Dr Gil

Ok…I’ve now owned an ‘02 Moto Guzzi Le Mans for…err, let me stop and count ‘em…4 days and riding it for a total of about 150 miles or so. I’ve been getting some serious pressure to write up my impressions so here they are...so far: 1/ First and foremost this IS the machine I signed up for and I continue to be TOTALLY excited by it. 2/ Wow, that’s a lot of vibration 3/ Wow, that’s a huge amount of noise (carbon fiber exhausts) 4/ Geeze, it’s lucky I like vibration and noise! 5/ Although there is a lot of sound I’m used to more power (coming from a Triumph 900 Triple) being associated with it. Still, the bike will go faster than I’m willing to go so the point is moot. 6/ Hey, what’s with this funky cornering? Brother-in-Law (and long time Guzzi-nista), Daniel Kalal tells me that the Le Mans is more of a Mike Hailwood “round, smooth corner” sorta thing than a modern sports bike (what I’m more used to) “squared off corner” bike. Amazingly this visualization makes total sense to me and am currently but not yet totally successfully adjusting my riding style to suit the bike and find I’m loving it…once again I find myself to be old school. This is NOT a choice I’ve made freely but am coming to accept (sigh, I’m just becoming an old-guy and still trying to come to grips with the fact that I belong in the last century). 7/ Torque, thy name is god 8/ I like torque more than speed/horsepower/my dogs/pie/etc. 9/ I suspect I need a new seat (got it…call Rich Maud) 10/ I need Throttlemeister bar ends (already ordered…“standard” version, hope they are “heavy” enough) Going beyond my “Top 10” I find I REALLY like this bike beyond what is reasonable. I’ve only recently returned to riding (5 or 6 years ago). And in that period I have progressed from cruisers (Honda Magna V65) to sport bikes (the ’98 Triumph Sprint Sport and Suzuki SV650S) and now to the Guzzi Le Mans. Each has had its own riding style and every time I change bikes I feel like I’m learning to ride all over again. The Le Mans is yet another step for me and perhaps what has been my ultimate fate all this time. My most immediate concern about owning the Le Mans is my lack of physical support I have while living in a rural area and having only “moderate” wrenching skills. I have been taken aback several times now with what seems to me to be somewhat open hostility about my choice of motorcycles. I’ve taken heat from both my old independent Triumph mechanic (“I know this is none of my business but…failing company, no local support, blah, blah, blah, etc.” to which I had to respond “you’re right this is none of your business”) to my local motorcycle dealership, whom I was hoping would help me deal with the those things basic to ALL motorcycles. OK, I am seriously talking rural here, they only carry Japanese bikes but am friendly with the people who work there and they gave me the “Wha? Have you lost your mind buying a Moto Guzzi? You’ve gone from bad (Triumph)to worse (Guzzi)” thing and “No, we are NOT willing to deal with your Italian bike on ANY level”. This does worry me some…I’m enough of a realist to understand that at some point something catastrophic WILL happen to my bike at which point I WILL freak out and I’m afraid I’m left with my own limited knowledge and no local support. My only other option is my “local” dealership” 250 miles away in Santa Rosa and I’m not totally sure I trust them. Beyond that it’s off to Munroe Motors (a very cool shop that I like a bunch) 300 miles away in San Francisco. So, bottom line, I am counting on you guys a lot as my safety net. So far I’m dazzled/delighted at the camaraderie and support within Guzzi owners. I’ve never encountered anything like it and it gives joy and some peace of mind. I like this bike enough to deal with the uncertainty and the freaking out. I totally love this bike. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what I want and the direction I want to go with my motorcycling. I do realize that I am getting older and my sense of “I want to have it now or perhaps will never have it” grows more with each passing season. Ultimatly I want to feel I’m riding a “machine” and not some sort of “techno rocket ship.” Ok here's the bottom line; I’m sold on the Moto Guzzi and I WILL PERSEVERE…but I need your help. So please be tolorant, be kind and be patient. We have a newbie onboard.

Ok, I know "which is 'better'" is relative and subject to a lot of personal variables but... I'm the new proud owner of an '02 Le Mans (my first Guzzi)...please, hold the applause, and it came with aftermarket carbon fiber exhausts. My problem is they are LOUD. They’re louder than I like, I think. Suddenly I'm (and everyone within a 1/2 mile of me) acuity aware of ANY throttle change, gear change, etc. Besides which I find it a bit draining (I'm basically a Sport-Tourer). So I guess my question here (being totally new to this and bowing to almost everyone here's greater experience) is “what are the advantages to these carbon fiber pipes?” I know there is probably a pretty decent weigh advantage and maybe even a horsepower increase. But how great is it really? I mean if I was all about horsepower I'd now own something Japanese. I figure used stock pipes should be abundant and available at reasonable prices. Actually I prefer the looks of the stock pipes and if there isn't too great a difference in performance or anything too negative about the original equipment I'm thinking of going back to the basics. As always, any and all help gratefully appreciated and accepted in the spirit it was given.

"atsa nice!"

