The servo motor, stator, regulator and cracks around the cases behind the stator cover are the common problems. If the servo motor has been removed there should be a MIL code flashing on the dash.
If it's been crashed, check the mounting tabs on the headlight and instrument cluster as they break off very easily.
There was a recall for cracks in the lower fork castings and a small batch of 954's suffer from cracking the front of the cylinder wall - but it's unlikely somebody would be trying to sell a bike like that.
Good stuff, thanks.
As always, blade is pretty thorough when asked a questioned. Just to expound a little. I've read that 2002 model engines were prone to cracking between cylinders 1 and 2. Like he said, hopefully no one is trying to cell one like that. I have an '03 with 17k miles and it's running strong with no hints of anything ill. Great bike!
Wil keep an eye out, cheers.
I went for the one with the lowest miles, and will stick to that. Too damn many crazy people who abuse sportbikes out there. Mine had barely been ridden, I think its previous owner might have been a bit frightened by it.
Happened a mate of mine, went to England to buy an Aprilia RSVR Factory, the thing had 14 miles on the clock, owner had bought it, rode it home and it scared the absolute piss outta him so he parked it up on stands for 2 years before selling it!
Mate got it for a bargin price but then had to go off and get all the factory recall stuff done which Aprilia Ireland were not too eager to assist with.
It might be possible though that somebody hasn't noticed it has lost all its coolant and has been riding it dry, so it's best to at least be aware of the potential problem. Pull the radiator cap, if it's full then it's probably not a problem - unless there's a bunch of fresh sealant on the front of the cylinders
Will pull the cap so, this is all great stuff lads, keep it coming.
600's are as quick as the litre bikes so they're not a step down.
Agreed, there's an argument that you don't really need anything larger then a 600cc sportsbike in Ireland as we simply do not have the roads for them but while I've no problem keeping up with mates on litres, the 600 engine is being worked a lot harder then the litres to keep pace.
watch for the gearbox in them dude 954 have weak box 2nd and 4th gear weak spots,accelrate hard in both gears then roll of throttle if pops outta gear walk away 700 euro plus fix
lus1: ,also run hand inside fairings to feel for any bumps or lumps ie plastic welding or body filler....and ask about was chain and sprockets done ,replaced .
Will do, had a similar problem with a new 600F I bought in 2004, Honda eventually conceded and fixed it under warranty.
I'm not aware that the 954 has a weak transmission - no weaker than any other sportsbike. If you abuse it you will have problems, as you'd expect. Your description indicates worn dogs which would be due to abuse, not inherrant weakness.
Certainly ask about chain and sprockets (and other maintenance items) but then inspect them yourself. Asking merely lets you gauge the seller's honesty, don't accept what they say as fact though.
A friend asked me to inspect a car she was interested in a few months back. The owner was there and said it'd been serviced two weeks before.
The black oil was way overfull and the filter was clearly years old, the air filter was _filthy_ and it was running water instead of coolant. I asked him who'd serviced it and what it cost. He couldn't remember who'd serviced it but he thought it was $180 - but had no receipt. And the seller was supposed to be a close friend of hers trying to do her a favour...
About 2 years ago I went to view a 954 with a mate who was considering buying one, the bike looked mint with a few nice extras but the closer we looked the more "little things" I noticed like incorrect wiring colours to headlights etc. Chatting to the seller who gave all the right answers, never raced, never crashed/dropped, never done a track day etc. something just seemed off, that little voice in the back of my mind was screaming "this guys a cowboy!"
He was very reluctant to let my mate take it for a test ride but gave in in the end as he was rapidly losing credibility. Aidan hit the main road, got her up to speed, touched the front brakes and she pulled hard to the right every time. Crashed repaired job, we couldn't get outta there fast enough. :thumbd:
Kaos
