gsxr1000 k3 or Aprilia rsv1000r?any opinions?
Discussion
I've narrowed it down to getting either of these two bikes,i know it will eventually come down to my decision as i have a test ride on both early next week,but i just want to know if anyone has any experience with either of the two bikes,any pitfalls with ownership of any of them,reliability,any flaws,weaknesses?Any advice appreciated,thanks!
Hi Rumpel,
I have owned both of these bikes in the last year, and well they both are very good bikes.
The GSXR did scare the life outa me on a few occasions,buti feel to fast for the road simply because it does everything so very well,ie faster ,braking , handling ,and so very flickable, but dare i say a little bland,whereas the Mille well now thats my preference simply it is a much more usable package on the road and its got soul where some bikes today are very lacking in that dept.
The V twin thing is not everyone cup off tea but you got to ride a twin for 500 mile or so thats when you start to have a connection together,maybe im a muppet for my views but thats my idea on them ,i ride a Tuono Racing at present and that i will never part with , just unreal suits me so very well.Take a look http://community.webshots.com/user/bigsimp500 good luck
I have owned both of these bikes in the last year, and well they both are very good bikes.
The GSXR did scare the life outa me on a few occasions,buti feel to fast for the road simply because it does everything so very well,ie faster ,braking , handling ,and so very flickable, but dare i say a little bland,whereas the Mille well now thats my preference simply it is a much more usable package on the road and its got soul where some bikes today are very lacking in that dept.
The V twin thing is not everyone cup off tea but you got to ride a twin for 500 mile or so thats when you start to have a connection together,maybe im a muppet for my views but thats my idea on them ,i ride a Tuono Racing at present and that i will never part with , just unreal suits me so very well.Take a look http://community.webshots.com/user/bigsimp500 good luck
The GSXR750 might be worth a look too - since it's out of the lime light with the thou' on the scene there's got to be some bargains out there. Also, the new RSV has come in for some stick for not having the same mid range as the old bike, hence a 2003 might be a better choice and also a bargain.
Steve.
Steve.
rumpel!! you mad man, so soon after passing your test, you want to jump into the biking equiv of a maserati!!
there is common talk amongst bikers of the newbie that jums straight on to the nearest race rep and wobbles around without a clue. Generally its quite a laugh. You may risk falling into this category!!
You may want to consider gaining more experience on a lesser bike first, but obviosly this will involve greater costs in deprecitaion etc when your ready to move up ; but considering what your looking at, that may not be an issue.
If you do want one of these, some advanced training and/or track schools would be advised.
As for these bikes;
the GXR wins on reliability, its the ford escort of bikes. never need to worry about maintenance, but every buggers got one. The owners usually all fit into the newbie/race rep model as described.
Saying that, ALL bikes need TLC, you cant just jump on and go every time. oiling, checking etc are all daily requirements.
the GXR is FAST, its debated regulary its too fast, there is more power than 99% of riders are capable of appreciating. its pure overkill. It is rated as THE best bike, for handling, performance etc. But unless your a bit of a "pro" it will go to waste, and you will never get the best out of it, unless you intend becoming a bit of a track addict?
the apprillia, (IMO) wins on character. Its oozes italian sheek. the engine is throbbing, noisy power. In terms of speed, theres little between them, again, a pro could tell, but a mere mortal would probably get more out of it, as it is within there skill.
its less reliable, but there are good forums to discuss it, unlike GXR's, which fall into the 'max power' level of forum chat.
The pril isnt known for comfort, its a big bike, and unless your tall, this may be an issue. Im 6'4" and its perfect for me.
aftercare: again the GXR wins, there a mods and upgrades gelore for this bike. it isnt like 'mx powering' these are more power related rather than cosmetic. brakes, discs, suspension, engine tunes, tyres, carbon wheels (weight) you name it, and theres a firm that makes it for the GXR.
why not for the pril? because it tends to come with some of the best gear anyway, and due to small (exlusive apeal to you?) numbers, theres a smaller market, and less interest.
hope not to offend you Rumpy, but I would suggest an easier bike to gain experience on, maybe a triumph daytona 955, honda cbr600 etc..
there is common talk amongst bikers of the newbie that jums straight on to the nearest race rep and wobbles around without a clue. Generally its quite a laugh. You may risk falling into this category!!
You may want to consider gaining more experience on a lesser bike first, but obviosly this will involve greater costs in deprecitaion etc when your ready to move up ; but considering what your looking at, that may not be an issue.
If you do want one of these, some advanced training and/or track schools would be advised.
As for these bikes;
the GXR wins on reliability, its the ford escort of bikes. never need to worry about maintenance, but every buggers got one. The owners usually all fit into the newbie/race rep model as described.
Saying that, ALL bikes need TLC, you cant just jump on and go every time. oiling, checking etc are all daily requirements.
the GXR is FAST, its debated regulary its too fast, there is more power than 99% of riders are capable of appreciating. its pure overkill. It is rated as THE best bike, for handling, performance etc. But unless your a bit of a "pro" it will go to waste, and you will never get the best out of it, unless you intend becoming a bit of a track addict?
the apprillia, (IMO) wins on character. Its oozes italian sheek. the engine is throbbing, noisy power. In terms of speed, theres little between them, again, a pro could tell, but a mere mortal would probably get more out of it, as it is within there skill.
its less reliable, but there are good forums to discuss it, unlike GXR's, which fall into the 'max power' level of forum chat.
