Thinking of buying an Aprilia Futura

[Brian_McEnulty]

Hey guys I'm in the process of selling my Katana at the moment and have found a great deal on a 2002 Aprilia Futura. It has a Staintune exhaust system, new chain and sprockets as well as some recent maintenance. From what I've read so far this is a great comfortable bike but also reliable. Can any of you with experience with the Futura chime in and let me know your opinion? I love the way this bike looks, similar to an F-117 or something. My only concerns with the bike is I've read it's somewhat tall, and me being 5'10" with a 32" inseam I'm not sure how I'd fit on. How is the bike for comfort and touring? I plan on a few trips with my girlfriend soon once the good weather comes back. She is 5'9" by the way, how's the legroom for the passenger? Thanks guys

[Jeff N]

She is 5'9" by the way, how's the legroom for the passenger? Thanks guys

We're gonna need pics.

Seriously now.

This pic



tells me that the Futura has passenger pegs with similar placement as my Bandit 1200. My wife stands 5' 7" and she can't stand much more than an hour on the bike.

[Baz]

From the looks of things, your would be fine, wifey maybe not so much.

[Brian_McEnulty]

Well right now on my Katana 600 she seems to be fine with the leg room, just not so much the angle of the seat and the seat itself. I'm 20 and she's 18 so we can handle a bit of a scrunch on the bike but I just want to make sure she'll have at least the same leg room as the Katana basically.

[MisterSmooth]

BIKE magazine (UK) rates the passenger seat as one of the best.  They say it's one of the top two-up bikes that isn't a tourer.  Legroom?  I dunno.  At 5' 10" you should fit the Futura just fine; the issue would be if you were tall.  

I've never ridden a Futura, but I've ridden a couple of Tuonos and a Mille and the V-twin engine is a peach.


Another cool thing about riding a Futura, it will be the only one in town.


Here's a Futura in its native habitat just south of Varenna, Italy.

[Brian_McEnulty]

That looks sweet! And my issue for legroom is if the bike is too tall for me or not, and for the passenger if it's tall enough.

[sleazy rider]

I've ridden one with my 30" inseam and had no issues with flat footing it, knees bent even.  I was considering one, but went with a Triumph instead.  I do like the angular look on 'em.

[phoenix]

That looks sweet! And my issue for legroom is if the bike is too tall for me or not, and for the passenger if it's tall enough.

my opinion - aside from full on touring bikes, there are few (if any) bikes that are truely passenger friendly unless the passenger is under 5 feet tall. Some people can put up with that riding position for several hours though. I guess ya do what ya hafta.

[Snowbird]

The Futura still represents the high water mark of sport-tourers across every category I can think of including: the seat, the seating position for rider and passenger, reliability*, hard bag design, styling, performance and handling combination, etc.

* If you are reluctant or unable to service your own bike by following a manual and/or seeking assistance from the Futura section of www.apriliaforum.com OR don't happen to live near one of a handful of motivated Aprilia dealers in the US, then stay away. Some bikes have exhibited vexing problems that have now been fully investigated and solved by owners, but many dealers are still stumped or completely inept.

$4k is tops for a stocker. Don't buy one someone has butchered the mirrors off, don't fall for one that someone claims is worth extra $$ because they "improved" the bike with lots of add ons... those add ons are only worth money to the guy who installed them, unless he/she just happens to be your motorcycling clone.

[Playinthestreet]

I had an opportunity to ride a Futura from Phoenix to St Louis several years ago.  It was, by far, the most comfortable sport-touring bike I've ever ridden.  I'm 5'10" w a 31" inseam.  One of the motorcycle mags has a dimension comparison chart and the big difference between the Futura and others is the distance from the seat to the peg.  The Futura is a couple of inches greater and, for an old guy, kept my hips from getting sore.  A 4 gallon +/- tank and fuel mileage in the 38-40mpg range make for frequent gas stops.  1 less tooth on the countershaft sprocket and bar risers and "Bob's your Uncle".

FWIW, NADA (which is what the dealers/lenders use) doesn't list Aprilas.  KBB is way over the top, as most always, with a 2002 at $6600.

