Expensive as hell to maintain. As far as I know the newer ones don't blow up, but you never know. It's a pure race bike. If you wanna supermoto that's reliable, just get a DRZ400SM and call it a day, way better street bike too. We have 10 of them blown up at our shop.

 

The problem with a DRZ is they are boring as hell and gutless. I have a SXV 550 and once I rode it I knew it was the kind of SM I was looking for. The newer ones are known to be more reliable but they are still a performance Italian that needs to be well taken care of to be trouble free. Some of the older ones like mine, have had the engine replaced and updated with the newer more reliable version. You need to run the engine stamp VIN with Aprilia to be sure. It really depends on what you are looking to do with the bike. If you want to commute or put on higher miles and want more reliability over performance than go japanese. If you want the performance side of things and are able to do your own basic maintenance then look into European such as the SXV. If you got your heart on the Aprilia ask questions and research here www.apriliaforum.com

 

The problem with a DRZ is they are boring as hell and gutless.

i agree :laughing

 

^Thanks Mike, I really do want performance over reliability. Whatever bike I get will be for Sunday rips up the back roads and maybe the odd evening ride in the heart of summer. I was considering the Ktm smc's as well but that v-twin and good looks of the Aprilia have me drooling right now. I know if I get the Aprilia it will cost me some extra $, just like when I owned the Ducati, but to me the performance gain and bigger smiles is worth the extra money. I really need to know if I should buy late model or older model, there are a couple dealers selling brand new 07 550's for a pretty good price but maybe the extra money for the newer ones will be cheaper in the long run??? Did Aprilia replace the motors for free?

 

LOL...we'll see if you still have that grin when the service office hand you an invoice for a 1/3 the bikes value. If you've never ridden one, I'd suggest that before you buy. Not everyone can ride one. Husaberg FE650, more power than an SXV550 and reliable and easy to service. KTM SMC, reliable and almost bullet proof, easy to work on yourself. Husqvarna SM610, still better than the SXV and italian. All bikes I'd buy well before throwing a leg over the SXV.

 

Hey Marty, I own an 07 SXV with an 08 motor. Here's an actual owners perspective.

All the reports about bikes blowing up and having problems are true. Aprilia did screw themselves by releasing a bike with an unproven sealant, a weak starter and with a few cheap components. As far as I've heard (on all the forums where the guru's hang out), the 08 and up bikes have very few major problems. Mine is an 08 engine and I had it cracked open this winter and my (very experienced) mechanic said everything looked great. If you're concerned about the maintenance schedule, stay away from any meant-for-racing supermoto's. It's technically a road bike, but it really is a race bike. If you think of it as buying a WSS bike to ride on the road, you're about on track. That goes for the Husky R's, as well. I think that managing your expectations before hand will go a long way to making sure you know why you're buying it, and how you'll react to having to spend some moolah to get it fixed from time to time.

I think the key to buying an SXV is getting one from a previous owner that has spent the cash to make sure it's been maintained properly and cares enough to fix the little things. Someone who has all the maintenance receipts and is experienced with bikes. If you do, you won't stop smiling. I've been fortunate enough to ride most every modern bike out there, and my only bike right now is my SXV. I love it. Nothing makes me grin more, I've never closed my garage door without looking back and loving it. I'm committed to it, I have a good amount of cash socked away in a separate account in a solid fund that is earmarked "when my SXV blows up". Some may say that's ridiculous, but I think it speaks volumes for how special, and how much fun this bike is.

My advice to anyone that's looking for a new bike is to make sure you ride everything you're looking at. You'll know what you want to buy after that.

Nothing against PeeWee's comments.

Good luck and have fun shopping!

 

Hey Marty, I own an 07 SXV with an 08 motor. Here's an actual owners perspective..........

Thanks, I will heed your advice! I think I will try to find an 08 and up model if I do go with the SXV. It is good hearing from SXV owners, thats exactly what I was hoping for when starting this thread.

I appreciate the other comments too, but the DRZ especially is close to the bottom of my list. I understand they are very reliable, and popular for that reason. I just want more performance than it offers. I'm still considering a KTM and maybe a Husky, but my mind keeps going back to the Aprilia SXV's. If there are anymore SXV owners out there, your experiences would be great to hear.

 

Well if you want performance over reliability its definitely the bike for you.
If I was given one I`d get rid of it for any of the bikes that Pee-wee mentioned. If I wanted a bike that would give me tons of fun an never a worry about break down I`d get a DRZ.

 

Your definition of "tons of fun" is different than mine. The most boring bike I've ridden is a modded DRZ400SM. My opinion, of course.

 

I noticed you didn`t mention the "never a worry about break down " part

Of course its not as fun as a 550, I`ve ridden a few of them and they`re a beast but weigh in the peace of mind that comes with the 400 and its a bike you can still have a great time on with no worries.

 

Don't worry about offending me, I rode a demo and sold them to two friends. Both don't talk to me now.

I'm just stating my experiences, I carry this guilt assosiated with the bike, and I just hate to see people get bend over and their wallets raped.

 

I'm not envious of you on that front, I can see why you're not a fan now. That being said it sucks that people would write you off for that, they need to do their own research and make a decision they are comfortable with.

arcrz - I know what you mean. Peace of mind is huge. I don't worry about breaking down because I know it's totally possible (and just having a clean bill of health on the engine helps :spinsmile).

Marty, I hope this helps you make a good decision for yourself. I'm a big fan of the Husky 510smr too, buddy has one and it rips.

