Aprilia or Ducati

Im looking around for a change of bike at present i ride a 97 Blade but im looking for twin as ive ridden a friends TL 1000 and i was very impressed... Ive decieded on either a 996 or RSV Mille both bike's are hugely praised (by the bike shop) for there track performance and styling, We all know about the Duke it's gorgeous to look at and got a very good reputation for it's handling but what about the Aprilia ?? I dont know anyone who own's one of these bikes and to be honest the bike shop will tell you exactly what you want to hear.. The Duke is a fair bit more expensive than the Aprilia so is it much better or are you paying for the styling and the racing pedigree.. Any help with this dilemma would be gratefully appreciated..

Thanks in advance Aaron......:) :) :)

I don't ride a Mille, so I can't comment specifically on it. My bike does share the same front shocks, brakes, engine , and some other miscellaneous parts. I can tell you the engine is F***ing awesome. Great power, lots of torque, and no funkodromic valves to spend lots of money on. The dealership where I bought the bike is one of the largest Aprilia dealers in the east. I was talking to the service manager recently and he told me that they have performed mechanical repairs on 3 Aprilia's in the past 2 or 3 years (two side stand switches and one cracked weld), all under warranty. Pretty good track record if you ask me.

Don't get me wrong, I love Duc's as well, but as far as where I would put my money if I were you, it would be on the Mille.

I agree with Stake, I've got the Falco too. When I talked to the service department at my dealer they said they haven't seen any problems with the Aprilia's, not true with the Ducati's.

Also if track performance is a big deal then Cycle World had an article in the July issue and out of 17 bikes the mille turned the second fastest lap time ( .08 seconds slower then the GSXR-1000 and 1.28 secs faster then the 996R)

So if I were going to get one it would be the Mille.

Originally posted by Corse
I agree with Stake
So if I were going to get one it would be the Mille.

I have several chums who have both bikes you're thinking off. In general, the Aprilla,s seem to be ridden more often than the Dukes. No-one has had any problems with the Milles while all have had some sort of "silly" problems with the Dukes. I think that you have to decide what type of rider you are and how many miles you want to do. I think that even the most die-hard Ducatist would agree that they are not the most comfortable bike while the Mille would be more accomadating.
A friend brought this one over from the states to England and he thinks it's been worth it. He sold a 916 for this baby.

Cheer's guy's for your input, Ive got a test ride booked on the Aprilia in about a fortnight when the shop gets a demo in so i'll have to get a ride on a duke in the meantime.. I must admit i'm leaning towards the Aprilia already and have'nt even ridden one yet !!!!! I don't know if that's a good thing or not, I'm sure i should have an open mind until i've ridden both.. Anyway thanks again...:) :)

Aaron

i rode a then new 98-916 and i have ridden a 01 mille-r (pronounced mee-lay, not millie). the mille is owned by my friend who is an aprilia mechanic. his girlfriend has a duc (so you can say that he is at times a ducati mechanic too, but her bike is a monster, so it's easier to work on than the 916).

both have a nice finish, great suspensions.

the ducati has a lot of sexy appeal. the seat sucks for anything but balls out riding. when you're on it, the seat actually does serve a purpose. there a million reasons to hate ducati's. however, most of them make me like them. the 916 i rode had forza slip-ons. they sound great. stock mufflers don't. of course the worst thing with ducati is service. valve adjustments suck. steers like a truck in the stock position.

the aprilia is best describe as half italian, half japanese. it has the reliability and motor-design of the japanese, with the passion for speed that can only come from italy. i found the bike easier to ride than any other streetbike i have ridden. it pulls everywhere. it's just an awesome bike. service is pretty much the same as a japanese bike. much more comfortable than the 916/996. the biggest downside to me is that it doesn't sound as good. the mille i rode had a full akro (2-1, not the 2-2 corser rode). it's just just exhaust. no dry clutch making its rattle. it sounds like any other twin. like a tl or vtr or rc51. not that they are bad company, but the 996 is different. VERY DIFFERENT.

anyway, i'd still buy the mille.

Originally posted by FZR400Tony
the aprilia is best describe as half italian, half japanese. it has the reliability and motor-design of the japanese, with the passion for speed that can only come from italy.
I think you were comparing the motor reliability to that of a Japanese bike, which I agree with, but I wanted to make the distinction that the Aprilia motor is produced by Rotax, in Austria.

Just splitting hairs :D

Originally posted by Stake

I think you were comparing the motor reliability to that of a Japanese bike, which I agree with, but I wanted to make the distinction that the Aprilia motor is produced by Rotax, in Austria.

Just splitting hairs :D

yes, i was refering to the motor's reliability, build quality and ease of service as being "japanese-like."

Originally posted by FZR400Tony


yes, i was refering to the motor's reliability, build quality and ease of service as being "japanese-like."

The one thing i did read in a mag a while back was the Aprilia suposedley had a slightly heavier clutch than most ( i mean being harder to pull the cluth lever ) is that true ?? or did you not notice ??

Originally posted by "bladerunner"


The one thing i did read in a mag a while back was the Aprilia suposedley had a slightly heavier clutch than most ( i mean being harder to pull the cluth lever ) is that true ?? or did you not notice ??
If it is, I didn't notice it. FYI, all of the Mille engines come with a slipper clutch. Now that I have finally figured out how to use it (I think ), I'm having a hell of a good time :D