BUYERS GUIDE

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johndo · #1 Post by **johndo** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:11 pm

Might finally take the plunge, any inherent defects you should lookout for?

FlyingKiwi · #2 Post by **FlyingKiwi** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:05 pm

Don't get yellow

joecrx · #3 Post by **joecrx** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:26 pm

you wont go wrong with a red one

fastasfcuk · #4 Post by **fastasfcuk** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:35 pm

joecrx wrote:you wont go wrong with a red one

red and black.

FlyingKiwi · #5 Post by **FlyingKiwi** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:12 pm

Ok, I'll be serious.... some don't have Uk headlights. I think it's more of the last few.
AND...................Bronze is best

Gio · #6 Post by **Gio** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:15 pm

If its taking you this long to take the plunge, should you be thinking of riding a bike!

johndo · #7 Post by **johndo** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:13 pm

take it nothing serious then!!

D-Rider · #8 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:06 pm

Gio wrote:If its taking you this long to take the plunge, should you be thinking of riding a bike!

Potts and Kettles !!!!

Gio · #9 Post by **Gio** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:13 pm

D-Rider wrote:
Gio wrote:If its taking you this long to take the plunge, should you be thinking of riding a bike!
Potts and Kettles !!!!

Certainly not!
I've had various esapades on bikes and might well in the future, after all can any of use say never?

D-Rider · #10 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:22 pm

johndo wrote:take it nothing serious then!!

Right - nothing serious ..... usually.

There was a recall years ago - oil pipe problem. Think that's so long ago there should be none with a problem.

Earlier ones had a plastic peg in the sidestand switch which sometimes breaks. New ones have a metal pin.

Do check the headlight on newer ones - there's a "sticky" on this that tells you how to check - some of us are in the long process to resolve this .... I've been waiting ages for my dealer to rectify this - he's been waiting on the delivery of the headlight from Aprilia (parts supply from Aprilia is better but sometimes can still be problematic)

Occasionally there are speedo sensor failures, Starter relay failures, sprag clutch failures and a number of other things .... this sounds like a catalogue of problems but most of them have not affected most of us (well, not most of the time). Most are not that hard to sort out.

Falcos seem capable of reaching high mileages,

If it's got the sidestand mod done, that's a good thing - if not get it done ASAP .... then there will be advice on a few more mods.

As Kiwi says, avoid yellow falcos. As Kiwi has discovered, avoid blue vans.

xrphil · #11 Post by **xrphil** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:23 pm

generally nothing serious, no.
mine was bought a year ago with 6000m on it, having sat around outside a bit, it had a couple of things happen.
1st, the drain pipes from the fuel cap needed cleaning out.
2nd, on euro tour the clutch seal washer went, a real pain at the time, but a 1hr job with a £2 part.
also had a bit of uneven running which turned out to be a cracked plug cap, and now have a low oil pressure light coming on at tickover, which I believe is the pressure relief valve. this is in the bike doctors at the moment,and should be back in a day or two.
had to replace the starter relay last week as that fried, but stuck the better Yam unit in.
oh and when I first got it, the brakes juddered like hell! cleaned the disc buttons, and pistons up which helped, then just kept using it till they freed up.
got to say I think all bar the oil light issue are just niggles, and it has been a superb all round bike.
Biggest surprise has been how good a tourer it has been, really comfortable even on long days, and chuckable on the nice bits.
the engine itself being a rotax, is a peach! really grunty, although coming off an SV650, i did find it a bit lumpy round town.
build quality is the biggest surprise, very high, top components
in short a very good bike,

back_marker · #12 Post by **back_marker** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:13 am

Nothing really major. Had mine for a few months now and the only problem I've really had is the starter relay but this is is fairly easy and relatively cheap to fix.

The thing that impresses me most (especially after havinga suzuki before) is the build quality and despite the fact that it's 5 years old and been ridden in the winter is the build quality. Oh, and just how much bike you can get for a stupidly low price - I still can't work out why no-one seems to want them when every test I've read on them gives nothing but praise.

The only annoying thing about it comes if you like to service/tinker/tweak yourself - no job, no matter how small, ever seems to be as simple as it should be.

One final thing, forget Silver, Yellow, Blick, metallic sludge and especially yellow; Go for something a bit more exclusive and get a blue one. (Even Aprilia has realised this is a superior colour - next years RSV comes in Blue)

HowardQ · #13 Post by **HowardQ** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:52 pm

Most of it been covered already, nothing major other than the sidestand issue, (but had mine for 3 years before I got around to changing it, just used to pull it out a little bit with my foot each time I parked, just to make it a bit more stable and was also careful where I parked it).
I've had my Black 2001 model for 3 1/2 years and about 18k miles, in that time the only real fault has been a gummed up rear brake light switch, which had to be replaced.
I've had lots of bikes over many years and this is the best I've ever had. It has also been the most reliable and I've had a few Hondas in that time, (still got a CBR1000F).
If you've never had a V Twin it will feel different, but once you get used to it you'll love it.
Don't listen to all the bollox about which colour is best, they are all great, it's just that the Black ones are faster and more reliable!

Go for it!

johndo · #14 Post by **johndo** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:14 pm

Bad day, got caught up in unavoidable work issues that had to dealt with and missed bike by two mins,so who bought my bike!!!!!!

FlyingKiwi · #15 Post by **FlyingKiwi** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:05 pm

It was me.
Sorry johndo. I spotted it yesterday afternoon. when I saw your post that evening i was fishing to find out if you had seen the same bike.
My insurance company valued my '06 Falco at £ 4175 (although I'm after more) so that just covers this one.
I couldn't pass up a fast Bronze Falco and now I'm feeling all guilty