Do you ever let a friend ride your V11?

[Bbennett]

Last night at Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I took a friend out to the garage to admire the V11. He asked to sit on it (no problem) and then said he "used to ride a bike when he was 15" and would love to take it for a spin in a parking lot sometime. I made no reply. He persisted and said "aw, I would only ride at a 5 mph". That caused me to clarify the situation and say "not with this bike - you can try that one over there (a '75 CB400). He ribbed me about 'finding the true limits of our friendship' for 1/2 an hour after that!

 

So I ask, when would you let a buddy ride your bike? Even I would let my V11 owning buddy trade bikes for a few miles.

[Guzzirider]

Of course- if they are good friends. I know my mates are insured and I trust them and am more than happy to lend them my Rosso Corsa or Helen's V11.

 

A stranger? No way!

 

Funnily enough a couple of friends say they are afraid to borrow my Harley in case they actually enjoy it!!!

 

Guy

[luhbo]

Last night at Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I took a friend out to the garage to admire the V11.  He asked to sit on it (no problem) and then said he "used to ride a bike when he was 15" and would love to take it for a spin in a parking lot sometime.  I made no reply.  He persisted and said "aw, I would only ride at a 5 mph".  That caused me to clarify the situation and say "not with this bike - you can try that one over there (a '75 CB400).  He ribbed me about 'finding the true limits of our friendship' for 1/2 an hour after that!

 

So I ask, when would you let a buddy ride your bike?  Even I would let my V11 owning buddy trade bikes for a few miles.

68656[/snapback]

 

We have a saying: You never lend neither wife nor bike! Or the other way round: if I had a friend with whom I would exchange wifes, who knows then...

 

Hubert

[Ralph Werner]

Any of my long time riding friends are more than welcome to ride the Corso. All others need not apply!

[DeBenGuzzi]

I won't let anyone ride my V11 since I got her sorted. I say are you at least 25, been riding for at least a year, fully insured, enough money in the bank for a down payment on a new one? And they have to be a close personal friend or family and I tell them if you crash it... I get your bike. both the ppl I said that two have big harleys so I could have sold it and bought two guzzi's

[Guest ratchethack]

Last night at Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I took a friend out to the garage to admire the V11.  He asked to sit on it (no problem) and then said he "used to ride a bike when he was 15" and would love to take it for a spin in a parking lot sometime.  I made no reply.  He persisted and said "aw, I would only ride at a 5 mph".  That caused me to clarify the situation and say "not with this bike - you can try that one over there (a '75 CB400).   He ribbed me about 'finding the true limits of our friendship' for 1/2 an hour after that!

 

So I ask, when would you let a buddy ride your bike?  Even I would let my V11 owning buddy trade bikes for a few miles.

68656[/snapback]

Your "friend" defined the true limits of your friendship himself when he put you on the spot by persisting with his unjustified request. He provided a brazen hint of the unqualified nature of his request by implying that he hadn't ridden since he was 15 (I presume he's many years past this now). Finally, when he said he'd only ride it at 5 mph he demonstrated enough ignorance about the great difficulty of riding a strange, heavy bike at low speeds to prove the true audacity and impropriety of the imposition.

[Guest jedione68]

Last night at Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I took a friend out to the garage to admire the V11.  He asked to sit on it (no problem) and then said he "used to ride a bike when he was 15" and would love to take it for a spin in a parking lot sometime.  I made no reply.  He persisted and said "aw, I would only ride at a 5 mph".  That caused me to clarify the situation and say "not with this bike - you can try that one over there (a '75 CB400).  He ribbed me about 'finding the true limits of our friendship' for 1/2 an hour after that!

 

So I ask, when would you let a buddy ride your bike?  Even I would let my V11 owning buddy trade bikes for a few miles.

68656[/snapback]

Bbennett,

 

Thats a tough one!!!

 

In general, I'd say no way, no time.

Kind of like what someone said about wives and bikes.

 

If someone, best friend or not, and asked to ride my bike,

I'd say nope, she doesn't work or point to my 125 Dirtbike.

 

Now, that fine line. If I'm out riding with some buddies, and at

one of the rest spots wants to switch, sure. I saw how he rides,

he made it this far, and I'm on his babe. Now if there ridding a

CB175 with Ducktape all over it... Nope, nope and nope.

 

In your situation I would have said no way and point to the

Cycle-Trader, "There's some nice bikes in there!"

 

Bikes are like Horses, and cowboys don't give out horses

just for fun.

 

Peace.

David

[Dr Gil]

You have hit on a problem I've had since I recently came into "Guzzi-ness." One of the reasons I ended up knowing that there really is no motorcycle but Moto Guzzi was a fellow Sport Touring.Net? member letting me ride his V11 Sport. I, of course would love to pass on this feeling of what it is to ride a Guzzi. I think it is VERY important for someone interested in the bike for whatever reasons to actually ride one...as we all know, they are "different."

