| Falco SL 1000 Engine
What could be better than Italian styling powered by a German power plant. Rotax is an Austrian company originally founded in germany. They build power plants for BMW, KTM, Buell, Canam, ATK, Bimota and of course Aprilia motocycles as well as Aircraft. The engine is powerfull, reliable and suprisingly complex given some of the simpler solutions like the oil guage shown to the left. |
But dont let the simple see through tube design fool you, this engine is loaded with great stuff. Take for example the vacuum actuated slipper clutch or clutch plate oiling jet system. Each cylindar contains dual spark plugs with 4 valves and dual overhead cams. Unlike other twin maufacturers, fuel is fed through two 51mm throttle bodies rather than one shared thottle body. The engine runs smooth and pulls strong throughout the entire 10,000 rpm band. The Falco has a little known secret as well. It is rated at 20hp less than the Mille which would lead you to believe it is mechanically detuned. Instead, the US version has a restrictor plate added to the airbox to stifle the volume of incoming air and a EPA freindly chip which maps the fuel accordingly. Evoluzione Motorsports of an Airbox derestriction kit which not only eliminates the restrictor plate but also increases the size of the airbox by eliminating the lid and sealing to the bottom of the tank. This assist in smooth power delivery without the dreaded 5k rpm dip. Add on an aftermarket chip like the Factory Pro 1413 or Carbon SL and your back to full Mille status or perhaps more! Like any other superbike these days, the Falco utilizes ram air off the nose of the bike. Not only does it bring in cool air, but pressurized air helps to make sure no hot air escapes in from the Evoluzion airbox mod from around the tank. The twinspar frame allows the ram air to enter from the sides of the box without the usual frame restrictions seen on other sport bikes. | 
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| Factory Pro 1413 Chip
As a bonus to my Falco purchase, it came with a few extra chips. The FP1413 is widely accepted as one of the best chips for the Mille/Falco for many reasons. First it has an incredibly smooth power delivery, a perfect cruise and a great top end. However, it comes at the expense of the bottom end and has a horrible cold start. This chip made my twin feel like an inline 4. It has 2 maps built in that can be selected through the derestriction wire. It also enables the CO pots on the ECU so you can fine tune. |
The cooling is provided through a low hung central oil cooler as well as dual radiators mounted on each side of the bike. Each one includes its own cooling fan which operate silently. 
| Finishing off the engine is the lightweight Factory SL Carbon dual exhaust coupled with the Factory SL Carbon EEProm chip for the ECU. The chip tailors the ignition timing and fuel mapping for each cylindar to match the exahaust and the drop in weight allows for an improved flickability. The sound is agressive and throaty. |
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