APRILIA Complaints

WHILE MY MOTORCYCLE IS 6 YRS OLD IT ONLY HAS <3K MILES. THERE IS ZERO STOPPING ABILITY OF THE REAR BRAKE. I HAVE FLUSHED THE SYSTEM TO MANUFACTURE SPECIFICATIONS AND HAVE BLEED IT NUMEROUS TIMES. I HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS BRANDS OF BRAKING FLUID TO SEE IF RESULTS VERY, BUT TO NO AVAIL. IT WILL STOP THE BIKE WHILE ON A REAR STAND BUT IF THE BIKE IS MOVING EVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS OF < 20 MPH THE REAR BRAKE IS INEFFECTIVE AND NON-EXISTENT, LET ALONE AT NORMAL TRAFFIC SPEEDS. I HAVE SPOKE WITH NUMEROUS MOTOTCYCLE MACHANICS WHO HAVE STATED THAT APRILIA HAS COMMONLY HAD THIS BRAKE ISSUE EVEN ACROSS DIFFERENT MODELS. THIS IS UNEXCEPTABLE! WHILE A MAJORITY OF MY BRAKING IS DONE USING THE FRONT BRAKES(80/20) IN EMERGENCY OR PANIC BRAKING SITUATIONS THE REAR BRAKE IS IMPORTANT. I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF THE REAR BRAKE. WHILE RIDING IN WET CONDITIONS I NEEDED TO STOP AT SLOW SPEEDS FOR A STOP LIGHT. MY BRAKING DISTANCE WAS ALREADY EXTENDED DUE TO WET CONDITIONS BUT WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO STOP I WAS ALREADY IN TO THE INTERSECTION AT A BUSY TRAFFIC LIGHT. WHEN I SPOKED I WAS IN THE CROSS TRAFFICS LANE, THIS WAS THE SAFER OPTION, RATHER THAN RUNNING THE LIGHT OR GRABBINICAL A HANDFULL OF FRONT BRAKE. APRILIA NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE BY CHANGING TO A LARGER AND MORE SUFFICIENT REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER THAT CAN DELIVER STRONGER BRAKING POWER FOR THIS MOTORCYCLE . THIS SAFETY ISSUE CAN NOT GO OVERLOOKED OR UNCORRECTED. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE IT CAUSE SERIOUS BODY INJURY OR DEATH. ISSUES LIKE THIS ON MOTORCYCLES IS NO LIGHT MATTER. I HAVE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND MY OWN MONEY TO HELP INSURE MY SAFETY BUT SO FAR THE ONLY SAFE BET IS TO KEEP IT OFF THE ROAD UNTIL APRILIA ADDRESSES THIS CONCERN.

THE STATOR QUITE CHARGING AND VOLTAGE DROPPED TO BELOW 10.2V ON 6/28/2015 11,236 MILES STALLED ON HIGHWAY. DEALER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BUT ON 5/24/2016 @15,500 MILES STATOR HAS FAILED AGAIN.

WARMED UP ENGINE, SAT ON BIKE, STARTED OFF DOWN DRIVEWAY AND THROTTLE STUCK OPEN AND WAS REVVING UP TO 5000 RPM . BIKE WAS UNCONTROLLABLE AT FIRST BUT WAS STOPPED WITH THE CLUTCH LEVER PULLED IN. ENGINE WAS REVVING OUT OF CONTROL BETWEEN 1000 AND 5000 RPM. ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH KEY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND SERVICE LIGHT WAS ON.

ON JANUARY 26 I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM APRILIA TO "RIDE WITH A VERY MODERATE SPEED TO YOUR AUTHORIZED APRILIA DEALERSHIP" BECAUSE THE "PROBLEM COULD CAUSE THE SPROCKET FASTER TO LOOSEN AND SUBSEQUENTLY LEAD TO THE LOCKING OF THE REAR WHEEL WHILE DRIVING" MY DEALER STILL DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE PARTS (THE LETTER STATES THAT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE). THEY CAN'T GET APRILIA TO UPDATE THEM ON PARTS AND ASKED ME TO TRY. I HAVE SENT 4 EMAILS AND LEFT 2 VOICE MAILS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE (212-380-4433) AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OR RESPONSE OF ANY SORT. I HAVE NOT HAD FULL USE OF THIS BIKE SINCE JANUARY AND THEY APPEAR UNCONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY OR GETTING ME BACK ON THE ROAD. WHAT CAN DO TO GET THEM TO RESPOND AND RESOLVE THEIR SAFETY ISSUE?

