oil level check.

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robertorolfo · #31 Post by **robertorolfo** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:41 pm

Thanks Firestarter, that actually makes me feel a lot better. Did you get yours new though?

Falken · #32 Post by **Falken** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:11 pm

My Falco also flashes the EFI after start up, and has done for as long as i can remember.
I've had the bike 7 1/2 years now from new.

Never been any problem.

HowardQ · #33 Post by **HowardQ** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:22 pm

Wasn't actually thinking that way.
The EFI lighjt has always come on with mine (owned 4 1/4 years), it always comes on straight from a cold start then clears, whilst it's warming up. Always done it, thought it was part of start up and never borthered me.
Only other time I've ever had it is the old favourite, battery a bit low, doesn't fire as it should on starter and dash resets to metric etc..

Falcopops · #34 Post by **Falcopops** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:37 pm

joecrx wrote:my bike is in for a MOT and all fluids and filters changed i hope hope the aprilia dealer i put it into knows how to do it right , maybe i should print d-riders thread just in case

i will be checking when i get it back

I did mine recently, by the book. Drained all the oil from all the holes after a thorough warm up. Then tippend it back and forward and side to side (if I was storng enough I'd have picked the damn thing up and shaken it).

New filter in all holes plugged then the book says chuck in 3.5l of oil then run to distribute the oil. Well I'll be buggered if I could get 3.5l in. I put in about 3 litres then ran it up and got put abit more in the space that was created.

Due to the leaky fork and oily brakes I couldn't go for a run to get the oil up to proper temp so had to settle with letting it idle 'till the fans came on then checking with the engine off. Level was lower in the tube so topped it to about level with the horizontal fin on the casing.

Checked recently after runs and the tube is full so I must be getting some in the airbox. I can't be bothered to open it up and there's a drain in there to get rid, so I'm not too unhappy really.

Moral I suppose I'm getting to is IMO getting it right requires a 20 min ride not just an idle.

Fausto · #35 Post by **Fausto** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:15 am

I appreciate that we are all super cautious with our babies (well most of us anyway) and therefore try our best to see that we have exactly the right amount of oil in them ....... but ......

I feel pretty relaxed about this nowadays. As long as it has somewhere between 3 and 4 litres and it's not pissing out of the airbox drain nor is the oil light on I am happy.

Perhaps the manual would have been better off saying.........

"Put some oil in"

robertorolfo · #36 Post by **robertorolfo** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:14 am

Ow, and now a big thanks to HowardQ and Falken. It is a great relief to know that this isn't a problem. Of course it is nice to stand out from the crowd (I mean, we ride Falco's), but sometimes it is really comforting to know that you are the same as everyone else. But enough philosophy.

This weekend the plugs get re-gapped. I'll report back when done.

Was gonna chuck in a new air filter while I was at it, but guess what? One of the bigger Aprilia parts places in Rome didn't have any in stock. One week to get it. In fucking Italy! Why is Aprilia making this realationship so hard. Oh, and i just took at look at some parts on UK Ebay... and you guys have tons of great stuff on there! I'm jealous.

HowardQ · #37 Post by **HowardQ** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:23 pm

robertorolfo wrote:.................................
Was gonna chuck in a new air filter while I was at it, but guess what? One of the bigger Aprilia parts places in Rome didn't have any in stock. One week to get it. In fucking Italy! Why is Aprilia making this realationship so hard. Oh, and i just took at look at some parts on UK Ebay... and you guys have tons of great stuff on there! I'm jealous.

Forget the Aprilia Filter, stick in a K&N. especially if you already have race cans.
If not available locally, you can get them off eBay.
Good luck with the plugs, it will take you some time, two are not too bad to get at, but it's more complicated for the other two.
P.S. Can't believe you have the same problem getting Aprilia parts in Rome as we do here.

Still the bike is worth the effort.

Aladinsaneuk · #38 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:35 pm

or the evo air kit :)

sthomson1 · #39 Post by **sthomson1** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:19 pm

Dont waste your money on a £40 K&N filter ...
stick in a £15 oem filter and buy some Iridium plugs

The K&N will make little to no difference to the bike.

HowardQ wrote:
robertorolfo wrote:.................................
Was gonna chuck in a new air filter while I was at it, but guess what? One of the bigger Aprilia parts places in Rome didn't have any in stock. One week to get it. In fucking Italy! Why is Aprilia making this realationship so hard. Oh, and i just took at look at some parts on UK Ebay... and you guys have tons of great stuff on there! I'm jealous.
Forget the Aprilia Filter, stick in a K&N. especially if you already have race cans.
If not available locally, you can get them off eBay.
Good luck with the plugs, it will take you some time, two are not too bad to get at, but it's more complicated for the other two.
P.S. Can't believe you have the same problem getting Aprilia parts in Rome as we do here.
Still the bike is worth the effort.

Nooj · #40 Post by **Nooj** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:03 pm

Really? It made a noticable change to the running of my Falco and my Fazer.

HowardQ · #41 Post by **HowardQ** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:28 pm

K & N also made a major difference on mine when fitted along with race cans.

I was going to mention the Evo kit Pete but thought it may not be easy to get hold of in Rome, wouldn't disagree with you if funding available.

Aladinsaneuk · #42 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:24 pm

for the poor chap in roma, really finding out about local aprilia support, i thought a nice evo kit of uk ebay would be a cool choice - rsvr.net have them in stock i believe....

joecrx · #43 Post by **joecrx** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:56 am

my efi flashes for a few seconds as it does it checks , when it goes of i hit the button , starts every time , it came on once in heavy rain not all the time just intermitent but sorted itself out the next day

robertorolfo · #44 Post by **robertorolfo** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:19 pm

Ok, a few things. First off, I have the standard exhaust (and just about standard everything else). I've had race exhausts on another bike, and sometimes they are just too loud. With that in mind, I figured a performance filter wouldn't make any difference, and just be a waste of money.

Also, the bike has 50,000 kilometers on it (it had 39,000) when I bought it, and I have zero idea about its background and service history. I bought it super cheap and half expected it only last a year. Well aside from the famous sprag clutch, it hasn't given me any problems (touch wood, knock on wood, toca ferro...). So the theory is, that by keeping things standard from the factory, I'll be putting less strain on the engine and keep it running longer. It could be BS, but is makes sense in my head. So standard filter it is.

Anyway, I did get around to re-gapping my plugs, and I can say that it did make a difference. Since I don't have a gapping tool, I can only estimate based on starting point that the NGK DCP...8's are at .7mm from the factory. If so, I would say I only closed them very slightly. Initially I had closed the gap more, having been told they come from the factory at .8mm, but as I said in my earlier posts, the bike didn't feel super smooth.

Well since I have opened them back up a bit, the engine definately feels a bit smoother. I would also say it feels the slightest (and I mean slightest) bit more responsive. All in all though, it makes me feel better about reving the bike.

So, on to bigger and better things. I bought a White Spring shock off a Brit Ebay seller, and I am expecting it here in Italy sometime soon. Can't wait to get it in, but I am worried I might have to have a shop do the work, since I don't have any sort of lift/jack/stand to get it up with. Oh, and I don't have a garage either. I do all my work on a the street (albeit one of the more quiet, dead end streets near my house). I'll keep you updated.

Aladinsaneuk · #45 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:01 pm

I am fairly sure that doing the normal mods will not affect the engine life overly

am even more sure that if you sort the accomodation out, a crack team of falco fettlers would be only too happy to pop over for a couple of days to do some fettling....