Has anyone ever...

[loafersmate]

Just going back to the engine question, the mille gearbox is also the opposite to the Falco one so you need the mille direct lever to get 1 down 5 up ( I run mine with a mille lever so get 1 up 5 down)

[D-Rider]

Just going back to the engine question, the mille gearbox is also the opposite to the Falco one so you need the mille direct lever to get 1 down 5 up ( I run mine with a mille lever so get 1 up 5 down)

Good point - I forgot that one

[mangocrazy]

Yes - had considered the forks rework option but I believe it is not so easy with the Marzocchis and, consequently, more expensive (than doing the Showas)
The Ohlins seem to be the best way for me - and there's added bling factor too
I've managed to keep the mrs well and truly uninformed or this would be a non-starter .........

Won't the mrs notice the difference in colour of the fork legs? The Ohlins are a much more pronounced golden colour than the Marzocchis...

From a cost point of view you're probably right (Ohlins vs reworking Marzocchis), not that I would expect that argument to hold much water with my wife...

[D-Rider]

Won't the mrs notice the difference in colour of the fork legs? The Ohlins are a much more pronounced golden colour than the Marzocchis...

Doubt it ....

Getting the bike was a sore point - she won't go on it and she doesn't look at it.

Having got away with fitting a mille swingarm and a hi-mount 2-1 exhaust (plus countless other mods) I'm not expecting a slightly different shade of gold to be very apparent ..... maybe I should be more worried about the OZ wheels waiting to go on - which I've also had powder coated gold.

(I fear the wheels are a different gold to the Ohlins gold .... but when did Aprilia ever make a bike without multiple shades of gold on it ....)

[Aladinsaneuk]

no need to worry about the gear linkage - have a close look and you will see that the falco one can be reversed....

(I had that option when I first collected the bird - the guy selling it asked me, then looked at my comfortable figure and clothes and decided I was obviously not a hooligan.....)

[HowardQ]

(I had that option when I first collected the bird - the guy selling it asked me, then looked at my comfortable figure and clothes and decided I was obviously not a hooligan.....)

[Pierre]

...put a Mille engine in a Falco?

Just curious (now got both and am thinking of ways to get all the best bits in one package)

Like Drider says, 'tis easy. I managed with only 1 hammer and a halfords socket set. I was worried about the wiring but the important bits have unique ends on them so you can basically just unplug everything willy-nilly Changed mine cos the sprag broke but I cant say i'd bother if the existing engine is in good running order, no major gains?

If you do do it, dont worry about losing bolts and stuff. I have loads left over

On the other hand an '05 engine from a factory (but i think they all the same anyway?) with under 5k miles on, 57mm throttlebodies, full electrical system minus clocks, downpipes, rad's and spare tank and pump. Now that would be worth doing

Funnily enough

[D-Rider]

On the other hand an '05 engine from a factory (but i think they all the same anyway?) with under 5k miles on, 57mm throttlebodies, full electrical system minus clocks, downpipes, rad's and spare tank and pump. Now that would be worth doing

Funnily enough

.... so why, if you don't mind me asking, is your lovely new engine so comfortably seated on an oversized pair of Y-Fronts ?

[Samray]

His incontinence pants in case of spillages?

[Chabby]

Just on the subject of bling in general and suspension mods in particular.
At the risk of laying myself open to general ridicule, I have to admit that I haven't even changed the rear shock from the universally despised blue spring Sachs.
Its not that I don't ride fast but even as it is, the bike can go as fast as I want around corners and I can't bring myself to shell out the hundreds of pounds for another rear shock.
My other bikes are trailies and a GPz 750 Kwak so anything less than 15yrs old is a quantum leap handling wise to me.
I quite like the feel of 'on the edge' type handling as it keeps my progress this side of losing my licence territory.
I'd no doubt feel different if I indulged in track days and the like but for now the Falco suits me fine how it is.
That said, if anyone's got an better rear shock they're not using and want rid cheap, give me a call.

Damn - nearly convinced myself there.

[D-Rider]

You're not the only one whose not changed their shock ... we do have a forum eccentric that rants wildly over the competence of the standard shock .... and we're glad to provide a safe environment for the more confused and deranged to integrate with the rest of society ....

All I can say was that the change my Ohlins shock made was immediate and obvious.
After a while I had a problem .... one of the bolts in my linkage came undone and bent the triangles. That meant I had to go back to the blue springer for a while .... not pleasant .... bouncy bouncy nonsense.
Eventually got the Ohlins back on there and peace and calm were restored.
Worth the £210 I paid for an almost brand new shock? You bet

Oh - and I don't consider myself to be a riding god - I think anyone would appreciate the difference .... even our mad, deranged eccentric - should he actually try it.

[Kenif]

Like Drider says, 'tis easy. I managed with only 1 hammer and a halfords socket set. I was worried about the wiring but the important bits have unique ends on them so you can basically just unplug everything willy-nilly Changed mine cos the sprag broke but I cant say i'd bother if the existing engine is in good running order, no major gains?

If you do do it, dont worry about losing bolts and stuff. I have loads left over

Cheers Pierre, that made me laugh (reminded me off engineering classes at school. The tin of 'not necessary' bolts got fuller every week!).

So, basically an easy (ish) job. Anybody got an old, low mileage mille engine lying around?

Or should I dismantle both working bikes in the hope I can get it right?

[Pierre]

I got a spare 02 engine from ebay for £170 but its got sod all with it, no clutch slave , no TB's, no sod all but good for a straight swap. If you can wait then there are bargains. Some of the buy-it-nows are silly money

And chabby, you dont have to change the shock. I went from wallowing all round the teesdale to alston road to smashing my pelvis into my spine, 1 has more street cred but 1 is definately cheaper

Oh and samray, 3 words, smb

[Nooj]

Who was asking about radial calipers? The Falco brakes are good enough, though perhaps a little underpowered for the weight of the bike and lacking in initial bite, but the radial brakes on Debz Tuono are AWESOME! They'd stop a train, and just as improtant, have loads more feel at the lever, there's much more control there.

On the subject of forks, Ohlins internals are top quaility and are therefore much easier to service and recondition than cheaper stuff, they'll stay servicable and so give better performance for much longer.

It's not about being ever so slightly more comfy, or having the 'right' stickers on your bike, it's about control over your bike, the more control you've got over your bike the safer you'll be no matter what sort of speeds you enjoy. So for a good price a set of used Ohlins forks with radial calipers are definitely worth swapping the originals for.

(feel free to print this off and show your significant others that you're only thinking of them while doing these mods, they want you to be safe don't they??)

[mangocrazy]

Cheers, Nooj - you've convinced me. A pair of Ohlins with radial calipers it is. Now to convince the missus...

On the subject of standard Falco brakes, is it possible to improve them on the cheap with braided hoses and a pad swap? I seem to recall reading that the brake lines on the Aprilia are already better than yer average rubber hoses, so is there that much scope for improvement?

As one who has in the past dabbled with Harrison Billet 6-pots, I'm definitely interested in having good stoppers...