reading one post after the other about modding the falco, is starting to convince me that i need some modding too... but which?
My falco is pretty much stock except for the Shark cans. Its de-restricted, checked that 2 hours after getting it.
would a new rear suspension be the way? im not doing any trackdays and im probably also a whimp wrt curved roads (at least until im getting more familiar with the bike), so would it actually "give"me something?
I have the stock cans, still in a box and have not unpacked them, but the bit i can see looks like they are in mint condition (approx 3.000 km) could be worth something on ebay or trade.
Whats your opinion about all this?
Finn
btw... im a mechanic noob, so dont be too technical please. just consider me as a 6 year old when explaining. Thanks
question to the experts..
Moderators: Aladinsaneuk, MartDude, D-Rider, Moderators
Well... as for the first mod to make, most will probably say change tyres if you are still on the stock tyres. The OEM tyres dont provide for great handling and many swear by changing tyres as soon as possible. I am a tight git so I rode mine to the canvas before I changed... obviously by that stage changing to wagon wheels would have been a great improvement. If you already have different tyres on your Falco then you are probably ok until they need changing.
Next would be altered gearing (depending on how and where you ride), which means dropping a tooth off the front sprocket or adding one to the rear.. i.e. changing the front sproket to 14 teeth or the rear to 44 teeth (I think - I have not done this but others can confirm). Its easy to do, cheap and if you are a commuter it can improve your low-down snatchyness (apparently)
Then rear shock, the standard shock is not great to start with and it quickly gets worse... especially if you are on the larger side. If you feel the bike squatting out of corners or just generally feeling washy at the back then this is a good one to go for. It is harder to do yourself but still relatively easy. You will need more specialised tools for this (like a torque wrench for example)
Next would maybe be an airbox mod. This basically means increasing the airflow to change your Dyno curve and maybe release an extra horsepower or two. Very easy to do at home but to get the best effect of this with cans you need to fit a power commander - this is a more complicated and expensive job though.
There are tons more, both functional, cosmetic and a blend of both. Half the fun of modding is the actual act of doing it yourself and the learning and relationship with your bike that comes with. So if you are new to spanner twirlilng (as I basically was before the Falco), take it slowly and built up to the bigger jobs.
At the end of the day, you dont HAVE to mod your Falco... there are many that remain standard except for maybe tyres and cans. There are wide views over different mods and indeed on whether to mod at all. But whatever you do, dont speak to Hacksaw Nooj
Next would be altered gearing (depending on how and where you ride), which means dropping a tooth off the front sprocket or adding one to the rear.. i.e. changing the front sproket to 14 teeth or the rear to 44 teeth (I think - I have not done this but others can confirm). Its easy to do, cheap and if you are a commuter it can improve your low-down snatchyness (apparently)
Then rear shock, the standard shock is not great to start with and it quickly gets worse... especially if you are on the larger side. If you feel the bike squatting out of corners or just generally feeling washy at the back then this is a good one to go for. It is harder to do yourself but still relatively easy. You will need more specialised tools for this (like a torque wrench for example)
Next would maybe be an airbox mod. This basically means increasing the airflow to change your Dyno curve and maybe release an extra horsepower or two. Very easy to do at home but to get the best effect of this with cans you need to fit a power commander - this is a more complicated and expensive job though.
There are tons more, both functional, cosmetic and a blend of both. Half the fun of modding is the actual act of doing it yourself and the learning and relationship with your bike that comes with. So if you are new to spanner twirlilng (as I basically was before the Falco), take it slowly and built up to the bigger jobs.
At the end of the day, you dont HAVE to mod your Falco... there are many that remain standard except for maybe tyres and cans. There are wide views over different mods and indeed on whether to mod at all. But whatever you do, dont speak to Hacksaw Nooj
Last edited by Syltiz on Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Sorry Dom, have to disagree with mod no2 - not that there's anything wrong with the sprocket mod at all - but at joint No1 (with the tyres - MEZ3 are the awful ones - most others work OK) must be the sidestand (yeah - I know - personal opinion - but .....).
..... and No3 has to be the rear shock
Here's a link to one of the lists I put up once
MODS
..... and No3 has to be the rear shock
Here's a link to one of the lists I put up once
MODS
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HowardQ
- World Champion
- Posts: 3921
- Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:20 pm
- Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England
It's all up to you Finn.
