Aprilia comments on Honda reliability

[Zapf]

From http://www.motorcyclists-online.com/...-on-track.html

Chat to Piero Soatti, Aprilia Product development

PS: One of the most important things that we do is the bench testing at the factory. Every new engine is run for 50.000 kilometres before being put into production. This is very important for reliability.

TS: Have you got any examples of changes you have had to make after this reliability bench test?

PS: Yes, many, but specific to the SL750 we had a problem with cooling the rear cylinder in the beginning. On the road tests this problem didn’t really show up correctly. But when the engine was stressed at high revs for a long time in the bench we had some engine seizures. These seizures were caused by water not circulating properly at the back of the rear cylinder-Causing it to overheat. We solved the problem by introducing a direct water line to the rear cylinder.

50.000 kilometres is always our test as very few motorcycles actually do so many miles. But we once tried a Honda CBR1000RR engine on our bench and it never died! It was impossible to seize that engine under normal service circumstances.

[Jantar]

...50.000 kilometres is always our test as very few motorcycles actually do so many miles. ....

Huh? They have to be delusioned. That is only 2 years normal riding.

[Mully]

*waits for the "homo" comments to start flying*

[sAsLEX]

It was impossible to seize that engine under normal service circumstances.

One mag tried to kill a bike, Kwak something rather I think it was.


First they ran it sans water........ not much happened.

So then they drained the oil as well and held it on the rev limiter..... its burnt out the exhaust and the fact the spark kept cutting out meant it started blowing the muffler apart....... but refill it with oil the next day and you could hardly tell it had been thrashed to within an inch of its life.

[Mully]

One mag tried to kill a bike, Kwak something rather I think it was.

Did it have USD forks? Cos otherwise it was shit.

[McJim]

Bugger - my bike is approaching 50,000km - It's Italian - does that mean it's gonna shit itself and die?

[skelstar]

Did it have USD forks? Cos otherwise it was shit.

Yeah, that joke isn't old at all . Got anything new?

[pete376403]

Huh? They have to be delusioned. That is only 2 years normal riding.

Average lifespan of a sportbike in California between showroom floor and write off is six to twelve weeks* - they wont have clocked up too many Kms

* this is an "internet fact" seen on many sites but I have not been able to find any official certification.

[Mully]

Yeah, that joke isn't old at all . Got anything new?

Nope. Nothing.

[pete376403]

One mag tried to kill a bike, Kwak something rather I think it was.


First they ran it sans water........ not much happened.

So then they drained the oil as well and held it on the rev limiter..... its burnt out the exhaust and the fact the spark kept cutting out meant it started blowing the muffler apart....... but refill it with oil the next day and you could hardly tell it had been thrashed to within an inch of its life.

Twas either Fast Bikes or Performance Bikes and it was a kawasaki 6000

[Paulus]

50.000 kilometres is always our test as very few motorcycles actually do so many miles. But we once tried a Honda CBR1000RR engine on our bench and it never died! It was impossible to seize that engine under normal service circumstances.

Remember Toselands WSBK bike last year when he did almost an entire race with no water in it after an early crash (albeit a wet race)!

[Dargor]

50.000

note thats a . not a ,

50.000 == 50
50,000 == 50000

Are they being stupidly accurate or dont they know the difference. That looks like 50 km to me.

[Mully]

note thats a . not a ,

50.000 == 50
50,000 == 50000

Are they being stupidly accurate or dont they know the difference. That looks like 50 km to me.

In Europe, they often change the two from how we do it. Drives me mental when I deal with European documents.

[sAsLEX]

Huh? They have to be delusioned. That is only 2 years normal riding.

50k on a dyno is probably done continuously.

You sir are a legend for riding 50k in two years without rest!

[Mental Trousers]

In some countries
50.000,00 = 50 thousand
whereas for us it would be
50,000.00 = 50 thousand