Tempted to jump ship?

6026 Views 49 Replies 23 Participants Last post by SmgZx10r, Dec 5, 2016

SmgZx10r

Discussion Starter · Nov 16, 2016

Hey all,

Looking for some thoughts....
So my insurance finally came in and I'm ready to buy my news Z X 10 unfortunately all the 16s are sold out up here and I do not want to wait till spring for the 17s I want to ride now LOL plus cow is an offering any rebates so there's no savings which I was hoping for on a 2016 model. So I just came across last week greay rebates on Aprilias Rsv4 Rf ... I can pick one up with all the goodies forged wheels Ohlins etc. etc. for less than a Gen five ... should I jump on it? My main concern is I have a great relationship with my local kawai dealership and don't know much about aprilia service up here in Vancouver .(apparently only one shop) Thnaks for any feedback. Cheers ?

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Doppler

· #2 · Nov 16, 2016

The Ape is a great bike no question and I was seriously considering one myself. I guess the answer to your question is somewhat opinion and personal preferance but some things to consider are reliability, parts availability, comfort depending on what riding you do, anyone local who knows what their doing working on it if you don't do it yourself.

I'd say the Aprilia has come leaps and bounds reliability wise in the last 10 years but still not up to Jap standards. All that said, it's a sweet ride and the motor is great. Sounds like a fantastic deal if it's the same price as a Gen 5. If you like the bike I say go for it.

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Jlefevre1122

· #3 · Nov 16, 2016

Me and a buddy have been trading my gen 4 for his rsv4 and I enjoy riding on it a lot in corners but when we on any type of straight away it's not even compareable. No top end at all. Good for just cornering and all but at hard to make more power from what I've heard on aprillia too so the power is almost you get what you get

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Helitech

· #4 · Nov 16, 2016

Maintenance is too expensive for my taste... the RR's are coming to the USA... would that be worth your wait?

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SmgZx10r

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 16, 2016

Thanks for your input ... appreciated !
I am a rabid rider - street/hiway & track.
That my main worry I don't know about service - seems to be hit and miss....
Ima do some more reasearch ??

SmgZx10r

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 16, 2016

That's what I've read too, however, they say the 16 rf now are bumped up to similar hp once race Ecu put in. Idk... reviews seem great and nice bike but not sure about service.

Jlefevre1122 said:
Me and a buddy have been trading my gen 4 for his rsv4 and I enjoy riding on it a lot in corners but when we on any type of straight away it's not even compareable. No top end at all. Good for just cornering and all but at hard to make more power from what I've heard on aprillia too so the power is almost you get what you get

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SmgZx10r

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 16, 2016

Thx for your input...
I checked kawi website today is was updated for 2017s .... the rr up here msrp
Is 22k (4K more than krt) & 4K more than rf right now .... I believe they arriving in spring ... since I'm in the position to buy now , I'd like to take advantage of end season deals as opposed to paying full $ for 17s ... ugh idk heh. As far as maintainence...seems costs similar but parts and service take longer :/
(No one likes to wait)

Helitech said:
Maintenance is too expensive for my taste... the RR's are coming to the USA... would that be worth your wait?

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andrewinbriz

· #8 · Nov 16, 2016

I looked at the Aprilia too. Is a nice bike. Wish them well. Even downloaded the service manual (not owners manual). Since I'd be doing all the work myself. And no local dealers, not that I'm likely to trust them, given previous dealer experiences.
I would say most maintenance procedures are more lengthy (so costly if you pay for it) than an I4, a couple of very specialized (and expensive) tools are required,and parts availability can be a problem.
Reliability wise I'd say closer to a Ducati than a Jap bike, so not so good, well not as good as I think is acceptable. And since I have a ducati, that I'll either make reliable, burn or shoot, I didn't need another potential headache, so I crossed it off. But whatever floats your boat.

Reactions: 1

Kllongbrake

· #9 · Nov 16, 2016

SmgZx10r said:
Hey all,

Looking for some thoughts....
So my insurance finally came in and I'm ready to buy my news Z X 10 unfortunately all the 16s are sold out up here and I do not want to wait till spring for the 17s I want to ride now LOL plus cow is an offering any rebates so there's no savings which I was hoping for on a 2016 model. So I just came across last week greay rebates on Aprilias Rsv4 Rf ... I can pick one up with all the goodies forged wheels Ohlins etc. etc. for less than a Gen five ... should I jump on it? My main concern is I have a great relationship with my local kawai dealership and don't know much about aprilia service up here in Vancouver .(apparently only one shop) Thnaks for any feedback. Cheers ?

