RHIP
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Posts posted by RHIP
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Looking at the pics when you go it - were the forks lowered to mount the bars above the top triple clamp? Have you put them back below, in the stock position? What was it like to ride if my first hunch is correct? I know the Lemans are mounted above, but I thought that the forks were longer, and that this was verbotten on the Sports.
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...to say nothing of those rearsets!
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Oh, my. I've gotten the last two SG calendars that were offered, liked the first one, the second the quality of the photos and paper was a bit off. This effort....aside from a complaint about a predominance of cruisers, the most polite thing I can say is that sometimes we don't want "real" on our calendars. It's Bike EXP for my 2012 - they usually have at least one nice Tonti-framed cafe' bike, without any appendages.
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Welcome back to the fold! I, too thought a Ducati was what I needed, had a very nice Monster, but sold it for my Guzzi. No regrets: the Guzzi has so much more soul.
Have a Budvar for me - the best beer in the world!
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Another superb video. I couldn't get to the rally this year, but I've been to so many BMW and MG rallies at Money Creek, that I know that back road into the campground like my own driveway. Yeah, this is one to savor this January....
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Enzo;
You lavished a lot of care on this bike, and I'm not going to rip into it....but:
-I'm no engineer, but I'm not sure raising the rear subframe has much to do with handling, unless getting you butt in the air makes a difference. I think this needs to be done on the rear suspension, with a preload adjustment.
-I'm going to pass on the aesthetics of that exhaust can, because that would be like kicking a kid in a wheelchair. But the Rhino front fender? It reminds me of an adolescent with the bill of his baseball cap flipped up. What's the point? To keep the front end planted at 150+ MPH? To catch rainwater for a sip on a warm day?
To each his own. Enjoy your ride, my friend.
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I was at the factory an hour ago. As I left the museum, so did about 75 workers. The woman in the shop said they are still working, some reduced hours. They do have a huge sign in front from Piaggio, which I couldn't read, which looked like it was the design for a new plant.
The tour was great - they had a Rosso Mandello as part of the display, so now my friends can say both my bike and it's owner belong in a museum. I ran out of time, but would have loved to go to Agostini's -a block away from the factory, looked like Guzzi heaven.
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I need to get my pegs lowered, and have been thinking of the Motobits. I'm not planning on raising the bars (yet) - I think I can live with them.
I know the pegs need to be lower, but I'm not so sure about moving them forward - esp if I don't raise my bars. Looking at the seat-to-peg layout of this bike, it seems to me that it might be even more comfortable if the pegs were lowered and moved back, instead of forward. Has anyone tried this? Are there any kits that would make this adjustment?
Morning RHIP,
I don't know where you are but if you do decide to change to cafe sport style handlebars I have a complete set of parts that I am thinking of selling.
Andy
G'day, Andy!
Most of the time, I don't know where I am, either, but they tell me it's in the cold, rainy state of Minnesota. I'm not planning on changing the bars anytime soon, but if i do, I'll see if you still have the kit. If you find a buyer, go to it - thanks!
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I need to get my pegs lowered, and have been thinking of the Motobits. I'm not planning on raising the bars (yet) - I think I can live with them.
I know the pegs need to be lower, but I'm not so sure about moving them forward - esp if I don't raise my bars. Looking at the seat-to-peg layout of this bike, it seems to me that it might be even more comfortable if the pegs were lowered and moved back, instead of forward. Has anyone tried this? Are there any kits that would make this adjustment?
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Andy;
I'm not aware of a source for the logo. Are you looking at needing to repaint this part of the bodywork? I've got a Rosso, and all I can think of is for you to get a good image of what it looks like and for you to then have a decal made, or get it painted to go back to the stock appearance. There are plenty of images of the Rosso available online, but if these don't do it for you, I could try to photograph mine and get it to you. Good luck - this is a fantastic motorcycle!
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My daughter is getting married in Varenna on June 16th (you are all invited,of course). I was in Varenna 10 years ago, took a cab to the factory, and they were closed. This time, I'm getting in! Felix, let us know how things went for you.
