I've Joined the Aprilia Club - 2002 EVT1000 Caponord

[Britt]

I was on the prowl for a VStrom 1000 to replace my Blackbird so that I can wander off of smooth tarmac when I see a gravel/dirt/sand road heading off from my route.  I happened upon an ad for a Caponord that was for sale about 15 miles from my house.  It's a 2002 with only 2700 miles on it, and came equipped with Aprilia panniers.  So far, I'm really enjoying it but after putting a few miles on it today, I'm parking it until I can swap the fluids, fuel quick connects, and go through all of the known electrical connector points that need attention before they consider melting down.

A few pics...













Check out those tubeless spoked wheels....

[Rincewind]

Sweet, low-mileage Capo, Britt.  

[BobW]

Sweet find, she looks showroom fresh.

Safe travels and Cheers!

[Reddog*]

Very nice looking Capo.

If you don't like how far the bike leans over on the US side stand, a lot of us have switched to the EU stand.
http://www.af1racing.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=2418

[Britt]

Very nice looking Capo.

If you don't like how far the bike leans over on the US side stand, a lot of us have switched to the EU stand.
http://www.af1racing.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=2418

Yeah, I read about the sidestand before I even looked at the bike, and I have plans to replace it with the straight one that folks around the world got.  Do we know why Aprilia felt it necessary to bend the sidestand for US buyers?  

I've got a centerstand on order with AF1, but they're currently out of stock.  What a pain lubing the chain without one!  The original owner hadn't lubed the chain since he bought it in 2002, so I may get only a few miles out of this one anyway.....

[Reddog*]

No idea why we where so special.

[Croak]

They did it so fat North Americans could mount up without ripping the crotch out of their pants.

Welcome to the V990 family.  

[Medic09]

Great score on the ride!  Ride it safely.

I think there's a straight side-stand on eBay.  I got mine from UK eBay.  Even with the shipping it was a lot cheaper than new.  UK eBay is a good place to look for used bits for these bikes.

Next thing I need to do is try a European windscreen.  The US screen is nearly useless IMO.

I assume you've been here:  http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15 .  If there's anything you want to know about this bike, someone there will know it.

Read the sidestand switch threads, too.  Mine failed (only 7000 miles on the bike!) last Sunday, the day after I had read the thread.  Quick roadside fix had us back on the move.

It does seem that once you fix the short list of known probs (every bike has them), this is a robust ride that can take a lot.

[Britt]

Well I've just about doubled the miles on my Caponord (4400 miles) and am really enjoying it.  Thanks to being armed with knowledge from the AF1 forum, I've found time to take care of some things:

Replaced rectifier with CBR600RR Mosfet rectifier.
Replaced battery.
Replaced plastic fuel connectors with metal ones from AF1 (and stocked up on extra o-rings).
Cut out the brown connectors along with the white rectifier connector, soldered the wires, and covered them with shrink tubing.
Soldered contacts in other major connectors and loaded them with dielectric grease.
Replaced the 9 year old Tourances with new ones from AF1.
Built an OBDII to USB cable and used TuneECU to load the newest factory map.
Replaced kinked sidestand with Euro straight stand.
Installed centerstand.


Installed BMW R1150GS handguards.




I also made myself a giant touring windshield from a National Cycle windshield intended for a Suzuki Burgman.  It took some heating to slightly reduce the curvature of it to meet the mounting points on the Caponord.  I drilled some holes, trimmed away some extra mounting holes, and it fits incredibly well!  I can just see over it and it's great on longer rides.

[Reddog*]

Cool on the windshield.  
Could you post a picture the windshield straight on?
Thanks in advance if you do.

[Britt]

Cool on the windshield.  
Could you post a picture the windshield straight on?
Thanks in advance if you do.

Here you go, these are all the pictures I took after finishing up.  

If you're considering doing this I recomment contacting National Cycle at info@nationalcycle.com and ask about part number N3221.  I dealt with Steve who said they had 40 of them at only $36.00 a piece.  I should have asked but at that price I wonder if they were mistakes or something because I saw Burgman shields listed at over $100.  I work 3 miles from their factory so I picked it up at lunch but maybe they can ship it to you reasonably...

This was the picture Steve emailed me.  I removed 4 of the 6 visible mounting holes.



Mounting it required carefully heating it above a propane heater and bending it into a slightly less curved shape.  Once I got the 4 front screws installed, I then used a propane torch to heat the lower corners of it, and I gently folded them over to meet the two mounting locations on the sides.  Everything lines up nicely but I could have been just a bit more careful as I did create a few small bubbles in the plastic - but they are down near the cowl and are practically invisible.













I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam and I believe my Capo has the standard height seat.  At 70 MPH there is just a touch of turbulence that I can hear on the top of my Shoei - but if the shield was an inch taller I'd be looking through it to see down the road.  

[Reddog*]

Thanks for the info and pics.
That looks a lot like what I had in mind to make and try.  

[falconati]

If you don't mind my asking, how much did you pay?  That's a really nice bike!

[ConPilot1]

Jesus that's a really clean good looking bike. A guy had one of these at a local bike event last night.

[Britt]

If you don't mind my asking, how much did you pay?  That's a really nice bike!

I paid $4,495 - which I consider to be a STEAL for an 02 with 2,600 miles on it, OEM hard luggage, and both sets of keys.  


Of course, with a Caponord there are several mandatory expenses up front - rectifier, electrical connector re-works, fuel connectors, etc.  Mine had 9 year old tires on it that looks great but cracked badly after a few miles on them.  

I was shopping for a VStrom 1000, but when this came along I fell for it.  It's unique for sure and so far I really like the ride, the motor, the strong Brembo brakes, and the handling.

[ConPilot1]

I paid $4,495 - which I consider to be a STEAL for an 02 with 2,600 miles on it, OEM hard luggage, and both sets of keys.  


Of course, with a Caponord there are several mandatory expenses up front - rectifier, electrical connector re-works, fuel connectors, etc.  Mine had 9 year old tires on it that looks great but cracked badly after a few miles on them.  

I was shopping for a VStrom 1000, but when this came along I fell for it.  It's unique for sure and so far I really like the ride, the motor, the strong Brembo brakes, and the handling.

F*me that is a steal. Aren't these like 14k new, or were????

[falconati]

Yeah, I paid a bit more for my Futura but equally considered it a steal

[Britt]

I've always been a big fan of the Futura.  I remember seeing one at the IMS back when they were introduced - Aprilia had quite the floorspace at the show with runway models hanging out with the bikes.  

When I was ST shopping a few years back I found an immaculate 2001 VFR with 5800 miles on it for $4,500 and snatched it up.  There were no Futura's for sale in the area but they've always been on my radar.....