Nothing against you. This is just something I've observed and want to speak about. This excuse is really losing backing. That since it's not mainstream Japanese it's expensive to fix. Has anyone seen the cost of repairing a Japanese bike at a dealer? It's the same cost as the Italians, British, and others. So how about parts? It's more expensive to buy parts from the Euros than the Japs surely. Eh, no. Go into any Japanese make dealership and you'll get shafted on parts. So what do you do? You buy online for all of your goods and save money. Guess what the guys with the Euro bikes do? Same thing. After owning this Aprilia, I've realized that I haven't put any more money into repairing and maintaining it than I would have any Japanese bike like the Kawi, Zuks, Yamis, and Hondas. Excuse invalid. Don't be afraid.