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I haven't seen these bags for a V11 before - they are NOT the original soft bags, but look similar in design. I'd want to make damn sure they are for the Sport (with the angular design, looks like they are designed to fit above the exhaust) - and NOT the V11 cruiser, and also that hey have the right mounts. Just searching under "V11" can produce results for either bike. These aren't cheap - I'd see what else is available. I've got the factory soft bags and also a Ventura setup, and both work fine, but not like a pair of factory hardbags would. If you are going on long weekends, just about anything will work - but if you are looking at frequent overnight travels, or more than a week on the road, I'd suggest the Hepco hard bags. Not the greatest looking, but they work very well.
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Hey, this was supposed to be a "positive " thread! As long as they put out anything with the full-size, air-cooled v-twin, it will be a bike with character and a wonderful sound. Guzzis handle well, they are easier than most to service, and are usually reliable.
That being said (so much for positive) how would YOU like to be a Guzzi dealer? Back in the day, the original Tonti's handled better than BMWs and Harleys, and were usually faster to boot. A decent Guzzi dealer could amass a large enough group of customers to keep the doors open - you saw them on the road, and realized that the bikes were a viable alternative to an R80 or anything of it's ilk.
Now what? The Stelvio undercuts the GS by a grand or two, but you lose thousands in the first year of depreciation. Nothing else in the range is really an option - the Norge was five years too late, and although much cheaper, is in a no-win catchup race with the RT. There are no sport bikes. The Griso is a nice power cruiser, but what is going to get a buyer onto it rather than a Monster or a V-rod?
Ducati has invested millions into keeping a twin competitive. If Guzzi doesn't do the same, it can only survive as a manufacturer by going the Enfield/Ural/Harley route of offering a new version of vintage iron. I'm not sure Guzzi sales would be markedly different if all they offered was the current California Classic, in different trim levels, really refining the bike and getting some marketing done. If I was trying to make a living selling them, I would rather push a known and recognized model than have one Stelvio or Griso on the floor, and try to explain why a customer should buy them instead of their competition. And then be staring at those two gathering dust for years, as most dealers end up doing. Maybe I'm lucky to have a good local dealer (Judson Cycle), but what amazes me is that there are any Guzzi dealers at all.
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The new California has a lot more styling cues to the Ambassador than to the Tonti-framed Cali's. I remember when the original V7 was introduced ( I was 14 - but I'm not yet swimming with the Caelocanths, Pete) - it looked big, bulky and odd, and is now a classic. This one doesn't do much for me, but the posts on the Daevel are right - it looks better, esp in black, in the flesh than in any photo, and maybe this one will, too. I've never owned a cruiser, but as someone who lives on the begining of the Great Plains, where corners are few and cherished, I understand their appeal.
I really have to wonder if the new engine isn't just taken from the BigBore people - yeah, they put some fins around the cylinders, but is the 1400cc displacement just a coincidence?
As for the Scrambler, it looks fine to me, as do almost all of the variations on the 750. They are the best looking bikes Guzzi makes - just too damn slow. Hell, Triumph's version of their new 'Scrambler" was a shameless and less-than-pretty copy of their 650/500's from the 60's, and most of the motopress loved it.
Since the V11, I haven't seen much of anything from MG that interests me. My bike is just as fast and handles as well or better than the Norge or V12 Sport. Like Peter, I'm thinking Aprilia, but one of the remaining V-Twin Tuonos instead of an RSV4. Most of the new bikes are just so much better in every way that it's hard to ignore them. Yet, my Rosso has so much more soul....it's why I've kept it - so far.
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Wow! She is a natural rider - very smooth taking that Ambassador through the dirt and over that curb - but she does almost hit the parked grey car - as she pulls in front of a Triumph TR4. I just remember the photos of her on her custom, electric-start Triumph 500 when she was shooting films with Elvis. What a babe.
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I don't want to defend a greedy shop, but it would be good to know exactly what they did for you. What was the labor on the tire? Did they charge for checking the electrical issue, and was that reasonable? I may be lucky to have a local dealer owned and staffed by friends, but I can't total all of the free time they have spent looking at or working on my bikes. If you asked them to "look it over", what did they do, and how much time did it take?
Most dealerships are savvy enough to know that they don't want to alienate customers by charging them unfairly - no one is getting rich selling Moto Guzzis, and for a lot of them what pays the bills is the maintenance and repair work they get from repeat customers. You may very well have been the victim of somebody who gouged you because its winter and work is slow, because even a numbnuts like me can drop the pan and change the oil and filter in 1.25 hours. I'd have an honest talk with the owner of the shop, and if that doesn't satisfy you, be looking for another option.
