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Hello All,

I collected my 2005 completely standard (apart from a new set of Metz Sportec M-1s just fitted by previous owner) Falco with 5400 miles on the clock at the end of last week and 300 miles later cannot stop smiling. Bike is immaculate ...I don't think it's ever seen rain. Photos will follow but haven't got round to them yet.

As buying the bike has drained the piggy bank it'll be a while before I'll be modding it, with bellypan and hugger to keep her underside clean, probably being first priorities.

Original cans and Sachs shock replacement are further down the list ....but one day!! I'm coping so far with the side stand. Just being very careful on choice of parking!

Having guested on this site for several months I'd like to thank all of you contributors for the tips, advice and general info which convinced me to buy this bike,

Cheers, Alan

Hi Alan - glad the post worked this time

Good to hear you took the plunge and got the Falco .... and that several months of lurking hasn't put you off the forum.

.... it's your shout in the virtual bar BTW

Mine's almost standard as well (apart from the cans and K&N), and from next week will be back to OE cans and will have restrictors in place in the Airbox (12 Euro's I think). Then it will be a healthy 100BHP.
Sort of the opposite of Nooj...

Anyhow - welcome to the site and enjoy the reparte of the middle-aged men's club

Hello. Get yer spanners out!

Welcome to the site Alan, glad we did not put you off after all that lurking!
You've bought a great bike and one the will keep you smiling for years. I've had mine nearly 5 years and ain't stopped yet.
I still look back at it as I leave the garage, and have a bloody great grin every time I ride it. I've had loads of bikes over the years but none had the same effect for so long.
If money is tight, newer versions of the rear shock that have not done too many miles are not that bad, I used mine for around around 10K miles before I changed it and the bike had 6k on it when I bought it. I used a Mille shock, they are a major improvement on the original unit, Ohlins are better still, but I have ridden bikes with much worse shocks that the std. Falco unit. Others will have a different view, just get out and ride and see how you go.
One of the first things I did was fit a rear hugger to stop crap being thrown at the rear shock and making it worse, perhaps that is why mine stayed decent for some time.
What bike did you have before? The Falco will seem quite different if you've been used to Jap IL4s.

Falcomille wrote:from next week will be back to OE cans and will have restrictors in place in the Airbox (12 Euro's I think). Then it will be a healthy 100BHP.

Ah, but for how long will the restrictor and OE cans be in place; just until you've got your French registration papers....?

Oh and welcome to the site, Alan. You've chosen a cracking bike. I was a lurker for a long time before buying; to be honest the site and the other owners simply convinced me that I was doing the right thing.

That's another one coming out of the closet and admitting to lurking, how many more are hiding out here?
Never would have expected that of you Mango.

P.S. Hello all ...... I'm Joe and I'm a Lurker!

You could possibly try here for help with your affliction -

http://lurkers-anonymous.group.stumbleupon.com/

HowardQ wrote:That's another one coming out of the closet and admitting to lurking, how many more are hiding out here?
Never would have expected that of you Mango.

I don't think there's anything wrong with lurking (in a good way, of course...) I'd cottoned on to the Falco and needed to find out more about it without committing myself. I liked the look and idea of them, and remembered the positive reviews when they first came out, and this site was my 'research'.

It all ended happily ever after, anyway...

bollocks and welcome

:)

so.... you have expressed an interest in modding a little bit... LOL

we never ever do that here guv....

I was a bit different, I was looking for another VFR, this time an 800i.
I read the odd report on the Falco that sounded good, but at that time hardly anybody ever tested it in the UK cos it wasn't a sports bike, (they thought). Found one for sale on eBay, rode it, loved it, bought it, rode it even more just got better, (keep repeating that last bit), but never saw another on the road for bloody ages, so nobody to chat to about it. Whenever I went to a bike meet, it always drew a small crowd, because hardly anybody had seen one in the flesh.
Ended up on CPLUS's site which was great, with loads of information, when he started to run into difficulty, I started looking round and found the original Aprilia Riders Site, then ended up here when that folded. Been (Lurking??) here ever since!
Best bike site on the web!

Hi Alan, there might come the time when you wish you'd remained a lurker, prolly sooner than you think, certainly sooner than Mr Mastercard thinks.

How did I light upon a Falco? Well, many years ago, I did my Direct Access test with a school based at an Aprilia Dealer in Manchester. I used a Moto 650 (the Phillipe Starck thing). After that I bought a new Bandit 600, then a CBR1000F (tank, but utterly reliable and comfortable). Out of curiosity one day, I went to the dealers and asked if I could try a 1000 twin. They let me have a tricked-up Falco to try. Flat bars, Aprilia Racing cans and chipped. It was like having a warp drive fitted to a bike. I said then - "I gotta get me one of these". And I did. Never regretted it. I can't see me ever wanting another bike!

Hi and Welcome Alan. You are basically just down the road from me. Hope to see you out and about one day

Hi Alan, and welcome. Being a total newbe to Falco's and biking....only passed my test in Dec, this site is a life blood of experiance and information THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO POSTS HERE YOU ARE LEGANDS. I lurked for all of 48hrs before investing in some italian hardware, the smile has not left my face and I'm 3 weeks and 400 miles in to ownership.

In terms of mods, just about anything you can think of has been discussed here, I'm up for a sidestand mod and new cans, Beowulfs are on the way as we spk and will be going on this wkend...I'll take some pics, has anyone else go down the Beowulf route?

Cheers and happy riding
Oli