Aprilia Caponord 2014

Glad you are enjoying the new bike.

FYI, the turn signals ARE self-canceling. They do this by distance traveled and time, not speed or lean or anything like that. See page 106 of your manual. Short version is if moving, they cancel after 500m (.3 miles in real money ) or 40 seconds, which ever comes first.

-SM

They do self-cancel but it takes about twice as long as you'd expect - or at least compared to my Triumph.

Really? Holy shit they take a long time... I will try that again on the way to work tomorrow...

That owners manual kind of sucks hahaha

I look at the state of the manual the same way as I look at the overall state of Aprilia's customer-facing business model, which is anywhere from an afterthought to non-existent. It's a shame because their design and engineering seem excellent. I compare this to BMW's overall business model and it's a lesson in contrasts. You can't open a motorcycling magazine without seeing a BMW ad. Every month I get another email about a BMW-sponsored event (demo tour, sales event, etc). Hell, as I sit here I'm looking at a solid block of crystal with a superbly detailed 1923 BMW R32 etched INSIDE the block (no clue how they did it!) that came in a nice big leather-covered box with a book about BMW's history, a multi-tool, and a really nice tire pressure gauge, all of which came in the mail as a result of me purchasing a R1200GS. Now THAT'S marketing. THAT is how you invest the customer in your brand. Yes, it was over-the-top and expensive for them, and Aprilia doesn't have the budget for that, but to compare the two is like comparing apples to horses. Surely Aprilia can do better than they are right now, and it wouldn't cost them much to do it.....



-SM

I got one of those. I also had a $3K ABS module failure on my GS, and was stranded twice by the bike.

Then again, my Shiver stranded me 3x and took Aprilia a month to figure out the cause (I was an early adopter). So I guess Aprilia wins that battle

I had a rear caliper fail on my GS (locked one of the pads against the rotor), eating the pad, caliper, and rotor. BMW blamed me (as if I can somehow lock ONE of the pads against the rotor...the other pad was perfect) and wouldn't warranty it. My dealer stepped up and paid for parts on a "good will" warranty claim, all I had to pay was labor (about $500 of the $1500 bill), but it showed me BMW won't stand behind their products. I've since ready many accounts of similar behavior by BMW corporate, so I'll never buy another one. Well, "never" is a long time, so let's just say I won't buy another one unless/until the mother ship pulls their head out of their arse and supports the products they sell. Until then, my money goes elsewhere.

Anyway, back to the Aprilia, so far so good. I think the time is right for them to push a bit in this market to pick up some market share, but I doubt they'll do it. So....I guess I'll keep riding another rare Italian bike and just enjoy the roads ahead.

-SM

Has anyone had any pricing of a "major" service in U.S. shops? I do most of my own stuff still, but I do (like to) use the shop on occasion. My Stelvio and futura took me all over the Country with no problems, but I did use the dealer in NC (no longer with us) and Moto International when out West. Anyways, I easily could need 2+ major services a year and the cost at a dealer was a main reason I passed on Ducati and BMW is no longer an OEM I will support.

Well, we have a deal. Tomorrow I ride the Tiger to the dealer, ride the Capo home. Just have to wait a bit for top box and heated grips. Should be festive and the garage will be all Italian now (wife's Fiat 500e, MV Turismo Veloce and now the Capo).

Nostatic, I played hookie today and took the afternoon off of work and went lawn mower shopping on the Capo.. And then some backroad to home, another 100 mile loop..
It just reaffirmed my choice of bike.. I am really liking this bike...
I hope you like yours too,...

SHit if I had know I would get that I would have spent the extra 6 grand on the GS.. Hahaha... BMW does know how to treat the customer (to a point)...

Funny thing is, I had no idea I was going to get that stuff. It came in the mail about 2 months after I brought my GS home.

As for Aprilia, I'd be happy with a keychain and a decent owners manual.

-SM

Congrats!

I think you'll find what we all have, which is the Capo is motorcycling's best kept secret, and for the price they're being sold for, they're an absolute steal. Enjoy!

-SM

Hey sock, did you do you initial oil change or let the stealer do it? They say
'You can do it but we use that time to go over the bike" I am betting it is going to be a few hundred at the shop rate of 99 an hour.

I always have the dealer do the first service to check the bike over and make sure everything is as it should be. I usually have a few things I want them to do/check anyway, so it works out. Besides, my dealer has a great shop, and it's an awesome 200 mile round trip to/from, so I view it like a little holiday.

-SM

They are giving me a demo bike to ride home and back.. That should make it better....I just hate parting with the cash...

Italian garage

So....seems like there might be some overlap between the MV and the new Capo. Do you plan to keep both, or......

-SM

Actually there isn't as much overlap as you'd think. The Capo is a fairly big/heavy bike. It'll get around the corners, but has fairly low center stand, exhaust and pegs. The TV is essentially a sport bike masquerading as a touring bike. Pegs are pretty high, I don't have a center stand on it, and it is over 100 lbs lighter than the Capo. The Capo is pretty relaxed, the MV is high strung. Different scratchers for my various itches

Nice!!!