hoytstaab

I did not write anything about the CARC swingarm/shaft drive of the V12 or the styling of the MGS-01. I mentioned putting the V12 engine in the MGS chassis with Naked styling.... Nothing about the MGS-01 styling. Doesn't the photoshop picture within the link depict the V11 Naked bodywork placed on the MGS-01 chassis ? What would it take to build a bike that contains: the wheelbase, rake/trail, light weight wheels, the swingarm & rear suspension geometry taken from the MGS-01 and apply them to the now street legal engine? Are you saying this new engine & transmission will not accept anything but the CARC shaft drive/single-sided swingarm? If so, it doesn't seem like an engineering or financial leap to put a different gearbox and swingarm on what would be a more sporting bike. The CARC swingarm setup is not the most stylish execution either. Why go with a single-sided arm with a right-side drivetrain and an exhaust system that needs replaced in order to see any of the styling? I'd rather go with a more traditional swingarm that is probably lighter (there are some attractive traditional swingarms out now) That's the whole frustration with this new Sport. It has zero styling. Now that we have a better motor, there's nothing there for the "Sport" to reach its true sales potential or continue the timeless style of the V11 Sport. http://ridethetorquecurve.blogspot.com/200...d-bodywork.html

I'm disappointed with this model evolution. This breva-based styling must go, especially now that the V12 engine is producing a street legal 110+hp. Put that motor in a MGS-01 chassis with naked styling... http://ridethetorquecurve.blogspot.com/200...d-bodywork.html

Hey All - I'm not ready to give up on Durrani. I read a lot of the thread, but that was after I talked with Mr. Durrani himself....who, as mentioned earlier, returned my call within a couple of hours. The conversation was very good from many perspectives, so I was surprised to read the contents of the thread. There is definitely a significant difference. So, if any Michigan/northern Indiana/NW Ohio riders would be willing to check things out in person, I think many people can move forward with a better decision (one way or the other is obviously up to each of us) If any of the previous bad experiences are accurate, then it could make a company a lot better in the long run than if a given company did not have to struggle with poor performance/service. I'm not excusing it, just willing to look into this further.

Hello OldButNotDead - I noticed you are in MI....any chance that you would be willing to ride to Durrani as a field trip? thanks

Paul - thank you. Anyone know of V11 riders in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, etc.?

I'm definitely interested in the Durrani wheels. I also sent an email. UPDATE: Sheryar Durrani, the founder and Chief Engineer of DES, called me back. See: http://www.durraniracing.com/510.html . That is a great way to get your attention. He had a lot of great input & genuine interest. If any forum member is in the Detroit, MI area, Durrani would be interested in taking measurements of the V11 rear wheel. Farmington Hills, MI is where Durrani is located and is less than 30 miles northwest of Detroit (according to Google Maps) The cost for getting a new light weight wheel for shaft drive may not be as much as you think. A group purchase from even as little as 4-5 forum members would make it affordable, especially considering the other brands. It sounds like the price would come under the competition even when they have to add some initial costs to add the shaft drive model to their lineup. I sent Sheryar a link to this forum topic.

When the MGS-01 made its debut at the Seattle CycleWorld Show, I watched people stand at the display and admire that bike for awhile. These people were young and old. There were those who were familiar with the brand and people who were not familiar with Guzzi. This kind of profound acceptance must have been received throughout the globe. I believe the MGS-01 is so good that it will still capture the same response even after so many years....including the young rider who is not familiar with Guzzi. Reading through these pages of comments I hope the 1400 cc motor finds its way to a sport chassis with MGS-01 styling and then we can mod it to be a v11 Sport naked styled bike. The ultimate cafe. "Sportsbike" - who cares what you classify it as....the street-legal MGS-02 will do just fine against the high-strung "supersports" where the road matters most. I'm sure the video below is enough to motivate Guzzi engineers, especially if they know that the BMW engineers are the ones that convinced the BMW management to bring this bike to market..... Building the HP2 didn't stop BMW from building their racebike. http://ridethetorquecurve.blogspot.com/200...ideo-sound.html c'mon Guzzi

Hello, Anyone know the V11 engine weight with and without the transmission? thanks

