as you know i have been a good boy (almost) all year. i have been working hard (i can send you my last appraisal if you like) and have upset less people than i usually do, at least not on purpose. i have also been a good student, a fact that kind of surprised me also, in a very pleasant way.
most importantly i have reason to believe that i have also been a good husband, which was actually not all that hard, but kind of important, after all.
i strongly feel that so much effort should not go unrewarded. i am sure you agree, but since i know you are almost as busy as my boss i have thought long and hard about how to make this work for both of us (in technical terms: create a win-win situation). i have subsequently applied years of training and experience, and channeled all that into writing up the ultimate proposal: my wish list, complete with source addresses and prices. all you got to do now is to get the stuff, that is not too much to ask i think.
1/ dual akrapovic titanium exhaust.
i have done extensive research on the net, and the thing is: the mille needs more air. part of the problem sits in the intake (we’ll come to that later) but once we manage to get additional air in, we got to make sure it get’s out, too.
that is the job of the dual akras. that, and some weight saving, plus getting rid of the little dip around 6000 rpm. and a little more noise would not hurt, either, as long as it is not excessive. and the akras are not loud, according to my information. won’t blow you off the roof, trust me.
they look real cool, too, and i think i can keep the passenger pegs.
um, let’s not talk about the price here, ok. www.rsvr.net seems to have a sale going … be quick, please.
2/ öhlins internals for the showa forks.
good forks, the showas. just a little on the harsh side. they were 0k in assen, because the tarmac is real smooth there, but get any bumps in the road and they shake your teeth out. not good for something that clearly makes more speed than a reindeer sleigh.
luckily the guys from öhlins in stockholm (close to your home, i believe) have a solution: they made an upgrade kit that replaces part of the internals of the showas, and for little money, too! well, relatively speaking. comes with oil & everything.
definitely a safety upgrade.
about 280 eur from the shop in mijdrecht.
3/ frame sliders.
no, i don’t plan on falling. certainly not with the dual akras (there is a 100% chance of damaging minimum one of them). but … you never know. and in that case you wnat to have the frame sliders.
i’d go for the r&g sliders, both sets, front & rear. plus on the swingarm, would be a shame if i had to ask you for a new swingarm next xmas. price is really, really ok, especially in comparison with the aprilia oem plastics ( you probably know).
about 80 eur per set, from www.rsvr.net.
4/ airbox.
the air problem, part two, you remember. i’m still in doubt here. the evo airbox seems to make more power, at least at higher revs, but i don’t trust the filter, at least not in the case of the race airbox design. the renegade airbox on the other hand seems to make more mid-range power, and has a bullet-proof filter, but does not seem to make good use of the ram-air effect, which is kind of a shame, and costs a few kilometer/hour top speed, i’m sure.
the carbon fibre airbox with the 57mm throttle-bodies is price wise a bit over the top, no need to mention.
truth is: i can’t make up my mind yet, but don’t take it off the list, ok?
about 280 eur from renegade, plus another 50 for the ’99 style intake boot.
5/ rearsets.
well, there is the comfort factor, too. i can’t really complain about the stock footrests, but their position is too much forward for my taste, and as a result i am always standing on my toes, and need to move my foot to shift and to brake. rearsets would clearly amend that, especially the nice adjustable ones.
satos, please. or acculign. ok? that one can wait a bit, but not too long, right?
about 400 eur, from af1 racing.
that is all – for this year.
and if i get my wishes granted i promise i will be a good boy again next year (1). there is so much more to do … carbon fibre, öhlins shock, oz wheels, …
we’ll be in touch.
geo
(1) in case they are only partially granted i will discount based on value.