Weight

[gavo]

My friend has a ducati pantah 650- 185kg I have a TT2 replica 650 ducati motor-155kg, he weighs70kg, I weigh 90 kg, result similar acceleration. Best way to gain performance, become anorexic and all the money you save on food can buy trick bits for the bike

[dlaing]

I just could not believe those numbers so I tried the Honda website.

These numbers are more believeable for the 1000cc naked;

125HP @ 10,000

100 Nm @ 8000

217 kg

 

 

I have chopped my Guzzi to a 88kg front and 87kg rear, fully loaded with oils and fuel. But that is of course not a streetlegal Guz.

If you do the same to a Ducati you end up with a 145kg racer. So the guzzi is indeed very heavy!

Sorry, Bikez.com's 76HP is clearly wrong. Thanks for the correction I would have used wikipedia as a source, but I feared the wrath of the anti-wiki pro-wsj crowd.

Wiki probably got there numbers from honda, which probably are crank HP, but still that would put RWHP well over 100HP and not 76HP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB1000R

In any case, the bike is a porker, unless you compare it to a 1970's Honda big four, and it is only slightly lighter than the alleged 218.0 kg (480.6 pounds) VFR.

Add an equal weight rider and the V11 is comparable in torque to weight ratio to most naked sport bikes, but in HP to weight ratio, Guzzi loses...oh well.

You can always do what Zebulon did.

[Steve G.]

For bikes without much character, they sure do work well eh?

 

Not to hijack here but did you do an organized tour of the alps or do it on your own?

Hi Dan,

Don't worry, I don't want to hyjack the thread either. I did the tour run by RoadRunner magazine. The tour guide is actually a friend of the lady who owns the mag, he's actually an Austrian bike policeman in Tamsweg, Aust. The bikes were rented from Martin BMW Motorad, located in Bad Tolz in south Bavaria. I've done 2 Edelweiss tours, and can say this one is far better, a serious ride, fast, smart, just great.

Regarding the lack of character of the GS, I fully agree. The flat twin engine layout has 0% visceral feedback, no emotion, nothing. That's one of the reasonm's I never bought one. A buddy has a GSA12, and just installed a Staintune. I've told him many times already it's one of the most obnoxious sounding bikes I've ever heard, it's an engine layout that simply gains no appeal by hearing it or feeling it. There are otherr engine layouts also, the inline Japanese 4 is another engine I don't need to hear at an elevated noise level, uncorked Japanese v-twin cruisers sound discusting, as well as open pipe H.D. . There's something about 90 degree vtwins that do have an appeal though, if opened up.

Steve

[Dan M]

Hi Dan,

Don't worry, I don't want to hyjack the thread either. I did the tour run by RoadRunner magazine. The tour guide is actually a friend of the lady who owns the mag, he's actually an Austrian bike policeman in Tamsweg, Aust. The bikes were rented from Martin BMW Motorad, located in Bad Tolz in south Bavaria. I've done 2 Edelweiss tours, and can say this one is far better, a serious ride, fast, smart, just great.

Regarding the lack of character of the GS, I fully agree. The flat twin engine layout has 0% visceral feedback, no emotion, nothing. That's one of the reasonm's I never bought one. A buddy has a GSA12, and just installed a Staintune. I've told him many times already it's one of the most obnoxious sounding bikes I've ever heard, it's an engine layout that simply gains no appeal by hearing it or feeling it. There are otherr engine layouts also, the inline Japanese 4 is another engine I don't need to hear at an elevated noise level, uncorked Japanese v-twin cruisers sound discusting, as well as open pipe H.D. . There's something about 90 degree vtwins that do have an appeal though, if opened up.

Steve

 

 

Right with you on all counts. The Roadrunner tour sounds like fun. I've done a couple of Edelweiss tours and one from Aerostich. Happily, on both Edel tours we were with a fast group and had like minded guides. No disappointments on any of them. Great way to experience another part of the globe.

[Dan M]

You ask WTF? I'm sorry, but people comparing these bikes to modern technology really gets my goad. This forum was the last place I expected to find such comments.

 

Your rationale..."they made them until mid this decade..." is...well...about the only thing they share in common with a modern sports bike. Using that line of reasoning I should go out and buy a brand new Triumph Bonneville T100, and then write into Road Rider magazine and whine that it doesn't go, stop, or handle as well as the latest gixxer. The Bear will laugh at me. A deep hearty laugh. Then call me an idiot. WTF indeed.

 

Speaking of Harley's, the Guzzi is a sport classic motorcycle, so you'd be much fairer comparing it to say a Sportster XR1200. If the comparo really must be between Guzzi and Duke, then try the GT1000 hey, not an ST2! Yes, you're right, definitely WTF...