It's always nice to have a stranger stop and say hello to you just because they see you about to get on or park your Guzzi. This impromptu type of meeting is even better when you find out the person doesn't have any interest or any knowledge about motorcycles, yet they actually stopped what they were doing to take in the V11 Sport. ....and, as you ride away, your reminded that the looks aren't even half of the experience. Cheers to Guzzi & all of you for fine tastes [ I've had 3 people who are completely motorcycle-oblivious really take an interest in it.]

slow food vs. fast food in the States is how I read it. The food "made in a factory" could apply to fast food or corporate farming....both of which are pathetic as is the average size of the American waistline anyone know the brand of those nice megaphones?

very true, Paul...someday, hopefully. As much as I appreciate specials, I'd also like Guzzi to market a sporty bike themselves. This naked MGS-01 would shine above Ducati Monsters, Sport Classics, Buells, etc., while at the same time adding more allure to the Guzzi brand. They, too, have all the parts now that the 4-valve head appears to be on the street horizon. [plus, I'd like to keep my V11 as is for now. My wife has other non-bike related projects lined up anyway.] http://customtorque.blogspot.com/

I've posted my photo "chop" picture of an MGS-01 chassis with V11 Sport bodywork awhile ago, but here it is again now that the 4-valve motor is coming...(wishful thinking) Would anyone else like to see a naked roadster version? The V11 tank and tail section are timeless, inspired shapes....as is the MGS-01 chassis. The exhaust silencers were photo-chopped off of a 1930's era "Stock"....one on either side of the rear wheel. Inverted Crocker-type tail lamp Brough Superior-type head lamp Vincent-type speedo and tach

DeBen, to be honest I was under-impressed. The styling would get old real quick for me.

DeBen, if you can't wait, there's a Victory/KTM dealer in north Seattle that is getting the SuperDuke (not sure how, but I looked at one with an akropovic exhaust--sounded ok. They've had both the all black & orange). LYNNWOOD MOTOPLEX 17900 Highway 99 LYNNWOOD , WA 98037 Phone: 425-774-0505

here's my .02 worth in reply to various good comments... I like Buells a lot, in part due to how different they are (as opposed to the Triumph TT 600 which seemed to be a stale 1991 600 CBR, but the TT being released years later)*. The push-rod, air-cooled torquey motor in a modern package has a cool mix, especially since it provides good performance. Based on Buell's torture testing I would give a different Buell (from a different dealer) another chance. I was surprised to find the Firebolt I test rode was very difficult to flop back and forth while riding off of a freeway exit ramp (especially compared to the heavier V11)....Buells might be a bit too short & too stiff. (or there could be many other factors too such as gyroscopic affect of a heavy flywheel, the Guzzi crank spinning around the same direction of lean axis probably, etc.) I do agree the Buell dash is cheap looking crap. I'm surprised to see Buell develop model #3 as the Ulysses. Is there really enough market for that type of bike? Why not do a co-branded project & build an H-D/Buell TRUE sport tourer with the Revolution engine? The Formula Xtreme XBRR is actually 1340 cc. The AMA rules seems to be catering to the Buell, allowing things like its rearward bodywork. Maybe Japan will produce 675 triples in the next 2 years. Then, the Formula Xtreme class would be more entertaining with Japan, England, & the US racing again. Many of you might enjoy another motorcycle forum/blog: www.thekneeslider.com There's a lot of opinion about the Buell XBRR on that site. * good going Triumph with the 675. The triple is appealing, again in large part, due to its different.

Vintage Gear, nice road sign ! I live in WA & saw that you are in OR. Is that picture from OR ? I've been reading about roads in OR & planning a trip someday (53, Forest Road 19, hwy 30). Any advice would be appreciated. thanks

to those from Norway & Denmark....you also have some cool rockabilly bands. I like metal too, but rockabilly in the summer goes well. I think "Wild Wax Combo" & "The Go-Getters" are from Denmark & Norway, respectively. They have played Seattle's annual "Shake the Shack Rockabilly Ball". The ball is a cool 3 day gig in September consisting of a car show, rockabilly bands of all styles (be-pop, country, punk, rock, etc.), and great dancing. Nothing like a hottie with tattoos in authentic 50's attire swinging her thing to some good music. They had to move the car show (which was right out front of the venue) because the city won't issue a permit due to too many gearhead burnouts

