ScuRoo

Refreshingly positive German mag Test report - just run it thru Google Translate (I’ll might add translation later as bit busy right at this moment to do). I’m looking forward to the inevitable mid size back-to-back KTM, BMW, Tenere etc., comparison reports. Guzzi should be acknowledged for the great effort as the ONLY air-cooled platform, not forgetting shaftie! https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.1000ps.at/testbericht-3005365-moto-guzzi-v85-tt-2019-test%3famp=1

No idea what he’s on about - it sounds all Dutch to me!

"The boyfriends of death", filmed in 1957 by Romolo Marcellini and then distributed worldwide, was defined at the time "the first great film about motorcycling". A unique film of its kind, recovered and restored by Rodaggio Film after 60 years from its release thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that involved thousands of fans and hundreds of donors from 22 countries, as well as exceptional testimonials such as Giacomo Agostini, Paul d'Orleans, Roberto Totti and many others. A story of love, rivalries and passions set in the popular world of motorcycle racing in the '50s, shot during the major competitions of the time, such as the Moto GP at Monza and the latest edition of the legendary Milan-Taranto. With also rare scenes shot inside the plants and the Guzzi wind tunnel. And with spectacular images from the death wall and the crazy sidecar races played on the Vallelunga speedway. A unique document for the history of motorcycling for participation, alongside popular actors such as Rik Battaglia and Sylva Koscina, the most important champions of the time, all riding wonderful Moto Guzzi, Gilera, Mondial, Norton dressed up as elegant and dangerous Bell hulls: Geoffrey Duke, Libero Liberati, Bill Lomas, Enrico Lorenzetti, Reg Armstrong, Stanley Woods, Ken Cavanagh, Dickie Dale, Thomas Campbell, Pierre Monneret, Albino Milani, Walter Zeller, Bruno Francisci. "The boyfriends of death" faithfully testifies the golden age of international motorcycling and an unparalleled season of Italian excellence, innovations and challenges in the exciting world of cycling. 22 and the precious help of authoritative testimonials such as James Agostini, Paul of Orleans, Melissa Holbrook, Pierson, A movie like no other in its genre and many others. "The boyfriends of death" bears unique witness to the international motorcycling and to the exceptional season of Italian excellence. At the same time of the legendary Milan-Taranto race. Guzzi factories and wind tunnel at work. The film features, alongside popular actors Rik Battaglia and Sylva Koscina, many of the most important champions of those years, all of them riding amazing Moto Guzzi, Gilera, Mondial, Norton bikes with their charming and dangerous dustbin fairings: Geoffrey Duke, Libero Liberati, Bill Lomas, Enrico Lorenzetti, Reg Armstrong, Stanley Woods, Ken Cavanagh, Dickie Dale, Thomas Campbell, Pierre Monneret, Albino Milani, Walter Zeller, Bruno Francisci. https://thevintagent.com/2017/09/05/the-vintagent-trailers-i-fidanzati-della-morte-engaged-to-death/

