Guzzirider

Ah you mean this comment BFG? http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16338&st=0 I've been past the Ace Cafe driving into London and although I'd probably stop by if I was in the area, its a bit of a shoddy place to ride to being on the edge of the metropolis. I know the Ducati have their own Sporting Club http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/ I'm not really a fan of rules or regulations and committees (get enough of that at work!) so maybe something informal would work well- meets, track days, rides out, supporting Guzzi racers etc. I know I'm stereotyping here but some Guzzi owners are anti-everything apart from wobbling slowly (and sometimes dangerously) along on their bikes slagging off everything they don't like especially sports bikes, all probably down to jealousy that there nagging wife won't let 'em have fast bike, or they are too obese to ride anything apart from a cruiser. I have come across this holier than everyone else attitude a lot. I'm happy to be in the Guzzi Club GB but it doesn't really cater for the sporting end of riding- its more of a social and rally thing, although saying that I know a fair few members who do like to ride their bikes hard either on the road or track.

My Rosso Corsa which was built in 2003 broke its gearbox return spring. Helen's V11 Sport which was built in 2001 has broken twice. When it happens (and you are normally stuck in 3rd or 4th gear) you can still ride the bike home to get it fixed. I now have two spare springs ready for next time.

Sounds like a plan Keith!

Thanks for telling it like it is, Mr Oneandonly! I know Triumph are not perfect but they stay very close to their customer feedback- I have completed at least 3 customer service questionnaires from Triumph since I bought my Sprint 15 months ago asking me for feedback on my bike and local dealer- I know from chatting to the guy I know at the shop that the dealers seriously try to make sure that customers give good feedback to Triumph. If Piaggio started doing the same, and actually listening, they would know who the good Guzzi dealers were and who were the pits, and would find out what punters actually thought about the bikes too. It sounds as though Piaggio will end up losing the "good guy" dealers and get stuck with the pile 'em high sell 'em cheap shops who think that PDI means put a splash of fuel in the tank.

I've been to a Guzzi only trackday in the UK and we had a great turnout, in Angelsey in 2001. Problem is that the Guzzi Club GB ran this event at a loss so they were understandably not keen to do it again. The next event was hosted by Jamie Whitham's Speedfreaks and even though there were a fair few Guzzis (including Ashley Law's TT Tenni) the numbers were made up by the usual nutters on GSXRs. I sometimes wonder if there is potential to create a Guzzi Sporting Club UK, for those interested in the more sportier models, racing and track days, because most of the Guzzi Club GB guys dont seem to be into the sportier side of riding. Maybe to keep it simple those of us who are interested should get together now and then, for example like we did at Cadwell a few years back where a small group of Guzzisti includes Gyles (R.I.P) on his MGS01 had a great day by simply joining in with a normal scheduled trackday.

At a massive £14k its only rich old gits who could afford one, and lets face it if you were a testosterone filled teenager would you want an old man's bike like this, or a new R6? When I was 20 I bought my first Guzzi, a V65 Lario which at the time seemed quite sporty and attractive and it used to piss my mates off because it was as fast as their 350 YPVSs, and it got me hooked into Guzzis for life. If I was 20 today there would be nothing in the current Guzzi range that would float my boat- much more likely to buy an Aprilia. My old Lario Hastings seafront 1988, next to my girlfriend's GPX600.

Unfortunately I can't think of any new cafe racer bikes made by any of the Italian manufacturers now. I think Ducati have stopped the 1000 Sport which was a very nice bike, and I'm obviously not counting the 40 rwbhp V7 Racer which is an expensive gaudy plastic piss-poor attempt at a cafe racer (nearly £8k HOEVEEL????). Benelli call a bike a cafe racer but its more like a Fazer. I'd love to see a new model big bore Guzzi cafe racer with attitude, but that would be far too adventurous and logical for Piaggio, and in the meantime, Guzzi sales keep falling- just 300 bikes sold in the UK last year and that probably includes all the "demonstrators". In the meantime Triumph sales are up and they seem to sell plenty of Bonnies and Thruxtons so there must be a demand for this sort of bike.

I think the dealers have one year to pay for them after they are delivered so they are understandably cautious, because if they can't sell a bike they have to pay for it eventually anyway. I'm guessing some of the smaller dealers may only get a bike in if there is a firm order from a customer.

Even though I would never buy a Diavel I am sure it would be fun to ride. Their strategy these days is to sell fewer units at high prices- when the new Multistrada 1200 was launched dealers had huge waiting lists and I am sure Ducati will drip feed the numbers of Diavels to dealers so demand is kept high. The only bike in the range that really appeals to me is the 1000S.

