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There is a good review of the Falco in the July issue of Bike (why does this come out in May?). It nicely sums up the joys of Falco ownership. One thing made me nearly fall off my chair though - it mentions a 200 mile tank range! Is it just me or is this a bit optimistic. My fuel light goes on after around 120 miles and I'm hardly the fastest rider in the world. I'd guess it only then has 30 miles or so to go - I've not tried pushing it further than this (didn't want to literaly have to push it). Is this typical?

I suspect the author has done his sums wrong -he mentions a 5 gallon tank. My manual says 19 litres which I think is 4.2 gallons.

Sounds good - I'll have to try and get a copy when I get back from Japan.
200 mile range is quite achievable ..... if you trailer it .........

Just read it

Liked the bit where it says "The Falco is one of those bikes it's a joy to find waiting behind the garage door."

200 kilometer tank range perhaps...

christ

currently I am getting a fuel light on after 105 to 110 miles :(

Aladinsaneuk wrote:christ

currently I am getting a fuel light on after 105 to 110 miles :(

Not just me then, thats good to hear.

I must ride like a fanny then - I generally get 150 to a tank - and that's on proper roads, motorways see more like 180 before the light comes on

back_marker wrote:I must ride like a fanny then - I generally get 150 to a tank - and that's on proper roads, motorways see more like 180 before the light comes on

Nah.... more likely you haven't done all sorts of performance mods and so are getting the standard Falco economy.


That's my excuse anyway.

Let's not bother about the tank range, that was just because they got around 40 mpg and got the tank size slightly wrong at 5 gallon, so calculated the range wrongly, some of the other comments were very good. such as -

Regular readers will know what's coming next. This is the bit where we tell you - Again - how bloody marvelous the Rotax-made 60 degree V-twin is. In Falco trim, the engine is, if anything, an even more exceptional road bike motor than that of the RSV, because of the extra midrange.
It's just about smooth enough at low revs to make town work bearable, and from there on up you get the dreamy V-twin package of dumper truck midrange followed by Porsche-pummelling top-end between 6000 and 9500. It's approximately one thousand times less taxing to ride fast than a sports 600, letting you get on with the important business of listening to the exhaust note and being comfortable.

I can't argue with any of that!
Then the summary wasn't bad -

But alas, the Falco fell between three stools.
If you wanted sporty, you went RSV Mille.
If you wanted toury, you went Triumph Sprint.
If you wanted all-roundy, you went VFR 800.
Which makes the unloved Falco a genuine bargain, for those of us fed up with aching wrists, but not prepared to be left behind.
It's a gentleman's sportsbike, a hardcore sports tourer, a connoisseurs motorcycle, and if one was waiting for me behind the garage door, I'd be chuffed to bits.

An interesting final thought from John Westlake, with some comments not made before, but I wouldn't argue with any of them!

Think they may have had a look on here for other owners thoughts, but they thought the side stand was a "runty old toe rag, that contrives to leave the bike so upright that strong winds give you heart failure", (Solution - GSX-R stand bolts straight in).
Overall handling is good and it corners with minimal effort but the standard rear shock causes it to squat coming out of corners, and there is a problem with losing damping after a fast ride down a bumpy road, (solution fit an aftermarket shock).
Again can't argue with that.
Now finally for the total garbage bit -
Pre-2003 bikles with silver frames had questionable colour schemes

My beautiful black Falco questionable , no way.

Take a Ride on the Dark Side

HowardQ wrote: Now finally for the total garbage bit -
Pre-2003 bikles with silver frames had questionable colour schemes

My beautiful black Falco questionable , no way.

probably talking about those dodgy Yeller ones.

But I wholeheartedly agree. Now metallic brown.. there's a questionable colour scheme

back_marker wrote:

HowardQ wrote: Now finally for the total garbage bit -
Pre-2003 bikles with silver frames had questionable colour schemes

My beautiful black Falco questionable , no way.

probably talking about those dodgy Yeller ones.

But I wholeheartedly agree. Now metallic brown.. there's a questionable colour scheme

Can't argue with that one, ............ just wait for DR and Co..

they can't help it - the colour means they will turn up late... shite brown is the new slow it would seem....

Well I was normally getting 100-110 before the light came on up up till the last service.
I knew it was running rich and they backed it off a lot. I'm now getting about 135-140 before the light ..... but it runs like crap below 3500rpm with small throttle openings (like anywhere round town). Must get my pipe fitted and a custom map done soon.

However, what I'm saying is that the 100 mile to the light effect is likely to be that it's running rich and some of the higher ranges and it could be a bit lean - at some revs an throttle openings.
Seems that quite a range of "ranges" is possible.

Yeh I usually get about 110 to 125 to the light, but can vary either side of this, have had under a 100, but once had 138 miles on a steady run!
So 120 plus the 4.2 ltrs in reserve should give you run to dry of about 150 miles on average, but who wants to run it to dry.

Just serviced mine. Normal stuff but used them expensive iridium plugs and they seem to make a real difference.

I have the SL carbon cans chip and evo airfilter mod. Normaly I get 100 - 120 miles until the light comes on. First run after the service and that went up to 155 miles and not only that, it was smoother and felt much quicker too. I've only had that sort of mileage once before, guiding my daughter back from picking up a new car and how shall we say .. a very different level of performance was being used.

I probably neeed to run a few more tankfulls through but my first impressions was of a very big gain.