Have a look in the Falco gallery for some ideas.
As you already have the cans, these are some thoughts roughly in priority order.
If you have done more than about 10k on the rear shock I would replace it with something, some people say 10k is much too long to keep it!
Options are down to what you want to spend, I fitted an almost new early Mille White Spring shock which I got off eBay for £40 or so, but obviously something like an new Ohlins unit is better, for much more money.
If you change the shock, you really need to fit a hugger to keep the crap off it, (it was one of the first mods I did to make the original shock last longer, mine was from NWS).
You can go for a Rene air box, but I found that the cheaper K&N kit worked well with the titanium cans I fitted.
I also fitted a Skidmarx belly pan, which I think makes the bike look better and keeps more crap of the engine, as I ride all year round.
However, some people don't like em, same with the dark tint double bubble screen, I fitted one but it's all down to personal taste.
Browse through the gallery and see which mods you like.
P.S. nearly forget, lower the gearing when you next fit a chain, probably just fit a 15 tooth front sprocket, will make it easier to ride.
Just get used to the bike first and see how you find it.
As for the stock cans, even theough they cost around £900 a pair from Aprilia, they never fetch much on eBay, cos everybody fits race cans if they damage the stock units, rather than pay silly prices.
I have two pairs at home!
Have a look in the Falco gallery for some ideas.
As you already have the cans, these are some thoughts roughly in priority order.
If you have done more than about 10k on the rear shock I would replace it with something, some people say 10k is much too long to keep it!
Options are down to what you want to spend, I fitted an almost new early Mille White Spring shock which I got off eBay for £40 or so, but obviously something like an new Ohlins unit is better, for much more money.
If you change the shock, you really need to fit a hugger to keep the crap off it, (it was one of the first mods I did to make the original shock last longer, mine was from NWS).
You can go for a Rene air box, but I found that the cheaper K&N kit worked well with the titanium cans I fitted.
I also fitted a Skidmarx belly pan, which I think makes the bike look better and keeps more crap of the engine, as I ride all year round.
However, some people don't like em, same with the dark tint double bubble screen, I fitted one but it's all down to personal taste.
Browse through the gallery and see which mods you like.
P.S. nearly forget, lower the gearing when you next fit a chain, probably just fit a 15 tooth front sprocket, will make it easier to ride.
Just get used to the bike first and see how you find it.
As for the stock cans, even theough they cost around £900 a pair from Aprilia, they never fetch much on eBay, cos everybody fits race cans if they damage the stock units, rather than pay silly prices.
I have two pairs at home!
Hi finn and welcome.... 
I'd go with the first mod being the sidestand. Don't umm and ahh and wait for the bike to fall over - just get the bloody thing changed. If you ever trawl ebay for fairing parts they are always lightly scratched on the L.H.S.
Next has to be the sprocket although I think you may want to go from stock 16t to 15t. This is a cheap and easy mod that you can feel. Of course it may limit your top speed to under 150mph
As for the rear shock- I am perfectly happy with my blue sachs unit (OEM) with over 15k miles on it. I run it fairly soft and just love the handling. I can't break it down and analyse it but I suspect that if I was a trackday rider or rode fast gently sweeping bends more often it may show up some alarming traits but for my bumpy tight and twisty lanes it's just fine. Don't let them put doubts into your head
I'd go with the first mod being the sidestand. Don't umm and ahh and wait for the bike to fall over - just get the bloody thing changed. If you ever trawl ebay for fairing parts they are always lightly scratched on the L.H.S.
Next has to be the sprocket although I think you may want to go from stock 16t to 15t. This is a cheap and easy mod that you can feel. Of course it may limit your top speed to under 150mph
As for the rear shock- I am perfectly happy with my blue sachs unit (OEM) with over 15k miles on it. I run it fairly soft and just love the handling. I can't break it down and analyse it but I suspect that if I was a trackday rider or rode fast gently sweeping bends more often it may show up some alarming traits but for my bumpy tight and twisty lanes it's just fine. Don't let them put doubts into your head
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Firestarter
- Twisted Firestarter
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- Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:28 am
- Location: Northwich, Cheshire
Apart from the tyres and side stand, I'd say forget the rest and just get out and ride it! Decide what you want to do from there. Don't just dive in to what everyone else is doing (especially as, when you see some of the pics of people with hacksaws, dremels and pipe-benders - scares the crap out of me! 
