V11 for sale online/ Craigslist and all others

[VtwinStorm]

I'm willing to pay my dues by waiting. More than one person I have overheard saying that the V11 is almost too new to be a "classic", but too old to really be "new".

 

It's kind of in the middle. Some of the last old school Guzzis, apart from the EFI. Not that Guzzis have been known as "bleeding edge" for the past 40-50 years. I think we all love Guzzi for being Guzzi. It's why I have a V11 on my immediate radar.

[KINDOY2]

The bike is there on consignment.. I exchanged e mails with  the sales person a few months ago when it was first listed.

I’ll  be  very kind… and just say He wasn’t a nice guy. I’d steer clear.

[p6x]

10 hours ago, VtwinStorm said:

I'm willing to pay my dues by waiting. More than one person I have overheard saying that the V11 is almost too new to be a "classic", but too old to really be "new".

 

It's kind of in the middle. Some of the last old school Guzzis, apart from the EFI. Not that Guzzis have been known as "bleeding edge" for the past 40-50 years. I think we all love Guzzi for being Guzzi. It's why I have a V11 on my immediate radar.

When I got my "Motorbike" frenetic obsession, I was about 12 if I remember. I had to wait until 14 to get a mopped, then 16 to get my motobike's license. 

These were the early 70's, and Moto Guzzi was not even on the map as far as my entourage was concerned.

The only bikes to be discussed were either British, German, and of course Japanese.

But I read a novel written by a French journalist, who in 1972 did the Orion Raid onboard a Moto Guzzi. The Orion Raid took you from France to Iran. She went on to ride in Afghanistan.

The book is interesting in that the Moto Guzzi never failed her. She had some falls, and got local "street shops" to fix her bike with makeshift parts.

After that, I always associated Moto Guzzi with "reliable". Not 100% correct, but close enough.

Later, during my professional ventures, I worked in Italy for 10 years, and explored all what Italian motorbikes had to offer. Starting with Ducati.

I met some very passionate Italian people, and Moto Guzzi started to spike a genuine interest.

But it took me a long time to capitalize on my intrigue, since I only purchased the Le Mans last year in 2020.

One of the best acquisition I have ever made in the course of my life...

every time I ride on it, I forget about all what is not pure joy of going somewhere, nowhere in particular. Just the feeling, the particular engine voice.

I don't think I would get that from anything else, but a V11.

[VtwinStorm]

38 minutes ago, p6x said:

When I got my "Motorbike" frenetic obsession, I was about 12 if I remember. I had to wait until 14 to get a mopped, then 16 to get my motobike's license. 

These were the early 70's, and Moto Guzzi was not even on the map as far as my entourage was concerned.

The only bikes to be discussed were either British, German, and of course Japanese.

But I read a novel written by a French journalist, who in 1972 did the Orion Raid onboard a Moto Guzzi. The Orion Raid took you from France to Iran. She went on to ride in Afghanistan.

The book is interesting in that the Moto Guzzi never failed her. She had some falls, and got local "street shops" to fix her bike with makeshift parts.

After that, I always associated Moto Guzzi with "reliable". Not 100% correct, but close enough.

Later, during my professional ventures, I worked in Italy for 10 years, and explored all what Italian motorbikes had to offer. Starting with Ducati.

I met some very passionate Italian people, and Moto Guzzi started to spike a genuine interest.

But it took me a long time to capitalize on my intrigue, since I only purchased the Le Mans last year in 2020.

One of the best acquisition I have ever made in the course of my life...

every time I ride on it, I forget about all what is not pure joy of going somewhere, nowhere in particular. Just the feeling, the particular engine voice.

I don't think I would get that from anything else, but a V11.

I rode one of my 900SS today, and I have no doubt the V11 is awesome, but against an air-cooled Ducati 900SS, the V11 has tough competition. Never rode a V11, so I have no baseline. All I can infer is it is heavier, wider, and probably has instant torque and an agricultural gearbox.

The only Guzzi I have ever gotten to ride was an '18 V7, and I was not at all impressed. Handling, braked, gearbox, the engine, none of it felt good. The engine was torquey but weak. Perhaps it was a bad example.

Unlike that anemic V7, I think a V11 LeMans would just make my day. What a sexy beast of a machine!

 

[p6x]

3 minutes ago, VtwinStorm said:

I rode one of my 900SS today, and I have no doubt the V11 is awesome, but against an air-cooled Ducati 900SS, the V11 has tough competition. Never rode a V11, so I have no baseline. All I can infer is it is heavier, wider, and probably has instant torque and an agricultural gearbox.

The only Guzzi I have ever gotten to ride was an '18 V7, and I was not at all impressed. Handling, braked, gearbox, the engine, none of it felt good. The engine was torquey but weak. Perhaps it was a bad example.

Unlike that anemic V7, I think a V11 LeMans would just make my day. What a sexy beast of a machine!

 

I would say, a 900SS is quite a challenger to the V11.

I am sold on the Le Mans, it is really an incredible, exceptional dream on wheels. And.... you can go everywhere with it, it will never let you down, at the side of an empty road.

You know what they say about Porsche? this is also valid for a V11. Nothing runs like one...

 

 

[KINDOY2]

22 minutes ago, VtwinStorm said:

I rode one of my 900SS today, and I have no doubt the V11 is awesome, but against an air-cooled Ducati 900SS, the V11 has tough competition. Never rode a V11, so I have no baseline. All I can infer is it is heavier, wider, and probably has instant torque and an agricultural gearbox.