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Brad - great videos! I was amazed - Money Creek, and it was raining??!!
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i missed the start of this thread, why did you sell your guzzi? i'm new to guzzi's after lusting after one for 30 or so years.
i'm thinking of selling my '83 BMW R100RS that i've had 20 or so years. i know i'll regret it.....it is uninspiring to ride compared to my new to me '02 lemans. BUT....if i actually had to go somewhere, i'd take the beemer, these /7s are bulletproof. and comfortable for long rides, with about 50mpg. having said this, i have a sea kayak i use couple times a month, 3 road bicycles i ride about 3000 mi a year, an old VW i need to rebuild the engine in(again), full time job, a high maintainance 115 yr old house,a guy just has so much time, no?
do you guys in minneapolis get to ride much in the winter? here in sw washington state it rains pretty much from now thru june, but not much snow & ice, although i took a pretty bad header on the bicycle on ice last winter.
my lemans looks a lot like fotoguzzi's, & i love it.....
good luck on your M/C hunt.
stef
ps, didn't pirsig & the sutherland's start their ride i "zen and the art of motorcycle maintainance" in minneapolis? loved the book.
Don't sell the RS. I've got a '77 that I've had for 25 years, and until I had to U-haul it back from Wisconsin, I thought it was bulletproof too. Still if you sell it you'll regret it. Wait until you get 3 bikes - there's always one that works, but always two that need maintenance. Yeah, Pirsig was from Minnesota. I met his dad and had his brother in court. I often can ride 12 months out of the year, but in December and January, you have to be lucky.
Good luck with the Ducati. It's a lot of bike for what you paid, but your best plan (which I know you are not going to follow) is leave it alone and just ride it. I had a Monster before the Rosso, and it was a nice, pretty bike, but for all the hype it had half the soul of my Guzzi. The Ducati forums are pathetic; the Monster forum spent 90% of their space bragging or arguing about a frickin' aftermarket clutch cover - worse posers than a lot of Harley guys.
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Fantastic - very well done! I'm 100 miles south of you, but know all those commuting routes very well. Your cinematography and editing make them look a lot better than they are. Send this to Andy Goldfine at Areostich - he's got a site for vids, and would love this one. (Where's the cabin at ? Looks like heaven.)
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Hey - that's Richard Cooter's V11, and I was at First Thursday the night that was taken! He had a pro spend a lot of time on a Power Commander and the dyno to get that system to work right - If you go Quat-D, don't assume you can just bolt in on and go.
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That does it! I'm going to sleeve down the jugs on my V11, slap in a couple of Stornello pistons, and go for that record!
96 MPH on a 250 BSA is very impressive. I'm surprised somebody with an old Harley Sprint can't get in that speed range - they used to road race those..but then the Aermachi probably wouldn't hold together long enough for a valid time.
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Ben;
Leo's South has a NEW '08 Tuono in red and white for $8,500. There was a used one (same colors) on Craigslist in Edina for $7K (I want the blue and white one). With the economy the way it is, it's a buyer's market - demand a test ride of those and the Super Duke, or anything else that strikes your fancy. I wouldn't be surprised if you liked the Tuono better than the RSV - same bike, easier ergos. If you haven't gotten a replacement yet, this Minnesota October weather has got to be driving you nuts...but give it a week or two.
Where was the accident at? I want to beware of that intersection!
Centre stand
in 24/7 V11
Posted
I added a Teo Lamers c/s to my 2001 RM. I spent two afternoons trying to get it on, gave up and handed the project over to my dealer. A mechanic spent a lot of time on it, and finally got it to fit. It is somehow not designed right, in that there is NO WAY any normal human can get it up without help - the angle of the feet are wrong, and you would need to be superhuman to get it up without help. My dealer showed me the only way - you put a board behind the rear tire, then roll it onto the board as you lift - then it goes up fairly easily.
It absolutely is a plus for working on the bike, esp making checking the oil level much easier and more precise than the game of balancing the bike vertically against my thigh while I try to screw the oil plug in and out to get an accurate reading.
I am a firm believer in centerstands, and am dumbfounded that most chain-driven bikes are sold without them. My stand doesn't affect ground clearance for cornering, and I'm not removing it - but would I do it again? I doubt it.