Aprilia Riders

omnislash_86 · February 16, 2011

Mesaboogie! I keep textin u but no replies, understand tat u hav 2 numbers, i need ur add for the parts collection, thanks!

AEoM · February 16, 2011

Alright guys, I'll make a list on behalf of Glenn.

So we're doing a small meet up on 18th Feb 2011 @ the open air car park opp of Cineleisure. And maybe some rounding and makan session after? We shall decide on the day itself.

Do add in your name and would be better contact number.

1. AEoM - Nicholas 81335945

2. glenn92- Glenn

dDtim · February 16, 2011

Alright guys, I'll make a list on behalf of Glenn.

So we're doing a small meet up on 18th Feb 2011 @ the open air car park opp of Cineleisure. And maybe some rounding and makan session after? We shall decide on the day itself.

Do add in your name and would be better contact number.

1. AEoM - Nicholas 81335945
2. glenn92- Glenn

You know how to get me nic, glenn. maybe eat at the bak kut teh at keppel if our crowd allows. Please feed me well this week! Going to field camp next week!

crisisady · February 16, 2011

Alright guys, I'll make a list on behalf of Glenn.

So we're doing a small meet up on 18th Feb 2011 @ the open air car park opp of Cineleisure. And maybe some rounding and makan session after? We shall decide on the day itself.

Do add in your name and would be better contact number.

1. AEoM - Nicholas 81335945

2. glenn92- Glenn

3. crisisady - Chris 82339001

What time will it be guys? Don't round too fast leh, my bike fully stock :x

AEoM · February 16, 2011

My bad. It's 2100hrs. @dtim so I assume u r joining us?

personified · February 17, 2011

Hi Guys...I have manage to persuade SMSA to stage a 125cc race this coming March 6th at Pasir Gudang...I like to know how many is keen over here...

U need SMSA race license which basically means $190 for the 1st year

$80 1 time entry fee

$50 membership fee

$60 race license

also needed is $10 medical check up

race fee is $100 per event

its an open series meaning u can mod till u vapourised yr bank account except no turbos, no NOS, no supercharger, no shite,

I need 6 riders and we good to go...lets show them the Aprilia show of force... C'mon!!!!

btw its a 125cc race therefore bikes like Mito,NSR and any other 125 might race too

there be a 4 stroke 125cc too but they are in a different class series..

Edited February 17, 2011 by personified

spark315 · February 17, 2011

Alright guys, I'll make a list on behalf of Glenn.

So we're doing a small meet up on 18th Feb 2011 @ the open air car park opp of Cineleisure. And maybe some rounding and makan session after? We shall decide on the day itself.

Do add in your name and would be better contact number.

1. AEoM - Nicholas 81335945
2. glenn92- Glenn
3. crisisady - Chris 82339001
4. spark315 - Prasad 93839237

What time will it be guys? Don't round too fast leh, my bike fully stock :x

crisisady your bike full stock.... mine only clocked 300km..... hahahahah

AEoM · February 17, 2011

crisisady your bike full stock.... mine only clocked 300km..... hahahahah

Mine is fully stock as well!

lacrimosae · February 17, 2011

Hi Guys...I have manage to persuade SMSA to stage a 125cc race this coming March 6th at Pasir Gudang...I like to know how many is keen over here...
U need SMSA race license which basically means $290 for the 1st year
$80 1 time entry fee
$50 membership fee
$60 race license
also needed is $10 medical check up

race fee is $100 per event
its an open series meaning u can mod till u vapourised yr bank account except no turbos, no NOS, no supercharger, no shite,
I need 6 riders and we good to go...lets show them the Aprilia show of force... C'mon!!!!

btw its a 125cc race therefore bikes like Mito,NSR and any other 125 might race too
there be a 4 stroke 125cc too but they are in a different class series..

Please count me in because I am a strapping fit heterosexual male.

