Looking to buy a 2001 V11 SPORT - Any advice?

[Guest kidd]

Hi all. As the title says Im looking to buy a 2001 V11 SPORT NAKED with around 3000 miles on her. Apparantly the Recall work has been done, transmission update, relays replaced with Bosch units.

 

This being the case does everyone (anyone) think this would be a good purchase. Being that Im not mechanically incline. No rich. Do we think she would be reliable at this point?

 

Thanks very much.

[Guest ratchethack]

Kidd, I'll reply with another question. How non-mechanically inclined are you? If you're seeking Honda "appliance reliability" and you don't know enough about engines &/or things mechanical to maintain your own lawnmower, I'd advise against the Guzzi, and I'd do so with some urgency. In this case I believe you'd be much happier long-term with a Jap bike that you can pay someone else to own the responsibility for maintaining, and just ride it.

 

On the other hand, if you can (and perhaps more importantly, if you actually do) things like changing your own oil and filters in your cars, for example, if you know how to adjust valves and use a torque wrench, and can generally figure out how to trouble-shoot basic electro-mechanical gizmo's, you can learn to keep yourself out of trouble for the most part with this bike. But in any case it's gonna take a level of attention, effort and focus on your part that you may or may not be prepared for. If you're not yet prepared, are you motivated enough to grow into it? Among the many unique rewards of what I'm suggesting is a requisite deeper level of commitment of owning a Guzzi is the OPPORTUNITY to approach - dare I say even exceed - Honda reliability, especially long-term.

 

I'm not saying that you have to maintain your Guzzi yourself to be happy with it. But you should at least know enough to oversee it's maintenance with some intelligence and understanding, or things can get away from you. These things are pretty basic and relatively easy to work on. However, more than one on this Forum have given up in frustration and sold their Guzzi's recently over stuff that many others (including myself) would have taken in stride with little or no fuss. I suspect that in each of these cases, the owners were not only "not mechanically inclined", but that on top of this (and possibly because of it), I also suspect that their expectations were out of line and/or poorly advised from the start. There have been even fewer others who have faced serious problems that no owner should ever be expected to be satisfied with - but this can happen with any bike, even "moto-appliances". Hey - if you need 100% reliability, get a Timex.

 

One of the things that really sets Guzzi's apart is that at a far more deeply and personally satisfying level, a Guzzi rewards a greater depth of involvement with it's owner than your garden-variety 2-wheel conveyance. Only you can know if this would be a blessing or a curse.

 

Your prospective bike sounds like it may have been fairly well sorted. If so, at 3K miles it's probably through or nearly through the "infant mortality" danger zone. But keep in mind it's nowhere near broken in yet. My bike was still breaking in and smoothing out at 10K miles. By the time it had 20K it ran and felt entirely differently than it did at 10K - and BTW - what an improvement!

 

I wouldn't recommend a Guzzi for a beginner under any circumstances. You didn't indicate anything about your experience level. But for a moderately-capable, moderately experienced hands-on motorcyclist (particularly a DIY kind of a guy) with at least a "medium" level of riding experience, depending on how the particular used bike has been and will continue to be broken in (an important and relevant topic to be carefully considered) I'd say the bike in question may very well make some new owner very happy. I have to throw it back - Is that you?

 

The history of reliability I've had with my Guzzi is probably pretty typical. My 2000 Sport has been spot-on reliable for all of it's 24K miles. Other than more or less routine stuff like a wheel bearing getting a little rough, a tach failure, a speedo bevel drive letting go, a poor wiring connection, and a few things working loose (all of which I promptly attended to with no real drama), I've had no reliability problems whatsoever.