Vancouver? You're just a couple hours north of me. There's not much riding to be done until spring anyway. Save your coin and pick up an RR in spring. Why can't you come down here and pick up a bike? Is there a huge tax hit bringing it back into Canada? I know there are 16's down here. I just checked and Kawasaki is on the list of admissible vehicles.

obijack

· #10 · Nov 16, 2016

If you can get an RF for the price of a ZX10R, do it. That bike is easily $5000 more than a zx10 is. No brainer.

mr_honez

· #11 · Nov 16, 2016

I would check if the Ape dealer's service dept. is any good. That should be a main determining factor. While I love Ducati's and Aprilia's, I know all to well that when they need parts and/or service, the dealer's service department needs to be good for the bike to be worthwhile. While true for all makes, it is especially vital for them. My humble opinion is to wait a bit for a 10R.

Reactions: 1

TennisFreak

· #12 · Nov 16, 2016

I love my ZX but no way in hell I'd pass up on a RSV4 RF if I could get it for less than a brand new gen 5 ZX.

Thats just crazy talk right there.

Reactions: 1

Helitech

· #13 · Nov 16, 2016

Can't hurt to take it out for a spin... after going to Ducati for a short stint, I kinda missed having the "predictability" (for lack of a better word) of the inline's power curve...

And as mentioned, not having the appropriate special tools hurt the pockets a bit. In the long run you will definitely find yourself spending more on upkeep even if you did the work yourself. But it's up to you really.

Does everyone really hate the new CBR and GSXR that much? Lol!

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Reactions: 1

Porschenut

· #14 · Nov 16, 2016

Kllongbrake said:
Vancouver? You're just a couple hours north of me. There's not much riding to be done until spring anyway. Save your coin and pick up an RR in spring. Why can't you come down here and pick up a bike? Is there a huge tax hit bringing it back into Canada? I know there are 16's down here. I just checked and Kawasaki is on the list of admissible vehicles.

It's the Canadian/US $ exchange rate. The current exchange rates favor Americans spending their money in Canada so conversely we Canadians aren't going south very much at the moment. By the time he imported a US bike into Canada it would be the same or more money than buying in Vancouver and that's with extra border administration as well.

Americans might want to consider shopping for big ticket items in Canada right now because there are often savings to be achieved especially if you're close to the border and don't need to ship.

Reactions: 2

renais

· #15 · Nov 16, 2016

Poor gas mileage (amongst other things) rules it out for me

skidooboy

· #16 · Nov 16, 2016

parts distribution issues, EVERYTHING comes from ITALY. understand you will have a harder time getting simple stuff, crash stuff, performance stuff. they are "one of a kind" so understand, spares and tech support, set up info, for street and track will be hard to come by. good luck in your choice. personally if you don't like waiting, stay with Kaw. you will do ALOT of waiting with the APE. Ski

Reactions: 1

Doppler

· #17 · Nov 16, 2016

Helitech said:
Does everyone really hate the new CBR and GSXR that much?

:lol: Yes.

skidooboy said:
you will do ALOT of waiting with the APE.

:+1: True. Over a month is not uncommon for non routine parts.

Reactions: 1

ShawnG

· #18 · Nov 17, 2016

I have a 13 aprilia rsv4 and i would keep my 4th gen over it allll day! the RSV4 is a beautiful bike and lets not forget about that sound! but like others have said power wise it doesnt even compare on the older models, on the new RR or RF you get more power but top end still is out of its league. If you do buy one and keep it for a while plan on rebuilding it because reliability wise theyre not even comparable. Mine spun a rod bearing at just 6,500 miles. I ride my bikes very hard so i blame myself on that one but reliability is HUGE for me and after that i never saw her the same way... Dealer relationship is huge! Aprilia is a small company so talking to anyone or trying to get something warrantied is very hard. so you need a dealer that is very persistent. lots and lots of down time. But with that being said the chassis on it is amazing! and i think it made me a better rider just by riding it, plus the motor sounds soooooo good. They're a beautiful bike and on the aprilia forum there are some guys who have 30k miles on theirs with no rebuilds yet so they can be reliable.. (if you keep it under 7k rpm). lol no they are a great bike just take more time and alot more money. Does keep me humble though.. when i hop on the 4th gen and open her up i feel my heart go into my stomach and my face ripped off from the brutal acceleration

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Reactions: 1

trackaddict

· #19 · Nov 18, 2016

I owned a 13' RSV4 as well. Awesome bike. The sound is insane! The electronics package was bar none, the best. It was not the most powerful bike, in comparison to the in line 4 liter bikes. I always felt it needed 25 more HP. Handling was perfect. Chassis was perfect. Its Italian however. As others have said... parts can potentially be a PITA. Cost of aftermarket is higher. There are quirks as well. Not sure I'd buy another Aprilia to be honest. I've owned a TON of bikes. The Ape was very unique and fun to ride no doubt. If the price was right, then I guess go for it. Understand one thing. Resale can be challenging. There's a reason they're rare.

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Reactions: 1

obijack

· #20 · Nov 18, 2016

So the new RR and RF with 200 hp isn't going to keep up with the inline 4 200 hp bikes in a straight line (15+ R1, ZX10R, ect.)?

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