some post mod thoughts
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 12:46 pm
(I did also post this on AF1 so some may have seen it before)
just thought i would share a few thoughts for folks - that may help some newer falco owners consider mods etc and their actual benefit
For this year - well, till winter, Hanna's oasis green is now finished
When we got the bike it was standard bar braided brake lines. now as it was sharing the garage with my slightly breathed on black stealth falco, it had to be fettled a bit
this evening I took it out for a little exercise on my private track to give it a good work out
last time i rode it on the private track it was standard - unrestricted but standard.
so - some thoughts and comparisons - both to its original form as it arrived and compared to my ickle beastie.
First thing that had to be fitted was some exhausts - the original cans were a nice colour - black, but very poxy - no noise, limited response etc. some carbon can company cans - no baffles ossifer, were fitted. These are actually louder than my renegades! they do bark well - and they do have an impact in the mid range - pick up is pretty cool Riding with them means you need ear plugs, but - well worth it I think
next, I looked at the indicators - the standard ones are far to ugly - - bit like realising you have a red haired step daughter - then noticing she has a hair lip and hump.... I swopped these over to some smoked units - am not overly happy with them - they look ok, but... i need to work on them.... so why mention them... well, my falco has the correct early switch gear - the latter stuff is awful - kept trying to put the horn on etc! they will be changed this winter - i will take time to find the right look. (Having said that I have a new mod I am working on for my falco that may help.....)
all modern bikes have a poultice at the arse end - so i needed that sorting it. I made a bracket and popped everything neat - no changes needed - a tail tidy does make a nice aesthetic change - ie, do it
having sorted the exhaust, i knew i needed to do something on the intake side. Bearing in mind Hanna has only recently moved up to a 1000 i felt a renegade or evo was not a good call - so a K&N was fitted.... that bugger is going this winter
Finally, the rear shock was switched to a white spring mille shock - and then the suspension was set by griff - UK folk know that he is the man for all things aprilia
(I did sort the sidestand btw - all none USA folk should do this when they collect their bike....)
So - the riding test
First impressions were very positive - though I weigh a few pounds more than hanna, the bike was planted in the corners - i threw it through several sets of twisties on the private track and it rode well - compared to the original blue spring sachs shock which did wallow
Long and the short of it - if you are a decent rider who does like to work the bike out - change the shock.
(My bike has a WP fitted - is it worth the average rider spending that kind of cash - no!)
Now performance....
The falco, derestricted, is a swift bike. Lets be serious about that The open pipes, and free er air filter did make it move a fair bit better. BUT
Compared to my beast, with the open renegades and airkit with 54mmm throttle bodies - not even close.
The throttle bodies, combined with the other stuff give a shed load of mid range power - hanna's bike is good - but - i would find it very hard to go back to that performance now.
(So - for the real performance hunters out there - renegades all round, 54mm bodies and then you will have fun - and yes, that level of performance is beyond my skill as a rider - but i do like it!)
****
guess the moral is simple
the falco is a really awesome bike
a little bit of fettling makes it very special
if you are prepared to throw a few quid at it, then it will quite happily do all that you ask of it - I am not a quick rider - but there are an awful lot of local rice burners around where i live who struggle to keep with me
oh - pound for pound - the best mod done to hanna's bike - sort the suspension out - not only with a new rear shock, but get it set up for you
just thought i would share a few thoughts for folks - that may help some newer falco owners consider mods etc and their actual benefit
For this year - well, till winter, Hanna's oasis green is now finished
When we got the bike it was standard bar braided brake lines. now as it was sharing the garage with my slightly breathed on black stealth falco, it had to be fettled a bit
this evening I took it out for a little exercise on my private track to give it a good work out
last time i rode it on the private track it was standard - unrestricted but standard.
so - some thoughts and comparisons - both to its original form as it arrived and compared to my ickle beastie.
First thing that had to be fitted was some exhausts - the original cans were a nice colour - black, but very poxy - no noise, limited response etc. some carbon can company cans - no baffles ossifer, were fitted. These are actually louder than my renegades! they do bark well - and they do have an impact in the mid range - pick up is pretty cool Riding with them means you need ear plugs, but - well worth it I think
next, I looked at the indicators - the standard ones are far to ugly - - bit like realising you have a red haired step daughter - then noticing she has a hair lip and hump.... I swopped these over to some smoked units - am not overly happy with them - they look ok, but... i need to work on them.... so why mention them... well, my falco has the correct early switch gear - the latter stuff is awful - kept trying to put the horn on etc! they will be changed this winter - i will take time to find the right look. (Having said that I have a new mod I am working on for my falco that may help.....)
all modern bikes have a poultice at the arse end - so i needed that sorting it. I made a bracket and popped everything neat - no changes needed - a tail tidy does make a nice aesthetic change - ie, do it
having sorted the exhaust, i knew i needed to do something on the intake side. Bearing in mind Hanna has only recently moved up to a 1000 i felt a renegade or evo was not a good call - so a K&N was fitted.... that bugger is going this winter
Finally, the rear shock was switched to a white spring mille shock - and then the suspension was set by griff - UK folk know that he is the man for all things aprilia
(I did sort the sidestand btw - all none USA folk should do this when they collect their bike....)
So - the riding test
First impressions were very positive - though I weigh a few pounds more than hanna, the bike was planted in the corners - i threw it through several sets of twisties on the private track and it rode well - compared to the original blue spring sachs shock which did wallow
Long and the short of it - if you are a decent rider who does like to work the bike out - change the shock.
(My bike has a WP fitted - is it worth the average rider spending that kind of cash - no!)
Now performance....
The falco, derestricted, is a swift bike. Lets be serious about that The open pipes, and free er air filter did make it move a fair bit better. BUT
Compared to my beast, with the open renegades and airkit with 54mmm throttle bodies - not even close.
The throttle bodies, combined with the other stuff give a shed load of mid range power - hanna's bike is good - but - i would find it very hard to go back to that performance now.
(So - for the real performance hunters out there - renegades all round, 54mm bodies and then you will have fun - and yes, that level of performance is beyond my skill as a rider - but i do like it!)
****
guess the moral is simple
the falco is a really awesome bike
a little bit of fettling makes it very special
if you are prepared to throw a few quid at it, then it will quite happily do all that you ask of it - I am not a quick rider - but there are an awful lot of local rice burners around where i live who struggle to keep with me
oh - pound for pound - the best mod done to hanna's bike - sort the suspension out - not only with a new rear shock, but get it set up for you
