Let me tell ya, owning this beast ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. That RSV4 HP look? Pure 🔥 Fire. But getting my hands dirty keeping it track-ready? That’s the real story. Buckle up.
First Impressions & The Wake-Up Call
Grabbed it used from a dude who swore it was meticulously maintained. Shiny, sounded angry, felt planted. Took it straight to Buttonwillow for a shakedown. Thing handled like a dream for exactly three sessions. Then, started feeling… loose? A little vague mid-corner, then a tiny whiff of burning oil near the right peg. Uh oh.
Pulled into the pits. Puddle. Not huge, but definitely something dark and slippery pooling near the rear shock mount. Heart sank a bit. Knew that gorgeous Ohlins TTX shock wasn’t cheap to mess with. There it was, the “Real Owner Experience” kicking in right on schedule.
Getting Down & Dirty
Hauled it home. Next weekend, wrestled that gorgeous tail section off. Felt like doing surgery on a Fabergé egg. Traced the leak. Pinched my fingers more than once cursing the tiny access space. Finally saw it – the dampening adjuster on the shock reservoir had a tiny, persistent weep. Seal gone south. Awesome.
Called the local Aprilia dealer. “Ohlins service? Yeah, we send those out… takes about 3 weeks minimum.” Price quote? Made me choke on my coffee. Time for Plan B.
- Found an independent suspension guru an hour away. Reputation? Solid gold.
- Pulled the shock myself. More wrestling. More grease all over my hands and the garage floor.
- Hauled just the shock unit over to him. “Seen it a hundred times,” he grunted. “Track use tears these seals up fast.” He could turn it around in a week. Slightly less eye-watering price.
Week sucked waiting. Got it back. Had to shimmy, wiggle, and curse it back into place under the tail. Torqued everything to spec (found the manual PDF online after 20 mins of frustrated searching). Fresh Motul 300V in the engine – no cheaping out there. Checked every bolt I could reach.
The Damage Report
Alright, brass tacks time. That little shock adventure wasn’t just time, it was cash:
- Ohlins Rebuild & Service: $380 (Dealer wanted nearly $700 with shipping)
- Fresh Motul 300V (4L): $120 (Highway robbery, but necessary)
- New Crush Washers/Filter: $25
- That fancy Italian Brembo Brake Fluid flush: $40
- Suspension Guru Labor for install check (Peace of Mind Tax): $80
Yeah. Over $600 bucks and two lost track weekends because one tiny seal decided to quit. That doesn’t include the gas hauling it around, the swear jar I should have had, or the time spent researching instead of riding.
The Real Talk Reality
Look, owning something like this, pushing it hard on track? Things WILL break. Little things become big bills fast. You absolutely need to be comfortable turning wrenches, scouring forums for trusted specialists, and accepting that parts won’t be cheap or quick. It ain’t a Japanese budget bike. That exotic feeling comes with exotic maintenance headaches.
Was it worth it? Sitting on it in the garage now, hearing the idle pop… yeah, mostly. But my bank account definitely felt that “Real Owner Experience” kick. Gotta budget for the Owning part, not just the Buying part.