The only Guzzi I have ever gotten to ride was an '18 V7, and I was not at all impressed. Handling, braked, gearbox, the engine, none of it felt good. The engine was torquey but weak. Perhaps it was a bad example.

Unlike that anemic V7, I think a V11 LeMans would just make my day. What a sexy beast of a machine!

 

I wouldn't waste my time comparing a V-11 to a Ducati if I were you...just my 2 cents.

I have been riding over 55 years, every brand motorcycle  Ducati's most of them..and have owned probably a dozen very nice Ducati's, I have one in my workshop now that I spent over $30k and 2-3 years  building and it is a beautiful machine...3 years ago I rode my first V-11 and the Ducati has been mostly sitting with a cover over it ever since..My most enjoyable bike to ride at the moment? A  $2,500 1999 Bassa V-ll Cruiser..it makes me smile and almost laugh with joy every time I start it up and listen to it...and is a pleasure to ride.

It's heavy, kinda ugly, not fast..the linked brakes aren't so great, It handles decent...I can think of no rational reason to give anyone why they would chose it over another motorcycle  other than it just makes me smile, It has a soul. Which is the feeling that  started my love of motorcycles in the beginning. I think you either love them despite all their imperfections or you don't.. Its not a rational decision.. 

I 

[Gmc28]

31 minutes ago, KINDOY2 said:

I wouldn't waste my time comparing a V-11 to a Ducati if I were you...just my 2 cents.

I have been riding over 55 years, every brand motorcycle  Ducati's most of them..and have owned probably a dozen very nice Ducati's, I have one in my workshop now that I spent over $30k and 2-3 years  building and it is a beautiful machine...3 years ago I rode my first V-11 and the Ducati has been mostly sitting with a cover over it ever since..My most enjoyable bike to ride at the moment? A  $2,500 1999 Bassa V-ll Cruiser..it makes me smile and almost laugh with joy every time I start it up and listen to it...and is a pleasure to ride.

It's heavy, kinda ugly, not fast..the linked brakes aren't so great, It handles decent...I can think of no rational reason to give anyone why they would chose it over another motorcycle  other than it just makes me smile, It has a soul. Which is the feeling that  started my love of motorcycles in the beginning. I think you either love them despite all their imperfections or you don't.. Its not a rational decision.. 

I 

It is a bit of a waste to compare, but such a fun waste of time!

i agree wholeheartedly with your assessment.  I look back at the friendly “competition” i had with my good friend and work-mate years ago (we had a lot of time to kill together back then), him on his V11 and me on my 916, me bad-mouthing how the V11 just didn’t stack up in each of the categories we’d squabble about for fun.  But now i find the V11’s to be my favorite bike(s) to ride, doing the “puts a smile on my face” thing that they do. 

[LowRyter]

14 hours ago, paulnaz said:

 NO, but frau blucher snuck in

I hear a horse's panic whinnies!  

[swooshdave]

3 hours ago, VtwinStorm said:

I rode one of my 900SS today, and I have no doubt the V11 is awesome, but against an air-cooled Ducati 900SS, the V11 has tough competition. Never rode a V11, so I have no baseline. All I can infer is it is heavier, wider, and probably has instant torque and an agricultural gearbox.

The only Guzzi I have ever gotten to ride was an '18 V7, and I was not at all impressed. Handling, braked, gearbox, the engine, none of it felt good. The engine was torquey but weak. Perhaps it was a bad example.

Unlike that anemic V7, I think a V11 LeMans would just make my day. What a sexy beast of a machine!

 

You’re right about the V11 Sport except the gearbox. You’re thinking about the five speed. The six is way different. 

[p6x]

@Vtwinstorim

Look at this beauty!!! this will go hand to hand with your 900SS!!! and it is for sale.... although, 15k EUR.

It is a showroom bike, 4 km on the odometer...

 

[VtwinStorm]

6 hours ago, p6x said:

I would say, a 900SS is quite a challenger to the V11.

I am sold on the Le Mans, it is really an incredible, exceptional dream on wheels. And.... you can go everywhere with it, it will never let you down, at the side of an empty road.

You know what they say about Porsche? this is also valid for a V11. Nothing runs like one...

 

 

They also sound like a small block V8 on full chat. Very menacing sound when flying by.

[VtwinStorm]

38 minutes ago, p6x said:

@Vtwinstorim

Look at this beauty!!! this will go hand to hand with your 900SS!!! and it is for sale.... although, 15k EUR.

It is a showroom bike, 4 km on the odometer...

 

Why didn't Guzzi build something like this from new? Wow!

[VtwinStorm]

3 hours ago, swooshdave said:

You’re right about the V11 Sport except the gearbox. You’re thinking about the five speed. The six is way different. 

Glad to hear that! The V7 had 6 miles on it at the dealership and I was unimpressed.

[paulnaz]

 This one is over at wild goose chase, no relation disclaimer,  Happy Hunting!       https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=111794.0

  Paul B

[VtwinStorm]

11 minutes ago, paulnaz said:

 This one is over at wild goose chase, no relation disclaimer,  Happy Hunting!       https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=111794.0

  Paul B

Not a member. Signed up, awaiting admin approval. Pics/screenshots in the meantime?