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Smithers
04-03-2008, 03:25 PM
When I titled this forum "My Aprilia Mille RSVR Restoration" I didn't really MEAN that I was restoring my APrilia... Well now I am!! Ok maybe I'm rebuilding the bike but still I think it's kinda funny at this point. I've met a lot of people who are helping me out with parts and I can't thank them enough. I think they will be happy to know that their parts will be in good hands on a fine example of an Aprilia. I hope everyone likes the pictures.

So in the past couple of days I have received my whole tail section and lights. The upper rear cowling should be on it's way this week as well and I actually found one to match the fluorescent orange tail that I got. The cool thing is that the tail section actually matches the orange that is on the bellypan on the bottom. I originally wanted to paint the whole bike but I think all the parts I'm getting will match just fine. I want to eventually paint it but with the weather being perfect now I just want to ride of course. Here's a shot of the bike and some of the new parts as it sits now.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_parts_02.jpg

Ahh I'm nearly halfway done with obtaining the parts. I'm trying to forget how much everything is costing me as well. :blink:

Smithers
04-03-2008, 03:37 PM
I was also lucky enough to meet Jeff out in Michigan who sold me some EBC iron brake rotors. He definitely had some advice to help me out sorting out the suspension and such. The brakes he is selling me will definitely help scrub off a few more MPH going into the corners. :lol: I'm definitely feeling the financial kick in the nuts putting this bike back together. I'm very grateful for the "sponsorship" (free shipping lol) and other goodies that people like him have been helping me with. Safety first! It's an expensive upgrade but one of the most important. Here is what they look like- Yummy

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_ironrotors.jpg

Here is Jeff leaning in at race pace out on the race track. Seeing this makes you wanna ride.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_cornering.jpg

Smithers
04-03-2008, 04:17 PM
In the meantime my old trusty Honda CA160 is still running strong! Now this is more my speed, haha. You can bet that this guy gets 60mpg all day long too.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/honda_ca160ride.jpg

Sometime I need to charge my new battery for my Superhawk 250... If only I had more time for all this stuff.

Smithers
04-04-2008, 07:54 PM
Today was a good day. The Fed Ex man rolled up with a big box which meant that my front faring had arrived. So I was able to put it all back together today and I'll be riding this weekend.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_front_faring01.jpg

Ok well maybe not. BUT I'm getting pretty close to having everything I need. I never thought I would have had most everything so quickly. THanks out to everyone helping out with their spare parts for sure! Here are the air ducts and the front piece that I'll be prepping this weekend if I have my way.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_front_faring.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_airintake.jpg

Smithers
04-05-2008, 10:08 PM
So this evening I had a chance to move things around a little in the garage and get the Aprilia ready for some serious work. I'm getting pretty motivated now that I have parts to work with. Among the long list of parts to change out is one of the Sato Racing rearset pieces. I wouldn't dare try to press the aluminum back as it's a pretty strong piece, not worth the effort. I'll be ordering a new piece from Sato to make it all good and safe again.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_bentrearsets.jpg

Bellypan (coming off tomorrow) is still on so I could see if anything was bent compared to it. The exhaust looks amazingly straight so that's a good thing. I got a weird dent on my swingarm that I thought was from the pipe being punched into it from the impact. But the pipe wasn't even touched on the inside so that wasn't what dinged the swingarm. Whats done is done.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_bellypan01.jpg

Not that I have made much progress but it feels good to get set up. I should have the whole back section done this weekend. I want to disassemble the whole subframe assembly and run all the wires back through with new ties.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_td02.jpg

Smithers
04-07-2008, 03:04 PM
Nothing better than new parts that just came in the mail! Ok used but like new. We're on a budget here! Big shot out to Jim back in Oklahoma who hooked me up. Every single piece will be put to good use.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_goodies.jpg

Time to take the front bracket over to have the guys powercoat it just like the last one. :lol: They will be happy to see me. I can't think of any other color besides black. I can't stand the silver... the black just hides things and lets your eyes focus on the instrument panel a little better.

