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OK, havent put a lot of thought into this but here ya go....

Was thinking the other day that there's so much I would like to do with my bike in terms of ad ons, replacements, improvements etc, but I neither have the time or the money or in alot of cases the expertise.

I use Ruby for commutes and the occasional ride outs, Im still loving her but.....

Would anybody fancy swapping their carefully modded (hopefully improved) bike for a barely changed original?

Mine is an 04 with GPR cans and heated grips but not much else. Its just had its main service and has done about 20k I bought her last year with about 10k on the clock I believe and from a bloke who washed her everytime he came back after a ride. I cant pretend that I have done the same, but she is still in pretty good nick.

This could be a foolish question I know and Im expecting a few foolish replies.......

You may not get too many replies I'm afraid, unless somebody is getting rid.
We all get very attached to our Falcos on here, keep them a long time, and tend to have different views about what we like, so often tend to mod them in slightly different ways that suit our personal tastes and riding styles over a number of years.
As somebody commented when we met up at Newark in April.
"Never seen this many Falcos before, but there are no two the same!".
At my age I don't like to spend all my time modding, much rather be riding at every opportunity whilst I still can.
There is not much that you really need to do, and many of the mods are more cosmetic.
Do the obvious important stuff like change the sidestand, swap out the rear shock (as yours will be shot at 20K), and just enjoy the bike.
Things like fitting a Mille swingarm, don't change the handling at all, it is just the "bling value".
If you get the chance, get somebody to set up the suspension to suit you, and most other swaps are not critical.
Enjoy the bike!

Where abouts in the uk are you?

If you are fairly close to me I will happily help fit stuff... There is no chance in hell I will swop mine though?

Two very nice replies - thank you
Right Ill get hold of a rear shock in which case and get that sorted. Standard Mille I assume.
Im in sunny Bristol by the way.

me and my bird have been through alot together, picked her up whens shes down , kept her warm in the winter, praised her with a full tank of petrol when shes been good ,toped her up when she was running a tempreture ( water) replaced any broken limbs with nice new shiny aftermarket ones ,going to treat her to a new set of boots for xmass and pads
dont know if i could part with her even though she makes me walk home when iv had a drink , she can be a pain but i love her

http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/show ... p?t=162440

read the first page of that - it will make sense

the only shock that will fit straight in - with minimal work, is the white spring mille one, just needs either a recessed valve or a trim with a dremel....

the other mille shocks need the linkages etc....

no matter what shock you go for, budget for it being serviced and then set up properly for you - ie, if you have been eating too many pies, get advice about what spring to fit.....

Thanks mate will do.....fortunately no sign of resulting effects of pie eating yet

will check out the link

again, great advice and I must admit, the assumption about the shock being tired at 20k is definitely true....really noticed it last week.

trust us - it was shite to start with!

if you are going to get some one to set up your suspension they will advise you about your forks...... may want to consider a fork oil change.....

I'll second that, the front forks are pretty good as standard for normal riding. Yes you could have them revalved, or fit Ohlins, but probably be fine with an oil change.
I changed the oil slightly, there were two grades, I seem to remember, one for the Mille and a slightly thinner grade for ther Falco and you could mix them equally to get an in between grade, which was what I did.
I will see if I can find the exact details.
Check the seals first as this would be a good time to change them.

Scour ebay for a few choice bits over the comming months. Take it off the road in Febuary and put in a conserted effort to fit your newly aquired goodies, eh voila! First sunny day in March join the moded Falco club, be it with "da bling" or the frightfully good taste what.

A replacement shock yes, fork oil for sure if you havn't changed it in the last couple of years. Drop the yokes down the forks as that realy improves the feel of the bike and doesn't take long and 'ill not break the bank. Set your suspension up or visit a man who knows how.

A few hunderd quid will rekindle the spark and give it a new lease of life, a bit like buying the girl friend a new frock. That's why after five years of reasonable restraint I splashed out on the OZs last year.

Ps.

Joecrx's posted picture looks a bit like Nooj catching forty winks after a hard day at the office.