The pril isnt known for comfort, its a big bike, and unless your tall, this may be an issue. Im 6'4" and its perfect for me.
aftercare: again the GXR wins, there a mods and upgrades gelore for this bike. it isnt like 'mx powering' these are more power related rather than cosmetic. brakes, discs, suspension, engine tunes, tyres, carbon wheels (weight) you name it, and theres a firm that makes it for the GXR.
why not for the pril? because it tends to come with some of the best gear anyway, and due to small (exlusive apeal to you?) numbers, theres a smaller market, and less interest.
hope not to offend you Rumpy, but I would suggest an easier bike to gain experience on, maybe a triumph daytona 955, honda cbr600 etc..
Rumple this is your first bike post test? If it is, be very careful. I've been riding my SV a year, it's slow as bikes go but still seems plenty quick enough for me, certainly quick enough to get me in trouble if I'm not careful. I know that I'm riding it to a fraction of its capability.
I'd say go with the advice on training - spend the money there and not on insurance and too big a bike to start with. This isn't meant to be patronising, just that the more I've learnt, the more I realise I've got left to learn. That doesn't mean I don't fancy a bigger bike, I do, but only when I'm up to it.
Steve
I'd say go with the advice on training - spend the money there and not on insurance and too big a bike to start with. This isn't meant to be patronising, just that the more I've learnt, the more I realise I've got left to learn. That doesn't mean I don't fancy a bigger bike, I do, but only when I'm up to it.
Steve
I have an opinion!
Buy a Kawasaki!!!
I've just looked at your profile and I would honestly suggest that you look at something a little less intimidating for a first big bike. A 600 will blow your mind without blowing your budget and will prepare you very well for a foray into unlimited megabikes in a year's time.
If I was starting off now I think I'd find the new Z750 irresistable...
>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Tuesday 13th January 10:18
Buy a Kawasaki!!!
I've just looked at your profile and I would honestly suggest that you look at something a little less intimidating for a first big bike. A 600 will blow your mind without blowing your budget and will prepare you very well for a foray into unlimited megabikes in a year's time.
If I was starting off now I think I'd find the new Z750 irresistable...
>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Tuesday 13th January 10:18
I agree with the other comments, I passed in April 2003, had a 600 Bandit, and changed that for a new GSXR600 in December. a 600 supersports bike is a very quick machine.
NO car will touch a 600 in terms of performance.
If you jump on a 1000 straight away or even a 750, you will not get anywhere near the limits of one, in fact it will more lickely scare you off bikes as it will be far to quick for you to handle.
You will get better experience and more enjoyment out of getting a smaller bike and learning to ride it properly.
If you buy a bike that is two years old even if you only keep it for 6 months or so you will lose hardly anything in depreciation, especially as the price of bikes now is very low, in 6 months time they will be high.
Rumple. Be sensible, don't try and run 100 meter sprint before you can walk!.
Tim.
NO car will touch a 600 in terms of performance.
If you jump on a 1000 straight away or even a 750, you will not get anywhere near the limits of one, in fact it will more lickely scare you off bikes as it will be far to quick for you to handle.
You will get better experience and more enjoyment out of getting a smaller bike and learning to ride it properly.
If you buy a bike that is two years old even if you only keep it for 6 months or so you will lose hardly anything in depreciation, especially as the price of bikes now is very low, in 6 months time they will be high.
Rumple. Be sensible, don't try and run 100 meter sprint before you can walk!.
Tim.
Rumple, have you phoned a few insurance brokers for quotes on either?
I doubt they'll touch you on either bike. You might just get away with a standard mille.
Get a 600, and learn to ride it first. A thou will be too intimidating at first and you'll never learn how to ride and get the most out of it.
If you want to go for a run when you get something, give me a shout, I'm only along the road from you.
I doubt they'll touch you on either bike. You might just get away with a standard mille.
Get a 600, and learn to ride it first. A thou will be too intimidating at first and you'll never learn how to ride and get the most out of it.
If you want to go for a run when you get something, give me a shout, I'm only along the road from you.
I appreciate your views,at the moment i have a cbr600(1990),the only reason im thinking of a newer bike is just for that reason,its new!Better handling,better brakes,chassis etc etc.which i feel will make some difference to inspiring confidence in myself.Obviously i know these bikes can get you into bother just as quick as they can safely get you out of bother but im not doing this out of,oh i want the fastest thing out there,the Aprilia for instance was for being quite tall(6ft 3)the bike feels right somehow,plus i just fell in love with the look of the things,cant get it out of my head,gorgeous.The way im thinking here is i wont even think of wringing the neck out of a gsxr1000,i will take it easy and im sure i can try to learn all on the one bike,i've been through all this crap with cars,buying one,bored with it,get another,and another,im just tired of it.Just because something is fast doesnt mean you have to,go fast all the time:-)I've taken everything into consideration and im not going to rush into this,the test drives are tomorrow afternoon haha.
