Bike of the Month for January 2000

Aprilia SL1000 Falco

OK, I will admit right off the bat that Aprilia doesn't want us to call the SL1000 the Falco. OK, fine, but then why put the name right on the fairing? That is about the only thing about this bike that doesn't make sense. This is real motorcycle designed to fill real needs. It is a true sport-tourer designed from Apilia's excellent RSV Mille. They've given it more humane ergonomics, a half-fairing, and an engine designed for more mid-range power. And if the power isn't wuite enough, you can remove the baffles from the airbox, and snip a wire on the fuel-injection's computer. Doing so will force the feul-injection to use the European fuel map, which gives it about 10 more horsepower. About 10 minutes work is all you need. I can't imagine anyone not doing that to their SL1000. It is significantly more expensive than the Suzuki TL1000S and the Honda VTR1000, but on the other hand, it is far more attractive, handles better, and has something it's Japnese rivals can never aspire to: real Italian style and personality, but with the added bonus of Japanese-like reliability. This is definitley a bike worth a second look.