[BizJetGuy]

It's a great bike - a mileage eater.  Primarily because of the comfort and reliability.  Get used to feeling fresh as a daisy at gas/food stops while your riding mates are stretching out the aches and pains.

My wife is very comfortable on the back at 5'9" also.  It's a vast improvement (driver and pillion) over my last bike - CBR 929 - in both pillion riding position and seat comfort.  The comfy seat is what legends are made of.  No need to search for aftermarket alternatives as Aprilia got this one spot on.

The v-twin is bulletproof and many owners are sporting tens of thousands of trouble-free miles.  Aftermarket parts are starting to dwindle so it sounds as if this one is well-equipped.

Panniers are excellent in design and function.  It takes about 2 seconds to remove or install them and the scoot looks great with or without them.  A full-faced helmet can fit inside each one easily.

As suggested in an earlier post, check apriliaforum.com for a few issues that can be resolved quite easily in your own garage, if the PO did not address them already.  Parts availability, while not as easy as jogging down to the local Metric shop, is acceptable.  There are a few dealers (primarily the one that sponsors apriliaforum) that support the owners of these great bikes with very high levels of service.  Most parts, if not in stock at the dealer, are stateside at least and can be delivered within a few days.  This bike is also easy to wrench on in your own garage.

There is an exclusivity factor with this bike.  Be ready to answer a lot of questions.

This bike is the best kept secret on the street.  Aprilia really hit the mark on this one and it's a crying shame that they didn't sell better.  I can think of no other replacement currently on the market.  I guess I'll have to wait and see if the rumors play out and a 1200cc version is released in the next few years.

I love mine and will keep her until the wheels fall off  

[Lawn Dart]

Loved the bike and loved the test ride I had on one.  A really great bike that got axed from the running from one of my purchasing decisions because it lacked ABS.

Enjoy it!

[bikerfish1100]

I ran some demo rides for Aprilia a few years ago ("what, you'll PAY me to ride your bikes for a weekend? and all i gota do is let some other yucks keep up with me? Coool!!)- the Futura was a very sweet ride, might even make my short list for a replacement (if i was looking, but I'm not). a bit heavy at a standstill, but very planted at speed. good handling, great motor, nice stock suspension (Wilbers make a big improvement, so I'm told). Lots of community support, which is great, cuz dealers are not all that plentiful. I'd be slightly concerned about parts availability, but they do seem pretty bullet-proof, so not a major concern. I'm 5'10", and a touch north of 50 yo, and it felt just dandy to me.

[fxrbill]

There is an 01 on the Advrider board right now for $3,500.

[FutRider]

Ditto the forum comment.  There are plenty of owners on there that are falling all over themselves (me included) to talk up the finer points of the Futura.  I have found nothing in the current offerings that appeal to me as much as that bike.  I have not had a pillion on the back, so I don't know what the comfort level is back there, but there are several of the forum members who rave about it.  Check it out.

[2cats]

I think everyone is giving a fair representation here, and I don't think I have anything to add, only to underscore.  Occassionally, a part will be unavailable, and some dealers are in name only.  It is fun to torture people in a group ride by continuing to hammer away in the lead when they are just dying to get off their bikes.

[Brian_McEnulty]

Thanks for all of the input guys, I'm very excited to get a Futura soon. The only thing preventing me from buying it now is I'd like to sell my bike first before I buy a new one. Could any of you guys that own a Futura post up a few pictures showing all of the info that is displayed on the dash setup as well as how the rear seat unlocks and opens up or anything else that would be interesting to see?

[xdbx]

this is the best I can do for dash layout



Your only options are on the right.  You've got 2 modes.  Normal mode, ie startup mode, you get a coolant temp on bottom and a gas gauge on top.  Push the mode button, and it'll switch to an outside temp on top and I forgot what on the bottom.  The ambient temp guage isnt very accurate near startup, but if allowed to settle, it is fairly accurate given bank signs i've seen throughout my 10,000 miles.  

As for the seat, the entire seat as you see it will come off.  Dont know what else to say about that.  here's a shot of it off from when I installed a set of taylormades





hope that helps.  They're great bikes, no doubt.  I'm your age and often find myself opposing views with the other members here because i'm not even out of my undergraduate work yet, however this bike is tits... and does what its advertised to do very well.  Looks damn find as well.  

