Which Aprilia for sport touring?

Which Aprilia model would you use for Sport Touring and why?

In addition, please post what types of mods (lol, esp. exhaust!), tires, luggage, etc. you would most likely use on this machine.

All opinions are invited!

Sorry folks, I just realized...

Some of these models may not be available until spring, so that's a little unfair.

Anyway, if your pick isn't on there, please post your choice.

www.apriliausa.com

I call my Falco my sport tourer, but the emphasis is definitely more on sport. If I were picking out a bike to really cover some miles two-up with some supplies that could still handle, it would be the Futura. Staintune makes a nice exhaust with removable silencers and the the bike has hard bags. I've never ridden one though so I won't vote.

the Futura...its got 85% of the performance, the most comfortable ergos and hard bags!

It all depends on how you, as a rider, define "Sport Touring."

Theoretically, you could toss bags on the rear of a 998 and ride it from NJ to California. Of course, your chiropractor will just LOOOOOOVE you!

I voted Falco. Though you could install risers on an RSV and get pretty much the same riding position. The reason is that I ride the twistiest backroads I can find. That tends to limit you to around 300 miles/day, unless you continue after dark. Handling and lighter weight count for a bit more than a hugely comfy riding position as well. Especially since you're shifting your weight around as you ride, and that keeps the cramps to a minimum.

If you're more county road/interstate minded, you can go a lot further. Comfort and luggage capacity become more important. This is what a Futura is made for: 600 mile days and more (for you Ironbutt types). The bike's heavier and doesn't have the suspension/geometry for serious scratching (though you can hustle one along at a pretty serious pace, even two up).

Compare these to a VFR (which I owned prior to the SL): the Falco is MUCH sportier and the Futura is a better tourer.

Just MHO...

Scott :)

i love the futura. i think i would want a different windscreen though. probably a bit higher. there's a thread on here with tahoe's staintune pipes on his (shouldn't be that far down, maybe a month ago). they look so much better than stock. the riding position is comfortable. it doesn't feel as strong as the mille i rode, but in all fairness, the mille i rode had a full akro and mapping, whereas the futura was two-up in cold weather and stock.

but, the passenger comfort (according to 5'7 trish, my fiancee), was excellent. lots of places to change position as the like. the owner's friend let his sister use it for a trackday and had no complaints other than what if memory serves me correct was a slightly vague front-end because you sit more upright on it. she did low-side it (with little damage, luggage removed), i can't remember if it was the front-end that tucked, or if she ran out of clearance. but for riding it around, it had enough of clearance and feel.

Well, I'm happy with my RST.

It's a sporty bike....and a touring machine...

http://home.austin.rr.com/rhome/images/rstanim.gif

A little late but...

I don't find our Mille comfortable at all for anything other than fast riding. I would NEVER ride it for distance on purpose. :) So IMO that opinion extends to the Mille R (same as the Mille except for suspension) and the Tuono.

I haven't ridden a Falco or a Futura but I've spent a good deal of time sitting on them and drooling. If comfort were my biggest issue, I'd definitely go Futura but between the two I prefer the Falco, since my opinion is the bike needs to be more sport than touring. :)

Late response from another Futura guy. Gotta tell ya' that the RST is really a fab long haul bike, especially in mountianous roads. With the bags and a tank of gas, mine weighs 525, which really isn't any heavier than most full-bore sportbikes. The suspension is more than up to snuff for haulling a$$ in the twisties, short of racing speeds, yet remaijns comfortable for the long days out.

The vague front-end feel can be mitigated by changing out the stock tire, adding some pre-load and slightly dropping the forktubes into the triple-clamps. I added a set of Gen Mar risers, which required the fork tube repositioning and I really like how it quickened up the steering.

With the Staintunes and Tune Boy remap, I'm guessing I picked up about 10 HP and a good push on the torque curve. The bike sounds better now and the FI is silky smooth. I added a Laminar Lip for winter riding, which adds a tad more wind deflection. Coupled with my Widder heated clothing and this thing is great in cold weather. You can also go about 180-200 miles between fill-ups.

Being a somewhat olde phart with multiple injuries to my wrists & knees, I really value the excellent ergonomics of the Futura. The pegs are low enough to allow the rider to stretch the legs and the bars don't add much weight to the wrists. Overall, it is a superbly well-designed bike that can readily transform to track-day duties.

I highly recommend it!

Regards,
Kevin