Of course, I am not insinuating that anyone who does not participate is either a girl, or is gay. I'm just saying.

corporatemanthras · February 17, 2011

Hi everyone,

Have something, that i find interesting, to share. Well its quite sad for me, though. Went to the workshop this morning, to do my routine monthly servicing. Went to wash my carb and valve, only to find that my valve...is broken again!! Funny thing is, i never realised it. It still works right. Opens and delivers power at the exact same rpm(s) that it usually does. But yes its broken. So i decided to leave it there for now. Its sad cos i do my basic servicing and maintenance regularly. This one is pretty new. Installed it last july, brand new. There was another RS in the workshop at the same time undergoing top end overhaul, and the uncle showed me that the valve in that one was broken too. Apparently the owner of that bike had installed new valves thrice last year.

Do you guys have any more advice on how to maintain a valve properly, besides servicing regularly? Im not sure if im doing something wrong here.

Also, the uncle at the workshop said he is gonna order aftermarket valves from a different agent, which he says should not cost more than 200 bucks per piece. Any thoughts?

My thanks in advance!

Feelicks · February 17, 2011

ur not doing anything wrong, valves r meant to last so if ur new valve breaks, it means e material it was crafted wif was of marginal quality thus resulting in breakage. i suggest looking 4 lacrimosae, i think he has some spare valves which r pretty gd

mesab0ogie · February 17, 2011

+1 to what feelicks said. Lawrence has some solid valves for sale. Custom made exactly like the original valves. Can ask him. I think its better to invest in higher quality valves as its one of the parts which many seem to have problems with.

corporatemanthras · February 17, 2011

Thanks Feelicks and mesaboogie, i shall do just that! =)

AEoM · February 17, 2011

Alright guys, I'll make a list on behalf of Glenn.

So we're doing a small meet up on 18th Feb 2011 @ 2100hrs the open air car park opp of Cineleisure. And maybe some rounding and makan session after? We shall decide on the day itself.

Do add in your name and would be better contact number.

1. AEoM - Nicholas 81335945

2. glenn92- Glenn

3. crisisady - Chris 82339001

4. spark315 - Prasad 93839237

5. dTim - Tim

crisisady · February 17, 2011

Mine is fully stock as well!

crisisady your bike full stock.... mine only clocked 300km..... hahahahah

Hah!! I'm sitting on top of 7years of wear and tear!

Zai TZM · February 17, 2011

i'll be getting an rs125'07 real soon.. can i know where selling arrow pipe 2nd hand or brand new.. roughly market price.

lacrimosae · February 17, 2011

ur not doing anything wrong, valves r meant to last so if ur new valve breaks, it means e material it was crafted wif was of marginal quality thus resulting in breakage. i suggest looking 4 lacrimosae, i think he has some spare valves which r pretty gd

+1 to what feelicks said. Lawrence has some solid valves for sale. Custom made exactly like the original valves. Can ask him. I think its better to invest in higher quality valves as its one of the parts which many seem to have problems with.

Whoa whoa whoa... Ok here's the deal. There's been a lot of talk about valves lately and I feel I need to clear things up.

Back in 2009 and 2010, I bought valves from a few online websites in UK (ultimateparts, PJME) and Ebay (claimed to be a Germany company). They ranged from S$140-160.

All the abovementioned valves were the same. There are all aluminium CNC-machined.

As you know, aluminium is a soft and malleable material. I initially purchased them for my own use. I have been using 2 valves on both my RS125's (my girlfriend's and my own bike) for over a long period, and found them to be quite durable and they performed flawlessly.

Encouraged by their performance, I decided to order them in a larger quantity, so that more Aprilia riders can buy cheaper valves instead of the costly Rotax originals from WEDA at S$280 each.

From PJME: These valves were claimed to be originals, but they were not. They turned out to be the aluminium CNC-machined valves. I called PJ only to be told these were the valves they were stocking then. I had no choice, I decided to order from Ultimate Parts, who is reputed to stock original Aprilia parts.

Please note that PJME is like the Lim Ah Boy of UK. They sell alot of stuff for a lot of bikes at a very low price. Some are originals, some are OEM, some are totally NOT originals. Some of the cables and parts sold on PJME were marketed and sold as originals, but after I called to complain about their sales ethics, they changed the website so they clearly state if an item is original, or OEM (not original but compatible).

