Aprilia Futura

[Castaway]

All are fixable at low cost, with the possible exception of the wobbly rear wheel: If tyre fitters did a bad job refitting the rear wheel, you could be talking $200 to fix. And that's not a job many could do at home.

Once people buy them, they tend to keep them. It really is a super-comfy reliable sports-tourer.

The rear wheel wobble is a first - haven't heard of it before. More a tire installation fault than wheel bearing? Weird.

[SpitfireTriple]

I mention the tyre fitter because that's where the problem starts. If it starts. If tyre fitters are sloppy, and reassemble the rear wheel components carelessly, and/or if they fail to torque the wheel-nut up tight - really tight - it will come loose when riding. It doesn't immediately fall off, you just feel the rear wheel wobbling, almost as if the bearing had gone.

But it doesn't happen often. And if you recognise it for what it is straight away, you can generally fix it by simply tightening the wheel-nut before any damage is done. But it's a good idea to take your Futura to a good bike shop rather than a backstreet car-tyre place.

[rdbandkab]

The rear rim has 3 receiving holes that have to be matched to 3 pins on the hub.  If not matched, the wheel will work loose and slam the pins into the rim.  And will ratchet the other way when brakes are applied.  If you have someone else mount the rim, just look down there and make sure you don't see the pins outside the rim.
Guys have ridden and done damage but there are fixes.. (easier to take a look before riding the thing after getting new rubber)

[BlueRidgeKat]

Come on Aprilia, bring back the Futura for 2010.

[sammyseaman]

Come on Aprilia, bring back the Futura for 2010.

With the RSV4 motor  

[ride200mi]

The rear rim has 3 receiving holes that have to be matched to 3 pins on the hub.  If not matched, the wheel will work loose and slam the pins into the rim.  And will ratchet the other way when brakes are applied.  If you have someone else mount the rim, just look down there and make sure you don't see the pins outside the rim.
Guys have ridden and done damage but there are fixes.. (easier to take a look before riding the thing after getting new rubber)

rdbandkab;
How are you both doing.... I don't read AF1 much anymore, don't know why.... I have been doing dirtbike stuff with my son mostly.....
I still have my Futura but Piratesmate can't tour anymore..... Dummer for sure.....
Just did a valve reshim..... Making a little more noise than I wanted to hear. 48K on the clock. Still run fantastic.

[Castaway]

Picking back up on this thread because I found a Futura with low miles/good price. For those owners past/present, how does the Futura do two-up on a long haul. (I know the proper bike is something like a FJR, V-strom, but I've lusted for the looks of the Futura so long ....)

[SpitfireTriple]

Can't give you a two-up long haul story.  But I got back yesterday from a week's holiday - rode there (160 miles each way) with the missus and a lot of luggage. Between us we weigh over 30 stone (450lb) and we had the panniers squeezed full of clothes and books.  Plus a large rucksack on Sue's back.  

I have to admit, with this load the Futura was no longer what you'd call nimble.  Nor was it fast.  It's pretty much the only time I felt I'd have been happier on a 1300+ 4-cylinder. But it still did the job.

Two-up without the luggage, or solo with lots of luggage, it's fine.

[Mr Sunshine]

I mention the tyre fitter because that's where the problem starts. If it starts. If tyre fitters are sloppy, and reassemble the rear wheel components carelessly, and/or if they fail to torque the wheel-nut up tight - really tight - it will come loose when riding. It doesn't immediately fall off, you just feel the rear wheel wobbling, almost as if the bearing had gone.

Just how tight do you think the rear nut has to be torqued?

[Castaway]

Can't give you a two-up long haul story.  But I got back yesterday from a week's holiday - rode there (160 miles each way) with the missus and a lot of luggage. Between us we weigh over 30 stone (450lb) and we had the panniers squeezed full of clothes and books.  Plus a large rucksack on Sue's back.  

I have to admit, with this load the Futura was no longer what you'd call nimble.  Nor was it fast.  It's pretty much the only time I felt I'd have been happier on a 1300+ 4-cylinder. But it still did the job.

