ok we beat up harley's....what about Guzzi's

[scottyintex]

Ok, we beat up Harley’s....at least the older AMF machines.  What about Moto Guzzi’s...I have heard”.....Guzz’s aren’t bad....... for a Italian bike.” “Moto Guzzi never quite got it right” “The engineering and styling is great.....but production is cheap.” Don’t ride a Moto Guzzi farther than you want to walk.” ..........I must admit I love the styling.....the look of several Moto’s Guzzi’s. Are they really that bad ? The Ducati dealer in Austin also sold Guzzi’s for a while and then dropped them. Rumor was they couldn’t sell them....is this because of the product or the economy or both?

[montmil]

Uh Oh, Scotty...

I'm a thinkin' old Bengt Phorqs will chime in when he sees this one!

Last I saw his Guzzi, it was parked next to my 900 Triple down at Texas Motorsports Park south of Fort Worth. The Mikester had just returned from a speedy transit from deep SE Texas.

Duck n' Cover, Scotty!

Monte

[Barry]

I certainly like the whole concept of the new Guzzi V7, power delivery weight style everything. No one else seems to make a modern classic this light. At 398 lbs dry It's even slightly lighter than our bikes if the figures are to be believed.

I love to be persuaded it's 100% reliable and will last forever.

[nhmaf]

There are other folks here with Guzzis, too!

Overall, I think they are pretty reliable bikes, at least once you get past the early chromed-cylinder Ambassadors - though even they would be good as long as one didn't let the cylinders deteriorate.   I've actually got a certain fondness for the skunk-seat MG California bikes myself - but I don't think the wife will tolerate more than 3 motorcycles in the garage...

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Scotty, my first thought was "Smile when you say that, pardner!"  Guzzis (pronounced Gootsi for the uninformed) are very reliable bikes.  You will see just as many Guzzis from the 70's thru 90's around as you will airheads.  Well, OK not in actual numbers, but my point is that they are a long lived motorcycle.  Currently owned by Piaggio they don't have near the factory support that other brands have.  Consequently less dealer support.

But having said that, the dealer seems to really make a difference with the Guzzi marque.  The best in Texas is MPH Cycles in Houston.  Mike Havens set up my bike and I haven't had a lick of problem with it.  I bought with about 31k on the clock and now have over 46k.  Only needs annual service and fluid changes and the occasional valve adjustment.  Oh right, I did replace the front wheel bearings a couple of weeks back.

I didn't buy the V7 because I found it a little small for me.  The Bonneville was a better fit.  But if I were looking for another bike I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Griso or Sport 1100.  The Stelvio looks pretty good too.  And Guzzis actually sound like a motorcycle and not a sewing machine.

That's my two cents worth.

[Altritter]

For a professional wrencher's opinion of Guzzi's current reliability (not my opinion because I know nothing other than Guzzi's general reputation), see my "Reply #18" in the "Harley Truth" message string on this board.

[DeeG]

I currently own 3 big block Guzzi's (98 V11 EV, 03 Cali EV, 02 Scura), 4 small block 750's (Breva, V7C, 2 Nevadas) and a bunch of late 60's era Stornellos (most in pieces).  I'm wanting a Centauro.


There have been a couple of maintenance issues with them:

03 EV had numerous warranty repairs (triple tree, hydro valve, ethanol related fuel pump problem).  Since all the problems have been dealt with, the bike runs like a champ.

I'm currently working on the 98 EV. All of the problems were because of lack of proper maintenance by the p/o. (same guy I got the R75 from, and its in as bad a shape as the EV)

Both the Nevada's also suffered from the ethanol problem ( they all have internal fuel pumps and the factory fuel hose wasn't compatible with the higher ethanol content that the gov'ment mandated).

I did a preemptive fix on the Breva (plastic fuel filter was starting to get disfigured) and we have had no problems at all with the V7.

Other than that, I love my Guzzi's.  They're fun to ride and easy to work on. Meaning I didn't have to buy ANY special tools for them (unlike my 'modern' BMW's...........    )

I think the main thing with Guzzi's is that they aren't common.  And the lemmings out there don't want to buy something that no one else has.  Factory support can be trying at times.  And they don't have fancy boutique dealerships.  In fact, the largest volume Guzzi dealer in the country has a shop/showroom about the size of my garage.  No rack upon rack of chinese made clothing and tables full of overpriced trinkets.  No espresso bar, no comfy couches.  But you can go and scratch Hoffas ears and feed him a Milk Bone.  He will love you forever if you do.  (Hoffa is the guardian Pit Bull that belongs to owner Dave Richardson)

[nhmaf]

Wow, Deeg!

You can't have a garage full of airheads - you must have a whole barn!!

I'm very impressed!

[trips]

My #1 riding buddy has an 85 California, he loves it like his mother. I've ridden it, it looks like it was chained to the back of a truck and dragged, never been washed since the day it was made, as far as I can tell. I told him the best I can say about it is that when it stalls, it usually starts on the second or third try, LOL, and that it proves that there's someone out there for everybody. I've been visiting dealerships with him this winter/spring, he wants a new Stelvia, but I really like the Norge, one of the most comfortable bikes I've sat on. His has 75 or 80,000 miles on it, and is 26 years old, he just rode it to Boston and back from Buffalo, so I would say they can be reliable.

[Olliepup]

Had a 1975 850T, an OK performer, but 561 lbs. for an 850??? Relatively weighty and high center of gravity did not make for the most agile of bikes. DK

[Bob_Roller]

I've got an '87 Guzzi V65 Lario, it's still a project bike, haven't even tried to start it yet .

These bikes came out of the factory with camshaft's, cam followers that were improperly heat treated .

Plus only a single valve spring and defective valves that would break the valve heads off .

They were known to 'hand grenade' the engine within the first 10-15,000 miles .

The bike I have had all of the faulty components replaced before the original owner took delivery of the bike .

This bike was manufactured in 1986, finally sold still new in 1991 .

[Bengt_Phorqs]

This video showcases classic Guzzi's very well.
http://www.vanguard-clothing.com/
OK, a little bit trendy from a fashionista point of view, but you have to admit the shots of the Eldorado are really great.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Drive safely!  No gear!  Get liquored up!