APRILIA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 APRILIA RSV 1000. A RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 05V538000 (SUSPENSION:REAR). A COPY OF THE RECALL WAS FAXED TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER; THEY HAD NOT CONTACTED HIM BACK. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS HIS ONLY TRANSPORTATION THEREFORE HE WAS UNABLE TO LEAVE THE MOTORCYCLE WITH THE DEALER FOR THEM TO ORDER THE PART. THERE WAS NO FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

2004 APRILIA RSVR 1000 MOTORCYCLE - CHRONIC REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS. BRAKE LINE GETS AIR TRAPPED INSIDE AND WILL NOT WORK. DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE ISSUE MANY TIMES. REPAIRS HAVE LASTED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND THEN REAPPEAR. THE MOTORCYCLE IS UNSAFE TO RIDE WITH NO REAR BRAKE. *NM

FUEL LINE DISCONNECTED SUDDENLY INSIDE OF FUEL TANK, CAUSING A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE IN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY, WOULD NOT RESTART WITHOUT REPAIR. FACTORY HOSE CLAMPS INEFFECTIVE INSIDE OF FUEL TANK. HAVE DIGITAL PHOTOS OF PROBLEM VISIBLE THROUGH THE FILLER HOLE. VEHICLE BOUGHT NEW IN JUNE 2006, PRESENTLY UNDER 1500 MILES DRIVEN. RESOLUTION WAS TO DRAIN AND REMOVE THE FUEL TANK, UN-BOLT BOTTOM FLANGE FROM THE TANK, REPLACE ALL FACTORY FUEL SYSTEM CLAMPS WITH SCREW-TYPE HOSE CLAMPS, REINSTALL THE FLANGE, REINSTALL AND REFILL THE FUEL TANK. *JB

RE 2004 RSV MILLE FACTORY MOTORCYCLE. 5/10/04 HARD TO SHIFT GEARS AND FIND NEUTRAL BECAUSE THE CLUTCH WAS NOT DISENGAGING FULLY WHILE DRIVING. THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO STOP MOTORCYCLE. DEALER BLED CLUTCH LINE. 7/20/04 ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE I WAS RIDING AT ABOUT 35-40 MILES PER HOUR AND THE REAR WHEEL UNEXPECTEDLY LOCKED UP. ELECTRICAL WIRE AND CONNECTORS MELTED DUE TO ENGINE HEAT. REPLACE AND REROUTED WIRES. 2/8/05 LEAKING GASOLINE FROM THE FUEL CAP. FUEL CAP WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. DEALER FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO REAR BRAKE AND NOTED THIS SPECIFICALLY AS A SAFETY ITEM AND THAT AGAIN THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CLUTCH DISENGAGEMENT. NOTE THE PARAGRAPH ABOVE REGARDING THE CLUTCH. 10/2005 STARTER WAS MELTED AND BATTERY WAS NOT CHARGING. NO REPAIR AFTER 9 MONTHS THOUGH WAS UNDER WARRANTY. POTENTIAL WHEEL SEIZURE WHEN BATTERY FAILS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE BRAKES FAILED CAUSING A CRASH. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE BRAKE PISTON WAS CRACKED. THE RIDER WAS INJURED. THE MOTORCYCLE IS A 2003 APRILIA SL FALCO 1000. *AK