[Sign Guy]

BUY ONE! You will love it to start and it only gets better! I've done 15K in the last 14 months and there are those on the aprilia forum with 60K plus who are still in honeymoon mode. The rotax motors are damn near bullet proof. I just checked my valves at 25K and they are from the factory spec and it is not unheard of them to go to 50K+ with no adjustment needed. No doubt that this bike is a best(not so)kept secret. To give you some idea of how comfortable this bike is I came off of a R1100RT and the RST makes the BMW feel like a combo of a torture device and a John Deer Tractor. In the first 36 hours I did 1100 miles getting it home. BTW, it is also a BLAST to ride. Go where ever the MTNS are on 2 wheels and then have fun!

[Brian_McEnulty]

Thanks for all the input, it's making me really pumped to get the bike. The good news is that I'm going down on Monday to go pick mine up! The bad is that I still haven't sold the Katana yet but I'm sure it'll sell soon

[FutRider]

Come on down to Fortuna at the end of May (see WCRM V sticky in region 1).  It would be fun to get all the Futura riders together in region 1 for B.S. and bad manners and some riding CA-36.  That highway will help you to appreciate the true sport/tourer that the Futura was meant to be.
JT

[MisterSmooth]

Yeah, Brian, you could ride to Fortuna in one long day.  Come on down!  

Usually there are about 60 of us hanging around, going for various rides, drinking a few pints and bench racing (bench touring?).

[Brian_McEnulty]

Well yesterday I made the 220 mile trip from Albany to Phoenix Oregon. We got there around 5:45, checked out the bike made the deal and headed out. This bike is sweet, very comfortable and plenty of power. The 220 miles back home were a little bit tough, it was 35 degrees out and I rode through about 20 miles of thick fog and got rained on for an hour but the bike held up great. I just have 2 pictures of the bike right now, one at a gas stop on the way back and one from today without the bags on (the mirrors are turned in because I just took off the cover and forgot about them). I think I got a good deal on it, the guy I bought it from gave me about $1k in receipts from recent maintenance things he's done (new chain/sprockets, water pump seals, new rear axle and king bearing, etc).

[BizJetGuy]

Congrats - looks good!

And it will be comforting to know that you have the faster "Infinity Blue" model  

Must be something about Futuras... I had to ride mine home in a monsoon when I bought it but her good manners instantly instilled confidence in wet-handling conditions.

Well done  

[FutRider]

Congratulations!  I think you'll be very happy with it.

[BizJetGuy]

How's the love affair coming along?

[2cats]

That king bearing was unavailable for quite a while not too long ago.  It might be a good idea to have someone who knows to check out the rear wheel, make sure it's on correctly (the system is a little unusual), make sure that the holes in the wheel that the locating pins fit into are round and not elliptical.  At how many miles was the bearing replaced?

[Brian_McEnulty]

The bearing was replaced around 27k miles, the wheel is on there good with no play and the holes on the wheel have not been enlarged as far as I can tell. I've put about 2000 miles on the Futura so far and it is by far the best bike I've owned. I could ride all day on it without any discomfort (my Katana wasn't too bad but something about it's seat made my lower back hurt). I recently went on a ride down the Oregon coast with one of my friends and both our girl friends, the Futura did great even in the pretty severe rain and wind we encountered on the second day of the trip. Here's a couple of pictures of the trip

[skater69]

Make sure you do the "rectifier connector wiring mods" since the connector housings tend to melt.....if not done already.
The Fut forum on the Apriliaforum has tons of info on it.

[TheFirerider]

Definitely go over the the Aprilia forum sponsered by AF1.  There is tons of great info there in the Futura forum.
I miss mine a great deal, however my Tuono Racing is filling the bill.
JCIII

[pridg]

Hey Guys, cool pics, where were you?
Got a question, did the US get any 2005 Futuras?
I thought it was Euro only, please educate me.

[IvanJ]

Got a question, did the US get any 2005 Futuras?
I thought it was Euro only, please educate me.

There is no such thing as a 2005 Futura.  They were last made in 2003, but some were sold as 2004 models.

[Umus]

Hey Guys, cool pics, where were you?
Got a question, did the US get any 2005 Futuras?
I thought it was Euro only, please educate me.

