Prior to the release of the popular sport naked Tuono, Aprilia offered a factory streetfighter kit for its Falco (or SL1000) model. On top of the Falco’s $10,999 MSRP, owners could opt to shell out an additional $2K for a slick street fighter package.
The kit consisted of a wider set of bars, adjustable steering damper, new passenger footrests and hanger, new airbox kit with screened covers, new mirrors, front brake kit, anodized indicators, new subframe, nose fairing, belly-pan, front and rear fenders, radiator shrouds, and disc brake scoop (the latter of which unfortunately blocked access to the front compression clicker). All the new bodywork was made of chromed plastic, while the metal bits were comprised of aluminum. Rounding out the factory kit was a set of carbon fiber end-cans from Italian brand, Roadracing, as well as a new ECU chip, that together upped the Falco’s 997cc twin’s peak power from 114 to 118hp.
Technically, the kit was built strictly for off-road use, though it seems most kitted examples are used on the road. Hell, the kit has the word “street” in its name. In an article about the kit from Motorcycle-USA, the publication stated, “this machine entices its rider into questionable behavior,” before going on to describe the SL1K street fighter’s personality as, “Dennis the Menace being raised by Giacomo Agostini”. As pointed out last time we featured one of these kitted V-Twins; the Falco street fighter is something of a precursor to the Tuono (or a beta Tuono as Abhi put it).
This particular 2001 Falco example has received a handful of additional upgrades on top of the factory SF kit, including titanium rear-sets, aftermarket slave cylinder, carbon heel guards, frame sliders, and Lindemann Engineering forks, which along with the rear suspension have been professionally dialed in for a 200lb pilot. Despite having just under 50k miles on the clock, this specimen is said to be in good shape, though it’s currently registered as a non-op vehicle. It might not be the most impressive sport naked by today’s standards, but the rarity of these factory kits definitely makes it a noteworthy find.
You can find this 2001 April SL100 Falco with the factory streetfighter kit for sale here on Craigslist in Santa Rosa, California with a price of $2,700.