- this is is a pic of it back in 2008 not that long after I bought it , with added grippy pillion seat as I used to take my (then quite young) boys out on it.
So, a bit of background on it- I first bought it when it had just turned three years old and had very little mileage on it, from its first and then only owner, who was also the owner of a UK bike race team.
It’s one of the last Gen1 Tuonos , and a “Factory Racing” which was a limited run Aprilia produced back then – there’s more detail on them here https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/r ... acing-2003 if you’re interested, but in short, it's a blinged up edition made specifically to try and win an Italian naked race series, and as such it came with lashings of carbon, a “ race kit” (which I still have in the boxes) which includes another carbon nose cone with no lights, additional full length carbon bellypan, race exhaust, chip for the ECU, race-shift gear linkage, and a few other cool little bits.
The bloke I bought it from back then wasn’t a fan of Aprilia’s cosmetic detailing and was a bit of a tart like me too so had it largely de-stickered, and the original white Oz wheels powder coated satin black.
He also put one or two extra carbon bits and bright gold ASV levers on it- nice quality levers but I always thought the gold was just too tarty , never did anything about it back then but have recently replaced them with the original type black ones.
Back at the time when I first bought it, I also did a few other minor mods/ replacements, including replacing the offensively loud carbon tri-oval exhaust can he had on it with the road-legal but still lovely sounding Arrow you see on it in the pics, and I also did the clutch oil jet mod and fitted an Oberon slave cylinder to make neutral easier to find and the clutch action a bit lighter.
Anyway, me and V2 ONO ( yeah corny / twatty / tarty perhaps I know, but it’s THE number plate to have on a Tuono if you’re going to have a vanity plate I reckon and I think it’s
) had a huge amount of fun over the following eight or nine years, including doing both the Wales and South West rallies on it with a couple of mates during that time.
I never took it on track as I would have cried if I crashed it as some of the bodywork is not replaceable, but mainly as I had my trusty ZX10 for that and was into chasing lap times at that time so never felt the need.
Fast forward to 2017/18ish and my brother Kev @2xtwins had worn me down – he is very much a long-time Aprilia owner and lover, with a battle-scarred 2001 RSVR Millie that he’s had since almost new still lurking somewhere in the back of his garage,.
He’s always loved this particular Tuono ( I had a regular Gen1 before it) and had been chipping away asking to buy it for years.
At the time I finally relented I think I had one or other of my MT10s and probably far too many bikes and the Tuono wasn’t seeing any use and so I agreed, on the proviso that if he was ever to sell it he’d give me first refusal, and I have to see although all bikes are just replaceable lumps of metal and plastic and I don't love them in the same way I love people and animals, it's one of, the very few of all my bikes that I've had over the years that I have regretted selling.
Kev owned it until the middle of last year when I managed to prise it back off him in a deal involving me parting with my 890R Duke.
It was an interesting one for me riding it again after a good few years off it, and especially stepping off an 890R as an immediate comparison, which very much has a similar sort of character.
I was expecting to possibly be slightly brought back to earth as the 890 really is such an outstanding package IMO, but I wasn’t- the Tuono was still brilliant, fabulous motor , brakes , handling and absolutely cracking fun to ride, and I still think it looks gorgeous too, which is an important part of owning bikes for me too- ugly bikes really have to be fucking brilliant to ride for me to love them, but this old girl has all bases covered for me -
So I stuck an MOT on it last year and had a few great little early morning blasts on it, but being honest it hasn’t had much use since then, but then neither have any of my road bikes recently...
this is it autumn last year - it's got the OE Aprilia mirrors back on it, and different tyres, but apart from that, just about exactly as it was back in 2008
Anyway, with the weather getting very much better that will change and it's going to get a little bit of attention in the garage first so I’ve made some purchases- there are more bits arriving as I type but here's some of them:
Fettling planned over the coming days includes, but isn't limited to:
- Engine service- it’s done very few miles overall, and Kev had it serviced with valve clearances done not that long ago, but it will get new oil and filter and plugs (there are four of them in this gen motor), and the air filter ( it has a K&N in it) will get a clean and re-oil. I’ve also purchased Griff’s open airbox kit that you see in the photo below, which basically does away with the airbox lid and uses the underside of the tank as the airbox, with a resultant increase in volume and a bit of a mid-range boost with the modified exhaust link pipe.
- Fuel filter and pipes. While the tank is off, I’ll have the pump out, and replace the filter and pipes. It’s a known weak spot on these and quite a few other bikes too- the pipes rot and leak over time and these have never been replaced so it’s time.
- New chain and sprockets- the rear Renthal that you see is one I put on it way back when along with a 15T front sprocket- both sprockets are still in decent condition, but the chain is the original and although again not noticeably worn, it’s suffered cosmetically and I’ve never really thouguht the style of the Renthal suits it so it’s getting a nice new set of Talons, and a new gold X-ring chain I’ve had “ in stock” for probably 7 or 8 years - I originally got for my 1199 but sold the bike before I fitted it.
- New brake/clutch reservoir pipes and clips- Again this is pretty much solely for cosmetic reasons. The clips have corroded over time, probably due to road salt never being properly cleaned off them at some time in my previous ownership and look tatty so they will be replaced. The front brake light switch has also gone on the blink so that will be replaced too.
- New carbon seat cover The original came unclipped and went AWOL in Kev’s ownership when we were out on a ride together- we stopped and searched the surrounding ditches and hedgerows but couldn’t find it so it’s had a regular Tuono passenger seat on since, Moto Composites in the US produce and sell them in carbon that will match the original seat unit, so that’s on order.
I’ll probably also remove the pillion footest hangers as well and use the exhaust hanger that comes in the race kit at the same time, as I can’t see me ever taking a pillion again on this bike.
And of course a full @Tricky clean- this is very similar to a @weeksy clean, it just probably takes longer
That’s what I have on my list at the moment- there will be more, and also a bit of dyno time afterward to check how it’s running with potential tweaks as required, who knows- watch this space!
) cost of a genuine new one, especially when one for a Nissin/A.N. Other Japanese bike is typically only a tenner or so , hence it’s now sporting a (cheap and cheerful- shame it isn’t stainless, but maybe that will change) hydraulically operated one that I had kicking around- does the job and doesn’t look out of place IMO, so it will do, for now at least anyway.
