| Riding the Aprilia Falco
It represents the classic debate between the inline 4 cylinder crowd and the v-twin crowd but with cooperation rather than conflict. As a more experienced 600cc inline 4 cylinder rider, I was hesitant to jump into a bike with nearly twice the displacement, half the rpm range but similar HP figures. I feared I would miss the high rpm rush that I'd grown so fond of and managed to tame across such a diverse landscape here in Southern California. Aprilia, however, had something more to offer... |
I rode my fair share of twins before choosing the Aprilia. A test ride on a 2001 Harley Dyna showed the deceiving nature of a twins torque with the smooth character it could offer, but it just wasn't me. Riding a 2005 Buell XB12R was more my style with exceptional handling, but it lacked the refined gearbox along with the top end rush I'd grown so used to and wasn't willing to give up. The 2008 KTM Super Duke had the deceiving torque of the Harley, handling of the Buell and a gearbox of a Japanese sport bike but again, lacked the top end rush of power that makes the rider feel like a passenger rather than a pilot. |  |
| I began to think a twin just wasn't for me. Then, quite by accident, I rediscovered Aprilia. I had taken out an 05 Tuono once before, but it belonged to a coworker. It had a strong feel that I wasn't comfortable pushing without owning the bike. A little research showed the Aprilia's to have a relatively high redline of 10,000 rpm but a burst of torque way down by 2500 rpm. All the reviews were great, the power figures were great and the styling was great... so what’s the catch? Why don’t you see these everywhere? It's a lack of general public knowledge that Aprilia even exists, and that they are such incredibly great bikes. I’ve found the reliability to be rivaling that of Honda but the availability of parts might scare away the typical Japanese owner. |
After careful consideration along with a deal I couldn’t resist, I bought an 2001 SL 1000 Falco. With a few minor de-restriction modifications, it took on all the power of its Mille Superbike brother but with a sport-touring influence that made for a very stable and comfortable sport bike. The 60 degree V-Twin produces gobs of torque low in the rpm range so you don’t need to rev the engine to get going. This makes for smooth corner entry and a rapid corner exit without the need to shift However, it also introduces the possibility of lifting the front wheel before the bike is returned upright. While this is fun when you mean to do it, its almost terrifying when you don’t! I found the bike a little heavy in first gear while taking very tight corners but above 30mph the bike feels like it’s a giant gyroscope on rails. I suspect lighter wheels could make the bike turn in even faster but surface imperfections may promote more of a line change as well. |  |
| After a couple thousand miles I've grown very comfortable with my Priller! Its astounding stability at full lean, regardless of the surface, allows me to concentrate on my riding technique rather than any limitations the bike may be imposing upon it. Flirting with the edge has exposed more of my mental limitations rather than the bikes physical ones as I have seen so frequently on other sport bikes. This makes the bike feel very forgiving when using a steady throttle hand and careful trail brake. True to its heritage, I think I have found the perfect all around bike!!! |
Launching off the line is effortless and the bike propels 0-60 in a staggering 3.26 seconds. The 1/4 mile is chased down in 10.58 @ 131.50mph with an advertised top speed of 159 mph... my speedometer verified 161 mph and still climbing. This may be due to derestriction. 
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