newbie & looking for a Falco

[stivesvelo]

Hi,

Just joined as I have persuaded myself that I need a Falco.

There seem to be quite a few available, is there anything to be looking for (I hear that the speedo sensor can go, rear shock isn't particularly good but motor is sound). there has been one very low mileage one which although attractive slightly worried me, what with leaving it standing and seals/bearings drying out is it probably better to find one with signs of a little more use?

I had an mv which did need some regular wheel bearings etc (& expensive maintainance around 16-18k mls) to keep it in top condition, so I guess price & mileage/history could be an influence.

I like the bronze/black colour, also the black/red, so if anyone has one which isn't a thousand miles away I could be interested...

Rob

[D-Rider]

Hi Rob - welcome to the forum.

Yes, of course you need a Falco .... and you've already picked out the best colours.

Not really much to look out for other than what you would with any other bike.
Standard shock is poor (in comparison to the rest of the bike) - as is the sidestand - but they are sorted without too much hassle.

They are very reliable bikes. There are a few things that cause people trouble from time to time.
The sprag clutch has been known to fail - though few of us have actually had this problem. Batteries take a bit of a hammering but will last OK if you look after them. Starter relay is poor and can fail and a number of us have had to replace speedo sensors (moisture gets into them and they give all sorts of speeds! TBH if any of these has gone, you'll know about it and if it's going to go, few of these announce themselves in advance.

If you do a search on here for "buying Falco" or similar, it will throw up a lot of info for you - but don't forget, we're often listing all the things that can go wrong - don't start thinking that they all do go wrong on a regular basis.

[Olig7475]

Hi there Rob, I've had mine for a year now and I have to say I love it. It's my first bike so nowt to compare it with, it took a few months to get used to the racy riding position (clip-ons over the top yoke sorted that out) and the vibey v-twin motor, but now it's just smiles all the way...oh yes and that sound wow .

Most of the guys on this forum ave had there's for years so there is a wealth of knowledge to tap in to and modifications to make, if that's your thing get ready to SPEND!

So welcome and if you’re going to the bar mines a pint.

Cheers
Oli

[stivesvelo]

Thanks guys......I'm looking

& Oli, I poured your pint into the keyboard, did you get it?

Rob

[joecrx]

hi rob no way im licking your keyboard

had mine 3 and a bit years ,got it at 13000 miles now done 22000 miles only thing thats went wrong with mine was the solinoid easy upgrade ,
blown over 2 times cause of the side stand , i have an gsx one to put on
i put a new battery in her14 cca as i felt the original getting weak
put a mpl clutch slave on as the original was leaking i know i could have replaced the seals but the mpl makes the clutch lighter too

nothing major and engine is sound , iv still got the original shock , wont know how bad it is till i upgrade

my next bike will be a falco but a wee bit newer it takes a bit getting used to its my first v twin , nearly lost the back end a few times, but you grow to love hte bike its a goos alrounder, i have the aprilia paniers and rool bag for touring too

[GregD-UK]

Hi all,

Welcome Rob

You are about to embark on an interesting journey fella, you look at the falco, we (us on here) will bestow you with a multitude of facts and advice. After that, we shall allow you to max out your credit card

Then the fun riding will start, and the noise and feel will be your's to enjoy and other biker mortals to wonder, "What the hell was that going past!"

Enjoy...

[fastasfcuk]

welcome mate, you will love it.

[HowardQ]

Welcome to the site Rob, go for the bike, you'll almost certainly love it.
I've had a lot of bikes over many years but the Falco is the best bike I've ever had and the most reliable, (the 3 bikes before it were all reliable Hondas). Got mine, (a 2001 model), 5 1/2 years ago at 6K miles and I have added nearly 24K to that. Only had two small problems =
A rear brake light switch stuck in, (but I ride all year round and it got stuck up with salt).
The other failure was the side stand cut out switch, (mine was one of the early versions with a plastic pin which broke, newer ones have steel pins).
I also have a 2002 ZX9R, which is a great bike and very fast, but it does not have the low down instant "kick" of the Falco and certainly does not have the character.
Perhaps V Twins don't suit everybody and you may need a few miles to re-adjust after IL4s, but buy one, give it the chance and you may find you never want to get rid.
Sorry but if you want to hear any bad comments about the Falco, you won't get them here!

As for problems areas, I kept the std. rear shock until around 16K miles, and I thought it was OK, (I've ridden bikes with a lot worse shocks), changed to a Mille unit and it does give a good improvement, plus ride height adjustment.
Very early shocks were worse and overheated, the models you are looking at are better. Try it and see what you think for now, and put it on a list for when you can afford it.
You can just about manage with the original side stand if you are very careful, I always used to sort of pull it out a bit further as I parked the bike, but really it's best not to risk it, as falling over can do a fair bit of damage, so make it your priority swap out.
Good luck with the search, I wouldn't worry about low mileage, just the opposite.

[MartDude]

Pah! Another one for the East Anglia/Eats Mids Falco Mafia

Hello & welcome!

