AndyH Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I bought my V11 on a whim just under a year ago thinking, 'I've always wanted a Guzzi, got no bike, so why not?'. I had no bike because I'd just got bored with bikes. My last bike was a Monster 750, sold 4 years before, and it was too easy to ride, too hard to work on, expensive to own and I just couldn't be bothered any more. So I got a Guzzi V11, cheap and a bit of a heap: knackered Sachs shock (split ring - ouch), no tacho, speedo up the spout, notchy swing arm bearings, paint peeling, seized fasteners all over, no damping in the forks etc. etc. But I loved it from the word go: I fixed the dangerous stuff straight away and tolerated the detail stuff for a while longer. All through the winter I've worked on it and I'm back on the road and it's just so much better. Deep deep joy! It demands respect, it rewards with rock steady handling and buckets full of torque, vibey enough to tell it's working, smooth enough to ride all day. But hell, I'm telling you stuff you already know. I couldn't have done it without this forum so thanks all: in case we forget how lucky we are, my wife rides a Triumph Thruxton 900 and complains she just can't access anything like the same level of opinion, fact and sometimes pure unadulterated bo11ocks as this worshipful community offers. Proud to be a part of it, so I'm staying. You're my besht mates AndyH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rex007can Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 You know... before the Guzzi I had a 77 BMW. The BMW has the same kind support and more info available online than I could ever have used. One of the reasons why I was attracted to Guzzi when I switched was that it has the same level of info and enthusiasm attached to the brand. People get scared of Guzzi because of that lack of dealer support (where I'm at anyways). But if you have a set of tools and an internet connection... I don't see that as a problem. And since I tend to keep it running by myself... Japanese bikes scare me more than Guzzis for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyH Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 You know... before the Guzzi I had a 77 BMW. The BMW has the same kind support and more info available online than I could ever have used. One of the reasons why I was attracted to Guzzi when I switched was that it has the same level of info and enthusiasm attached to the brand. People get scared of Guzzi because of that lack of dealer support (where I'm at anyways). But if you have a set of tools and an internet connection... I don't see that as a problem. And since I tend to keep it running by myself... Japanese bikes scare me more than Guzzis for sure. That's just about where I've got to as well and I save myself a bundle in labour charges to boot. I don't want to go retro again - vintage and classic brits are a money pit: that's from bitter personal experience. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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