Many choices - vote now!

"Here is a detailed breakdown of our requirements"

"Sorry I was taking drugs, here is another completely different set of
requirements"

"Despite your excellent design submission we have decided on a completely
different solution to a another problem"

 

Look, my requirements are perfectly straightforward.

I want a bike that looks *exactly* like the Aprilia
It must perform like the Aprilia
It musn't cost any more than the Aprilia
It must have the comfort and luggage capability of a Pan Euro

If you can't suggest the bike that fits those requirements it's
because you're a rubbish consultant.

 

"Fine - I'll start the team working straight away"

"Fine - the changes will take 4 working weeks and cost you £250K"

"Here is my bill"

Phil

 

Hey - I'm the Unreality Guru round here! No poaching on my territory
thankyouverymuch.

Hog - I think we have an expectations management situation here. Pass
the mallet.

Phil.

 

While it's no 998 or 1098 the Factory R is a fantastic looking bike
excepting the 'orrible street legal exhausts. It's nice to have Ohlins
forks, even if they aren't *quite* the OE track spec.

I've never seen an Aprilia perform well against Dukes or big Jap stuff on a
track. That's not to say they can't, I've just never seen it done.

£7k does seem mighty fair

It appears you do in fact want a Ducati ST4S, however they are hard to find
and don't look quite so good from the front. How bizarre.

I'd go with a GSXR1000 with a Givi wingrack and luggage myself.

 

Nice. Do they do them in orange and silver?

 

I knew you'd get there eventually.

 

i remember going to brands hatch for world superbikes in 2000 and troy
corser on the rsv came 3rd, beating plenty of dukes and big jap stuff.

<googles>

http://www.insidebikes.com/racing/wsb/results/results_main.htm

 

And if you come to Northumberland the week after next you can see me
on an RSV being beaten by somebody's gran in a shop-mobility scooter.

If might not be fast, but at least I'll get a good look at whatever I
hit.

 

oh right, must be a new thing.

a couple of years ago they were all blue.

 

I really didn't think we would but...

 

Blue.
Fragile.
Desirable.

 

Yeah, they used to be until quite recently, I think. A lot of the
new-ish old stock that's hanging around in shops still has them.

 

I think I understand your Brief now.
You want an MV but an F4 starts at over 8 grand for an 04

 

Manufacturers bring out new colour schemes every year ... what *is*
the world coming to, eh?

 

Look mate just because you think you live in an OEM universe doesn't
mean that it is unreal.

 

Fair enough. Don't forget the leaking caliper too, which IIRC was a
bugger to get parts for, although I know that's a Brembo issue rather
than Aprilia.

There's definitely something about the presence of a big V-twin on
open pipes.

Want one.

 

"...automatically."

 

*cough*

Thinking about it some time after the event, the thing that made me
think the caliper was leaking /may/ have been caused by the combination
of hot weather and an inconveniently suspended grease gun...

The brakes never gave me any other cause for concern, right up to the
last time I used them...

 

Ah.

Yeah, it was pretty good weather at the time.

My first visit to the Black Horse, that was.

<thinks>

It's all your fault!

Much like my old B6. The brakes were fine, but they didn't stop the
bike. A car did.

R480 ORM, you're still missed. Apparently rebuilt by a lorry driver
from Oswaldtwistle.