My local dealer told me about a year ago he had been to a dealer conference and the new boss at Piaggio had promised major investment in Moto Guzzi and that he was committed to re-energising the brand. I know it takes more than a year to launch proper new models, and maybe it will happen, but there is no news so far, apart from the new Cali and yet another V7 edition. I think it is correct to have high expectations from Piaggio, and not to accept that a lacklustre model range and poor dealer coverage is ok. Shame that no new models will be built on the back of the 2009 EICMA prototypes- I know these were not perfect production models but they promised something a bit more exciting for the future. In the meantime, new Guzzis sit unwanted in dealers showrooms gathering dust while older models from the 1970s and 1980s are in massive demand.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2011/February/feb1111-moto-guzzi-wont-biuld-concepts/

My thoughts are with your brother David- all the best to you both. Guy

Why dont you come to Cromarty? Its the best rally put on by MGCGB and there are normally plenty of sporting Guzzis there- V11s, Daytonas, Magnis etc. You can watch dolphins from a nearby beach too.

I wonder how much they will cost? Guzzi prices in the UK are now just silly and they need to be competitive if they are to sell any bikes at all.

The Millepercento BB1- similar motor?

The Cali looks a little better in the large pic- is that a radiator in front or just a massive oil cooler? I dont mind Guzzi going water cooled if that's what they have to do but will be interesting to see. The previous incarnations of Calis have been practical bikes- strap some luggage on and go touring in reasonable comfort but retaining surprisingly sporty handling. Ever tried chasing a well ridden Cali on a back road? Not much slower than a V11! This bike seems to be seeking a different, and maybe larger market with less practicality, but more "pose" value.

True, a solution to problems we don't have. Emphasis on "we". Looking back at the last 2 or 3 decades, maybe even Guzzi history at the whole, it's been the other way round I'd say. "We" are the problem that Guzzi has. Just have a look at the NOCs mentioned in another thread. It's the same in every country. They swear on the old tonti irons (mostly crap in the meantime), never bring the bikes to a shop (at least not as long as they're ruined really 120%), never would buy a new one etc etc... I wouldn't blame Guzzi for their search for new markets. We, the old mmarket, never were a good and reliable business for them. We all could have bought a Griso or a Stelvio, new or now even used, bikes with weight and grunt and real Guzzi soul , but have we? BTW, those small bikes are not "Nevada engined" - they, including the Nevada as just one type, are 100% pure Tontis (frame AND engine). Are they the real heritage then? hubert Edit: Found this link: http://www.triumphrat.net/twins-talk/163826-new-guzzi-scrambler.html Seems they like it. One for the moderators: check out what avatar you need to get promoted to "Super Moderator" I'm not stuck in that "old school" brigade, have bought 4 new Guzzis in the last 11 years including a Stelvio (first one in the UK) and understand that Guzzi need to have a wider appeal, but I'm not impressed by these two new offerings. The V7s are not selling well (at least not here) because dealers are having to massively discount them and sell them as "demo" bikes. Maybe its a different story elsewhere in the world and maybe they are selling like hot cakes. Maybe the new Cali (if it is real) will handle well, I do hope so because it would make it stand out from all the other cruiser offerings but it looks pretty low slung from that picture. I was hoping more for some new bikes loosely based on the Milan show bikes from 2009 which had a sporting appeal- maybe these will appear eventually.

The Cali looks like a really heavy bloke has sat on it and the suspension has broken. It's way too low- the great thing about the Tonti framed Calis is that they steer and handle well for a cruiser and have loads of ground clearance. The Scrambler is a solution to a problem we don't have. How many more Nevada engined retro bikes do we need? The usual bollocks.

On Target Earnings- and no, not me! Thought it may suit someone else though.

Anyone fancy sorting 'em out? http://www.bikejobs.co.uk/content/pages/jobs/job-detail/4d35af3f/1c4c9479b64ce40298935e0cd6a37312-4ae98188.htm

Happy Birthday Rob we've missed ya! How are you keeping Sir? Guy

Steve Berry was awful. Cant see the bike winning- I'm sure they will have carefully planned for the car to win, which in reality it should do on a twisty track with all that extra grip.

Overweight, overpriced and overpowered. Give me a tatty old Caterham or Elise anyday- faster and much more fun.

I don't bother with the MGCGB forum any more- some really decent and helpful people on there, but also a few who talk constant garbage. I cringe when I think potential newcomers to the marque or club read some of the discussions. I'm happy to continue with my club membership though- the magazine is good, I have met some good friends through MGCGB, and I enjoy the V Twin and Scottish Rally in particular. And it is always healthy to have a non-Guzzi in the garage just in case