 

But then again, I'm certainly a lot more personally involved with my Guzzi than your typical moto-appliance rider, and to at least some extent I believe the reliability I've experienced reflects this. I've owned and/or restored and/or rebuilt a dozen previously owned bikes, I've always done as close to 100% of my own maintenance as was possible or practical, I have a well-equipped home shop, have sorted my Guzzi thoroughly from stem to stern, and I'm generally anal about pro-actively chasing preventive maintenance. I may be a better match to my Guzzi than some others because of the level of effort I'm willing put into it. Overall, I consider this much more of an advantage and a pleasure than a curse - but that's just me. I'll tell you this - I've not owned a bike that I've enjoyed anywhere nearly as much. Though other bikes have come and gone before, and will no doubt continue to come and go, I know I'll more'n likely happily own the Guzzi until I'm too old to ride.

 

Who you are and where you're going determines the quality of "fit" you can expect to achieve, my friend.

 

Best of luck with your decision! Philosophically speaking, I'd say that if you consider yourself more willing than the next guy to take on the responsibilities of getting yourself involved with the machine, the Guzzi may be just your cup o' tea!

[Guest Bruce]

Judging from personnal experience and other similar posts alot depends on how well the bike has been looked after. If its been nicely broken in, tuned, and sorted out then chances are good your chances are good. At 3k its probably not fully broken in yet and should mellow with age.

I'd want to know alot about who maintained it. If the bike has been under the care of either a dedicated and knowledgible owner or a good shop this would be a very positive sign. The fact that the relays were replaced tells us somebody upstream of you knew the bike.

Best of luck.

[orangeokie]

Rachet hack . . what a great response. MG ownership and enjoyment is possible, but at the cost of personal attention to the details. It sounds as if it's worth it.

[Anthro]

Hi kidd, I too read this site before purchasing a new MG, and of course, I was ready for a very involved ownership of my MG.

Worst of all I purchased a MG California Aluminum with the PI engine and single plate clutch, so I was ready for a rather time consuming ownership ... Now 4000 miles after, I have no troubles to report . The bike is just sweet

 

I do believe that all what Ratchethack (Great posting) said represents the real type ownership involvement you will embarce when you buy a MG, I know my time with my bike will come, but I am ready and I will not be looking back into a Jap bike.

 

 

Anthro ...

[robbiekb]

i have to disagree with at least one of ratchethacks statements. I have a 2001 V11 Sport with 7000 miles on it. I've owned it since new and never wrrenched on it myself once oh yeah and i'm not rich either

 

the bike has been ridiculously reliable once the initial teething problems were taken care of **knocking wood***

 

in fact i just caned it up to Laguna Seca and back, never even checked the oil level **oops**

 

in short my bike gives me everything that i ever had from my old XBR 500 but with way more character .

 

Dinnae be letting the naysayers of doom put you off on the wrenching front !

 

(living near a good dealer helps though )

[Guest jedione68]

Hi all. As the title says Im looking to buy a 2001  V11 SPORT NAKED with around 3000 miles on her. Apparantly the Recall work has been done, transmission update, relays replaced with Bosch units.

 

This being the case does everyone (anyone) think this would be a good purchase. Being that Im not mechanically incline. No rich. Do we think she would be reliable at this point?

 

Thanks very much.

56329[/snapback]

 

On the Fence,

 

I've had many bikes and many Guzzi's. Some I ripped apart and spun back

together, on others I had other people wrench on them. I love looking at

bikes, love wrench'n on bikes and most of all... ridding them.

 

I'd say it doesn't matter what your level or experence is.

The Guzzi V-Twins has been a great bike for 36 some odd years for all sorts

of folks, people and bikers. You'll be stepping into a wonderous family of character and tales to tail and oh yes, TORQUE. Come on in my brother,

the water is fine.

 

Besides, with all the forums on line and all the Guzzi Owners Clubs, some one will always be able to help ya out if and when you have a problem.

 

Rubber side down,

jedione68

[Guest Nogbad]

This being the case does everyone (anyone) think this would be a good purchase. Being that Im not mechanically incline. No rich. Do we think she would be reliable at this point?

 

Thanks very much.