THE FUEL TANK IS MOUNTED TO THE FRAME OF THE MOTORCYCLE USING TWO BOLTS AFT, AND ONE BOLT UP FRONT. DUE TO EXPANSION OF THE TANK - 1/4" LENGTHWISE - THE FRONT BOLT IS BEING BENT, AND IS THUS NOT SECURE. THIS IN TURN MAKES THE TANK NOT SECURED, WHICH POSES AN EXTREME SAFETY-RISK....UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF UPDATED 11/06/2017*CN

THE GAS TANK OF MY 2001 APRILIA FALCO BEGAN TO LEAK VERY QUICKLY ONTO THE ENGINE AND SOME ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I DID NOT DRIVE. I BROUGHT INTO A DEALERSHIP AND AFTER INVESTIGATING THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT THE GAS TANK HAD WARPED AND THE SEAL BETWEEN GAS TANK AND FUEL LINE WAS NO LONGER VIABLE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH APRILIA & DUCATI DUE TO THE COMPOSITE GAS TANKS AND ETHANOL FUEL USED IN THE US, CAUSING A WEAKENING OF THE COMPOSITES AND FUEL LEAKAGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 APRILIA TUONO MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ATTEMPT TO START WITHOUT THE START BUTTON BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO START WHEN THE KILL SWITCH WAS ACTIVATED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. UPDATED 10/7/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WOULD START IN ANY GEAR WITHOUT THE STARTER BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIRS AND A WARRANTY EXTENSION. UPDATED 05/18/2015 *JS

PREPARING TO STOP. LH BRAKE LEVER COLLAPSED TO SPONGY AFTER RIDING ON AN 82 DEGREE DAY. BRAKE RELAY VALVE LOCATED BEHIND THE RADIATOR. NOT THE BRAKE LINES. THEY ARE BRAIDED. BRAKE FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED, AND BLEED THREE TIMES APRILIA DEALER AND APRILIA TECH SUPPORT THINKS THIS IS NORMAL. HOW MANY DEATHS HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE YOU RECALL THESE STUPID BIKES? RECALL PERFORMED, IGNORED CARBURETOR INSTALLED SIDEWAYS. ALREADY REPLACED BELT, CAUSED BY SLIPPING CLUTCH... *TR

GAS TANK LEAKING FUEL FROM FUEL PUMP MOUNTING PLATE DUE TO PLASTIC FUEL TANK DEFORMATION. DEFORMATION REPORTEDLY CAUSED BY ETHANOL IN GASOLINE. VOLUME OF GASOLINE LEAKED WAS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE A CONSIDERABLE FIRE. FUEL TANK WAS DRAINED TO PREVENT FIRE. NEW FUEL TANK INSTALLED BUT SUBJECT TO THE SAME FAILURE. NO SOLUTION OFFERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

PLASTIC FUEL TANK EXPANDED AND WARPED SO MUCH THAT IT NO LONGER FIT PROPERLY ON THE MOTORCYCLE. BOLTS THAT FASTENED THE TANK TO THE FRONT OF THE FRAME COULD NO LONGER BE ALIGNED. FUEL CAP BEGAN LEAKING BECAUSE THE HOLE HAD ELONGATED ALLOWING GAS TO ESCAPE PAST THE SEAL. STRONG GASOLINE VAPORS WOULD FILL THE GARAGE WHERE STORED INDICATING A FIRE HAZARD. TANK WAS REPLACED BY APRILIA IN AUG 2012. NEW REPLACEMENT TANK IS NOW WARPING IN THE SAME MANNER. *TR