Two-up without the luggage, or solo with lots of luggage, it's fine.

Thanks for the anecdote, Spitfire. The logical side of me says that something 'upright,' like a Tiger, V-Strom, Versys, is the next step, but I love the look of the Futura and going the dual-sport route somehow acknowledges that I ain't as young as I once was.  

[ride200mi]

The Futura is one of the most comfortable bikes we have owned. With little to no issues and 52K on the clock, I'm still keeping it for a while.

[falconati]

The Futura is one of the most comfortable bikes we have owned. With little to no issues and 52K on the clock, I'm still keeping it for a while.

Still looking great!

[ktmmiker]

Just bought my first Futura,  02 with less than 2k miles.  Now I'm looking  for a shipper to pick her up.  She'll make a great cool weather commuter.

I rode a Falco for about a year, used the Cortech Tri bag setup, sweet, sporty ride, but wore thin on my old bones when the days pushed toward 200 miles.  Wore even thinner on my driving record!

The Futura will certainly be an improvement, except perhaps in JUly and early August temps.
The Rotax's are definitely bulletproof.

[Castaway]

Wow, what a find! How does anyone own such a bike and only put 2K on it?    

[MisterSmooth]

Wow, what a find! How does anyone own such a bike and only put 2K on it?    

My thoughts exactly!       Two thousand miles, that's essentially a new bike.


From experience, I'd replace the fan relay ($30), the sidestand switch (about the same), the oil pressure sensor and the starter relay (Aprilia part = $80, Yamaha better part = $30) immediately as preventative maintenance.

I bought a 2001 Mille R (I'm sure the above parts are the same or very similar) a couple of years ago and all of those items needed replacing as PM.  The fan relay went out on a local ride and left me parked with a very hot Mille.

A common upgrade for the starter relay is to install a Yamaha part instead.  The Aprilia part doesn't carry the amperage of the Yamaha part and as wacky as this sounds it is a straight swap.  Matter of fact, they look so similar be careful that you keep them separated lest in the heat of the moment you reinstall the old one.  

If you go onto the Aprilia Forum website hosted by AF1, you will be able to find the correct Yamaha equivalent part number for the starter relay.  It's very, very easy to change and you will be able to do it yourself in fifteen minutes.

Aprilia sidestand switches are notorious for failure, so replacing the eight year old one with a new one is a rational call.

These are simple precautions.  The Aprilias are pretty reliable, certainly the most reliable Italian bike out there.  Sounds like you got a find!

Now...where are the pics???    We want pics!

[rdbandkab]

Picking back up on this thread because I found a Futura with low miles/good price. For those owners past/present, how does the Futura do two-up on a long haul. (I know the proper bike is something like a FJR, V-strom, but I've lusted for the looks of the Futura so long ....)

We just turned over 60,000 on ours.  Just take care of the known issues (rectifier/plastic QD) and you're good to go.   Some have dried out vacuume tubes after 30,000 miles, some have plug wires that need replacing also.   A lot of forum info on known issues.

This is an excellent bike for 2up...which we've done about 100% of the time.  THIS BIKE is the proper bike for touring..

richy

[Castaway]

We just turned over 60,000 on ours.  Just take care of the known issues (rectifier/plastic QD) and you're good to go.   Some have dried out vacuume tubes after 30,000 miles, some have plug wires that need replacing also.   Alot of forum info on known issues.

This is an excellent bike for 2up...which we've done about 100% of the time.  THIS BIKE is the proper bike for touring..

richy

Thanks for the feedback. The 'great deal' was snagged while I was traveling. BTW, it was an '02 with 7K for $4300.

[rdbandkab]

You're welcome...

Between the apriliaforums/sport-touring forums, you'll find a wealth of info.

richy

*ride200mi -check your PM's!!

[SpitfireTriple]

you could also try apriliafutura.co.uk (soon to become apriliafutura.com)

[FutRider]

Why do we have to have our bikes in our photos? That's at Indian Creek Overlook on the road between Happy Camp, Ca (Hwy 96) and O'Brien, Or. (Hwy 199). The road is in great shape.