Guareschi Corse presents the Varano kit for Moto Guzzi A series of components designed to transform a Moto Guzzi 'big-block' mechanical base of the penultimate generation (Griso / Breva / Norge) into a sport suitable for the track A series of components designed to transform a Moto Guzzi 'big-block' mechanical base of the penultimate generation (Griso / Breva / Norge) into a sport suitable for the track On the occasion of the Motor Bike Expo in Verona we met the Guareschi brothers: Gianfranco (for his friends: the Guaro) is very well known among Moto Guzzi fans, he obtained the last official victories of the Mandello del Lario house, in the two-cylinder races Daytona Bike Week in the biennium 2006-07, on the saddle of the MGS-01, the last Lario twin-cylinder designed for the slopes. His older brother Vittoriano Guareschi (for all: Vitto) is known for his role as a test driver, and later as Sports Director of the Ducati team in MotoGP. The Guareschi brothers inherited the family business, a historic dealership and Moto Guzzi service center, founded in Parma in 1974 by his father Claudio, who died in 2013. At their stand at the Motor Bike Expo we were able to touch their latest creation, the GC Corse Varano: a kit designed to transform a Guzzi 'big-block' mechanical base of the penultimate generation (Griso / Breva / Norge) into a sport suitable for the track. Gianfranco and Vittoriano tell us that, since the Guzzi range has long lacked a pure sports car, many guzzisti ask to be able to transform their road bikes into track bikes. They thought of a modified chassis to improve drivability in order to allow all the fans to be able to race in the races reserved for the twin-cylinder. They have poured the baggage of experience gained from the races with the Guzzi MGS-01: not only the victories in Daytona, but also in the Italian BOTT championships. In this Victorian bike he transferred the knowledge accumulated in the early 2000s, when Ducati Corse participated in the development of the Desmosedici project, under the supervision of Filippo Preziosi. In fact, many of the concepts of these two bikes can be found in the Guareschi Corse Varano. Starting from the trellis frame that wraps around the upper part of the 90 ° V twin-cylinder engine. It is the engine that performs a supporting function, as the final transmission is pivoted, which adopts the CARC system (Cardano Reattivo Compatto) that has equipped all the most recent road and sports 'big series' and in the Varano it is called express its potential in a decidedly more driven use. The iron tube trellis is the result of numerous test sessions on the Guareschi 'home track', the Varano de 'Melegari circuit. For those who in the world Guzzi is not really first hair, this compact trellis reveals a familiar air: very reminiscent of the upper section of the historic "Tonti chassis", developed at the beginning of the '70s by Lino Tonti for the V7 Sport , and used on successive generations of motorcycles of the Casa di Mandello, whose stability skills were proverbial. Vitto Guareschi explains to us that the chassis equipped with the CARC transmission is rather stiff, so the chassis must have an adequate degree of flexion. For this reason they have discarded the CrMo steel tubes, lighter but too rigid. The mechanics is the tested one of the big Guzzi. Most associate the Mandello motorcycles with their imposing rod and rocker cylinders to the paciosa cruisers of the California series. Yet, without needing to go back too far in time, there were examples of two-cylinder Guzzi that have trod the tracks: not only the MGS of Guaro in Daytona, but the V11 that took part in the English road races, including the TT, and the uphill races like the Ballabio-Resinelli. Over the years the Guareschi brothers have developed considerable experience in the development of Guzzi engines, based on special parts and refinement of existing solutions. With an adequate processing of the thermals they have managed to get up to 160 hp, with a very strong torque that makes one of its strong points. Without ever neglecting reliability, they point out: as Father Claudio has always recommended. The line of this motorbike represents a modern reinterpretation of the stylistic features of the MGS-01: an aerodynamic body and very enveloping, with a front that privileges the degree of protection. The mechanics are left completely visible, as was the last super-sports produced in Mandello. The seat is a single seat, the tail is truncated and slender, as suggested by the latest dictates of motorcycle design in terms of sports. The Guareschi brothers intend to leave complete freedom for the client to define the characteristics of the final result according to his specific needs. The kit can be mounted on a mechanical base with 2 or 4 valves per cylinder, supplied by Guareschi or already held by the customer. There is a wide choice of materials and components, you can proceed to various degrees of mechanical processing and equip the bike with lights, arrows and mirrors, for road use (especially for those markets, such as Germany, where it is relatively easy the approval of special in single sample). In their understanding it is a niche motorcycle, aimed at Guzzi admirers with sports ambitions. So a sport declared, but all-round: with a degree of versatility sufficient to get on track as well as being at ease in the hike on the Apennine pass. Thanks to a very vigorous delivery, to a stable and manageable chassis and to a limited overall weight (from 176 kg in running order - depending on the equipment and materials used). The kit including chassis, tank, bodywork and components can be purchased in a mounting box, at an estimated price starting from 7,930 euros; or complete motorcycles will be offered for sale. The 2V road (which you see below) displayed on their stand was for sale at 17,500 euros turnkey. https://www.motociclismo.it/moto-guzzi-guareschi-corse-presenta-kit-varano-72038

Looking mighty fine... innit Jaap!

If Piaggio doesn’t surpass this home-brewed guzzisti effort - they may as well save their R&D money and just throw their weight behind this in passing Euro5 red tape and she’d be a worthy V11 successor! I say, who’d struggle terribly hard with that notion?

Also comes with lights - and as it is built off any CARC bike, keep the licence plates paid up and keep on riding! Day-aymn! I’d guess those good ‘ol Ducati boys lips would all start a’quivering!

The bar height has been set high with this. Is this a design exercise development precursor for a 2021 liquid cooled future? Vittoriano developed Ducati’s Desmosedici - so why not...?

With regards to researching (relatively) large port losses - (p24) Ram Tuning port velocities produce maximum power @ 700 feet per second! Whoever said, “You’ll get alot further shaping for velocity than cutting for flow!” might have been referring to our V11’s lazy ‘ol poop chutes!

Thanks guys! See, now that was worth it - I’m sure from the number of readers there’ll be many cogs spinning & awhirrin’ around with these thotfull gems. I cannot quite remember where I read this, I think maybe on a Thumper forum but I’ll try & paraphrase what some old hand opined his recommendation to “economically” do to ports - which I retained in my head because it was a ‘best bang for buck porting tip’ I’d heard put forward succinctly. It went something along lines of - if you find someone experienced with porting heads - but hasn’t previously worked on heads like yours before now, just ask him to do his favourite angled valve job, clean up & pocket port only - I seem to recall it was suggested to even excessively hog out on the pocket AND then lay down epoxy for raised flat floors & D shaping the SSR. It wasn’t the nth degree in porting advice but always produced improvement across all & sundry heads . ...care to add your thots?

