A Newbie would like some help with the joys of italian twins

[stainless]

Hi all!!!!!!!!:smt006

I am the recent (8 weeks) proud owner of a standard 2001 Falco in red. Due to work commitments and the Great British summer I've not done as many miles as I would like. Still of to the Alps for a weeks bonding with it in a month. Which leads me to the first of my questions.

1. What the hell can I do about the side stand in the UK finding a level road is bad but in the mountains no chance. I've fitted R&G's as I think it's not a case of if but when it falls of the stand

2. What is generally considered in everyone's humble opinion to be the best tyres for a Falco.

3. Is it quite straight forward to fit a 04 Mille swingarm, ohlins shock and linkage because the standard shock is poo.

4. Does any one make a Belly pan and is it any good.

Many thanks!!!!!!!!

[Stokesy]

Welcome

There is loads of advice re the sidestand under the search function

Tyres - BT 020 all the way - londevity and grip both wet and dry

Bellypan - you just missed mine, skidmarks among others

Happy touring
Glad to hear you got the fastest best colour

What did you pay for the beauty??

[Gio]

Hi all!!!!!!!!:smt006

I am the recent (8 weeks) proud owner of a standard 2001 Falco in red. Due to work commitments and the Great British summer I've not done as many miles as I would like. Still of to the Alps for a weeks bonding with it in a month. Which leads me to the first of my questions.

1. What the hell can I do about the side stand in the UK finding a level road is bad but in the mountains no chance. I've fitted R&G's as I think it's not a case of if but when it falls of the stand

2. What is generally considered in everyone's humble opinion to be the best tyres for a Falco.

3. Is it quite straight forward to fit a 04 Mille swingarm, ohlins shock and linkage because the standard shock is poo.

4. Does any one make a Belly pan and is it any good.

Many thanks!!!!!!!!

I wish I could speak from experience, but I can't. I have a 2001 Falco I've only done just over 2k miles on it and I had an off 7 weeks ago with the consequence I'm not road riding anymore.

However, from what you are asking I can add that my Falco has the Mille swinger and its very good. Tyres are easier fo me as I think the Pirelli Diablo's are the dogs watsits unless they're being used in the weather we have atm, They take a long time to warm up in heavy rain.
I'm going to be fitting a different bellypan shortly its a Skidmarx and it shouldn't ground at loony angles (I hope) Its a straight fit as well (well mine is)

Sidestand, get a GSXR unit it needs mods mine has been cut and rewelded (tig) by a friend (its an 06 750 one) and had to have a pin locator hole drilled (side stand sensor) and a nut welded on.

TBPO, I'd not rely on crash bungs to avoid damage if it falls over .


Welcome to ARS anyway, Falco's are a great bike

[sabestian]

I've got Continental Road Attack recently fitted and I can't fault them (apart from loony looks). Cheapest on the market and one of the best.

Shock with links is easy fit. And well worth the effort.

Stokesy, DO NOT EVER mention that bellypan on this forum. Or I'll...cry.

[xrphil]

i stuck a VTR side stand on............. cos it was easy.
I agree BT020, but have just stuck the newer BT021 on the back and prefer it, it feels much gripier on the bends.
best buy for touring was one of those plastic throttle cruise control things for about £8.
take it you just couldn`t find a black one, shame.

[Kwackerz]

Hi Stainless, Glad to see the Lads are looking after you


Welcome and enjoy the Site.

[Aladinsaneuk]

well

the 2004 swingarm is not as straight forward, iirc as the pre 2003 models..... - do the rear shock first is my advise

tyres - conti road attacks for me

sidestand - the gixxer one is a straight fit with no mods, even the switch plugs straight into the falco loom

I fitted the skidmarkx bellypan - is nice - though if you do mod a sidestand, you may well need a dremel

finally, welcome and have fun

[stainless]

Thanks for the tips.
Just being through the Aprilia but it should be changed to falco gallery there sure is some prettty bikes.
Paid 3K at Bikewise for her only 12'000 and it's mint full FSH, hugger and fresh rubber. Needs louder cans tho!!
I think I'll try some Diablo's next year it's got new MEz4 on but they'll be done by the end of me trip, maybe conti's for the cold?
Will the 04 Ohlins shock linkage and dog bone built to the standard swinger then Aladinsaneuk?
As a friend of a friend has them and the swingarm which he's going to let me have for mates rates.
The Gixxer side stand does it need to be a 2006 750 or will any Gixxer sidestand of the last 5 years do.
Is there any falco track days or the such planned for this year?
Everyone one knows the Italians only make the fastest ones in red its the same with kwak and green ones.

Thanks again

[Aladinsaneuk]

fastest falco colour has long been established as black :)

2004 mille swinger, with shock and linkages should be ok - but please let me double check - I did the older swop over - and think that anothe rperson here has done it and posted on his advice....

ahhh - you really do not want to know the consensus of opinion on the metzler tyres.....

think my gixxer stand was off an 03 750 - but again do a search or wait for another to give the answer....

some people do track days, but not generally specific falco days - they say they like to upset the rice burners by stealth.....

