Leaderboard

i rented one of those large guzzi’s down near Joshua Tree a few years back, for a couple days of touring the park and other areas up north of there. I enjoyed it, preferring it over the Harleys i had way back. that said, they all fall into the same problematic category for me: they are the best type of bikes for cruising down the big highways, which is exactly where i do NOT want to be on a bike, except to connect to other non-highway roads.

Was gonna sell the BMW GSA, but I hate leaving the dog while touring and then, well

That's actually why I don't like Honda much. I've had two, they both worked very well, and were both a bit sterile. For the big luggage factor, I had a GTR 1000 Kawasaki for quite a while, and liked it rather a lot. It also worked well, was very reliable, and wasn't nearly as sterile as a Honda. My Guzzis arguably don't work as well as any Japanese bike, but they are anything other than sterile. I like that about them.

Nice Guzzi wagon. No dog onboard, always a 30kg mangan bag in the sidecar. Quite a few G's possible in left corners . Don't let of the gas coming in to fast right corners, brakes have to be used correctly. Cheers Tom.

Quite a few members of the German forum keep a sidecar for the winter. Favourite choice seems to be a Ural, with which the concerns about the frame not holding up to it are a non-issue because they are built as a sidecar. On a completely different note, one that I haven't seen other than on photos but would like to, and would like to ride: It was built by the bloke in the second picture, a fellow administrator of the German forum that I am active in. To put it into perspective, Holger is about 5'4" tall. The motor is from an 1100 California, with a Doc Jensen cam and a bit of tweaking. The really impressive bit: at first glance, or on the photos, you don't notice any lights apart from the headlight, but the thing is road-legal and registered. That, in Germany, is quite an acheivment.

I had to look that one up ;-). There was this one time at Americade I went into the demo lot for Harley. With a muffler on it it was a quiet bike. As I was rolling through I could hear on the the people I passed say "It's one of them f***ing electric ones."

I love the dry clutch sound. There's nothing better than pulling up next to a rider on an HD at a stop light, and they immediately start looking down at their bike in a panic. It's always epic.

Mine is the newer wet clutch, All seems to be good.

Sorry fellas, but I'm with Phil on this..... It's either two wheels or the car with four! Cheers

Another easy explanation, the krokodilla (crocodile) mention, I have to be more home taking care of Daffy the rottweiler when there is nice weather. Why not a side car next thought. Me think close to26000 km with the dog in the sidecar And a very happy and proud dog. K1100RS, with a german made sidecar, made by doctor professor ingeniør. Good experience, but no dog no sidecar. Cheers Tom.

Sure - here is the description:

Yes, because some people find them fun. A mate of mine had a double-boot on a CB900. Sitting in the boot was fun, hanging out in the corners and such. Riding it was interesting. I picked it up for him after he had a sky-diving mishap, and rode it about 100 km home (somewhere down near Dandenong up to Macleod, for those who know the territory...). It was fun to ride somehow, even though it pulled to one side pretty heavily. The mate was about 30 kg heavier than me, the thing was set up well for him, and with me on riding it didn't want to go straight. So I can see why people like them, but don't want one. The reasons why not are pretty much exactly what @Lucky Phil wrote. I would like to have a go on a serious racing sidecar, though. Both as rider and as swinger.

Yet they remain.

Having owned a Pacific Coast, I would venture that rode and handled well, made decent power, and hid its V-twin like a drug habit. The trunk made it a great grocery-getter. One of the biggest differences with the V11 Sport is getting groceries on it takes me four hours.

I will go do far as to say I am relieved it was not converted to a trike . . .

"It never needed any work and had things like self cancelling turn signals, hydraulically adjusted valves, and a big trunk to carry things. If the Guzzi is even close to as enjoyable I'll like it a lot." Ruht Roh, Rhaggy

I was at the MG dealer yesterday. I sat on the MGX just for kicks. I struggled to get that monster off the side stand. I couldn't believe the force it took. Not the bike for me.

A trait of wet clutch machines

I remember taking a mates 1700 Kawasaki cruiser for a spin a few years ago and being a bit intimidated at the size of the bloody thing at first.Then when I wobbled outa the driveway looking for the footpegs behind me...It must have been a sight. I did get the hang of it after a few minutes acclimatisation but they're definitely not my cup o Darjeeling! Another thing was how such a big motor could feel like a bloody 250.....Any trace of character completely removed! Cheers

The thing that amuses me is perfectly demonstrated in Micks images. You take a motorcycle and then put car wheels, tyres and suspension on it to try and make the silly thing half way decent dynamically. Why not just go buy/build a Lotus 7 kit car or something. At least it will go around corners like it was on rails. I can 100% guarantee the outfit shown looks a lot better than it rides esp at low speeds like car parks etc. The steering would be killer heavy at those speeds. I once had a short ride on one of those Spider 3 wheeler things and was shocked at the heavy low speed steering. I mean heavy enough to need power steering. I also remember the sidecar guys at the races in the 70s and 80's banished to the far side of the pits like leapers. One walk through their area looking at water pipe frames and cobbled together everything and you knew why they were there. Modern racing outfits are now some weird 3 wheeler race cars you sit on. Same weirdos still race them. Phil