 

No offenseto your DRZ Anna but I really like power wheelies off the throttle in third... comes from riding litre bikes I guess. Again though your can't compare a DRZ to SXV in term of performance or reliability/maintennce, two totally different fish.

 

No offenseto your DRZ Anna

none taken. it would take way more than calling my bike a POS

 

If you really want fun, get yourself a CR500 (KX500, second best). And it's more reliable than modern high performance 450's etc.

60hp -220lbs - some of my best biking memories :thumbup

 

True story! A friend in town has a cr500 in a modified 250 frame, he ice races with it too. Complete monster!

 

He built it, he's had it for 5 years now I think. Never have I ever been on a bike that makes power like that.

 

damn how can a drz not be fun
my last toy bike was a ktm 530
total pos right from day one and a never ending money pit
just riding it out of the dealer i had to spend an extra $1000 on it

big power but the drz i think is just as much fun
it might not be the torque monster the ktm was but you learn new techniques to manipulate a less powerfull bike to be fun
i dont miss the endless expensive maintenance of the ktm

 

It's not Axone it is Navigator new Diagnostic tool from Piaggio Group. I have one with all up to date maps for all Aprilia models also work on Moto Guzzi as well

 

Whoops! Nik (this guy^^^) would know ... OP, he's one the best Ape/Italian bike mechanics around. If you get an sxv, talk to him first ...

 

Kind of surprised no one has mentioned a honda XR650R. Quite reliable as it was designed from the get-go to be ridden at WOT across a friggen desert. 70 hp with a few mods. There is a $500 CNC machined triple tree available online for $500 that will allow you to bolt on CRF 450 USD forks ....... and that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

 

Muchos Gracias T-Rex. Yet another story of the earlier model SXV's with costly problems. I spoke w Valley Yam today about their new 07 5.5, comes w a 1 year warranty but it still scares me because it's an 07! Are there any stories or owners of 08 and up bikes? All across the country the most of the SXV's for sale are 07, and for good reason, nobody wants them perhaps due to their issues. I'm hoping aprilia fixed the bugs on these things. They sound like amazing bikes to own....when they are running!

 

Their bike is waay overpriced, IMHO. $6500? You can pick one up for around 4-5G in the states ...
The year of the bike isn't the real issue - it's the year of the engine. Like it's been said, check the VIN of the engine, and you can tell what year it is, and if it has the proper sealant (ie: black, not orange). SXV 550 engines #06837 and up have Type III cases that were used from early 2008 to present. Those are the ones you want ...

 

I also love how everyone says the DRZ is slow, meanwhile Chad Hockley comes over from the island to race and ends up on the podium miles ahead of pure bred 450 SM bikes, with a rat bagged out bone stock DRZ.

How's that?? Hmmmm....yeah. Chad is a stud, that's why. If you need hp to be fast, well...maybe bikes aren't for you.

 

A DRZ is slow. If the rider is amazing then there there's the difference. If he was on a race 450 then I'm sure he'd be winning by miles too.

 

Yes, definitely look in the states! Agree with Rex ^^^

Remember, mine is an 07 with an 08 motor! An easy way to check if it's most likely an 08 motor is if the cold start button is on the handlebar or the airbox. If it's a pull-out on the airbox then MOST LIKELY it's an 08 motor. Sometimes Aprilia just swapped in an 08 updated engine instead of fixing the 07 lump.

Have you checked out http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?50-2006-2009-Aprilia-RXV-SXV-MXV-4-5-5-5-V-Twins yet? This will have a ton of info.

 

Hey PW you know for a SXV with a blown engine and good papers? I got a plan! I love the bike as a whole but I am used to not taking care of my stuff and that engine won't last me. I will install a more reliable lump to take advantage of that superb chassis.
As for the OP I think you should look at the SMC the last of them that were sold here in Canada are the ultimate street tard. That LC4 is low maintenance, the bike has a radial mount brembo front brake, exotic trellis frame, slipper clutch and tubeless wheels. I would love to sell my 04 SMC and buy one someday.

 

Yup, call the shop and ask for the sales guys or the GM Andy White. 250 382 8291

 

for the street I wish I still had my 06 XR 650 R with the BAJA kit and Supermoto wheels!

 

Bang Bang Kaaaaaaaboooom

 

Anyone in BC with an 08 or newer SXV? I would love to hear your experiences....

At the present time I'm have narrowed down the options to the following:

2008, 2011 Aprilia SXV 550
2010 Husky SMR 510
2011 Husky SMR 511

^What are the opinions/experiences out there on these machines? I understand they are all good performers, what about reliability?

*I can't find any KTM SMC bikes in BC/WA presently

 

bumping

 

We're looking for the same kind of bike, it seems ... I'm still looking for a replacement for my SXV, and the one I had a line on - A berg fs650 - got bought, gawddamit!
Anyways, from what I have gleaned about the Huskys, is not a lot of people like the new BMW engines. The 08-10 510s seem to be the most popular. All the bikes you have listed are basically race bikes, which means high maintenance. Lots of oil changes, valve checks, etc.
The best source for sumo information is here: supermotojunkie.com. They have manufacturer's sections, so you can get great info from people riding individual brands ..

 

He also placed 5th against the 250's PeeWee is just trying to make a point.

The rider is a big part of the equation and if I remember all of the guys from the island were great competitors and nice guys.

 

Just re read that post and didn't want the 250 thing to be a dig , for those that come to Tradex and race you would know we have some really really fast guys on 250's.

 

yeah.....