)
Mine is pretty well stock, apart from tyres, sidestand and rear shock. Waiting to fit a K&N filter and bellypan, and probably the 15th sprocket at some point.
By the way, welcome
)Mine is pretty well stock, apart from tyres, sidestand and rear shock. Waiting to fit a K&N filter and bellypan, and probably the 15th sprocket at some point.
By the way, welcome
well...
first thing has to be the sidestand, totally forgot about that. will have a look at the US ebay. Thanks D-rider for the link, will do a better search next time..
wrt to the 15 sprocket...would make it easier to ride in the city, and i really dont care about the 150mph mark.
I have a yellow Sachs is that stock?
Thanks for all your input so far..
first thing has to be the sidestand, totally forgot about that. will have a look at the US ebay. Thanks D-rider for the link, will do a better search next time..
wrt to the 15 sprocket...would make it easier to ride in the city, and i really dont care about the 150mph mark.
I have a yellow Sachs is that stock?
Thanks for all your input so far..
Yes - I fitted the 15t for easier riding around town (extra acceleration and wheelies are not my main objective).finn wrote:well...
first thing has to be the sidestand, totally forgot about that. will have a look at the US ebay. Thanks D-rider for the link, will do a better search next time..
wrt to the 15 sprocket...would make it easier to ride in the city, and i really dont care about the 150mph mark.
I have a yellow Sachs is that stock?
Thanks for all your input so far..
Worked for me.
Cheap too - so if you don't like it, change back.
Ignore Fausto's comments on the blue spring shock - he's from East Anglia and slightly deranged.
When I changed mine to my Mille Ohlins, the handling improved beyond measure. When I had a spot of bother with a bolt in my linkage coming undone and damaging a triangle, I went back to the blue springer for a while. It was truly awful - bouncing around like tigger pogoing at a punk revival. That's on real roads with real bumps and potholes. Put the Ohlins back on and it was great again.
(Yeah - OK - Fausto may like the characteristics of the standard shock but there are few who do .... particularly those that have ridden with both)
Oh and you already have an improved shock. Yellow Sachs is good.
It's what was on the Milles after about 2001 (the Mille-Rs got the Ohlins)with all this posting my days as pizza rider will soon be gone...
im now down to sidestand and the 15 sprocket, have not checked that yet so maybe im lucky and its allready fitted. need a hump though, but cant find any on ebay.
ahhh S***... im colourblind, just had a look at a pic of my bike, and its a blue Sachs. hmm maybe colourblind isnt that bad, can allways claim to have the fastest colour then.
im now down to sidestand and the 15 sprocket, have not checked that yet so maybe im lucky and its allready fitted. need a hump though, but cant find any on ebay.
ahhh S***... im colourblind, just had a look at a pic of my bike, and its a blue Sachs. hmm maybe colourblind isnt that bad, can allways claim to have the fastest colour then.
D-Rider wrote:
Ignore Fausto's comments on the blue spring shock - he's from East Anglia and slightly deranged.
What do you mean slightly
IMHO If your shock is 'pogoing' then you have too little damping for the level of preload (in very simple terms). So back off the preload or increase the damping. Erm..... is the damping adjustable on blue sachs? Anyway, when I first got mine I tried winding up the preload and was none too comfortable so I backed it off a load (technical term) and it's good enough.
Of course if I was foolish enough to try an Ohlins or similar then I may be reluctant to return to blue springs so obviously I won't try one
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fastasfcuk
- SuperBike Racer
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after the tyres and cans it's got to be those oh so ugly, look better on an electric invalid scooter indicators.-
Aladinsaneuk
- Aprilia Admin
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Of course... yes... I forgot the sidestand.D-Rider wrote:Sorry Dom, have to disagree with mod no2 - not that there's anything wrong with the sprocket mod at all - but at joint No1 (with the tyres - MEZ3 are the awful ones - most others work OK) must be the sidestand (yeah - I know - personal opinion - but .....).
..... and No3 has to be the rear shock
Here's a link to one of the lists I put up once
MODS