WTF, Aprilia?

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STARSHIP said:
Well it is good to hear that they are appointing some good dealers. Are they running the distributorship from the US or have they appointed another distributor. Running it out of the US is fine as they will have many more resources than having a local company trying to do it. Parts can be shipped overnight from anywhere in the US.
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If the op can't get the support in ontario, go to the US. Problem solved.
 
I have an RSV4. I have had the computer flashed twice to get the improved fuel milage. I'm getting 180 to 200 km before my reserve light comes on. I had it done at Corsa Mechanica, than at two wheel in Guelph. Both have the navigator needed to flash these computers.
 
From talking to a dealer who used to sell Aprillia he would not touch them again too many headaches. He also said that alot of them needed towed back in after leaving riders stranded. Not trying to knock any brand just what I have heard.
 
I have 8000km on mine and no issues except the fuel milage which was fixed, and that it eats up rear tires. The bikes leaving you stranded must be only a rumour. My friends wife works for the company that has the contract for road side assistance for Aprilia, Harley Etc across Canada. They are located in Cambridge. The only calls she has had for Aprilia this year has been for "out of gas". Thats a pretty good indication of reliablity.
 
JPR said:
I have 8000km on mine and no issues except the fuel milage which was fixed, and that it eats up rear tires. The bikes leaving you stranded must be only a rumour. My friends wife works for the company that has the contract for road side assistance for Aprilia, Harley Etc across Canada. They are located in Cambridge. The only calls she has had for Aprilia this year has been for "out of gas". Thats a pretty good indication of reliablity.
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No, it's not. If Aprilia somehow started to experience double the failure rates, then her call volumes would hardly change, if at all. I worked at a roadside assistance call centre once (not that it makes me an expert or anything), but the manufacturers that got the most calls were the ones that had the most cars on the road. The difference between manufacturers is fractional when you account for vehicle miles.
 
fastar1 said:
No, it's not. If Aprilia somehow started to experience double the failure rates, then her call volumes would hardly change, if at all. I worked at a roadside assistance call centre once (not that it makes me an expert or anything), but the manufacturers that got the most calls were the ones that had the most cars on the road. The difference between manufacturers is fractional when you account for vehicle miles.
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This isn't a comparison between manufaturers. It just shows that the bike has not left anyone stranded. Which indicates reliablity. If the bikes were unreliable, than she would be recieving calls for a tow.
 
JPR said:
This isn't a comparison between manufaturers. It just shows that the bike has not left anyone stranded. Which indicates reliablity. If the bikes were unreliable, than she would be recieving calls for a tow.
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It shows they haven't left anyone stranded during the RA period, and that is only IF everyone who broke down called for a tow, and IF she was aware of all the calls that came in from Aprilia riders. This is not a given. Many people don't know they have RA, or the terms of service may be too impractical (like the bike has to be towed to an inconvenient location, or there are tow charges, or if the service takes too long or leaves the rider stranded...).

It also doesn't tell us anything about non-terminal failures that wouldn't need a tow.
 
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My Tuono has been rock solid for 23,000km so far. Currently at Corsa Meccanica being serviced. The guy running the shop has always done right by me, even when there was all sorts of commotion at the old place he worked at - Motoretta.

I love my 1000R and the only bike I can see myself selling it for is... you guessed it, the Tuono V4R.
 
Going to wear the chain out soon. :/ On my third set of tires. Is that bad?
 
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And with current price on 2008 Tuono R leftovers you can't go wrong! I wonder, if we can get the similar deal in Canada?

tuono.jpg
 
really wanting to pull the trigger on an sxv, but given what i hear about how poor dealership support in ontario is...what a crapshoot
 
The SXV is the flat-out, all-time fastest bike I've ever seen at Deal's Gap. In nearly 10 years, watching a rider on one this year made every other "fast guy" I've seen on that road seem like slow motion (including me). I keep trying to justify owning one. :)
 
Hey guys ,I'm currently riding an Aprilia RS 250, not a cup bike conversion,a rare animal, the street version from Japan. If you want to get together for rides drop me a note. Season's almost done!
 
2stroker said:
Hey guys ,I'm currently riding an Aprilia RS 250, not a cup bike conversion,a rare animal, the street version from Japan. If you want to get together for rides drop me a note. Season's almost done!
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you ever ride on the westend? I had to take a double look. nobody believed me when I saw one on the street! This was around .. burnhampthorpe/kipling. how the heck did you get that legal?
 
It's legal, 17 digit vin, 15 years old, came with an ownership.I'm in Mississauga, and I rarely go east of me usually in Halton area. I'm 45 I feel 20 again! Love it, great therapy!!
 