Please note that even though the photograph shows an original Rotax valve, the valves shipped over were the non-original aluminium CNC-machined valves.

From Ultimate Parts: They stock a lot of original parts. In fact, when I was in the UK, I even visited their shop physically. I took a train out to the town they were in and walked into their shop to pick up the items I purchased online. I spoke to the owner.

Now, they too were out of the original valves, so guess what they sold me? You guessed it, the aluminium CNC-machined valves.

I figured since the recession and all, everyone is trying to save a buck or two right? So I decided to purchase from Ebay, since the only cheap valves available are the aluminium valves, might as well get from Ebay, where I found the aluminium valves the cheapest, at $140 each, excluding shipping.

I received a few complaints about the aluminium CNC-machined valves being very soft and prone to breakage. I knew the valves were lighter and softer in material, but personally, I've had no issues with them. I noticed scratches and wear on the valve surface, but despite that I've used the same valves for over 2 years without breakage.

I've visited a few bike shops who see a fair number of Aprilias being serviced there, and from what I gather, the aluminium valve users experience an exceptionally high incidence of breakage. I needed to understand why the valves are breaking prematurely on bikes other than my own. I'm not pointing fingers at any mechanic here but I'm just saying I tune my own bikes and I've got no problems with the valves whatsoever.

It may be due to the valve cable tension, and the material. I do agree that aluminium is too soft to be used in high-stress components, so I specially purchased a brand new original Rotax valve and sent it for metal testing. It turns out that the original Rotax valve is made from a special alloy that gives it strength and lightness, like ceramic. It's very hard, can take a lot of stress, and if you took a screwdriver to it, you won't be able to gouge out a chunk of it like you can with aluminium. The surface of it is coated with a layer of metal hardener, to reinforce its durability.

I sent the original valve to be duplicated in the exact dimensions and metal as the original Rotax. This not only ensures that the new valve has the same strength and properties of the original Rotax valve, but also ensures it is of the same weight.

I am currently testing the new replica valve and after 400km, they are still going strong. Every 100km I've taken them out to check the wear and condition, and they still look good. I may be wrong, but the rate of wear does seem to be slower than the aluminium valves. I am unable to test this result scientifically, which I would prefer, so I don't clean them before putting them back in because I want as much carbon build-up on them as possible. I am trying to break them.

But as both my bikes are pretty well-tuned, I do not foresee any problems with it.

For those of you who are looking for a cheaper alternative to the original Rotax valve, this may be your answer. But I cannot guarantee that they will outperform the original Rotax. Please understand than when I sell you a part, I am putting my reputation on the line. I will not sell to you an item that I feel is defective. I will only sell you products that I feel will benefit you, as I have benefited from using them myself.

I believe in sharing the good stuff, including knowledge, because we all deserve better than how the shops are treating us all.

I will be conducting a DIY in end Feb, those of you interested in taking a look at the valve and its wear, and other upgrades like stainless steel exhausts, please attend.

As always, I will try my best to answer your queries.

What I know, I will share. What I do not know, I will find out more. But what I will never do, is pretend to know everything.

Below are the replica valve and original Rotax. Can you tell the difference?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/lacrimosae/Bike%20Accessories/Topside.jpg

Knowing that both are of the same material and weight, which one would you use?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/lacrimosae/Bike%20Accessories/Underside.jpg

Edited February 17, 2011 by lacrimosae

Feelicks · February 17, 2011

Hah!! I'm sitting on top of 7years of wear and tear!

bro, mine's 11 yrs of damage! will b in e area, i'll try to make it if time permits... u'll noe its me if u pay attention to my forum sig

dDtim · February 17, 2011

Hi guys! NEw rs rider here. Just got my bike last week and am still running in. HOpe to join u guys sooN!

Anyway i got a qns. My valve does not open completely when im at ard 6000 rpm and im alr at full throttle. Is it due to the running in process?

ThankS!

The '07 models and later have restricted cdi, which will sometimes cause the rpm to be jammed around the 6k-6.5k region, if you rev up at a lower gear it will not jam around the region. However I would not recommend revving too hard when running in.