 

Which brings me to my personal dilemma...I am SO uncomfortable letting anyone ride my bike. Guzzi's ARE different and letting a person unfamiliar with their idiosyncrasies ride MY BABY is VERY, VERY hard.

 

I am in total sympathy with your problem and my own advice and what I pass on to you is to take it on a person by person basis and hope for the best.

[Ouiji Veck]

There's quite a handful of my friends that can take my precious LeMans to California

for the asking. Be proud & tickled they asked. As Long as they left me their Beemer or

Duc to ride while they're gone. Any of my cruiser HD types I'd veto. Too diffrent a bike.

They'd fall into the catagory of novice or uninitiated, with my concern not so much for the bike, but for them....and mostly for my reputation, It would not sit well for me to allow an unexperianced person to hurt them self. Bikes are FUN but they are not TOYs.

Lastly and most important.....80% of ALL crashes are on borrowed or new bikes...FACT.

I my self hate to TRY someone elses bike. I feel all goofy footed and awkward. Plus it

takes a good 20-30 miles to get into the groove....even on my own bike sometimes. A friend (30yrs ridin' togeather)just insisted recently that I try his new SV1000. We traded for about 30 mi...me out front. He was surprised I didn't really wring it out....PFFFft...The thing was animal...I could tell that @ 6000rpm...I didn't have to see 10 or 11...nut bike.hehe.

He LOVED the Guzzi by the way.

We all learned early in our MX days switching bikes dosen't work once you learn to ride

very aggresive. Just the seat hight or bar position makes it...unfimilliar...which can be

dangerous at speed.

[dlaing]

Lastly and most important.....80% of ALL crashes are on borrowed or new bikes...FACT.

68702[/snapback]

Amen!

Even at the last Guzzi rally I attended, the one accident was by a very experienced rider going 5MPH on a borrowed bike.

Sh^t happens, and familiarity with a bike is critical.

Well technically there were two accidents...but the second was returning home from the rally....also by an experienced rider, on his own bike, but on an unfamilliar road.

No bad injuries except to the bikes...

There are probably less than five people who don't ride Guzzis that I'd trust on my bike. Experienced Guzzi riders who I have known for while, might get a lecture on financial responsibility, no clutchless shifts, no glazing the clutch, no wheelies, no peg scrapes, etc.

Fret not, BBennett, you did the right thing.

[Guest jedione68]

Amen!

Even at the last Guzzi rally I attended, the one accident was by a very experienced rider going 5MPH on a borrowed bike.

Sh^t happens, and familiarity with a bike is critical.

Well technically there were two accidents...but the second was returning home from the rally....also by an experienced rider, on his own bike, but on an unfamilliar road.

No bad injuries    except to the bikes...

There are probably less than five people who don't ride Guzzis that I'd trust on my bike. Experienced Guzzi riders who I have known for while, might get a lecture on financial responsibility, no clutchless shifts, no glazing the clutch, no wheelies, no peg scrapes, etc.

Fret not, BBennett, you did the right thing.

68705[/snapback]

Again... Amen!

 

And it was more like 4 MPH on that crash, with about $900.00 plus

dallars in damage. And everthing will work out, but talking about

putting a strain on a friendship aye?

 

Peace,

Jedione

[Admin Jaap]

No, not even my brother.

[S251]

Last night at Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I took a friend out to the garage to admire the V11.  He asked to sit on it (no problem) and then said he "used to ride a bike when he was 15" and would love to take it for a spin in a parking lot sometime.  I made no reply.  He persisted and said "aw, I would only ride at a 5 mph".  That caused me to clarify the situation and say "not with this bike - you can try that one over there (a '75 CB400).  He ribbed me about 'finding the true limits of our friendship' for 1/2 an hour after that!

 

So I ask, when would you let a buddy ride your bike?  Even I would let my V11 owning buddy trade bikes for a few miles.

68656[/snapback]

 

My wife and I have travelled far and wide on many different BMWs but no one ever wanted to take them for a spin. Since the V11 Scura everyone, even those who dont ride ask for a quick go. What is it with V11s or GUZZIs?

 

So far the answer to them has been no I dont think so.

 

Good luck

S251

[stogieBill]

My Honda ST1300 maybe. The Scura...NEVER! Not even for a chocolate chip Macadamia nut cookie

[stormsedge]

I have one friend I feel is competent enough to ride mine (by definition, he has ridden and raced for more years than I can count)...none of my associates at work appear at the same level of competence, although like Oiji, if they leave their Harley in my garage for security, I'd probably let them take her out. k