Aprilia SL1000 Falco (2000), RSV swingarm

This is my second Falco. The first met an untimely end in the side of a U-turning Citro?«n; I missed it so much. that I bought another one as soon as the opportunity arose. They're a great bike. just as fast as an RSV. but slightly more practical. especially if you're tall or carry pillions. (Comfier than a VFR800. for both rider and pillion. but so much more engaging. )If you're looking for a bike that's been moddly-coddled. this isn't it. it's been well looked after. but also well used. Serviced whenever the dashboard indicator demanded it. but ridden through all sorts of weather. including north-east England winters. This was first purchased in France. subsequently bought by a friend of mine who imported it when he moved back to the UK. then he sold it to me when he 'upgraded' to an RSV. I fitted a UK headlight. as I got fed up with always having a bit of black tape to correct the dip. so it's now indistinguishable from an original UK model. The first owner decided to polish out the original 'brushed' finish on the frame. which looks great but demands a good deal of elbow grease as he never got it lacquered. The common upgrade of the RSV swingarm has been polished the same way. and carries a nice line through the frame. as well as improving the handling. It also has the ?–hlins shock that came with the swingarm; strangely. this wore a small groove in the swingarm when initially fitted. but this has never got any worse. As you'll see from the photos. the odometer shows 101. 59 kilometres. but just 691 miles. The miles 'rolled over' at around 100. 00 kilometres; a fine example of Italian software testing. The tyres. chain and sprockets are relatively new. having less than ~1. 00 miles use. The clutch plates were replaced last year. and the clutch is a bit grabby when stationary and cold. It's better when warmed up. and there's no problem when moving. This is a common problem with aftermarket clutch plates in this engine; the simplest cure is to fit OE clutch plates. but they're significantly more expensive. so I've just lived with it. The brake discs were replaced at ~50. 00 miles. The standard 'solo' seat cover is included (not pictured). A Ventura frame and grab rail is currently fitted. I also have the matching pack rack and sport rack. which will be sold separately. Exhausts are road-legal Venom (by Motad) cans. with removable baffles. They sound much better than the stock "sewing machine" cans with the baffles in. and aren't ridiculously loud with the baffles removed. Although it's mechanically sound. its starting to show its age cosmetically. Both wheels have some bubbling in the paint. There's some flaking on the front fork bottoms. The right fairing and right exhaust both show the scars of an unfortunate combination of a cold. damp road. a head that was otherwise occupied. and ham-fisted throttle control. There's a 'hole' in the paintwork near the pillion seat. due to carrying something that was an awkward shape and insufficiently padded. Note that the bike has no MOT. tax or insurance. I have no reason to suspect that it would fail an MOT. but you would need to make those arrangements yourself if you wanted to ride it away. Please ask if you have any questions. or would like bigger versions of any of the photos. or more detailed photos of a particular feature. Personal viewings before the auction closes are welcomed. but no test rides without a significant cash deposit. and bear in mind the previous statement regarding the lack of MOT. tax and insurance. Remember that you are bidding to buy. not to come and kick the tyres. Payment on collection in cash or by bank transfer preferred.

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