Aprilia SL 1000 Falco reviews

Hello I just had to chime in on my '01 Aprilia Futura. This bike not only does everything I need it to, but it does it well. This is a sport/cruiser with the emphasis on "sport" with the ability to cruise. I found the riding position to be agressive yet comfortable with almost no arm or shoulder fatigue that you feel on pure sport bikes on long rides whether I'm flying solo or two-up. The hard bags literally take seconds to remove or install and the bike looks and handles great with or without them. Power is just a wrist flick away in any gear throughout the rev range ( be sure and hold on tight ). Steering is light, controlled and rock solid in corners once you dial the bike into your own personal liking, which is a snap due to the user friendly adjuster on the rear shock. The design ques and the sweet exhaust note make you the topic around other bikers. I'm still in shock that I found a bike this good for a price like this. Keep up the good work Aprilia you have a fan for life. Sincerely, Tim Holmes Durham NC Show less

A little hesitant to buy the bike because its...Italian. Living in Texas I was worried about reliability on long trips. Once I road the bike I was hooked. Great Rotax V twin. Flat torque curve. Power everywhere. Easy to ride. Fast and smooth. Rock solid. Most comfortable seat I've experienced on a bike. Excellent riding position. Bags work great. Have traveled all over Texas and New Mexico.Reliability has been excellent. Only complaint is that some parts are in short supply right now. Great user group at http://www.apriliaforum.com. Did I mention this bike is CHEAP? What a great deal on this sleeper. Deserves to be a best seller. (I have a 2001 but the bike is essentially the same) Show less

Just picked up my bike today, what a ride. I had to take city streets home for engine break in reasons, and this bike just soaks up the bumps. My old ride would have had me in a back brace it was so rough. I'm glad I chose to by Aprilia. Show less

This is the best sport Vtwin for the money bar none. of course I did not buy it new because a barely used one is so affordable it should be illegal. Love the HP and torque. Stretch to gas tank is a little long compared to some others but I have relatively long arms. Reliability has been excellent. Services are great but a little costly if you go by the manual. Most can be done yourself if you any mechanical aptitude. Aprilia makes a great product and extremely satisfied and will be an Aprilia owner for life. Show less

I got my Caponord 2 months ago after a 25 year absence from the bike scene. I checked out harley, indian, ducati and some asian bikes. I even revisited the triumphs like I use to ride years ago to see what was out on the street these days. Then I heard of Aprilia, checked out the Caponord and it was love at first site. As a very tall (6'5") rider I had certain design needs to fit my frame and long legs. The Capo is a very well appointed machine. Very quick, powerful, and nimble with a vigorous response either accelerating or braking. I could go on about other details but many riders may have different styles or preference. My choice is Aprilia. This is only the first of at least two or three bikes I will eventually have to play with (kind of like guitars). It's important for the new rider to read other riders information and testing data to understand the little characteristics like the harmonic sounds in the motor at low speed then suddenly this massive sounding of ballsy power when you twist on the rpms. I have experienced as others have the occasional mild lurch from the fuel injection "forgetting itself" at very low speed but since my milage has hit around 1300 miles the bike has dialed itself in and now runs VERY smooth at all rpms. Show less

I have had this model for two years. The power is not quite what the japs are but then agian it's only a sport touring bike that out handels anything out on the road. No one can keep up with me in the turns unless they race on the track. I'm not that great of a rider. Show less

Boys - all I've done to this thing was break it in right, right on! And pull the plug out of the air box. It's got major stonk - I'm 205 lbs, a tank crawler and I can't keep the thing down! I love to really get on it, ride it hard and flog it like a dog - just plain fun! Wheelies through first and second are now normal. The Aprilia Ti can, cip and Evoluzione air box are next. I want more power, Scotty! I am gpoing to lower the front at least one line on the forks to try to keep it down a bit. I really don't like the major slappers when I'm blasting out of the corners; considering an Ohlins dampener over the stock. We'll see what the fork changes do to help. Brakes are excellent but make no mistake, they will not compensate for stupidity, I had my cardiac moment and survived. Overall, what can I say, it's a freakin hoot to ride this thing! Show less

I have logged close to 2000 miles on this bike and absolutly love it. Mostly what I have owned in sports and standard bikes were four cylinder and they were all very good in their own way. Although the Tuono does not possess the outright hyperbike performance, it has a very strong engine, monster torque, and an exhaust note that is music to the ear. I have installed the Aprilia high performance chip and exhaust and it has made a noticeable difference. Full throttle imputs in first and second will have the front tire skyward and in third the front tire is skimming the pavement. The bike's handling and ergonomic layout is great for me at 5'9". The transmission shifts smoothly and the clutch is easy to use. There is a little slack in the gearing and a little drive lash can be felt. This is a non-issue once you use proper throttle control. Wind protection is better than I thought it would be from such a small windshield. I wish the fuel range was a little better anything past 130 miles and you need to be very close to a gas station. And when you do stop to fill up, the bike creates a topic of conversation, as does many new models. I have owned a 2002 FZ1 and it was a great motorcycle, plenty of power and would do many of the same things just as well, but the Tuono seems to handle better and has more character. Just another opinion. Show less

Great great fun bike. I'll summarize: Pros: 1. The looks, the looks, the looks 2. Maniac acceleration 3. Excellent brakes 4. Confortable seat, pegs, bar 5. Good wind protection, until 130Km/h 6. Pussycat in the city traffic Cons: 1. Clutch is stiff 2. Its happier above 3000 rpm 3. Need to warm up a little in the morning Overall, the best combination of street/sport/exotic bike I've seen Show less

This is my first sports bike and everything about it is just awesome! It handles,goes and stops just great... Show less