I'm not sure if he is using the engines built with parts machined out of billet or not. I also don't know enough about the billet parts process to say if it helps with tolerances and long-term reliability. My guess is that an engine made with parts machined out of billet would be stronger. The physical dimensions of these aftermarket engines are identical to the stock H-D motors.* Yet, they are pumped out to 107 cubic inches, 125 (2000+ cc), etc. *some of the insane engines built out to 145 c.i. are taller than stock, but most of the aftermarket engines are stock height and width. Would this engine building process apply to the Guzzi engine? I would be more than happy with a 1500cc Guzzi motor. .

yep, I enjoy the banter too. A friend of mine is building some cool sportbikes with the aftermarket big twin Evo engines. (100+ ft/lbs. of torque in a sportbike chassis - ) When Guzzi comes up in conversation, I'll make a comment about how Guzzi's engine is not "sideways", all the other engines are mounted sideways. His website is in the beginning stages, but check it out.... http://bigtwinracers.com/photos.php The bottom right photo gets enlarged so you can see more detail. Not that this guy has the "attitude" problem - he is a true enthusiast & has experienced first-hand the attitude when some H-D riders saw one of his customs . .

Yeah, I know there are Guzzi riders who wear vests and I'm not opposed to them. I was speaking in general terms which is not advisable....(sorry for any offense). However, my post was prompted by the prevelant attitude. You try not to let it speak for the whole crowd, but I bet it would wear on the most tolerant of people. There are some heavy concentrations of the "H-D-only" mentality. I do like their products, particularly the Road King and Deluxe, and the Firebolt on the Buell side. It is also very refreshing to talk with H-D riders who "get it". thanks for the reminder

I'd probably like H-D a lot more if it wasn't for the 'hardass' dressing up in his orange t-shirt and black leather vest like the other 1,000,000 "individuals". Generally speaking, many H-D riders don't know any other brand of motorcycle exists. .

grumpy, "you lost that lovin' feelin' " for music at least The Daily Grind is one reason to listen to good music, ... ride good motorcycles (and listen to Guzzi's 'music'), drink good bourbon (Woodford Rserve) & good wine (Australian Syrahs in the Coonawara region), eat good food see good sites/art, etc. music is just another diversion It is not the same, but you definitely appreciate the new, good music more since there is a lot of bad stuff out there today. Also, once you listen to some of the old stuff (after a long haitus), you recognize the timeless music - Cash, Ziggy Stardust, The Doors. Anyone into punk-ish Rockabilly ? "18 Wheeler" is out of Colorado. They aren't as hard edged as Social Distortion but they rock anyway. .

I'm a big fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC). If you like them (I describe their first 2 records as a modern version of the 60's NYC rock/punk sound, seemingly taking influences from Iggy Pop, The Stooges, Ramones, etc.). They have a song on the film "Faster" - excellent MotoGP film Their recent 3rd album is very good, but different from the others. A friend just turned me onto "The Black Angels" - similar sound as BRMC. I've only heard their music on the website and I dig it. The single, "Black Grease" is excellent as well as "Manipulation". Check out: http://www.theblackangels.com/ click on their logo to enter their site or just stay there to listen to the whole song. Another recommendation would be a Seatttle band, "Kinski" -- but be aware, they are virtually all instrumental....long intros leading up to hard driving chords with some feedback sound on some songs. Not for everyone, but in the right mood can be very good. Morphine is always a good switch p.s. where did you get that cool black & white picture? nice

It looks like it is lengthening the bike.

More power ? Are there any aftermarket engine companies building Guzzi engines ? There must be 30 or more companies (in the US alone) building clones of the H-D Evo motor out of billet aluminum. These motors are built up to a 1750cc, 1850cc, and higher. The claimed output is 120 hp and 125 ft/lbs. of torque at the rear wheel. A Guzzi motor built in the same fashion seems like it would have more and better power than the Evo platform. (even if the Evo had higher capacity).