UPON STARTING MY 2002 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE ON APRIL 16 2006, WITHIN ABOUT 30 SECONDS, SMOKE STARTED COMING UP FROM UNDER THE GAS TANK. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS NOW TELLING ME THERE IS A SLOW LEAK FROM THE FUEL LINES AND FUEL PUMP, WHICH NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $300 IN PARTS AND SEVERAL HOURS OF SHOP LABOR (ROUGHLY $600 TOTAL). PREVIOUSLY, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004, THIS SAME MOTORCYCE DEVELOPED A FUEL LEAK WHICH LEFT A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE ON MY ENCLOSED GARAGE FLOOR IN A 30-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING. THE RESULTS OF THIS LEAK COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTEROUS. THE DIAGNOSIS FOR THIS LEAK WAS A FAILURE OF THE FUEL TANK QUICK DISCONNECT, WHICH WAS REPLACED AT AN OUT-OF-POCKET COST OF $124.84. THERE IS NOW A RECALL OF THIS FUEL CONNECTOR LISTED ON THE NHTSA SITE, BUT WHEN I ASKED THE APRILIA DEALERSHIP (SCUDERIA IN SAN FRANCISCO) ABOUT IT, THEY SAID IT WAS JUST A "GOVERNMENT RECALL" AND NOT A "MANUFACTURER RECALL" AND THAT THEY WEREN'T DOING ANY REPLACEMENTS UNTIL THE FACTORY DIRECTED THEM TO DO SO. WITH THIS SECOND FUEL LEAK PROBLEM (NOW THE FUEL LINE AND PUMP) IN MY BRIEF OWNERSHIP OF A VERY EXPENSIVE NEW MOTORCYCLE, I AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE, BOTH IN TERMS OF RIDING IT AND IN STORING IT IN THE GROUND-FLOOR GARAGE BELOW ME AND THE 29 OTHER UNITS IN MY APARTMENT BUILDING. CAN YOU DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME RESOLVE THESE VERY DANGEROUS FUEL SYSTEM LEAKS WITH THE MANUFACTURER? *NM

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 APRILIA RSVR FACTORY MOTORCYCLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005. THE REAR BRAKE ON THE MOTORCYCLE HAS NEVER WORKED, MEANING THERE IS NO BRAKING EFFECT WHATSOEVER. I HAVE REPEATEDLY CONTACTED THE SELLING DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I AM TOLD BY BOTH THERE ARE PARTS TO FIX THIS RATHER SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, BUT I CAN NEVER SEEM TO GET THEM. THERE ARE MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL #05V506000, CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER BASED THIS CONCLUSION ON THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER NOT THE VIN.

THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE ALTERNATOR AND THE REGULATOR ON MY 2003 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE SHORTED AND MELTED. THIS CAUSED THE BATTERY TO FAIL AND LEFT ME STRANDED. THIS REQUIRED THE CONNECTOR BE REMOVED AND THE ENDS SOLDERED TOGETHER. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2002 APRILIA CAPONORD MOTORCYCLE NEW FROM DEALER IN AUGUST 2003. THE BIKE RECEIVED ITS FIRST SERVICE IN SEPTEMBER 2003 AT 500 MILES. ONE NIGHT IN NOVEMBER AT 2300 MILES I STOPPED AND FILLED IT UP WITH 5 GALLONS OF GAS. I GOT BACK ON THE FREEWAY AND RODE THE REMAINING 8 MILES OF FREEWAY TO MY HOUSE. AT THE FREEWAY EXIT BY MY HOUSE I FELT THE REAR TYRE SLIDING AS I EXITED THE 270 DEGREE CLOVERLEAF EXIT. I MANAGED TO STOP THE BIKE UNDER A STREETLIGHT WITHOUT CRASHING. GAS WAS FLOODING OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BIKE FRAME UNDER THE TANK AND THE RIGHT LEG OF MY NYLON RIDING SUIT WAS DRENCHED WITH GAS. MY TANK NOW READ ALMOST EMPTY HAVING LOST 5 GALLONS OF GAS IN LESS THAN 10 MINS SINCE IT HAD BEEN FILLED. I MANAGED TO GET THE BIKE THE REMAINING 1 MILE TO MY HOUSE. THE NEXT DAY I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND ALSO TO APRILIA USA. THEY SENT A TRANSPORT SERVICE TO MY HOUSE AND TRAILERED THE BIKE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A PLASTIC QUICK RELEASE FUEL CONNECTOR UNDER THE GAS TANK THAT HAD 'PARTIALLY POPPED OFF'. THE CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED WITH A SIMILAR NEW ONE UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT REOCCURED SINCE - I NOW HAVE 22,500 MILES.