56329[/snapback]

 

Ratchet makes a lot of good points. The main things I would say is that with a Guzzi, you either should be mechanically inclined to a reasonable degree, or rich enough to have a good shop fix anything that goes wrong.

 

In my youth I did all my own wrenching, on cars and bikes, and rebuilt both car and bike engines. I had lost the habit during Jap bike (and car) ownership, but the Guzzi has got me back into it, because the bike works so much better if you set it up carefully yourself.

 

It MAY never go wrong on you, and there is a fighting chance it could be no more trouble than any mainstream bike.

 

HOWEVER, it COULD give you grief, and the grief can get expensive if you can't do the basics yourself!

 

The Guzzi is a straightforward bike to work on. I don't have shop facilities and do stuff on the patio in the sun. OK, if the engine blows, I will have to buy a shed.

[Guest MikeC]

Kidd,

 

I second what ratchet wrote.

 

I would also add the following. If your not accustomed to Italian motorcycles keep the following in mind. They make allot of noise, noises that to the un-accustomed sound really bad.

 

For instance the valves and especially the clutch and gears when in neutral. I own a 2000 V11 and a 2002 California and there is a huge differeence in sounds between them two. I asked on this board and some dealers that are well known on this site if the sounds from the V11 are normal, and they all told me yes.

 

Would I recommand the bike, absolutly yes to the right persons as ratchet stated.

I like to tinker and maintain almost as much as I like to ride. Guzzi's are the easiest bikes I have owned to maintain and the V11 I find even more so with respects to ease of getting at things.

 

I have owned other bikes both American made and Japanese. There is nothing like an italian bike and nothing like a Guzzi. They are in a world of their own.

 

Mike

[rossoct]

OH MAN!!!!! IS THERE A BIKE FOR YOU! ON WILDGUZZI.COM GO TO CLASSIFIEDS,BROWSE, ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN, A 2001 ROSSO MANDELLO IS FOR SALE. THEY ARE SO SHARP, VERY, VERY UNIQUE. ITS A NUMBERED EDITION (#45) WITH 750 MILES ,TRANNY RECALL DONE.MAYBE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO! I GET SO MANY COMPLIMENTS ON MINE ITS A HEAD TURNER! GOOD LUCK!!!!

[Guest ratchethack]

Kidd, you still out there?

 

Ack! S'pose I scared the lad away that easily?!

 

Could it be he actually wound up passing the Guzzi up for a Honda...?

 

Ah, but to each his own...

[Woodburn]

I can only speak from my personal experience. I purchased a new 2001 V11 Sport two years ago. One of the bargain leftovers available here in California at the time. I've since put 16,000 miles on it and it has been as reliable and troublefree as my Suzuki. I had the tranny recall work done on it, but I never experienced any odd behavior from it before or after the work. The first couple services were done at dealer, and now I do it all myself. I can't imagine a bike that could be easier to work on.

 

I think many people are like me and don't want to post about how perfect things are with their bikes thinking they might jinx it. I'm knocking on wood right now...

[Guest ratchethack]

I salute you Sir, for stepping up to the Guzzi "involvement" challenge and I concur with your observations. In all of motorcycledom, I ask how is it possible to equal the value of a deal like the one you evidently struck?!

 

I would hasten to add that the best "back-up" for the "wood knocking" service strategy on Guzzi's is experience. But lacking experience, a simple willingness to dive in and gain some makes for a damn good, and for the most part entirely satisfactory alternative.

 

Hey Kidd, you still around?!

[jrt]

I think you scared him off

 

Nice words, Ratchet. I think you put it very nicely how Guzzi ownership is an involving rather than possessive condition. One of the characteristics or descriptions that always comes up with these bikes is simplicity. I suppose that can be a strength and a weakness, but it certainly drives the involvement for a lot of us. The simplicity of solid rockers drives the involvement of manually setting the valve lash. That kind of thing.