Thursday, September 15, 2011

So The Ugly Duckling Comes Home

I was back on a bike and loving it. The Aprilia Caponord was really starting to grow on me, but there were things that needed to be done.

The great guys on the AF1 Caponord forum gave me an insight into some of the small but potentially disasterous issues. There were two that stood out. The rectifier/regulator on the Capo is old technology and combined with two brown connectors buried deep in the bowels of the engine, they needed replacing. A CBR600 Reg sorted one part and a visit to Jaycar the connectors.

The other issue was the plastic fuel connectors on the tank. There are two that need urgent replacement.
This was completed with a minimum of fuss, until I started up the bike and went for a ride. A strange fume was coming from the engine.

Thanks to John at Motociclo in St. Peters (Sydney) a loose engine breather was found. John put this back into place and all was good.

The next issue was the rather breathless feel of the motor. I wanted to allow the motor to reveal it's true Identity. Again, I asked the boys on the AF1 forum and got a few ideas. The cost however was a set-back. In Australia, exhausts seem to attract a premium price, so a global hunt was on. Thanks to Mauro (Lineamoto) in Italy, I was able to source some georgeous Leo Vince rear mufflers. Fitting was a breeze and they look the part.

The first rideafter fitting the LV's was a revelation. Power was everywhere and the noise could only be described as sexy. Hmmmm Thank you Mr Vince. Now I have a bike that goes as well as it looks.

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