There are ways to unrestrict our bikes, which I believed has been covered earlier, or at least mentioned.

Nic: I last minute as i might not book out in time for the meetup.

Glenn: wash bike must jio!

dDtim · February 17, 2011

Post removed

shaas_no1 · February 17, 2011

i'll be getting an rs125'07 real soon.. can i know where selling arrow pipe 2nd hand or brand new.. roughly market price.

haha .. bro. noe u frm TZM forum. Welcome to the RS side. 07 confirm? Let me know wen u've got ur bike. den we can talk over kopi between both bikes.

dDtim · February 17, 2011

i'll be getting an rs125'07 real soon.. can i know where selling arrow pipe 2nd hand or brand new.. roughly market price.

Lacrimosae has a good deal going on for aftermarket pipe, which is similar to an arrow.

And if you don't insist on an arrow, personified has a good deal for ginielli full system at $580.

shaas_no1 · February 17, 2011

Hi everyone,

Have something, that i find interesting, to share. Well its quite sad for me, though. Went to the workshop this morning, to do my routine monthly servicing. Went to wash my carb and valve, only to find that my valve...is broken again!! Funny thing is, i never realised it. It still works right. Opens and delivers power at the exact same rpm(s) that it usually does. But yes its broken. So i decided to leave it there for now. Its sad cos i do my basic servicing and maintenance regularly. This one is pretty new. Installed it last july, brand new. There was another RS in the workshop at the same time undergoing top end overhaul, and the uncle showed me that the valve in that one was broken too. Apparently the owner of that bike had installed new valves thrice last year.

Do you guys have any more advice on how to maintain a valve properly, besides servicing regularly? Im not sure if im doing something wrong here.

Also, the uncle at the workshop said he is gonna order aftermarket valves from a different agent, which he says should not cost more than 200 bucks per piece. Any thoughts?

My thanks in advance!

Is your RS

Regardless, the frequency of valve breaking on of both yours and d other bike may be of another reason.

The valve seat on the top block may have worn.

Hence, your valve seat in the block may be subjected to more vibration and extensive high rev-ing increases this vibrancy. Thus, the breaking.

Most pay lil attention to this because it's not so noticeable.

End result? u'll be changing the valve over n over.

To elaborate further, I'd rather share it over kopi sometime soon.

I'd hope for you it's just the valve, but if it breaks the 2nd time within the near future, you may wanna consider what I just said about the block.

shaas_no1 · February 17, 2011

Hi Guys...I have manage to persuade SMSA to stage a 125cc race this coming March 6th at Pasir Gudang...I like to know how many is keen over here...
U need SMSA race license which basically means $190 for the 1st year
$80 1 time entry fee
$50 membership fee
$60 race license
also needed is $10 medical check up

race fee is $100 per event
its an open series meaning u can mod till u vapourised yr bank account except no turbos, no NOS, no supercharger, no shite,
I need 6 riders and we good to go...lets show them the Aprilia show of force... C'mon!!!!

btw its a 125cc race therefore bikes like Mito,NSR and any other 125 might race too
there be a 4 stroke 125cc too but they are in a different class series..

Ouch!

I just scheduled the bike for a top job amongs other tings around the same time as the race. I'll need to run-in.

Would still try to make it down to PG to soak up on the atmosphere.

Codockz · February 17, 2011

Whoa whoa whoa... Ok here's the deal. There's been a lot of talk about valves lately and I feel I need to clear things up.

Back in 2009 and 2010, I bought valves from a few online websites in UK (ultimateparts, PJME) and Ebay (claimed to be a Germany company). They ranged from S$140-160.

All the abovementioned valves were the same. There are all aluminium CNC-machined.

As you know, aluminium is a soft and malleable material. I initially purchased them for my own use. I have been using 2 valves on both my RS125's (my girlfriend's and my own bike) for over a long period, and found them to be quite durable and they performed flawlessly.

Encouraged by their performance, I decided to order them in a larger quantity, so that more Aprilia riders can buy cheaper valves instead of the costly Rotax originals from WEDA at S$280 each.

