Yeah I'm freakin' bored... But if the day ever comes where I'm FORCED to buy an Italian superbike I'll need to know what to do with it right?

Can you buy them in a crate?

Are parts THAT much more expensive?

Can you do shopping with it?

Are you constantly worried about it getting breathed on wrong?

Are they like Ferrari's where you go 5,000 miles over the course of 7 years then sell it? Can you really ride it?

Is it totaled if an idiot friend drops it in the driveway?

Do you get *that* many more looks riding one, rather than a traditional Jap superbike?

Can you perform your own maint on them or are the Italian Rossi cops gonna arrest you?


Just some need-to-know Q's just in case I have to get one, one of these days....

My 2004 Aprilia Tuono has 86K miles on it. Hasn't even needed a valve shim yet. And it gets ridden hard but I take good care of it.


This incident involved the Elk Garden WV fire dept,the Army and a Maryland State police helicopter. Took 2 days to get it out of the woods.

http://www.idesmo.or...hp?series_id=49

You can ride them, you can work on them, you can mod them and yes, they do cost more for parts. I've had this 999R, a Triumph T595 and an Aprilia RSV R Factory.

Yes, you get more looks, people drool over your shit but because of that you take better care of it. My 999R is the show queen but my R6 is my dirty bitch that I ride most of the time these days. She doesn't take a bath and likes being abused. If you are going to get an exotic keep a spare bike for when your queen wants to get bitchy. Italians take a lot of time off work. There is an entire month where you can't get anything from Ducati or Aprilia so if your dealer doesn't have it you are SOL.

Edited by HighEndToys, 11 March 2012 - 07:00 PM.

HighEndToys, on 11 March 2012 - 06:59 PM, said:

Thanks for putting it into perspective, good analogy but I'm unsure about your mental health

So basically these are bikes that you own for it to be a bike? As opposed to having a 2 wheeled vehicle you can ride any day in any weather and not have to worry about it being tipped?

I used to own one of 400 Moto Guzzi V10 Centauro imported into the US. I think worldwide there were 6000 units made.
I wanted that bike even before I had my moto license.





I never worried about dumping it, nor getting parts for it. I wouldn't let just anyone to get a ride on it.
I ride it on nice days, only because i don't like to clean the bikes after it's been ridden in the rain.
I sold it because it is a bike that is meant to be kept clean and I like to ride too much to keep a bike only to keep it clean.

My Touno Factory R was ridden more, almost lost my license having so much fun riding it, but I knew better not to take it out of its element, just the tires cost too much to replace after a while, so I sold that one, too.

cat0020, on 12 March 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

Cheap shot.

Motorcycles aren't art and this ain't a fashion show. Aprilias are made to be ridden. Perhaps a nice Harley would suit you better? Perhaps not,my Harleys get dirty too. Maybe just staying on the couch suits you better.

T.RexRacing, on 12 March 2012 - 08:19 AM, said:

Whatever floats your boat, mate.. I've gotten stuck in the mud plenty of times.
You're the one posting picture of your Tuono stuck in the mud, don't get pissy with me about your own mistake.

Fair 'nuff. I post a photo of a bike that's ridden. And you post photos of shiny jewelry in the driveway with chicken strips that will feed a family of four. We're done here.

This post is hidden because you have chosen to ignore posts by cat0020

T.RexRacing, on 12 March 2012 - 11:11 AM, said:

I see owning an exotic really brings out the Italian snob in people.....I like it.

Nice bikes both of you...obviously we think of things differently, and that's just who we are. I've said somewhere on here that we all need to take things with a grain of salt because people, even though we talk to each other normally, are from a totally different background, have different beliefs, etc. Though, as much as it looks like fun I wouldn't ride a bike like that in the mud I hate riding me own CR in the mud haha.

Well it appears I choose to live life a little different than most. 53 years old and never owned a TV. Spent a summer living outdoors at 10,000 above sea level. Still racing and I am not even close to done.

So you do your thing and I'll do mine. Go get married and pump out some kids and wonder were all the time went. As they say to each his own.

This is the DRZ 400 and he wouldn't go past the tree. My bike is about 200 yards further down the trail.

I'm not the only one who lives outside the bounds of normalcy.

Here's a prescription ladies.

