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Je suis Number One!!!

Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 5:09 pm
by katie1
Just because I can :smt003

Fitted the Puig taller screen and the SW-Motech rack today. Had a couple of recalls sorted yesterday but still waiting for the replacement brake cylinder. The dealers were pretty good and will pick the bike up to sort it out on Thursday so that's cool :smt004

Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:36 pm
by fatboy
Ok, not gonna argue with that !
Wear that crown !

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:05 pm
by mangocrazy
Excellent stuff! My Duke had the same recall for the front brake master cylinder and it was all sorted at its first service. Have you started piling the miles on yet?

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:25 pm
by katie1
Hardly any miles yet. I know it's a 1 in 10000 chance but exploding brake cylinders do not fill me with confidence! Anyway, the garage came out today, picked the bike up, sorted out the brakes and returned the bike so our time will come soon!

Going to pop it into the garage again very shortly to swap the cat out for a link pipe and fit the handguards (the latter was totally beyond my strength!). Don't think I've ever spent so much many on a bike I haven't really ridden...

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 9:25 am
by mangocrazy
Yes, apparently on the OEM-fit radial master cylinders Brembo used plastic pistons, whereas on the aftermarket jobs they used anodised aluminium. Serves them right for trying to save a few pence/cents per unit - it must have cost them a fair packet to recall and replace all the duff units. They were fitted to all the high-end Aprilias, KTMs, Ducatis etc.

Posted: Sun May 26, 2019 7:08 pm
by katie1
Well, things are looking different! Updates and recalls all sorted, decat link pipe, handguards and sat nav all fitted and what a bloody bike!

Thought I'd try the decat before going for a new can and think that's all it needed (the weight loss is insane - link pipe is feather light compared to the cat). Runs so smoothly up the revs in every gear and hits supersonic speeds in record time :smt003

If you haven't tried one yet, I would strongly recommend it to Falco lovers...

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 3:55 pm
by fatboy
I can understand your joy......
An 1190 ticks all my boxes so a 1290..... ?
Jolly good show Number One and :smt004

Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 9:16 pm
by mangocrazy
katie1 wrote:Well, things are looking different! Updates and recalls all sorted, decat link pipe, handguards and sat nav all fitted and what a bloody bike!

Thought I'd try the decat before going for a new can and think that's all it needed (the weight loss is insane - link pipe is feather light compared to the cat). Runs so smoothly up the revs in every gear and hits supersonic speeds in record time :smt003

If you haven't tried one yet, I would strongly recommend it to Falco lovers...
I'd second your findings as regards the decat pipe vs. the ugly, heavy old lump of a cat. It makes a very noticeable difference as regards performance and throttle response (and noise :smt003 ) and the weght loss was nearly 5 kilos. No downside, lots of upside!

If my VFR750 carries on dicking me about the way it has done for the last year or so, it may very well find itself replaced with something that has half the cylinders and is orange rather than red...

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 8:17 pm
by katie1
mangocrazy wrote: If my VFR750 carries on dicking me about the way it has done for the last year or so, it may very well find itself replaced with something that has half the cylinders and is orange rather than red...
Go on, you know you want to :smt003

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 9:29 am
by mangocrazy
It's on a final warning... I'm reassembling the carbs for the last time (it's an absolute pig of a job on a V4), and I'm hopeful that I've discovered the source of the power loss it's been suffering (one of the plug caps wasn't pushed fully home onto the plug and was just resting on it).

But if it's still in the same state after (and worse still, pissing petrol out of the carbs) my patience will be exhausted and it will probably go. It's a fine old bus when it's working properly, albeit rather heavy compared to a V-twin, but if it continues to play up it's toast.

A SuperDuke 990 of 2009-2011 vintage is looking rather appealing ... :smt003

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 8:39 pm
by katie1
Sure you're not looking at a 1290 2016+?

Fatboy's description of the umpty milliion different levels of adjustment tweaked my attention and he was not wrong! Oh, did I mention the wind protection is superb? :smt003

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 8:54 pm
by mangocrazy
It's a question of cost really, Katie. I've been looking further and the model that has really got my interest is one of the later 990 SMTs (supermotard touring - what a concept!)

It's got good weather protection, long travel suspenders and that barking mad V-twin motor. They didn't continue the model into the 1190/1290 era, so the 990 is the only option. I'd like one of the last models (2013) with the orange frame, please... :smt003

Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:57 pm
by katie1
Ok, minor updates. Had the Cat replaced over the summer and loved the difference it made

However, Aprilia ownership does obviously bugger one's mind (the 'must have bling' section) so now I have to fit the Scorpion Red power exhaust, K&N filter and remove the SAS valve and charcoal canister.

Above stuff currently underway at Dave Wood Racing in Buckingham, along with the associated ECU reflash. Picking the bike up next Saturday so shall report back on whether the bike is just as sedate as before :smt003

Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 10:41 pm
by mangocrazy
Sounds like you're doing the same things that I did to my baby Duke - get rid of the big, heavy, ugly, awkward cat and replace with a straight through, get rid of the SAS nonsense, fit a K&N and get it re-flashed. Made a very noticeable difference to mine...

I'm seriously considering putting it in for a dyno tune and re-map over the winter, as the knife-edge throttle response just off closed throttle or on constant light throttle is getting on my nerves. If it also adds a few more ponies elsewhere, that would be a bonus... :smt003

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:16 pm
by fatboy
Well Katie I hope the 1290 SAS is easier to remove than the 1190, it is such a bugger to get to I ended up just leaving it in place and disconnecting the SAS pipes from the cylinders, fitting banking plates to the cylinders and sticking steel ball bearings in the rubber pipes to blank them off.
Once you have removed the catalyst the secondary air system serves no purpose at all other than to confuse the ecu and various sensors, it's intended purpose is to create an in zorst explosion to heat the cat up to working temp.....