From PJME: These valves were claimed to be originals, but they were not. They turned out to be the aluminium CNC-machined valves. I called PJ only to be told these were the valves they were stocking then. I had no choice, I decided to order from Ultimate Parts, who is reputed to stock original Aprilia parts.

Please note that PJME is like the Lim Ah Boy of UK. They sell alot of stuff for a lot of bikes at a very low price. Some are originals, some are OEM, some are totally NOT originals. Some of the cables and parts sold on PJME were marketed and sold as originals, but after I called to complain about their sales ethics, they changed the website so they clearly state if an item is original, or OEM (not original but compatible).

Please note that even though the photograph shows an original Rotax valve, the valves shipped over were the non-original aluminium CNC-machined valves.

From Ultimate Parts: They stock a lot of original parts. In fact, when I was in the UK, I even visited their shop physically. I took a train out to the town they were in and walked into their shop to pick up the items I purchased online. I spoke to the owner.
Now, they too were out of the original valves, so guess what they sold me? You guessed it, the aluminium CNC-machined valves.

I figured since the recession and all, everyone is trying to save a buck or two right? So I decided to purchase from Ebay, since the only cheap valves available are the aluminium valves, might as well get from Ebay, where I found the aluminium valves the cheapest, at $140 each, excluding shipping.

I received a few complaints about the aluminium CNC-machined valves being very soft and prone to breakage. I knew the valves were lighter and softer in material, but personally, I've had no issues with them. I noticed scratches and wear on the valve surface, but despite that I've used the same valves for over 2 years without breakage.

I've visited a few bike shops who see a fair number of Aprilias being serviced there, and from what I gather, the aluminium valve users experience an exceptionally high incidence of breakage. I needed to understand why the valves are breaking prematurely on bikes other than my own. I'm not pointing fingers at any mechanic here but I'm just saying I tune my own bikes and I've got no problems with the valves whatsoever.

It may be due to the valve cable tension, and the material. I do agree that aluminium is too soft to be used in high-stress components, so I specially purchased a brand new original Rotax valve and sent it for metal testing. It turns out that the original Rotax valve is made from a special alloy that gives it strength and lightness, like ceramic. It's very hard, can take a lot of stress, and if you took a screwdriver to it, you won't be able to gouge out a chunk of it like you can with aluminium. The surface of it is coated with a layer of metal hardener, to reinforce its durability.

I sent the original valve to be duplicated in the exact dimensions and metal as the original Rotax. This not only ensures that the new valve has the same strength and properties of the original Rotax valve, but also ensures it is of the same weight.

I am currently testing the new replica valve and after 400km, they are still going strong. Every 100km I've taken them out to check the wear and condition, and they still look good. I may be wrong, but the rate of wear does seem to be slower than the aluminium valves. I am unable to test this result scientifically, which I would prefer, so I don't clean them before putting them back in because I want as much carbon build-up on them as possible. I am trying to break them.

But as both my bikes are pretty well-tuned, I do not foresee any problems with it.

For those of you who are looking for a cheaper alternative to the original Rotax valve, this may be your answer. But I cannot guarantee that they will outperform the original Rotax. Please understand than when I sell you a part, I am putting my reputation on the line. I will not sell to you an item that I feel is defective. I will only sell you products that I feel will benefit you, as I have benefited from using them myself.

I believe in sharing the good stuff, including knowledge, because we all deserve better than how the shops are treating us all.

I will be conducting a DIY in end Feb, those of you interested in taking a look at the valve and its wear, and other upgrades like stainless steel exhausts, please attend.

As always, I will try my best to answer your queries.

What I know, I will share. What I do not know, I will find out more. But what I will never do, is pretend to know everything.

Below are the replica valve and original Rotax. Can you tell the difference?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/lacrimosae/Bike%20Accessories/Topside.jpg

Knowing that both are of the same material and weight, which one would you use?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/lacrimosae/Bike%20Accessories/Underside.jpg

Bro I have seen something like this from one of the mechanic. It does look very good. Did you send them to lab for the material testing (setsco or sts?) or just conduct a hardness test? from what I have seen the machined version of the valve is slightly longer, I am not sure this one though.

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