VFR to Aprilia Mille?

I have always been a massive and rather dedicated fan of the V bikes. I own, obviously, a VFR. Both my father and mother own [naked] SVs, father on the 1000, mother on 650. I am thinking ahead to what bike I would like to own next and believe that I have figured it out.

Of all the other cookie cutter rice rockets out there and beautiful yet pocket emptying pasta rockets, my heart is quite set on and Aprilia Mille. There is a good deal of difference between the years (none of which, in my opinion, were bad ones), especially in the looks dept. I would certainly own a 2000-2002 but must say that I'd do just about anything to get a deal on a 2004+ Aprilia Mille Factory. The whole bike is beautiful and those matte blue anodized aluminum wheels set behind the gold Ohlins fork are killer.





Is there anyone else out there who is a fan of Aprilias, especially the Mille's? Would you make the switch from your VFR?

 

Another sweet one.

 

I've put a lot of miles on a Ape 07 RSV, the buttery smooth engine & it's pure corner carving ability are it's greatest strengths, the biggest drawback for me was the ergo's that puts a strain on my lower back because it's a very track oriented bike, that said the factory version of the Mille with the black paint and gold rims is sex on wheels...

 

i think the 04 is a much better looking bike than the 02 model with the blunt nose, which looks a littlle dated now, but no doubt is also a cheaper option.

I rode a 2002 mille back to back with a Ducati 999 and that is an interesting comparo. I went out with my 2 buddies who owned these, me on my heavily modded VTR 1000, and we did about 300 ks round trip, swapping around as we went.

the mille was like a blunt instrument compared to the ducati, it was raw and angry and demanded to be ridden in a fairly agressive manner. it also went like a bat out of hell, with a predigous bottom end & midrange power curve. it felt like a bigger bike than the duck or honda and you had to 'manhandle' it alot in the corners. i think this feeling was amplified by the Ducati which was almost the polar opposite to the mille. Light, narrow,and it built power in a very controlled and usable manner, acelerated cleanly and braked beautifully. its power band had a very linear feel to it. The achilles for both these bikes was ride position, which was very sport focused, especially compared to the VTR, which was 'captain sensible' in comparison.
However there was no way the VTR could keep up with either of them at beyond 70% of any performance parameter.

so if you like the mille, try get a ride on one, but if you can , blag a ride on a 999 also. if for no other reason than to give yourself a yardstick.
Here in NZ at the mo you can buy a 999 or 04 mille for pretty reasonable money,they seem to be sitting at around half the original price for a good clean used example. hopefully similar on your side.

my mate eventually sold his mille after that summer, he found it hard to get on with. he now rides an 07 model Blade, the other guy still has a 999 altho he swapped his standard model for 999s.

personally I love the big twins! good luck & good hunting.

RT

 

I take it by "Blade" that you're referring to a Fireblade, what is in the US a Honda CBR1000RR. Awesome bikes. I came a cross a picture of what is nearly the most beautiful and wicked looking naked bike ever, a CB1000R. At first I believed that it was a heavily mod'd 2008 CBR1000RR but then found out that it is actually a production bike in the rest of the world but the US. Too bad we Yanks had to piss off the majority of the world and lose out on such great things. (The temptation to import one is drastically high; just the cash isn't.)





Thanks for the advice! I've oggled over Mille's for a long time but have never ridden one. You can find some of them decently priced here; just a fair difference between the Mille R and the Factory. The way that I see it though, if you're going to do it you might as well go the whole way.

 

I was just talking to a freind about this same bike, just got done with a track day today and he rides a Turano R. I would trade the VFR for an ST and get the Mille for the TRACK

 

I have to say I really like my Ladies, I've had a lot of fun on both. I can ride the Futura all day long it's so comfy.

I wanted to get an '04, but for the price of an '03 (which is the year to have in that range) I fit my pocket a little better.

That said, when this one gets out who's to say I won't but one. '09 RSV4