Featured The Old 'next Bike' Quandary

Couldn't get my leg up that high these days

 

Hmmmmm….. Aprilia. Don't know much about them. I don't want to go over $20K on this next one so that pretty much nixes a Ducati V4, that's one reason I'm looking at that B'mer. I should be ready to pull the trigger by this Autumn. These Tuono's and RSV4's look promising. What can the tribe tell me about Aprilia?

I would place my overall experience level and prowess level as "intermediate."

 

If I was going to go with one over the other then I would 100% say go with the Tuono........it is a weapon of a sports bike but with a more usable riding position. They are definitely a hooligan bike and will make you want to "make progress"
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/aprilia/tuono-v4-1100-factory/2021/
I think for you guys on the west side of the pond the main problem would be finding a dealership somewhere conveniently close to you. As with all bikes nowadays they are packed with gadgets and gismos and if they are slightly dodgy you need a good support system nearby.

 

And the 100 mile tank range, less than that if you give it the big fist..

 

That's more the V Twin bud, I think the V4's are a bit better with their range

 

Nope...I've had both..vtwin was 110-120 till the light came on, V4 I never got more than a ton and often a lot less..

 

Was only going on the specs of the 21 model that gives 146 mile range. I know specs are not real world but wouldn't expect it to be down by a third

 

My Vtwin was 2007 my V4 bike was 2014..specs are always Bullshit

 

I'm currently in the Atlanta area, albeit temporarily. There's a dealership about 2 hours away in Augusta. I just might take a day trip over there to check them out. Back home in NC there's one in Charlotte. That's about 2 1/2 hrs from me. If I actually go this route those are the guys I'd probably be dealing with. That will certainly be a pain in the ass for servicing but as it stands I have to go 1.5 hrs for the Triumph anyway. My former local dealership got their ticket pulled by Triumph(and I'm told with prejudice) so I have to go to Greensboro now for authorized work.

Triumph…
https://selectcycle.com

Aprilia...
https://www.teamcharlottemotorsports.com

"If it has wheels, floats, f*cks, or flies…"

 

With a bike like that I’d probably need a lie down every hundred miles, anyway.

 

Turned out there's a Motorrad dealer right by where I'm staying. Interweb said they had a S1000RR on the floor so I stopped in and checked it out. Really like what I saw. Threw my leg over it without a hitch. That impressed me. Definitely seemed lighter than 500 lbs. Balls of my feet were firmly and comfortably on the ground when I stood it up. That was a bit of a relief. I figured I'd be up on my tippy toes like some of review dudes I watched on the YouTube. The bike overall felt pretty good.

Salesguy was a bit off a choad, but salemen in general are by and large shit-talking soulless douchebags no matter what the product is so I got real dismissive of his bullshit real quick. The guys in service were pretty cool so I shot the shit with them. Scheduled servicings are about the same cost as my Triumph up until 18K. That was good to hear. This was a significant concern of mine.

YouTube reviews largely marvel at how comfortable the S1000RR is for a Sportbike as well. Some reviews are likening it to a Sport Tourer. I find that hard to believe but I got this from more than one video(all Brits). It's also apparently very greenhorn friendly despite it's monster potential, and riders can grow into it as long as they're not total cherries. I'm guessing they're getting VERY popular for that reason, and because they're the more affordable high-end European Sportbike these days.

I was struck about how less intimidated I was even than when I first got on my Speed Twin, but then I'd been away from riding for donkey's years back then. As far as managing all that power ,it's just another case of respecting the bike. I tell that to everybody hesitant to buy a more powerful machine. That's all you have to do. If you can't show a little bit of restraint then motorcycles maybe aren't for you. The machine is not going to just throw you into dangerous situations that you don't put it in. The only time I ever get froggy is on long open highway stretches, and every so often off the line for 500m or so. Both fairly seldom.

I do think the body is a bit on the busy side. A tad too many fancy looking aerodynamic aesthetics for the sake of maximizing that bad-ass Sportbike look. But then these are Germans we're taking about here and they could easily serve a definite function. Still, lots and lots of nooks and crannies to dig into when you're cleaning it.

So as it stands, I'm getting one. I'm going for the black, which is the base price color. I should in fact have Gorgo all but paid off by summer's end(yes, I named my bike) on my current budget. I'm even thinking about selling one of my safe-queen moon rock rifles for the down. That'll get the knot down to around 15K. Never shoot the thing anyway.

So FWIW, if you're considering something like this as a "next bike," IMO the BMW S1000RR is well worth looking into for a number of solid reasons.

Still hitting that Aprilia dealer in a couple weeks though.