range and you'll have to admit, there's no heat and not hesitation. The Mille will fly through the turns with no problems what so ever. I've always found, on other bikes, to be a little hesitant on using the side tread on my tires. On the Mille I find it hard not using it. It's so forgiving of my errors and lets me forget about the thought process of taking a corner. It begs me to take it on and reassures me that I will be shooting out on the other side. As you may have guessed, I totally enjoy this ride and find it hard to believe I will ever part with it. I'm also lucky in the sense that I have a local dealer with an excellent, very knowledgeable service staff. Mille owners, from adjoining states, bring their bikes to these guys based on the good things they've heard about them. If you are looking for a thrill, a bike you can ride and enjoy the twisting turning roads in your area of the country, then get the Mille. You won't be disappointed. Show less

As in most of the reviews, this bike is great in the handling and performance arena particularly for aggressive Street (twisties) riding. Fit and finish on the mechanical parts of the bike appears to be right up with the best from Japan. Body work and paint finish though generally good are not quite up to Honda standards; Aprilia needs to up-grade decal application and finish (the weakest part of the finish). Aprilia's biggest problem is the typical growing pains of setting up a new dealership chain. There are no shop manuals available for customers, and very limited parts and accessories. Mechanics are getting familiar with the ins and outs of the machines; I think the dealerships are spooling up as fast as they can but, Aprilia should have had more stock on hand and been more prepared to jump into the US market! To be fair to the Aprilia dealers you almost have to expect these problems in the first six to twelve months of start-up (I've heard of much worse service and support problems with new companies based right here in the US such as Excelsior Henderson). The good news is that I haven't heard any of these complaints from friends and contacts in Europe, so I think the service/support problems should be fading away in the next six to eight months. Show less

Around the city the riding position is sporty but not extreme. On the twisties and the track, it simply rules. More comfortable and faster than Ducati 996 or Honda RC-51, the Mille has no unpleasant traits. Derestriction of EFI mapping, airbox and exhaust is free - dealer does it if you ask - and yields an extra 10 horsepower. Aprilia carbon-fiber shotgun cans and new chip add another 18 or so horses. Stock machine pulls unbelievable g's in the curves. It is also very forgiving of rider errors. All performance parameters are equal to or better than other class leaders. My bike is flawless, and I've had all the plastic off. I'm still to find the first paint defect, sloppy weld, or other problem. I plan to buy the sport touring model when it is released next year, but I'll keep my Mille. Email if you have questions, I'll be happy to reply. Show less

Avoid the RSV. Many, many problems. Bought mine back in May '00. don't know where to begin. ECU crapped out, bike stumbles at idle, and finish is poor. No shop manual either for U.S. bikes. Dealer has had no luck in getting problems resolved. Resale is very poor. Guess I am stuck for a while anyway. Shoulda' bought a TL1000R and saved $4K. Or put the $4K into the TL and had a much better bike. Show less

I picked up the bike on the 20th of January 2000. Since that time I have clocked 2600 miles on it, many of them in the Oregon rain. I have yet to have a complaint about it other than when can my wife get her own. The Mille does everything great and Dealership customer support is outstanding. I thought about several other bikes like the R-1 love the bike but the comfort wasn't quite there and there seem to be a lot of them on the road. I thought about a TLR but thought it to be to heavy and I didn't like the throttle response. I loved the '99 blue ZX9R but the fit and finish wasn't quit there. For me the 996 didn't quit thrill me but the Mille did. It was love at first ride. Show less

This is such a great bike I can't believe I waited so long to make up my mind. Go ride one and you'll see what I'm talking about. Great brakes, awesome motor, neutral handling. I did have a minor problem with a sticky clutch like the other guy but once my shop flushed and bled the clutch system that stickiness was gone. This bike is sexier than a Ducati because it works like a Jap bike but looks Italian. Show less