 

Steve G. regarding the R1200GS, I've already qualified that I wasn't comparing it's on road ability at speed. It motored great along the F3, and left me feeling far more refreshed at the end of the day than my V11 ever does.

 

 

Nobody is saying our bikes could, would or should be in the same performance arena as modern sport bikes. The subject line of this thread is "weight". The V11 Sport was MG's new model offering as a sport bike in 1999. Comparing it to most any sport bike from 10 or even 15 years ago and not thinking it is heavy is absurd.

[Motomonster]

I own both a GT1000 and V11 and I can say the Ducati is definitely a "sportier" bike in that it accelerates faster and requires less effort to get it to perform and I am not as tired after a day of hard riding. I also find that I am roughly 10mph more confident in the twisties with the GT.

 

That being said, I appreciate riding the Guzzi precisely because it requires greater effort and provides "exaggerated" feedback compared with the Duc -- engine rumble, brake feel, momentum in the corners, seating position,etc. I just feel like I'm melding with the bike more. Plus, it feels better planted.

[guzzipete]

Comparing it to most any sport bike from 10 or even 15 years ago and not thinking it is heavy is absurd.

 

... but then considering it as an out and out sport bike is just as absurd. Come on, it's a naked with clip ons, seriously. Even so, you'll find some in this list that are also considered serious sports bikes...

 

V11 Sport wet weight - 247kg

 

BMW K100RS wet weight - 249kg

BMW K1100RS wet weight - 268kg

Harley Davidson Dyna Glide Sport wet weight - 295kg

Harley Davidson XR1200 wet weight - 263kg

Honda CBR 900 Bol'dor wet weight - 260kg

Honda CB 1300 Super 4 wet weight - 246kg

Honda CX650TD Turbo wet weight - 260kg

Kawasaki Z1 wet weight - 246kg

Kawasaki ZX12R wet weight - 248kg

Kawasaki Z1RTC Turbo wet weight - 253kg

Kawasaki ZX750E1/2 Turbo wet weight - 320kg

Kawasaki Z 1300 wet weight - 296kg

Laverda RSG Corsa wet weight - 245kg

Suzuki GSX1400 wet weight - 240kg

Suzuki Bandit 1200S wet weight - 245kg

Suzuki GS1000EZ wet weight - 256kg

Suzuki GSX1100 Katana wet weight - 256kg

Suzuki GSXR1100W wet weight - 242kg

Suzuki XN85D Turbo wet weight - 247kg

Triumph Bonneville wet weight - 264kg

Yamaha XJR1300 wet weight - 245kg

Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo wet weight - 257kg

 

Guzzi figures look just fine in this admirable company...

[Dan M]

OK, You've convinced me, the V11 is a featherweight.

[guzzipete]

OK, You've convinced me, the V11 is a featherweight.

 

Sarcasm noted, but that's not what I was saying. I only suggested that it's weight "problem" needed to be put into perspective with machines that shared a similar level of technological development/advancement.

 

Like it or not, the Guzzi is old school. That happened to be one of the charms that attracted me to the marque.

[Skeeve]

Like it or not, the Guzzi is old school. That happened to be one of the charms that attracted me to the marque.

 

- stupid + guzzipete

[DeBenGuzzi]

- stupid + guzzipete

dbl that sentiment, I've wanted a guzzi since I heard it in a cake song in high school and had to know what it was, then I had to have it upon finding it. I just don't like something because it is rare and/or odd, I wouldn't really care for a benelli or a laverda, guzzi speaks to me and I like what it says

 

AND back on topic it really isn't that heavy but way to pick all the fat kids for you list pete, things always look thinner if you park them next to a fatty, with that said my Aprilia feels about TWICE as light, I try not to ride them on the same day as I throw the aprilia in too hard coming off the guzzi and I don't throw it around hard enough coming off the aprilia. they really are quite different and I likes it.

[guzzipete]

AND back on topic it really isn't that heavy but way to pick all the fat kids for you list pete, things always look thinner if you park them next to a fatty...

 

It's not about picking out the "fat kids" as you put it, as that list is hardly exhaustive. You'll find most bikes of that era sit around the 250kg (wet weight) mark. The Guzzi is not the little "fatty" everyone makes it out to be.

 

Your comparison to the Aprilia baffles me. Maybe I've got it wrong, but you're comparing this...

 

 

to this...

 

 

Looks silly in pictures. Doesn't it.

[guzzipete]

Sorta like comparing this...

 

 

to this...

 

[guzzipete]

... or the Ducati comparo that y'all here seem to love.

 

[guzzipete]

 

I can just imagine the music this thing is playing whilst the motor is trying to twist itself out of the engine bay. Very Guzzi...