Nope, sorry to disappoint it isn't Dave's bike. The previous owner (I now own the bike although don't possess it yet...that comes later this evening) is a fellow named John. Still, I'm putting on the brave face in spite of its not being Dave's bike. I'm SOOO excited!

I am in the middle of purchasing the "bike of my dreams" an '02 Guzzi Le Mans and it lacks a rear-seat cowling ("look for it somewhere along side the road in AZ." was the current owner's suggestion) The bike is "champagne" and red but realize that carbon fibre is also available. If you have one of these bad boys or know where I can find a replacement please let me know...I am so new and so lame...much to learn yet

sigh...the deal fell through. The owner was just too much of a paranoid, urban, VERY-proud-of-his-bike, jerk. I couldn't deal with him...hey, it happens even amongst Gussi-nistas. NO deviation from the asking price, NO test ride (had heard bad reports from friends), ONLY cashiers check acceptable (none refundable) and he doesn't have the pink slip (owed money to the bank). Just couldn't go there. The good news...an enlightened seller of an '02 in Seattle. VERY nice bike, willing to deliver 2 states away for FREE! He’s knowledgeable and with the perfect balance of business and whimsy. I bought his bike on eBay and expect it/he is perfect! I am jazzed...the bike and rider should appear here tomorrow about this time...time is going soooo slowly.

No problem jrt...I think what he was referring to was my avatar...1/2 motorcyclist and 1/2 civilian. Joke (I think). I'm a long time Sport-Tourer and a strong believer in "all the gear, all the time."

Ahhh, I can feel the love! Now I feel as though I truly belong..."Guzzi-ness" BRING IT ON!

After lusting for years and lurking here at V11 Le Mans for months I am finally about to purchase my first ever Guzzi My prey is a '03 black/gray Le Mans in the San Francisco Bay Area. It only has 3.5K on the odometer and is pristine. The present owner (I hope to make the purchase next weekend) has done almost no modifications to the bike other than put on a set of MG titanium exhasts. He has a BMC perfromance air filter that he has not installed for some reason. So my point in posting here (besides not being able to contain my joy) is to pick your collective brains about "MUST HAVE" modifications (or alteration/adjustments)that I will need to make to the bike. My style of riding is generally Sport-Touring. I have a set of Cortech sport saddle and tail bags that I quite like and have ordered a Tourmaster tank bag (my old one was magnetic). Beyond that I'm open to all suggestions and tips. Also I would appreciate advice on where I might find any websites that offer basic Guzzi parts (oil filters, etc.) or accessories that I might find useful...damn, I really am SO new to this! Thanks in advance...it's sure nice to be able to finally post here guilt free now that I'm "almost" a Guzzi owner

I'm looking for a Moto Guzzi Le Mans. The newer the better. Ideally it would be broken in but still have relatively low mileage. Tasteful mods done with sport-touring in mind would be a plus (all those nagging little "new-bike" things taken care of would be a plus-plus...as I have NO local dealership). Also, the closer the bike is to northern California the better. I have recently lost my beloved Triumph Sprint to engine and suspension problems (metal in the oil) and would like to replace it with "the bike of my dreams" (a Le Mans)...quickly, as I am currently without a bike. Please PM me here with anything you have or know of that you think I might interested in.

Well, I might as well own up to this...that was moi posting on the Sport-Touring net. My roots are from ST.N and I'm still just a newbie on this cross-posting to the different motorcycle forums that I'm participating in (well, actually I only follow two...but still that's kind of a stretch for me) Now that you have a link to the big Breva images the only "exclusive" pictures I can offer here of the San Francisco show are these (throwing in a couple of Aprilia Spiderwoman pics in hopes that I may be redeemed). Griso...sigh, yet another bike to lust after Griso dash...ahh, simplicity Corsa race bike...sex on two wheels yum, Spiderwoman Spiderwoman...the rest of the story ...so that's it for me for pics of the Guzzi's from the IMS in San (Mateo) Francisco. Basically I found it disappointing. Moto Guzzi was rammed in a corner (almost an afterthought to the Aprila display which was no great shakes either), Spiderwoman had too many clothes on and NO V11's!!!

My "local" Triumph dealer (200 miles away from my home), Moto Meccanica, is now an authorized Moto Guzzi dealership. Imagine my surprise when returning home from a recent trip to see the International Motorcycle Show in San Mateo and stopping by my dealership to find several new and used Guzzi's on display! Talking to the saleslady I found that the Guzzi's came when they became an Aprilia dealership and that they have hopes of adding Cagiva and MV Agusta early next year...ohboyoboyoboy! This is good news for those of us in the Northern California hinterlands...civilization keeps creeping closer and closer. Someday we may actually have a real "local" Guzzi dealership.

I rode down to the show from my home up the coast in Eureka specifically to see the new Triumph Sprint, the new Speed Triple and the GUZZI'S! How disappointing that I wasn't allowed to sit on the new Triumphs and that Guzzi was crammed into a corner with nothing I really wanted to see (not even one LeMans) except maybe the Griso (which I also wasn't allowed to sit on). There didn't even seem to be that many vendors in attendence... Thank goodness for those Guzzi babes