Rumple as for confidence the GSXR will make you feel invinceable.
I havnt riden an Aprillia but When I rode a GSXR 1000 I just thought It was imposible to crash. It turned and did everything I wanted it to do with lots to spare I was nowhere near its limits.
Get one
As long as you are smooth with the throttle
and dont twist it to the stop unless you are in 3rd
I havnt riden an Aprillia but When I rode a GSXR 1000 I just thought It was imposible to crash. It turned and did everything I wanted it to do with lots to spare I was nowhere near its limits.
Get one
As long as you are smooth with the throttle
and dont twist it to the stop unless you are in 3rdMy tuppence......
GSXR - Most have bought one due to its reliability/un-matchable performance on track and on the road. In the right hands on a track it will be impossible to keep up with straight out of the crate. But that is just it, there are a lot of them out there.
RSVR - I am slightly biased anyway owning Italian, but these creatures reak of exclusivity. The factory RSVR is loaded up with Ohlins, Brembo, etc. The V-twin will make for a relaxed ride due to the power pulses and will complement a more road friendly skill learning phase. The chassis is just as capable as anything else out there, if not slightly better at holding corner speed due to the narrow engine that is mounted lower in the frame for a lower centre of gravity. The 60deg V-twin is slightly harsher than a 90deg but I believe that it is fitted with balance shafts to try and smooth it out a bit.
Moreover, THE NOISE, exhaust note, noise and did I mention the noise. V-Twin heaven, early morning thru quiet village in the sun rolling off the throttle. HHHmmmmmm!
Oh yeah, they look absolutely stunning to boot, I like the red one! They have surpassed those designers at Ducati IMO. I cannot get into the new range at all.
MY VOTE - Aprilia RSVR (Factory if you can afford it)
GSXR - Most have bought one due to its reliability/un-matchable performance on track and on the road. In the right hands on a track it will be impossible to keep up with straight out of the crate. But that is just it, there are a lot of them out there.
RSVR - I am slightly biased anyway owning Italian, but these creatures reak of exclusivity. The factory RSVR is loaded up with Ohlins, Brembo, etc. The V-twin will make for a relaxed ride due to the power pulses and will complement a more road friendly skill learning phase. The chassis is just as capable as anything else out there, if not slightly better at holding corner speed due to the narrow engine that is mounted lower in the frame for a lower centre of gravity. The 60deg V-twin is slightly harsher than a 90deg but I believe that it is fitted with balance shafts to try and smooth it out a bit.
Moreover, THE NOISE, exhaust note, noise and did I mention the noise. V-Twin heaven, early morning thru quiet village in the sun rolling off the throttle. HHHmmmmmm!
Oh yeah, they look absolutely stunning to boot, I like the red one! They have surpassed those designers at Ducati IMO. I cannot get into the new range at all.
MY VOTE - Aprilia RSVR (Factory if you can afford it)
or 
or a mixture of the two? Hi Rumple....my turn to have a say now.
As far as these two bikes go i sold my blade last year when i stumbled on and fell in love with a GSXR 1000 K1 in black and silver. got the thing home ...polished it a bit ...rode it a bit...polished it a bit more...rode it a lot more but within a month i was bored with it and knew i had made a mistake. yes it was fast ...yes it went round corners well but it lacked any individuality and character. Four months down the line the new RSVR came out and i just happened to come into some money at the same time.... well that was it, went to the showrooms and just fell in love with it, its a break from the norm, it sounds WONDERFULL, it looks like nothing else, it doesnt feel any slower than the GSXR(to me that is) and im still running it in!, and most of all it rides wonderfully and has bags of character. Oh and by the way ...im 6ft 2ins and find it more comfortable than the GSXR.
APRILIA every time for me mate .... put yourself outta yer misery and go get one NOW!!!!!!
>> Edited by rossncath on Saturday 17th January 17:18
As far as these two bikes go i sold my blade last year when i stumbled on and fell in love with a GSXR 1000 K1 in black and silver. got the thing home ...polished it a bit ...rode it a bit...polished it a bit more...rode it a lot more but within a month i was bored with it and knew i had made a mistake. yes it was fast ...yes it went round corners well but it lacked any individuality and character. Four months down the line the new RSVR came out and i just happened to come into some money at the same time.... well that was it, went to the showrooms and just fell in love with it, its a break from the norm, it sounds WONDERFULL, it looks like nothing else, it doesnt feel any slower than the GSXR(to me that is) and im still running it in!, and most of all it rides wonderfully and has bags of character. Oh and by the way ...im 6ft 2ins and find it more comfortable than the GSXR.
APRILIA every time for me mate .... put yourself outta yer misery and go get one NOW!!!!!!
>> Edited by rossncath on Saturday 17th January 17:18
4 months ago I traded my R1150GS (why did I buy that bike??!!) for an old model 2003 RSV. Best thing I have ever done, what a fantastic bike. Loads of power and torque, v-twin noise, very comfortable for a sports bike, those looks, I could go on...
Buy the Aprilia, you know it makes sense.
Buy the Aprilia, you know it makes sense.
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