Installing the clutch slave cylinder will be fun. Looks like I might as well just flush all the fluids at the same time. <_<

Smithers
04-07-2008, 03:15 PM
Yeap I think I'm going to go with black again. They shoot black almost everyday so I'll have it back very soon. It looks a lot better than the silver IMO.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_frontbracket.jpg

Smithers
04-08-2008, 09:28 PM
Oh what a good day today was. I got my new (new to me : ) full floating iron rotors in the mail today and spent the evening installing them. They truly are full floating as you can hear them jingle when you pick them up. I hope they make a lot of noise. B) Noise is good and I'm used to it after riding around on the loud front brakes that were on my TLR1000. TL1000R? Whatever.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_ironrotors01.jpg

A nice Renthal 44t sprocket to boot. w00ty!

Smithers
04-08-2008, 09:51 PM
Since I was installing the brakes on a slow night you know I had to weigh the wheels before and after just for the hell of it. My new Canon SD1000 digital camera takes pictures so damn fast easy I can't help but use it. If you ever need a super slim easy to use camera go get one! I have a Canon G5 camera which has every adjustable setting you need and more - but the SD1000 takes the same awesome pictures but starts up instantly and can be thrown in your pocket. Back to the subject:

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_ironrotors03.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_ironrotors02.jpg

I didn't expect the rotors to be much lighter but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Very nice. =] And damn they look SO much better! I would have put them on if they were yellow... I really don't care about the color. I just got lucky with them being so close to the OZ wheel blue. Can't wait to try em out. Of course I got some Ferodo pads to run with them as well. Time for some stoppies!

Ok maybe not...

Smithers
04-08-2008, 10:11 PM
And after some abrasive cleaning up and installation here is the end result. I couldn't be happier.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_ebcironrotors.jpg

Smithers
04-15-2008, 09:57 PM
So moving on to the rear end, I removed the subframe and took it in to have it powdercoated along with the front fairing bracket. My neighbors roping steer got pimped out with some aluminum and a new exhaust pipe.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_bullsm.jpg

You might not be able to see it with the bodywork on but oh well. It feels good to have it protected I guess. It also is nice to know the inner workings of the tail section and exactly where all the wires go. Aprilia was nice enough to really put the wires and vacuum hoses back there with plenty of room to work with.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_blacksubframe.jpg

Here we are ready for plastic! I also want to trim off those plastic ears on the back end to get ready for the new Evo license plate holder. Trimming those off will make it look 100x better.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_black_subframe.jpg

Smithers
04-15-2008, 10:08 PM
Just for reference here is a shot of the rear swingarm as I took it apart for cleaning. Yeah I know I get a little crazy cleaning things BUT I also wanted to closely inspect the welds for stress. The swingarm just got a little tap on the right side when it went down but I don't want to overlook anything on the inside areas.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_rear_swingarm.jpg

Smithers
04-22-2008, 10:19 PM
Woohoo it's going back together. I really like the bright rear end color I found. A little stressful stretching the rear faring around the subframe but I was able to manage. In the near future I'll be shaving off those plastic ears and bolting on the fender eliminator kit to keep it looking smooth and simple.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_tail_installed.jpg

Smithers
05-07-2008, 04:08 PM
I'm really tearing into things now. I am replacing all the coolant lines and clamps as the current ones were deteriorating. I also removed all those clumsy vacuum lines and the charcoal canister to clean things up. Today I also received my B-day present to myself, the Akrapovic Titanium/ Carbon Fiber exhaust system. (http://www.fourwheelforum.com/index.php?showtopic=212) I can't wait to see how it all looks assembled.

I was also lucky enough to be invited to the Kyle Racing shop for a quick tour. Now this is the place for bike tuning and modifications: engine AND suspension. Check out the Kyle Racing tuning shop. (http://www.fourwheelforum.com/index.php?showtopic=215) He's got everything for Ducatis, I4 bikes and whatever you might need... even tires. They have an amazing stock of Power Commanders and the largest inventory of Ohlins suspension parts. They are dangerous.

Smithers
05-10-2008, 09:25 PM
OK OK so I know this doesn't exactly look like I'm making progress but I am! I had to replace all the hoses since they were deteriorating. If you care for the details of changing out the hoses check out the hose replacing thread. (http://www.fourwheelforum.com/index.php?showtopic=216)