Edited by T.RexRacing, 12 March 2012 - 01:42 PM.

What's exotic about that Touno that is stuck in the mud? only because it is an Italian bike so it's an exotic?

Riding a sportbike with street tires in the mud is simply idiotic, not exotic.

I get my bikes stuck in mud a few times a year, that don't make them exotic bikes.

Edited by cat0020, 12 March 2012 - 02:01 PM.

The difference between exotic cars and exotic bikes is price and expectation.
An exotic car usually costs 5 - 20x as much as a regular car, out of most peoples price ranges, as are the parts. Also its a factory car so you dont expect to have to turn a wrench every few thousand miles.
An exotic bike usually costs just a few thousand more than a Japanese bike. Heck, its probably less than a set of brake disks for a new Ferrari. As such the parts, while more expensive than japanese parts, are still within reason. Also, you expect to turn a wrench on a high performance bike so its no deal breaker when they need a little work every now and then.

Heck, the bike I'm lusting after at the moment, the triumph street triple, is about ~9k 105bhp and 416lb wet weight. Sounds like a good bang for your buck IMO.

As per the Aprillia page "Join the ride and own an Aprilia Tuono 1000 R for as little as $7,699 or an Aprilia Tuono Factory for as little as $9,299."

As far as bank for the buck, find a leftover Tuono, '07, 8 or 9, for under $7500 these days, and you'll have 139hp and about 415 lbs of fun. I love mine, V twin torque, don't see one around every corner, and FUN!

I really wouldn't classify a Tuono or Speed Triple an exotic. An RSV4, SP / R Edition Ducati, that Guzzy up top are exotics. Before I went all crazy (as pointed out above) with my Ducati I was riding it every day. At some point I looked at it and thought it was just easier to let it look pretty in the garage and ride my other bikes. I still ride her from time to time but not the 5K a year I was before. Let's be real about it, if you have 60 to 70K in a bike you think a little longer before splitting an 18-wheeler and a SUV.

My point is, if you buy something that you consider exotic and you want it to remain exotic then get something else too. I wouldn't be happy owning just the 999R on 'roids because it would look like crap from the 12K miles it would see a year. Either that or it would just sit in the garage which defeats the point all together. Personally I like to ride hard when I feel like it and a low cost throw away bike with a few performance and handling mods makes a really good track / hard riding bike. Don't get me wrong though, you can ride your exotic hard when you want to but remember, they are exotic for a reason and it isn't because they cost more. A 336 pound Ducati with CF everything and 160HP is a handful.

For what I was saying about parts. My 1000 Dollar Nemesis ECU died in the middle of last season, it won't engage the injectors. The replacement Microtec ECU is going to cost another grand plus another grand on top of that for the o2 kit. At the end of this season she'll need belts and maybe a valve adjustment so around 500 to 700 Dollars worth of shop time and parts. I would do it myself if I had time. My R6 will see a couple of track days this year and get 4x the miles the Duc will. All she will need is an oil change and some new track takeoffs.

Even that is still within reason for many (not me lol). Think of all the people you see commuting in duallys (those cost 50-65k and guzzle gas) or escalades (base model is 65k! 16mpg). Expensive as heck for a bike but definitely a different beast than an exotic car.

Edited by Oic0, 13 March 2012 - 07:11 AM.

I'm not comfortable with price defining a bike as an exotic.  My BMW wasn't cheap by any stretch, and parts...if and when I need them are astronomical, but it's not an exotic by any stretch.  The reason I bought it is so I could ride it every day...rain or shine.  It should last me 100k or more miles and I'm working on getting it there.

f800strider, on 17 March 2012 - 08:27 PM, said:

I think usually an "exotic" is defined solely by quality of components and materials used. And in general, the higher the quality, the more pricey. Though in the motorcycle world, since there's only like what? 100 current models of every genre? (not styles). I think we can limit "exotic" to obscure European bikes, and Italianias. Though I really really really wanna call ATK exotic just because it's probably the only exotic American product ever made

Very nice motorcycle btw, post up when you reach 100K!

Thank you Sir

I would define an "exotic" as a motorcycle you don't see everyday. M V Agusta comes to mind. They are like Ferraris, you don't see them at every traffic light!