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00 Aprilia SL1000 Falco By ALAN CATHCART PHOTOS BY KEL EDGE prilia's already impressive growth-rate as a-real motorcycle manufacturer jumped up a few more notches at the Milan Show in September, with the debut of the latest l\ member of the Italian company's V-twin fourstroke family - the half-faired SLlOOO as in "Sport Leggera," or lightsports. Clearly targeted as the RSV Mille range's volume-production answer to the Honda VTRIOOO, Suzuki TL 1 OOOS, BMW RIIOOS and probably Triumph's new Sprint RS triple in the enthusiast-sports sector, the new half-faired Aprilia not only breaks new ground by having an all-new chassis and quite different styling than the rest of the RSV Mille family, it's also the first to carry a name as well as a number. Known as the SLlOOO Falco (as in "kestrel"), Aprilia will be hoping the new model flies as high commercially as the Moto Guzzi Falcone ("falcon") did half a century ago in the postWorld War II era. At that time, the 500cc single - with its distinctive bacon-slicer outside flywheel became the machine of choice for long-distance sportbike (and police) mileage in post-WW2 Italy. Aprilia Want some naked Italian beauty in your life? Check out the Aprilia Falco. The Aprilia Falco seems ready to compete with the Honda VTR1000 and the Suzuki TL10005. a turn aboard a big V-twin (usually of the desmo persuaYou wouldn't guess the Falco and the Mille were so similar what is a different-shape 5.46-gallon fuel tank (which gives sion). The PPC is an idea that really works well, and Aprilia an excellent range of at least 180 miles between stops, when sitting aboard the Falco, for just throwing a leg over are to be complimented on providing a real-world riding what seems like a much lower bike conveys a very different thanks in part to the more frugal revised EFI mapping). they seem to be angled a little too steeply for this kind of semiadvantage, delivering extra safety, by adopting it. impression compared to the RSV. sports tourer. It added up to aching wrists over a full day's Equally noteworthy is the extremely good turning radius, A common complaint amongst shorter riders from day ride, without going into race track mode under braking so as which makes easy work of city riding, or backing the Falco one has been that the RSV Mille is too tall and its bars are in and out of parking spaces. So too is the fine ride quality too far away. Even if the SL's revised styling, with its wellto shove excessive weight transfer onto your arms. One sudden braking maneuver did, however, underline that in Falco from the SL's suspension package, with those fully shaped tall and thus protective screen doesn't make the mode the 320mm twin-disc Brembo front brake package, adjustable Showa forks presumably revaJved and almost Aprilia seem quite as lean as the side-radiator VTR1 000, it's transplanted from the Mille together with the 43mm upside certainly more softly sprung compared to the RSV. The much less porky than the TLl OOOS, and slimmer also than down Showa forks, delivers excellent stopping power on a same goes for the Boge-Sachs rear shock that delivers the RSV Mille. And the Falco also seems quite a bit lower excellent compliance over rougher surfaces up in the than its Aprilia V-twin sister from the moment you sit astride it (I could put r:::1 mountains, yet good grip thanks to the progressive linkage when getting it on out of turns. both my feet flat on the ground at a f1J7@rv:v7V~ r;::lir:!7~ 1 0 LJLI ~ traffic light, whereas with the Mille I'm (J l!lJ~n 0 In tiptoe mode). Yet while the seat height is supposedly only fractionally lower than the RSV, at 32.6 inches vs. bike weighing just 2.2 pounds more than the fully-faired The Metzeler MeZ3 tires are an ideal choice, with the 33 inches, the result is also a feeling of greater comfort - the Mille, at a claimed 418 pounds dry. zero-degree bias design helping deliver good stability, as foot pegs are lower and further forward than on the Mille In race track use the Brembos have aroused some critiwell as decent grip, but I believe the 180/55-17 rear could cism, but on the SL they're perfect for the job. There's just have been better fitted to a narrower 5.75-inch rim-rather and much more control, of feeling a part of what seems a leaner, less bulbous bike to sit on. enough initial bite (thanks partly to the patented Freudenthan the 6.00-inch unit used here - to help the Aprilia This in turn makes the SL seem more agile and easier berghe brake lines which are justly claimed to give the same change direction from side to side a little better through a steering along winding country roads such as the ones in the performance and feedback as braided steel hoses), but also series of twisting tums. If anything, the tires help the Falco foothills of the Dolomites on which I spent my day flying lots of feel and a progressive response that made slowing hold a line too well: it's very stable, especially over bumps down for turns littered with damp fallen leaves in the Italian aboard the Falco. Basically, the SL 1000 lives up to its tag: which the excellent suspension package simply shrugs off it's lighter to ride. The riding position's not quite ideal, howautumn less of a risk. nonchalantly, but while reasonably nimble, the SL does ask ever, because while what appear to be the same clip-on hanThat's also where the Aprilia's patented PPC pneumatic you to work fairly hard to flick it first one way. then another, on a Winding stretch of road. dlebars as on the RSV Mille are mounted some 1.5 inches slipper clutch came into its own, helping you take full advanhigher than on the sportbike, and are widely spaced to give tage of the meaty engine braking from the V-twin engine, The Falco chassis package steers okay, but rather lazily. good leverage in tighter turns, when coupled with the SL's without the dreaded rear wheel bounce that so many of us Overall, while the handling is very capable, it's not exactly in lower seat height and the same long reach across the top of have suffered on the race track when trying to slow down for the Superbike class - but then the likely customer for this n DOO u u !,0 nGlr;;n::// wUW uu ----------------------<2J- UU 12 JANUARY 19, 2000' .,. 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