Shaman said:
I've really enjoyed the Tuono 1000R that I've owned for the last four seasons, and am now looking at the new Tuono V4 version with green envy, since by the reports from other magazines and my own experience with the RSV4-R (owned by my friend Shawn Voight of Danton Machine), it's just about the only street machine I can ever see myself desiring for a long, long, long time. Once you ride one of the Apes you realize that the build quality and overall experience of most other makes is poo... if you can overlook the atrocious gas milage.


Don't really care about the traction control even if it does make a rider godlike... but for the money I'd spring for it anyways, just to play with...
So, there's the background: to my point.


{vent mode: on}


Aprilia dealerships in Ontario are about as lazy as it gets. They want the Aprilia and Piaggio scooters and the rest is inconsequential. They don't try to hype up the products (and let's face it, the RSV4-R is a hell of a product - and it's priced for *LESS* than the MSRP on a new R1), they almost never go to a bike show; they don't advertise worth a damn. Except the scooters... Aprilia even has a 7-speed, automatic motorcycle of reasonable performance and which is a true motorcycle in all senses of the word, but do they spend time marketing it? Nope. Nor the Moto Guzzis, which are again, truly unique in the market.


OK, so there's that part of the rant out of the way. Now on to the next. Voight can't get ECU flashes for his RSV4-R because nobody in Ontario (that we know of, anyways) has invested in getting the hardware needed to do that. Gearhead in Ottawa says they can order parts and do basic work but "hasn't sold anything larger than a Tuono," whatever that's supposed to mean. The appearance is that they don't intend to educate their mechanics on the V4 or invest in any support systems for them... which means they also won't be selling the new Tuono in any numbers, or supporting it in the garage.


So WTF, Aprilia and dealers... you have these unique products which are currently priced very similarly to the Japanese counterparts (heck, the Factory with APRC came *down* in price and is now not much more than aforementioned R1 for a lot more bike), and either Aprilia is hamstringing its dealers with large investment costs, or the dealers aren't even trying to sell the products.


What dufus wouldn't buy a RSV4-R for the same money as a new Japanese litre bike? They get a Sachs shock with separate damping and rebound circuits, Brembo monobloc brakes, a chassis that is unlike anything else on the market, and a V4 engine that constantly makes its welcome presence known. Not to mention Aprilia's other products, like the Dorsudoro 1200 and the Mana.


It's ridiculous. They should be selling these bikes by the truckload. They've no clue how to do it.


{vent mode: off}


Not that I'm in a giant hurry to sell off the 1000R, mind.

(repost from CMG Online)
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Shaman

While the Aprillia is a great bike they are like the Ducati, and MV which are niche bikes which means that there will not be a large dealership network. BMW dropped the Aprillia line from my conversation with the Sales Manager it was due to the lack of support for spares. This seems to be an issue with all Italian bikes although Ducati seems to be getting better. I own and MV and was in California and visited one of my old dealers and they told me that they have issues with MV in regard to pricing. I know of one Aprillia owner in Toronto who loves his bike but will tell you that parts support is not the greatest.

Owning a Ducati, MV or Aprillia as oppose to the Japanese bikes who sell more volume and offer a larger variety of models means less dealer networks and also in the future could mean less dealers especially if they only sell Aprillia. Given the short riding period in Canada and smaller market for motorcycle it should come as no surprise if the Italian dealers do not invest a lot of capital into parts and equipment to support the market when the product is a low volume.

I am on the MV forum and there have been issues like this all over the world so it is not Canada or Aprillia specific. This is the risk with niche bikes. Given that I have not regretted my purchase of the MV F4 as you stated owning an Aprillia, MV or Ducati is different from a Japanese bike. I use to own Japanese bikes but would not switch back to own except for Dirt bikes.
 
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Dahulk said:
it was due to the lack of support for spares.
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This is simply not true WRT to the V60 bikes, at least. I have been able to get anything I wanted in no more than two days. Heck, I even got parts online delivered in two days.

Some bikes are better than others (models), however.
 
That is what I was told for Aprillia by one dealer and then by a owner like you said depends on the model.
 
Shaman said:
Aprilia even has a 7-speed, automatic motorcycle of reasonable performance and which is a true motorcycle in all senses of the word, but do they spend time marketing it? Nope.
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Please....an automatic is a true motorcycle in all senses of the word???? NBL

Motorcycles corner best under power, and at the minimum, a direct connection of rpm to wheel rotation..free-wheeling of any sort, need not apply.

However..the rest of your post has considerably more credibility than this statement.

And their twins are among the most fuel efficient litre-sized twins there is available. You obviously are referring to the V4, of which I have no past experience with.
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