7 year itch ?? I don’t think so.

[HowardQ]

7 year itch ?? I don’t think so.

Seven years ago today I bought my Falco.
It was not an obvious choice, I had always liked them, but just not seen one at a price I wanted to pay.
I had agreed to a deal on a Blackbird, then found out it had a dodgy history.
Then agreed a purchase on a Fazer Thou, paid insurance and everything ready to pick up that W/End, then the bloke sent me an email to say he’d had a better offer from somebody local who’d paid him a higher price in cash, he hoped I was OK with that .............. B*stard.
I was seriously pissed off, and also lost money on the insurance!
I should have thanked him really.
Couple of days later I saw the love of my life on eBay - Aprilia Falco 2001 in black, with 6450 on the clock.
It was at the time in 2004 when Aprilia were a bit dodgy financially, and bids were very slow.
Anyway it failed to reach the minimum, but my bid of £2.8 was the highest , he had originally wanted £3.5K but said how about £3.2k.
so we had a chat and split the difference at £3k, (I would have gone much higher, but was over the moon at this price for a 3 year old Falco).
I arranged to go down and see the bike that weekend, (Aug. the 1st 2004), to check over/buy/bring home if all was OK.
It was, I bought it and rode home from Crewe over the glorious Macclesfield to Buxton road, (following the wife in her Fiat Punto, unfortunately).
It turned out to be the best bike I have ever had in 40 odd years, (and twenty odd bikes), and by far the most reliable, even though in recent years I’ve mainly had Hondas and still had my old CBR Thou.
It will never be sold until I finally pack it in.
Over seven years I’ve added 25k miles, so it’s now up to 32K.
It’s only really had two failures in all that time, a rear brake light switch and a side stand switch, (the early plastic type).
The clutch did start to slip at 10K miles after an Aprilia dealer put Putoline Syntec oil in, swapped for Castrol semi-synth and clutch still OK 22k miles later on semi-synth.
So the bars open for the day, everybody drink what you want, to celebrate my seven happy years of bliss.

P.S.
Oh and it’s Yorkshire Day so I’ll get everybody another half to go with it.
(If I offered more, you’d think I wasn’t from Yorkshire!)

[Samray]

First in the queue.
Jack ta.

[Aladinsaneuk]

And the faster colour to boot

Milk please

[Viking]

A pint of Old Peculiar, please.
(and a packet of pork scratchings, if there's any left.)

[HisNibbs]

Since we have something in common I'll have one with you. I think I also got mine in 2004 never sure about these things, I could find out I suppose but rather drink to it anyway!

Slightly different niggles but the conclusion is the same. If it itches scratch it, no reason to change anything.

Another whiskey please.

[Falcopops]

Grats mate

[D-Rider]

Seven years eh Howard and such a great bike - Congratulations

..... isn't it about time you treated it to its top coat of paint to finish it off .... it could then look as good as one of these:



or one of these:



perhaps one of these:



maybe one of these:



or one of these:



All with a black base and then the proper finishing touches .... and they even remembered to do the frame




(Nah don't worry - they are all Falcos and they are all lovely .... except for the yellow ones, of course)