There is indeed a screw inside the "frunk" on each side to allow removal of the upper side panels....I had mine off when I did my first 1000km (600mile) service. You need to remove the left side fairing panel to check the coolant level. The two screws holding the OBD-II port don't need to be removed if just checking the coolant level...but be aware of the small wires to/from the OBD-II port as they may be damaged if pulled on too hard. Don't allow the panel to hang by the wires, make sure it's supported etc..
The top two screws in the pic below are installed from the inside, the forward one is easily removed, rearward one is inside the "Frunk".
Smithy.
Thanks for that! It is time to do my 600-mile service so that was just in time.
Have you heard anything about the centerstand yet? My drive chain needs to be adjusted, way too lose and the centerstand should make that job easy.
-Don- Auburn, CA
Hi Don,
I did ask about the centre stand a couple of weeks ago, but "short supply" is the word going around at this end of the world....I suspect it's the same worldwide. Chain is easy to adjust on the sidestand though...I changed the front sprocket the other day and chain adjustment is a doddle. 35mm slop is specified, a 32mm socket for the axle nut and two 13mm open end wrenches for the adjusters. Torque for the rear axle nut is 80nm. There's a cutout on each side of the swingarm and I measured the distance from there to the axle support plate.... and made it equal on each side with 35mm of chain slack...job done.
I was pondering the speedo "inaccuracy" since I've had the bike.....The original front sprocket is a 15 tooth and the speedo reading is exstrapolated in the ECU from motor rpm, so changing the front or rear sprocket will affect the speedo. The Experia speedo is indeed quite a ways out. When riding at 100kmh via GPS, the speedo reads ~106kmh....so I went 2 teeth up to 17t and the speedo reading actually went a few kmh the "other" way, the 17t sprocket will just fit, (18t will be too big and foul the motor protection guard under the cover).....so I ended up fitting a 16t and the speedo reading is spot on now... within +/-1kmh of actual GPS reading. BTW...a standard 2006/2007 Aprillia RSV 1000 520 16T front sprocket is a perfect spline and offset match for the Experia and looks identical to the original. I did have to make myself a special socket to remove the sprocket nut but now it's done I'll have it forever.
I did a couple of runs to work and back to see if it made any appreciable difference to acceleration or battery mileage, but it is negligible if any at all.....the way I see it is like this...it takes X amount of watts/current to do X amount of work at X amount of rpm/speed....All we're doing is changing the motor rpm vs wattage vs current vs speed, what you gain in one area, is lost in another....no gain to be had in battery economy that I can see. Outright acceleration may be slightly affected but again, I felt it to be negligible for day to day riding. Overtaking or accelerationg at normal road speeds appeared to be as easy with the 17T as the 15T sprocket fitted.
Hope this helps,
Smithy.