Dealers were still selling left overs in '06.  The bike in question may have been titled in '05.

Got my Blue '01 in '03 - Dash burned out but was replaced under warranty. Battery drains quickly if you let the bike stand without removing the two fuses under the seat just behind the battery (as recommended in the manual). No problems other than that. Addressed my throttle response complaints with a K&N filter and a version of the TBR Juice Box - smoothed delivery while giving me 9 more ponies, 6 more torque, all the way across the power band (better MPH as well).

It's in the shop for a full service as we speak and I'm having the sprockets replaced with a D.I.D. kit. The front sprocket is being dropped to 15 teeth. I'll let you know how that turns out.

[cannondale]

 Curious, How would you compare your new scoot to the Kat as far as riding position? More agressive position? Also since you have a few miles on her now, is wind protection better or worse than the Kat?

[Snowbird]

Battery drains quickly if you let the bike stand without removing the two fuses under the seat just behind the battery (as recommended in the manual).

Do you have the stock recifier? If not, there's a better aftermarket one...  One of my bikes has the stocker, the other was upgraded.

Addressed my throttle response complaints with a K&N filter and a version of the TBR Juice Box - smoothed delivery while giving me 9 more ponies, 6 more torque, all the way across the power band (better MPH as well).

Have not heard of the TBR Juice Box. What is that?

It's in the shop for a full service as we speak

Which dealer? If you recommend them, owners are always looking for competent shops. Rollin Fast in NJ is good... as is, of course AF1. I used to use Lightning Motosport in Port St. Lucie, FL, but I think they might be out of business.

The front sprocket is being dropped to 15 teeth. I'll let you know how that turns out.

I think most people go back to the stock sprocket size. Personally, I'd try going up two in the rear. YMMV.

[Fun Dog]

So what does your passenger think of the ride?

[pridg]

Where are the left over 0-mile 2004 Aprilia Futura found?

[Greg MacD]

I own a 2003 RST, I love the thing, great bike, Fast......what else can I say!

[Snowbird]

Where are the left over 0-mile 2004 Aprilia Futura found?

In your dreams?  

[Snowbird]

I own a 2003 RST, I love the thing, great bike, Fast......what else can I say!

Contact me late fall/early winter and we can get together for a ride.... when I'll be in FL. BTW, a friend of mine in FL has the same combo of bikes as you.

[sporttourer]

How about this one?

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/mcy/719478015.html

Even has a "shiter" kit.

[Fun Dog]

It's a great bike - a mileage eater.  Primarily because of the comfort and reliability.  Get used to feeling fresh as a daisy at gas/food stops while your riding mates are stretching out the aches and pains.

My wife is very comfortable on the back at 5'9" also.  It's a vast improvement (driver and pillion) over my last bike - CBR 929 - in both pillion riding position and seat comfort.  The comfy seat is what legends are made of.  No need to search for aftermarket alternatives as Aprilia got this one spot on.

The v-twin is bulletproof and many owners are sporting tens of thousands of trouble-free miles.  Aftermarket parts are starting to dwindle so it sounds as if this one is well-equipped.

Panniers are excellent in design and function.  It takes about 2 seconds to remove or install them and the scoot looks great with or without them.  A full-faced helmet can fit inside each one easily.

As suggested in an earlier post, check apriliaforum.com for a few issues that can be resolved quite easily in your own garage, if the PO did not address them already.  Parts availability, while not as easy as jogging down to the local Metric shop, is acceptable.  There are a few dealers (primarily the one that sponsors apriliaforum) that support the owners of these great bikes with very high levels of service.  Most parts, if not in stock at the dealer, are stateside at least and can be delivered within a few days.  This bike is also easy to wrench on in your own garage.

There is an exclusivity factor with this bike.  Be ready to answer a lot of questions.

This bike is the best kept secret on the street.  Aprilia really hit the mark on this one and it's a crying shame that they didn't sell better.  I can think of no other replacement currently on the market.  I guess I'll have to wait and see if the rumors play out and a 1200cc version is released in the next few years.

I love mine and will keep her until the wheels fall off  

Ditto.  Couldn't have said it better myself.