Scud

I like what they are doing from a technology and legacy perspective. When you've got a 100-year old manufacturer the roots would run deep into the community. Business loyalty (or at least perceived loyalty) to a community is getting pretty rare these days. And can you imagine the hostility they would generate by moving to another city, or worse yet to another country? I don't know how the government works in Italy, but I would imagine that like most countries, there is a desire to keep domestic manufacturers going. So maybe there were also various incentives to remain in the location - or maybe the location has a lot of "grandfathered" types of permissions that would be hard to get elsewhere. As for the location... I think they are smart to capitalize on the vacation destination. When tourists show up, they maybe start thinking about buying a motorcycle and associate it with their vacation experience. And for the "faithful" it seems to have become sort of bucket-list item. Personally, I intend to go there at least once. Probably after all the the new stuff is open.

Welcome. Nice LeMans. I love Hwy 49, and all the passes to the Eastern Sierra. The photo I posted yesterday in the "no words" thread was on Mammoth Scenic Loop. I just rode Caliente-Bodfish and Sherman Pass recently, which was a "shortcut" between Carlsbad and Mammoth Lakes. About where in the foothills are you?

ha... like how far did you ride for coffee, a taco, a slice of pie, a milkshake, etc? And which entertaining roads made the journey worth it?

That is a lovely ride. So many great beach towns in South Orange County and North San Diego County.

Along with that, it has front and rear collision warning. The front warning illuminated several times, and each time it did i thought "OK, I actually am following too close." So it caused me to rethink, and to follow at a safer distance. Surprisingly, the front collision warning does not go off while lane-splitting. The rear warning has not yet activated. And all that stuff (front and rear radar) is needed for the adaptive cruise control, which I have not tried yet.

I just rode the new Stelvio about 500 miles today. From Carlsbad to Mammoth Lakes with "shortcuts" through Tehachapi, Kernville, and over the Sherman Pass. I am totally impressed by this bike and loving it. It was comfortable enough (but I did get a little but-burn by the last 100 miles as I didn't stop much). The onboard computer indicated about 50MPG, which gives us an easy 200 mile range, and a possible 250 if we have to push it. I can get totally under the still air with the winshield fully extended and in a half-tuck position, so I will probably get a small detachable windscreen lip/extender for long rides. I like the screen totally down on the slower twisties. It was close to 100 degrees at the hottest part of the ride, and I didn't worry about it all due to the water cooling.

But one crossover or two? All the V11s have a cross-over in the mid-section. Only the 2003 and 2004 models have a second crossover up front (sometimes called a balance pipe). I don't know what problem they were trying to solve by adding second crossover, but it's not the kind of thing you would do just for looks, maintenance convenience, assembly efficiency, or weight-savings, because it works against all of those things. Maybe it was an attempt to reduce the noise level?

I'm sure there was a good reason - or at least it seemed like a good idea at the time - but that front crossover seems to be prone to exhaust leaks. So I have replaced it with no negative effect to performance. I also prefer the look of the pipes without the crossover.

The engine is smooth at relaxed speeds, but not as smooth as a BMW. It really wakes up and shows it's full character over 5,000 RPM. It has less vibration than the 1200 air cooled Stelvio, which is totally fine with me. I've heard some people say that it lost the Moto Guzzi character, but I'd disagree, it's just a bit more refined. I'd also heard people say the engine is rev-happy, but I think it's still a mid-range motor. Although its happy place is a little higher up in revs than the 1200 Stelvio's. The engine block is sooo much smaller than the prior block - but some of that forward space is now taken up by a radiator. And in person, at least to me, it has that special something that makes me look back at it when walking away after a ride.

haha... it is water cooled. I do like the wild boar for the Griso - it fits. I'd be more inclined to accept water buffalo for the Stelvio 1200 NTX that I traded. This one is a different animal, but I need to think about what it might be. But yesterday, I parked it next to a new BMW GS1300, which is perhaps a hippopotamus.

I picked up my Stelvio Duecento Tributo on Wednesday. Traded my 2017 Stelvio NTX. It is shorter, lighter, faster, prettier, more refined, etc. This limited edition marking the 200th anniversary of the Stelvio Pass comes with most of the upgrade options such heated comfort seat, and electronic wizardry. I'm just waiting for the luggage to arrive (which was not included). This is the first motorcycle I've owned that has an app and ability to connect to my phone. I have yet to connect a headset, so have not tried all the voice-activated features. Also have not yet tried the adaptive cruise control. But I sure do like the blind-spot alerts that appear in mirrors and on dash when a car is in my blind spot. Only 250 miles in the saddle so far. Half of it was today, including a ride up Mount Palomar with a view to the ocean. The handling is excellent and confidence inspiring, the engine is smooth, but still with character, the transmission with quick shifter is a joy. Five ride modes to play with: Road, Touring, Sport, Rain, and Off-Road. Other than addiing bags, and possibly an extra lip on the windshield for long hauls, I'm not feeling a need to change anything. Moto Guzzi claims to be making only 2,758 of this special edition, which is the elevation of Stelvio Pass in meters. I thought that seemed like a lot compared to some of the volumes of our V11s (like 600-700 Scuras). But I guess Moto Guzzi is doing more volume with Piaggio now, which I am glad to see.

Well, if you are going to put a new crossover, you might as well also get a set of headers from a 2002 or earlier V11 and eliminate the front crossover pipe. If you're in no hurry, I bet something would turn up in the next 6 months. You also could post a want ad on Wild Guzzi or a Facebook Guzzi group.

A new pair of rocker cover gaskets couldn't hurt. And how is the crankcase breather hose? A small leak from that can spread into mysterious places.

At age 60, I have eight bikes and have been asking similar questions. Three dirt bikes (200, 500, and 700 ccs). I rarely ride the 200, but my daughters and some guests do. I expect that the two big Husqvarnas will be with me for a long time. I was thinking about letting three bikes go, and getting a new Stelvio, but the "math" kept suggesting to sell the Scura or Nero Corsa, which I think would regret. So I think I am going to have with a 2:1 event, reducing the "stable" to seven. The prior owner of my 1989 LeMans misses it, and I think it might go back to him soon. (Which means I could still potentially have visitation rights). My Stelvio NTX has been a workhorse, but I am about to trade it on the new, water-cooled Stelvio - likely later this week, depending on actual arrival and set-up at GP Motorcycles in San Diego. @LaGrasta Have you every ridden a Stelvio NTX? Let me know if you want to come down and try it before I trade it in.