@docc @audiomick I did not specify because I anticipated that you guys remembered that before the Quota, I was actually looking for a Stelvio. That was before the V100 came out. I renounced after I tried one in San Antonio; at that time I did not know the seat had a lower position, and the sales assistant did not either. The Stelvio I am about to get is a 2013 model, in Orange. Yes, I know, not red. This is the add for that bike: I went to see the bike, and the guy selling it is shorter than I am, if younger. He had the seat in the lower position, and he had also filed down the rubber mounts so I can have both my feet almost flat on the ground. The bike looks very good. He has the two additional beams fused, but he has never taken the CARC apart, so the bearings are as they were installed by Antonino. He has a CB/Weather radio, and a Garmin that I offered him to keep, since I do not use anything that can distract me from driving. This guy has a workshop that has absolutely everything an apprentice mechanic could dream about. I offered him the Quota, but he wants a VT85 which is more modern and lighter than the Stelvio. The bike is pretty clean. I don't like the California Scientific windwhild, even if it offers more comfort. I told him that I ride the Quota without much of a front shield without any problem. The bike is very comfortable, but it is really truck heavy. He has an aftermarket exhaust, and the ECU was tuned to it. I did not try the bike as I never drive anything I don't own. I wish the exhaust made less noise, but he said he got it like that. Another issue is the stiffer clutch lever which is going to be a problem for my damaged left hand. Both the V11 and the Quota have softer actuation. I will not be able to actuate the clutch too many times in traffic, so I will only use the Le Mans around town. Unless of course, I install a radial piston pump. I may have to do that anyway. This is why I can't keep the Quota. I had one option when I managed to park the V11 behind the 911, and the Quota at the edge of the small access ramp. Parking the Stelvio side by side would make it a difficult task each time. Unfortunately, Mick, the HOA (Home Owners Association) says nothing should be parked in the street. As long as I am on the ramp, I am good. I am sad to need to part with the Quota.

I can see. There is a Ford in the way. Can't you park that on the street or something? Seriously though, I hope you find a suitable buyer. And I'm as interested as @docc in knowing whether it will be the new Stelvio or the old one, and if the old one, which one?

GERMAN. Cheers Tom.

A first generation Stelvio or V100 Stelvio, I wonder . . .

I thought it would be close enough to "werke", because we are limited to 5 characters if you want your own plate...

Special treatment for some Girls. Not to bad for a 20year old Guzzi. And forgot to mention how happy l am figuring out handling problems with the german hot rod Greenie. She has a bit more punch, and realy enjoy 5k+. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

This one is dedicated to you, see the tag?: "VERKS".

Any chance you could copy and paste that to here? It sounds like it might be fun to read, but one apparently needs a facebook account to see the ad, and I don't have one.

Sidecars, good lord sidecars. All the worst aspects of a car and a motorcycle rolled into one and then made even worse. A case of less than the sum of it's parts. The sidecar is what the poor working class in the early 20th century bought to attach to their motorcycle to transport the family because they couldn't afford a car. They were a poor persons transport band aid and nobody worried about the obvious dynamic shortcomings which not only make them suspect to operate but also destroy the motorcycle itself mechanically. A motorcycle chassis isn't designed to cope with side thrust loads so the mechanicals take a beating and you end up with chassis cracking and high wear on everything including the driveline lugging around the extra weight. The advent of the Austin 7 or Baby Austin, in the early 1920's, an affordable car that the working class could afford killed off the sidecar manufacturers almost entirely and with good reason. Phil

Ducati dry clutches were always their weakest link. Phil

He does doesn't he.... But how could you do that to a greenie...or a V11 for that matter?? Sidecar I mean!

Bikes I've owned so far: '66 Suzuki 250 Hustler 2 stroke '71 Ducati 450 Desmo single - Dunstall exhaust '74 Honda 550 4 cylinder with Kerker exhaust, TT100's '77 Yamaha 750 triple '84 Kawi 1100 '89 Honda Pacific Coast '98 Triumph Trophy 900 2005 Yami FZ1 2009 Yami FZ6 2003 Guzzi V11 Sport. There is a very big difference between bikes for sure. Favorite would be the Honda Pacific Coast. 47 h.p., 630 lbs. It never needed any work and had things like self cancelling turn signals, hydraulically adjusted valves, and a big trunk to carry things. If the Guzzi is even close to as enjoyable I'll like it a lot. Grant

Too funny! Went out to my shop last evening and shortly after, noticed the "missing" clamp lying in a corner below my work bench I use for clean work. Bingo!

Had my first ride of year on 2004 Ballabio after completing my 20 year (approx 25,000 km ) maintenance visit. With all the work done, new tires, all callipers & master cylinders rebuilt, new brake pads, all new engine sensors, complete “Decent Tune Up”, including plugs, air filter, etc., Roper Plate installed, drive shaft removed and greased, etc. it is just like it came out of the showroom in 2004. Good for another 20 yrs/ 25,000 km. Not sure I am! What a pleasure to ride.

Fella in our small riding group picked up an MGX a couple years ago after a protracted search for a clean low mileage unit Cam chain tensioner failed,lunched the motor ,close to home thankfully Last I heard sitting under a cover in the back of his garage