| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
Aprilia's got problems: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults /New-bikes/2009/October/oc2809-aprilia-rsv4-r-laun ch-cut-short/ | ||
| Xb984r |
Actually, no they don't. | ||
| Xl1200r |
What?! They're using pre-production bikes for a launch? NOBODY does that! Haven't they learned anything from Buell? | ||
| Court |
Smart move on their part. The got info they needed and acted on it. I think they are to be commended. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Yeah sucks but it's good that they threw the rods out before they got to customers' hands. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Yeah, and they are a sexy Italian make. No one will give them much $hit over it. Now, Buell launches the 1125R with a fuel mapping issue and they are the biggest POS ever built. Sheesh! | ||
| Rfischer |
Phil Read is no dummy and he called the shots for Piaggio at that launch. Yes, THAT Phil Read... | ||
| Hughlysses |
Chad- that was EXACTLY my point.  There's one guy who's very active over at Sport-touring.net (who was posting here a week or two ago) that can't let a Buell thread come up without wailing on the 1125 as if every one ever made was the most massive POC ever built based on the niggles with the early bikes. | ||
| 46champ |
I have said it before and no one will ever convince me otherwise. NO AMERICAN MANUFACTURE WILL EVER GET AN UNBIASED OPINION FROM 90% OF THE MEDIA. | ||
| Prowler |
I think every motorcycle manufacturer has had problems like this at one time or another. Yamaha's 750 parallel twin, Honda's VFR500 V-4, there's been a more than a few bikes released that had engine/durability issues. The key is to catch the expensive ones before the bike's released, but doesn't always happen. Sounds like Aprilia's rod supplier had a gap in quality control. Be willing to bet that won't happen again anytime soon. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Ask anyone if Honda makes quality motorcycles and you will typically get a resounding YES. However, they have had some major blunders in quality. Cracked frames, bad steering head bearings, electrical gremlins, etc. As a PR major, I learned "Perception is Reality". Buell builds a really good motorcycle. Yet they are perceived as being unreliable. Same goes for Harley. How many jokes do you hear about Harleys breaking down or leaking oil. It may have once been true, but you don't see that any more. All manufacturers have issues. When it's a European make, any quality issues are known as "character" or "quirks" and are accepted. If a Japanese make has issues, then people say overlook it because it didn't cost much. If its American, it's a total POS and a few units with issues instantly make every bike produced a heap of steaming dog dung. That's the reality, because that's the perception. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Odd that the title of the piece wasn't "Not ready for prime time". I do so hate double standards. | ||
| Rfischer |
Au contraire.... Aprilia discovered an issue during the product launch event. Quickly identified the problem and suspended the launch. And shortly thereafter explained exactly what had happened and their solution. Not quite what occurred with the Buell pre-production launch event[s]and the technical problems revealed during them, is it? With the greatest of respect, while the Buell situation was not analogous in my opinion to the recent Aprilia one, I do not think Buell handled theirs with the professionalism that Aprilia has shown. There is no double standard here. This is not to bash the product, only the process. | ||
| Spatten1 |
I agree with Rfischer. Buell had suspension components and fueling settings that didn't work. They knew or should have known before the event that the bikes were not working well. Buell was obviously just way behind schedule and did not cancel or postpone the event. Aprilia had a supplier issue that they should have caught in QC, but no one is saying that the bikes were not working properly before the rods let go. Buell said it was intentional and let journalists ride bikes that ran like crap (the early production model I rode still ran like crap). Aprilia said they f'd up and cancelled the remainder of the test. It's not an anti-Buell conspiracy. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
I think engines throwing con-rods is quite different than some minor issues with fork springs and not-quite-ready-for-prime-time fuel mapping. The 1125R's at Laguna weren't exactly BLOWING their motors on the racetrack, nor were they in any danger of doing so. fueling settings that didn't work That's patently unfair. The bikes were running and could be ridden at speed on the course, couldn't they? That's far from "not working". The pre-production bikes I rode were just fine. | ||
| Chadhargis |
I rode a pre-production unit at Barber. That's me in the white helmet and black leathers:  The only issue I noticed was the tach needle jumping wildly at high RPM. The rest was awesome. I guess you have to be a professional racer to notice engine heat and poor low RPM fueling. I ran the bike hard, and kept it moving. Plenty of breeze over me and I never let the tach need drop out of the stratosphere. Knew the minute I rode the 1125 that I'd have one. | ||
| Court |
>>>I do not think Buell handled theirs with the professionalism that Aprilia has shown. I agree. If the HD folks had kept their spin machine in neutral I'd suggest that Buell's response would have been much as was Aprilia's. | ||
| New12r |
OOOHHHH!! Thats me in the front draggin pods!! Everything made is a heaping pile of dung, pick your favorite. | ||
| U4euh |
LOL I seen that picture and thought "dang that looks like Charlie's style of draggin knee's", go figure There you go, get on your pile and be happy, as we have done! | ||
| Rocketman |
Whatever Aprilia have got, they've got this...  Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
And another. Common as muck where I go, and even mucky too!!!  Rocket (Message edited by rocketman on November 04, 2009) | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
Absolutely beautiful bike!! So much style a craftsmanship, then the have to put that ugly ass billboard of a license plate on it!!...WOW! | ||
| Teddagreek |
I think they handled well... Crap happens... I've been waiting for confirmed pricing on this bike for over a year... 15,999 for a V4 super bike isn't bad... |
