Aprilia Futura vs Sprint ST 1050
Skidmark:
This is going in here because I am new to touring. I have approx 30k miles under my belt. Last year I sold my F4i, and have been looking for a new bike since. I have a line on an '06 Sprint ST 16k miles, Givis, heated grips, and a Garmin. $5k. I have spent days reading all the threads, but can't come to a decision.
I stumbled upon an '02 Aprilia Futura RST w/ factory luggage for $4k.
My quandry is this: I'm shorter; 5'7" and 160lbs. 30-31" inseam. The Sprint has a narrower but higher seat, and the RST is a wider but lower seat. The Sprint will get slightly better MPG, but the Aprilia is cheaper to insure; at 6-8k miles / year, the gas and insurance is a wash. There are complaints about the headlights on both, and everyone says suspension could be better on both. I have a Triumph dealer nearby, but I despise stealerships for anything other than insurance repair work, so i would likely DIY on either bike. I'll be using it to commute 10 miles to work and fly out to camp on weekends. Here's what i know so far:
Aprilia Pros:
Cheaper to buy (a surprise to me)
Italian status symbol
Drop dead gorgeous.
Good reliable vtwin
Slightly more relaxed ergos
Torque.
Everyone says the best long distance seat from the factory
Good factory luggage (looks better than the sprints GIVIs)
Less $ to insure per year by $200 (WHHAAAA?)
Cons:
no dealer nearby (i would go independant anyway. it's just a rotax motor)
Lower mpg
somewhat buzzy above 80mph
Sprint Pros:
Smooth Triple Power
heated grips
powerlet
BIG bags. But ugly.
GPS (meh..)
Better MPG
More aftermarket
Lower mileage and newer year (higher resale)
Cons:
Higher seat height
Pillion needs to be 8' tall to get on with luggage
Higher insurance
ST-net, please help me choose.
Thanks.
-2nd time around noob
Capirex:
How many miles on the Aprilia?
I rode both bikes (and an ST3) and bought a Sprint. It was a toss up but I picked the Sprint based on the motor.
Im not unhappy with my choice but I'd say go with the Aprilia, especially if it's that candy red color. I dont think you can go wrong with either bike. Ride both and pick the one that speaks to you. :D
AzItLies:
I've looked at some of the awesome Aprilias for sale too, they are just beautiful. And for me, I'd much prefer the sound of that V-Twin.
But here's something to think about. Parts? Yes there's a well known place (I forget the name) that you can still get parts from. Want to know what a new Tank would cost? Yeah I checked, 1500 bucks.
That's right, about 3 times what one would cost normally (well, other bikes I've looked at for a tank). All I'm saying is, you drop that thing, and can't find used stuff on ebay or something, you might well pay the same price for parts to fix it as you paid for the bike.
They are absolutely beautiful though...
caddydaddy:
Quote from: AzItLies on March 06, 2012, 06:33:54 AM
Want to know what a new Tank would cost? Yeah I checked, 1500 bucks.
That's right, about 3 times what one would cost normally (well, other bikes I've looked at for a tank).
Is that just for the tank? The warranty bill for my Sprint ST tank to be replaced a few months ago was just over $1,000!
Skidmark:
The Futuras I have found vary from $6000 and 7k miles to $4000 and 15k (but needing front brake work and some scuffs touched up), others are $4500, but 30k miles.
I find that resale value plummets and buyer pool dries up when you go past 25k, so I try to not keep my bikes much past that. Then again, if I find that I love it that much, I may keep the next bike until it croaks.
If you have a line on a good value Futura around $4k, link me. I'm happy to look. I have a sticking point of about $4k unless it's a screaming deal, as my first bike was $2k. I upgraded to one that was $3k. $4k is now the approx limit.
so far I have found
'01 Futura, 35k miles $4500
'02 Futura, 32k miles $4250
'02 Futura, 15k. scratches and scuffs, front brakes pulse (needs new rotors or resurfacing) asking $4150
'03 Futura, 6k miles $6000 (over budget, and too far away, in Seattle, I'm in WI.)
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