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_progress.jpg

Smithers
05-20-2008, 10:57 PM
Since parts have been coming in at a pretty good rate I decided to put in a full day of work on the bike again. The bike is nearly done & I just need a couple more small things and to finish some work on the faring. Here is a rundown of things I got done recently: The exhaust is new
Rear faring is repaired (I bought this shiny one with a crack)
Hoses are all changed out
Evo clutch slave cylinder is installed
Wiring is nearly done
Charcoal canister/hoses is gone
Instrument cluster is repaired and installed
Evo velocity stacks are installed
Rearsets are fixed up
Front frame sliders installed (still need to replace the right side one near the footpeg)
Evo license plate holder /eliminator installed
Fuel tank was adjusted to fit better than from the factory
Rashed up Aprilia riding jacket repaired
etc. etc.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_carbonex_sm.jpg

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_carbonexh_sm.jpg

Pretty long list of labor. Hopefully the ol' fuel cap and a replacement master cylinder will come in the mail soon and I can get this show on the road. JCR is hooking up the windscreen for me so things will be ready for some summertime ridin.

Smithers
06-01-2008, 07:33 AM
Ah today is a good day! The bike is back on the road. But I'm literally waiting for paint to dry!

I made sure to tie up the rear speed sensor, make sure there were no loose bolts, tied up the turn signal wires then just went for it. Wow that header pipes really blew out my ears. I had to start it up at 9pm just to hear it again. I took the Akra can down from the rafters and put it on the next morning. I couldn't rev it more than once as you could surely hear it for a mile.

Youtube link: Ti headers without can, super raspy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgxJREtmT8c)

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_1st_ride.jpg

Smithers
06-06-2008, 09:38 PM
And with the Puig windscreen finally here...

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_puig01.jpg

I had to overnight a rear master cylinder so I'll be installing that tomorrow so it will be ready to go for Sunday. I took mine apart and messed around with it but rebuilding it would be like $25 for parts vs a brand new one for $53. Yeah I made the smart choice. It was pretty interesting doing some spirited riding without a rear brake. I got along just fine since the engine really will brake you quite a bit when you downshift. Those front rotors are AWESOME. I never used more than one finger to stop, so nice.

Smithers
07-22-2008, 10:02 AM
The latest thing I've done to the bike is install HID lights. This is a must for all modern motorcycle riders. Finally I can actually see a good distance at night and I don't even have to use the high beams. Well the high beams aren't HID so they don't work as well as the HID low beam. But I can hold the "pass" switch which is actually a trigger to hold the high beams on at the same time as the low beams. This gives me a little more light on the left and right of the HID low beam.

Check out my install, it wasn't so bad. HID INSTALL on my Aprilia Mille (http://www.fourwheelforum.com/index.php?showtopic=187)

Smithers
07-22-2008, 10:14 AM
Everything ran great up to Monterey and back last weekend. The only problem was the battery! I went straight to the bank in the morning and it wouldn't start. I got a ride from a friend to take the battery to have it tested and it's voltage was just fine but it wouldn't push any amps and it wouldn't take a charge either. The conclusion was that the battery had been damaged in the lowside crash and you could see evidence of this in the slightly out of place battery post. The battery was a YUASA that was not even a year old... what a bummer! So I went to Momentum Moto and Keith there hooked me up with a deal on a brand new Yuasa in the spirit of getting me up to the races. You could say I got the Laguna Seca race weekend deal on the new battery, many thanks to Momentum Moto. He also hooked me up with a deal on a new tailpack so I could haul some clothes and stuff to the races. Here is a shot of the bike just before I left.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/ls08_aprilia.jpg

Riding with a tail bag was interesting. I was able to use the built in bungee straps to secure it to the rear seat. Of course the more weight you put in the bag the tighter you need to strap it to the bike. As soon as I got on the freeway I could tell that the tailpack was definitely acting exactly like a wind neutralizer device that would go behind your head in a convertable. You know like the mesh screens that attach to the back of the head rests in a Porsche Boxster... same thing. It was weird, the wind wouldn't hit my helmet or body near as bad with the bag on the back. It was like a wind bubble was formed when the bag would deflect the wind upwards and over me. Interesting. What a great bag though! It's a Tourmaster/ Cortech model and it comes with straps built in and a 3M cover to waterproof it in the event of rain. Worked great and I could have expanded the sides if I needed to put more inside it.

Smithers
08-07-2008, 11:45 PM
Ahhh now this is the good life. I just need to get that F355 back in my own driveway... someday I will have something comparable.

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/aprilia/aprilia_ferrari_f355sm.jpg

Spokes
12-30-2010, 06:07 AM
Sorry, just running spam interference guys..cool bike anyway.