[HowardQ]

Welcome Stainless,
Same answers as most of the others.

Sidestand - see threads on GSXR units.

If you want tyres that give good grip all year round and last well use BT 020s or the latest 021s which I also feel are even better.
But others like Pilot Road and Diablos are aslo well thought of.

Belly pan - Skidmarx easy to fit, see photos in Gallery/Ridersite Falcos etc.

Swing arm - If you must go banana shaped, go for one off an earlier Mille (99 - 03 I think), as it is much easier ti fit, but it does absolutely nothing for the handing, only the looks. I may be one of the few people who thinks the stadard swinger looks better on a Falco as it matches the straight twin spar frame.
As for the shock, you may improve it a bit whilst you sort things out by upping the preload and stiffening it up.
Easy and cheap fix is to fit an early Mille (White Spring), shock, it fits straight on using the Falco linkages, but the Shrader valve will probably need cutting down slightly, (dremel), to get clearance. If you want to be safe, have it rebuilt and fit a recessed valve. I got one, hardly used, off ebay for £40, fitted it straight on to try, and it made an great improvement, but not as many around now, (probably all fitted to Falcos!).
Good points are 4 way adjustment - Preload, Compression, Rebound and Ride height. The later (Yellow Spring), Mille shocks can also be fitted but you need the Mille linkages as well, (don't come easy second hand, expensive new).
Failing that if you have the money, it's up to you, Ohlins, Maxton, whatever.

Hope you enjoy the bike, sometimes takes a while to get used to a big twin, but you'll love all that grunt. Instant power any time.

Good luck with it.

[D-Rider]

Hi Stainless - welcome to the forum.

Yeah - the sidestand - it's poo. The Yanks got a different one that works - the rest of the world got the rubbish that you've got. None of the solutions are completely hassle free. You can buy a US spec one from AF1
There are various other solutions - I think the best is the GSXR stand mod. You'll find most of what you need to know in this thread and the links within that thread: GSXR stand

As has been said, the 2004 onwards swinger is a pain - but has been done (Pierre and Hansie from this forum have done it). If you do go this route, make sure you don't get one of the swingers that was recalled due to it cracking! The swingers up to '03 are much easier. Certainly change the shock. The White spring Sachs from the Mille drops straight in with Falco linkages (but may need the schraeder valve shortened to clear the frame). The Mille's Ohlins of the same vintage also uses Falco linkages (early Mille and Falco linkages are the same). The Yellow Spring Sachs from the Mille (up to 03) drops in easily but need the linkages designed for that shock.
Here are some guides to swapping swingers:
Mille Swinger up to 03
Mille Swinger 04 onwards

The early swinger, shock and linkages are fairly interchangeable between Mille and Falco as the important elements of geometry are about the same. The same is not true for the 04 onwards parts. I think those that have moved things over have moved everything - ie 04 shock and linkage needs the 04 swinger and is unlikely to work well with the Falco swinger.

Tyres are a matter of personal preference. A lot of us like Diablos - I'm running Diablo Stradas which seem to grip well and give good mileage.

Hope this helps.

Edit:
Missed the bellypan - yes there are a couple of choices. As has been mentioned there's the Skidmarx one (I've got that on mine). The other is a Pifkee. Some people prefer its shape (I don't) and some have reported that it grounds out with spirited cornering. The guy who makes them (Peter) can be contacted here: pikfee@belgacom.net

Also seems that a number of people were also typing while I was and posted up before me - sorry for duplications!

[HisNibbs]

Welcome Stainless,

Most of the stuff is personal taste and how deep is your pocket. My two peneth if you are after value for money mods, is to drop the forks through the yokes 5 rings or so, to give more front end feel and to raise the rear ride height to near max, as and if you get the Ohlins or similar.
Tyres? I'm happy with the Contis and they are cheap, wear well and give plenty of feel when pushing on.

Enjoy your trip, that s a bike that needs to be ridden.

[stainless]

Wow overwhelmed with the response.

Think I'll give the 04 swinger a miss (not mucking around moving a battery) might talk to some suspension guys re the shock maybe i could get in re valved to suit.

Looking around no one has a good thing to say about MEz's. Apart from making Lot's of smoke on a bonfire it's all they seem fit for

Thanks again for all the replies I'll keep you posted.

[D-Rider]

Looking around no one has a good thing to say about MEz's. Apart from making Lot's of smoke on a bonfire it's all they seem fit for

I think that's not universally true for all Metzler MEZs - it's the OE fit MEZ3s that are so awful. It wasn't 'till I changed mine that I realised just how bad they are ... on the Falco - but the bike was transformed when I changed them.

I've seen comments from riders of other bikes that they're the Dogs B@ll@cks .... whereas, on a Falco they're just B@ll@cks.

Seems that they work much better on some bikes than others.

I have heard good reports of other Metzlers on Falcos

[Viking]

At the risk of being stoned as a heretic, I'll defend the Metzeler rubber.

Provided it's the Z6 you're talking about.

The standard Z3 things were crap.