[stivesvelo]

Thanks for all the positive advice, I haven't heard much bad said about the Falco yet. It pretty much looks ideal for me, I like a half faired bike & not bothered about vibes, had a bm rockster till last year so like twins, also still have a Laverda triple (sfc1000) so am pretty used to lack of refinemenet, it's character building!!
I suspect the Falco will feel a lot more nimble, punchy & 'modern' in comparison.

Any thoughts on any of these from dealers, some seem a tad on the high side to me.....Rob

http://www.motocorsa.co.uk/bikes/index. ... bike_id=53

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... &logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... &logcode=p

There is another black/red one from ebay which I will be looking at

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... TM:GB:1123

[HisNibbs]

I think you wull have to pay more than 3k to get a nice one from a dealer. I have seen them go between 2 - 3 K on e-bay. They wear mileage well so don't be put off by that too much, look for the quality of finnish and the expensive extra's such as shock and cans, thrown in.

[HisNibbs]

PS.

Vibes are minimal, punch phenominal and can be made agile with a few tweaks. Basicaly a very well made and accomplished machine.

[D-Rider]

Thanks for all the positive advice, I haven't heard much bad said about the Falco yet. It pretty much looks ideal for me, I like a half faired bike & not bothered about vibes, had a bm rockster till last year so like twins, also still have a Laverda triple (sfc1000) so am pretty used to lack of refinemenet, it's character building!!
I suspect the Falco will feel a lot more nimble, punchy & 'modern' in comparison.

Any thoughts on any of these from dealers, some seem a tad on the high side to me.....Rob

http://www.motocorsa.co.uk/bikes/index. ... bike_id=53

23,000 miles
Bronze/Black Falco July 2003, one owner, full service history in excellent condition. Just serviced, new Diablo rear tyre, front good, £2000 extras including - Ohlins rear shock (12m old), Meta alarm, Race/road pipes inc chip upgrade, Double bubble screen, Footrest riser kit, Lower fairing panel, Rear hugger & K&N filter unit. Part ex welcome with finance available subject to status. 3 Months warranty and 12 months MOT on purchase

£3,500 seems a lot to me - these were going for £5,000 to £5,500 new (I paid £4,999 for a brand new 2003 built bike in 2005).
It looks in good condition, has the desirable SL carbon cans and chip (not strictly road legal but I don't think anyone has had a problem), a skidmarx bellypan and rear hugger.
The rear shock in the picture is NOT Ohlins - it is the standard blue-spring Sachs shock that is not well regarded ....
The screen in the pictures is standard - not double bubble.
Meta alarm is good.

Looks a nice bike though.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... &logcode=p

8,666 miles. Full Service History. This is a rare opportunity to own a magical Aprilia motorcycle. I doubt you will find a cleaner or lower mileage example of this truly superb machine. This bike comes with FULL service history AND a Maxton rear shock worth 500 pounds! Dont delay if you want this bike as iot wont be around long. 100 pound deposit can secure any machine if you are not local. Delivery is also an option, £3,395

Very low miles but £3,395 for a silver one seems very expensive
Looks fairly standard except for the Scorpion cans and the Maxton shock.
Maxton shocks are good - Paddy rates his .... but just because it cost the owner £500 new does not make it worth £500 though!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... &logcode=p

Manual 6 speed, 13,415 miles, Metallic Gold. one owner, FSH, Nitron Rear Shock, Fuel Road Legal Cans, Tinted Screen, This bike has to be seen to be apreciated! Standard Bits included. £3,999 p/x welcome

Lovely bike - yep Nitron shock, Double bubble screen, Fuel cans (bike colour is Bronze not Gold) ..... but £3,999 ......

There is another black/red one from ebay which I will be looking at

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... TM:GB:1123

The Flamingo Red ebay one auction has ended but it looks very standard ... and to be a nice bike.
It didn't attract any bids and was priced at £2,499 - a bit more like the price I was expecting.

TBH on the evidence of those you've found, maybe prices are a bit stronger than they were going for last year - maybe to do with the price hike in new bike prices ... so possibly my first comments of surprise on prices need to be reassessed a little.

[Aladinsaneuk]

as it happens... i think i know of one for sale in norwich... private sale

excerpts from our IM chat earlier:

i saw some one looking for a falco last night - in your colours
how much you looking for it?
07:59Danny
around 2000 I reckon thats a fair price
08:00Aladin
ok - mileage? and what extras have been done?
08:01Danny
hmm..19k I think....might be less, got double bubble tinted screen, titanium cans, bellypan, carbon front fender, got all original parts too
Aladin
on a sorn i assume? and mot? what year is it?
08:03Danny
yeah, sorn, mot expired, but its only done 1000miles since last one, can't see why it wouldn't fly through, tyres almost new, its on a 53 plate

pm me for mobile number if interested

[danowat]

Thanks to Alad for posting, I'd actually forgetten about the site!!!

The bike is mine, infact, I believe the bike (and I) have ridden with Davshill a few years ago when I went to Yorkshire on it!.

Anyway....

The bike is as described, I am after £2k for it, for a quick sale, my car has broken down, and I have brought a new one, and need funds, otherwise I wouldn't sell it, as its an excellent bike.

Its a bronze and black 53 plate, it does have some non standard parts, but I have the originals

Some up to date pics of it, let me know if you want any more info.