swooshdave Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 So I was out riding with my friend and his Ducati the other day. As we were stopped we talked about bikes similar to the V11 Sport. One that came to mind was his 961 Norton. Twin cylinder, roughly 1000cc, pushrods and such. Power is similar with the Norton about 80hp stock. They feel similar in the way they ride, although I think the Guzzi is a little bigger. At about $20k + for a new Norton they definitely aren't cheap, and they are rare. You know a bike is rare when there are more Guzzis than those. What other bikes are similar to the V11 Sport? Ducati Sport Classics?
docc Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 BMW R1100s. Twice, while my Sport was having "warranty issues" (read: gone for months), I rode BMW 1100S and really wanted to like them. But, I kept thinking, "Where's the big twin?" And then there was the matter of having the helm radio the steerage deck to get the thing to change lanes. So, I had to pass. Now the twin-lamp Speed Triple . . . that's a another thing entirely! 1
swooshdave Posted April 25, 2017 Author Posted April 25, 2017 Someone tried to tell me Guzzi copied the green from the early Speed Triple. I had to remind them of where the Guzzi green came from and it wasn't from Triumph. That being said the Triumph green was pretty similar and did come out earlier that the V11. But it's a triple and bit more hp. I wouldn't turn one down, especially in green.
Scud Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 BMW R1100s? Bite yer damn tongue. If there has to be a BMW in here at least have the courtesy to make it an airhead R90S or R100s. I had an R100CS that I was rather fond of... but I think I would be grossly disappointed to ride one now that I've gotten comfortable with the V11. I had a Ducati Sport Classic. Same raw appeal. Good manners. Noisy clutch on the monoposto. Fabulous in the mountains but a torture rack on the straights and around town. So... the V11 is more comfortable than the Ducati and less than the BMW. It's a better performer than the BMW but not quite as good as the sport classic in the tight stuff. In short, it's "just right." Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
docc Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 czakky, buddy . ..that may the shortest post ever to take a rapid-fire comeback! Way to light up the mavens, man! You'd think it was January! 1
Scud Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 Maybe I'm feeling grumpy and opinionated tonight, but that green speed triple looks like a salvage-title Kawasaki that was totaled by the insurance company because it was too expensive to replace the fairing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
swooshdave Posted April 25, 2017 Author Posted April 25, 2017 czakky, buddy . ..that may the shortest post ever to take a rapid-fire comeback! Way to light up the mavens, man! You'd think it was January! He's probably not far off. Same vintage as the V11 Sport. Mostly the same specs. Seat cowl, fairing, shaft drive... That yellow is tasty.
swooshdave Posted April 25, 2017 Author Posted April 25, 2017 Ok, the back end is not that bad, but something happened to the front. It got fat.
LowRyter Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 Maybe I'm feeling grumpy and opinionated tonight, but that green speed triple looks like a salvage-title Kawasaki that was totaled by the insurance company because it was too expensive to replace the fairing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I think that was the look they were going for. At least salvaged look.
docc Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 I looked at our mission statement, and, as far as I can tell, there are no rules here against calling other (than V11) bikes ugly, nasty, or even Fugly. That yellow 1100S was the one I rode and really wanted to like. It was just so bland next to the Sport. And, while the Speed Triple rode like Elektra-in-fishnets, the styling just has nothing on the Marabese V11. Ducati have *something*, but remain kind of untouchable. Even that Norton 961: gorgeous, but so exclusive.
Jazzamoto Posted April 25, 2017 Posted April 25, 2017 czakky, buddy . ..that may the shortest post ever to take a rapid-fire comeback! Way to light up the mavens, man! You'd think it was January! He's probably not far off. Same vintage as the V11 Sport. Mostly the same specs. Seat cowl, fairing, shaft drive... That yellow is tasty. Had a black one for a year or so and it was a let down. Pretty bike. Good handling but riding position didn't work for me even with bar risers and the engine, frankly, was "meh". I should also mention having to rip all that plastic body work off any time I wanted to do anything drove me bananas. 1
swooshdave Posted April 25, 2017 Author Posted April 25, 2017 Had a black one for a year or so and it was a let down. Pretty bike. Good handling but riding position didn't work for me even with bar risers and the engine, frankly, was "meh". I should also mention having to rip all that plastic body work off any time I wanted to do anything drove me bananas. Does it have that much more plastic than the V11? Certainly looks about the same as a Lemans. More than the naked and bikini bikes.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now