Thread: First Impressions - Aprilia SXV 550

Originally Posted by ScottieDucati

bwhip, what did you end up doing with your suspension???

I had an incident with my 848 that left me with some spare cash that I pretty much have to spend at the dealer.... they happen to have an '06 SXV550 on it w/ low miles that's calling my name. And yes, it's Seacoast, so I am not worried about them standing behind the bike at all..... sooo pre-tel pleaseeeee

Race Tech revalve and respring of forks and shock. Night and day difference in performance for the track. Probably wouldn't be much fun for the street, as it's pretty darn stiff, but for the track it's outstanding.

Another article in the August issue of Two Wheels Only is about choosing a fun used bike for summer, with three similarly priced, but very different options - a 2002 Honda Blackbird, a 2004 Ducati Multistrada S, and a 2006 Aprilia SXV550.

The write-up on the SXV 550 cracked me up. Mostly because it was so spot-on!

Some excerpts:

• Sorting the fueling on a bike like this [with a Power Commander] will make the power easier to kill yourself with.
• If your window for big kicks is tiny, like an-hour-a-week tiny, the SXV will no doubt deliver the most extreme dose of two-wheeled action available.
• If you're the kind of person that likes eating bowls of live cobras, chased down with pints of plutonium, this could be the perfect bike for you.
• You'll never quite get comfortable on this bike - it isn't that type of supermoto. If you're thinking you might like one of these, read the rest of this magazine straddling your garden fence.
• If this all sounds a bit doom and gloom, like you'd have to be mental to buy one, I'm sorry but the Aprilia really is that extreme. Massive, retractable carbon fiber testicles would be top of my list of accessories.

nice writeup...sounds like my cup of tea

Spot on and brilliant.

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

I'm game. Hell, my commute is short and through park. Sounds .

I know someone with an 07 for 5800$, low miles and street legal...

Yep, it sure does

YouTube - bwhip on the SXV550, racing Twins GTU at Miller 5.09

Originally Posted by bleonard1401

I definitely agree with this article about good used summer bikes except for the part on comfort. Reading the article while stradling a fence would at least not burn my ass at the same time.
Does anybody else on the SXV have the problem of looking down and seeing your pants on fire? Pretty much all of my pants have burn holes in the right leg from the exhaust guard.
The hot torture rack, burnt pants, and tiny gas tank aside, this is the most insane bike I've ever ridden. It turns like no street bike I've ever ridden and accelerates like a liter bike. I can't believe some guys actually modify this bike with power upgrades.

Never burnt the pants, although mine's no longer a street bike, so I'm wearing leather while riding it now.

The bike is indeed mental.

Did you get a diagnosis on yours yet?

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

Did you get a diagnosis on yours yet?

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

Did you get a diagnosis on yours yet?

Originally Posted by ONEvcs

Waiting to hear. I give SLMS a score of 9/10 on their actual service work, and 1/10 on communication.

Hey everyone who drives an SXV, check your clutch cable for any signs of fraying. Mine broke a couple of weeks ago just behind the handle while taking off uphill. This caused the same effect as popping the clutch on takeoff which damn near wrecked me. It shot me out into the intersection and almost threw me off. After pushing it the block and a half back to work and changing my underwear, I realized that this had never happened to me on any of my other motorcycles or dirt bikes before. Strange. Luckily, the part was covered by waranty b/c mine is still less than a year old.

Originally Posted by DoctorFell

Welcome to Italian motorcycle ownership, heh. I expect Bwhip will have an entire tome of experiences to throw at you.

Yep. As he said, the most fun bike ever when it's running (but more often than not, it isn't).

Other than overfilling the first time I changed the oil, mine is still running strong (knocking on my own head for luck). I think I need to change the spark plugs though.

Originally Posted by bleonard1401

If Honda and the other big Japanese makers would make a serious SM, we could have all the fun with only a fraction of the maintenance.

Get an XR650R and roll your own.

Originally Posted by evl_twn

Get an XR650R and roll your own.

+1 x 10

Mine had already lived a former life as a kitted out desert race bike and yet it is still going strong. I haven't done a thing but change the oil on it. It may not have quite the output of the Aprilia but with 55hp and 45ft/lb of torque at the rear wheel it isn't giving up much.