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2001 Aprilia RSV Mille


Blitz

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A little dark is normal, from what the Italian bike guys have said. On the Aprilia forums they say you almost cannot prevent it. But I plan to check this weekend and see how much sludge is actually in there.

I'm looking at new bar ends too, but I haven't found any that I really liked.

My poor GSXR is already a victim of a lack of maintenance knowledge. The kid tried to adjust the brake lever and instead of sliding it off the bars he attempted to pry the clamp open. It snapped… as things are wan to do when you try to force them. Probably just the beginning of a slow and painful demise from neglect and a lack of attention to detail.

Had to advise him how and at what intervals to oil the chain yesterday. Brings a tear to my eye.

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In my experience, motorcycles with hydraulic clutch fluid almost immediately turn dark after changing....wouldn't worry about it. My TL and SV did this.

Thanks Dave. Good to know. I've never dealt with hydraulic clutches, so I have no idea what to expect other than what I can find online.

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So the kid actually surprised me. He said he was taking it to a shop to have the front brake lever fixed, and he said he was going to have some other modifications made to it.

I started thinking "Damn, this kid is going to lower it, stretch the swingarm and add a shorty pipe, and have a car tire mounted. Cause who needs to lean when it's lowered with a stretched swingarm?"

When I asked what he planned to do he said he was taking off the neon lights, the flush mounts, the led tail light (that never really worked well according to the law) and was basically returning everything to stock. Definitely surprised by the choice to return to stock. Sounds like something I'd do.

I guess I'll let her go. I can't say she's in good hands, but at least he has good taste hahahaha. That's better than I expected.

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So the kid actually surprised me. He said he was taking it to a shop to have the front brake lever fixed, and he said he was going to have some other modifications made to it.

I started thinking "Damn, this kid is going to lower it, stretch the swingarm and add a shorty pipe, and have a car tire mounted. Cause who needs to lean when it's lowered with a stretched swingarm?"

When I asked what he planned to do he said he was taking off the neon lights, the flush mounts, the led tail light (that never really worked well according to the law) and was basically returning everything to stock. Definitely surprised by the choice to return to stock. Sounds like something I'd do.

I guess I'll let her go. I can't say she's in good hands, but at least he has good taste hahahaha. That's better than I expected.

Felt great when I sold the bike to you knowing it was in good hands, now I'm sick to my stomach hearing these things. I have a feeling it will be just a wad of metal in the next few months or even weeks. Where is this kid at? I'll offer him a deal he can't refuse to buy it back. Guess I just have to let it go. Not mine anymore.... It WAS a great bike though. Hope you had a good time on it James.

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I did man. I put 22k miles on it in two years. Rode it from here to the Gap and back last year. Performed maintenance at proper intervals and she ran just as good on the last day I rode her as the first.

More important than anything else, I learned a lot with that bike. I greatly improved my riding technique and the bike was a very forgiving bike to learn on. Much more forgiving than my ZX6R. I maintained it far better than I've ever maintained a cage vehicle, and I was rewarded with many miles of worry free riding. I hated to give it up, and it was a hard decision...as you see in this thread. But the allure of something new, less miles, and just as clean was hard to pass up. I don't think he knew what he had in the Aprilia.

I have hope that the kid will treat it well. He avoided the freeways because he wasn't comfortable on them. And when he said his modifications would be to take it back to stock, that told me he isn't looking to chop it up just to turn heads. My biggest concern would be his lack of knowledge of general motorcycle maintenance. And that can really hurt a bike. But if he doesn't attempt to ride over his skill level, it shouldn't wind up as a wad of parts. He seemed tentative and cautious...almost intimidated.

I know she was your baby. You hand polished that frame to a mirror finish. He lives in Washington Courthouse. If you want me to put you in touch with him, I'd be glad to. I'd say it's a 50/50 chance that the bike stays upright for the next two years. He's a wheeler and dealer too though...so it could be sold for something else that catches his eye by the end of the summer.

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