Yeah but... I’m sure Mike’s too busy just to natter over our Guzzi’s notoriously poor ports! However, this is what this forum is for isn’t it - bung around a few opinions, share some knowledge, create a worthwhile talking point, challenge viewpoints etc., and in the process there’ll be gems that usually come to light oftentimes... Like for example, there used to be a guy with a Centauro called the beast who had his intake manifolds epoxied to speed flow - Bill Finnegan (hic) recommends filling the SSR port floor by 6 or 7 mm to narrow & D shape it - an old Maico champion (Strosek?) who D ported & hogged on his old LeMans to impressively gain more CFM - even Motoguzznix managed to take moulds of V11 ports but can’t remember if that showed if it was poor or not... then again there’s Wittner’s preference to rework the medium valve heads etc. Without some thots from any narly old Guzzi coots then the status quo won’t expand much! I’m thinking if the new V85 genuinely hits its 80hp spec then maybe our V11 donk could do with a couple of titanium intake valves etc & take some tips from its improved development R&D. Got any drunken thots??

“Guzzi ports are notoriously poor, but not easy to make enormously better” - isn’t this a bit oxymoronic? So what are the specific attributes that makes the stock Guzzi V11 port so poor? Is it: • Casting slag restrictions? • Too long or too short? • Too narrow or too voluminous? • SSR drop off too severe? • Bowl area too big or small? • MCSA too large? • Lazy port velocity or choked? Please enlighten & add some meat to the bones of “notoriously poor”?? If a port is “not easy to make enormously better” - isn’t this often said is a hallmark of good/great ports, ie., great ports are hard to improve on and so shouldn’t a poor port be easier to improve? These port problem areas would be great to know... head work is on my list! And what makes Chuck’s port’s so mighty?

...here’s my sliver! Obviously, Benoît has been initiated into the inner ⭕️ of knowledge circumnavigating the 200KB upload limit! Someone in the know care to ping me the secret handshake

Rosso Vulcano Giallo Sahara So, pick your poison...

Grigio Atacama Blu Atlante

Rosso Kalahari

An Austrian, an Italian, and a Japanese man walked into a bar...

https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/advertising-selling/advertising-and-selling-guide/avoid-misleading-or-deceptive-claims-or-conduct/misleading-or-deceptive-conduct https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/misleading-claims-advertising/false-or-misleading-claims Unless... it can be defended as mere “Puffery”.

Oops! (Hopefully this will work)

“There are two things the Italians lie about... horsepower and weight. Published numbers from the factory for either should be first laughed at and second ignored.” That’s kinda a fun statement to josh around with swooshdave, that probably had some truth to it... in yonder days. But do you really believe those days are still with us? Why would a corporation like Piaggio deliberately leave itself legally exposed for the sake of a handful of horsepower or kilogram misstating figures? It ain’t the 70’s anymore! There’s LAW’S about such behaviour now -

Here’s an interesting, relevant article detailing the challenges Guzzi is surpassing (which other manufacturers have capitulated to), in extracting every ounce of potential of it’s air-cooled engineering traditions and experience with the V85. “Yes, some beloved air-cooled models may come under emissions pressure, but if the engineers can’t make those engines pass, we’ll have to make do with water-cooling that hides under fake fins.” Kevin Cameron https://www.cycleworld.com/will-exhaust-emissions-limits-kill-motorcycling

Eventual Hp figures aside for the moment... Guzzi ought to be congratulated for achieving a tremendously light Adventure bike in comparison to what the market leader company of hardcore machinery has similarly produced. This plastic exo-skeletonised, blowfly-eyed spastic mongrel comes in at 189kg ...the TT meanwhile, at 208kg with shaft - is a mere 19kg difference! That’s a pretty good effort from Guzzi on Dry Weight alone. Fuel range, seat comfort distance, syncopation and the sheer aesthetics are all up to the beholder but nevertheless, completely intrinsic to what Adventure travel experience each will offer.

Well I guess there are some owners who don’t believe their V11’s make 91Hp either... and yet we still smile when we whack the WOT, so what’s the big deal in being so pifflingly pernickety and pontificating on and on about whether 80 means 80, or whether 80 actually means 76 or some other secret Illuminati boardroom hocus pocus number? Boohoo bah humbugs let’s all go get our green vests on and riot shall we? Besides, I understand that you can pick up an extra whole 4Hp wearing one of these...