EICMA 2024 November 7th - November 10th Milano Italia; what new or reheated model should we expect from Moto Guzzi?

[audiomick]

14 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

How fing ugly is that active cruise control radar box on the front! Like an after thought, Seriously.

Phil

I had to go looking for what you meant. When I saw it, the first thought was "Dalek".

[PJPR01]

4 hours ago, Bill Hagan said:

I felt similarly, Pete, about the V85 line for several years.  The Jurassic Park beak and more were first-class "No Fornicating Way" warstoppers for me.

I feel very differently now that I own one.

 

 

It's not that I especially like its looks -- tho I have become fond enough of it to overlook its "defects" of that sort -- but it is, for me, at least, a joy to ride.  It does almost nothing (that I have found) better than any other motorcycle, but it does everything in a singularly compliant and pleasant way.  

Bill

I saw a Guardia d'Onore model in the Encinitas showroom back in July.  Quite a good looking bike indeed.  Doesn't seem as "wide" visually as a Stelvio with the rear bags, very purposeful.  I'd be tempted to try one out, but I'm out of room in the garage...4 bikes and I can't even contemplate getting rid of any of them. Yours is setup quite nicely!

Edited November 8 by PJPR01

[docc]

Of everything shown this year, I found myself liking the Royal Enfield Classic 650, especially the teal. Looks "just so." 

Yet, weighing in like a V11 with half the  horsepower drains my enthusiasm. 

[guzzler]

30 minutes ago, docc said:

Of everything shown this year, I found myself liking the Royal Enfield Classic 650, especially the teal. Looks "just so." 

Yet, weighing in like a V11 with half the  horsepower drains my enthusiasm. 

I just saw these the other day and agree they do look good, especially in the teal colour!

Often thought if I could ever have a second bike a 500 bullet in teal would be great for the back roads round here as they are very like rural England in many spots, but these are no more. This 650 could be good too!

Hoi lottery gods....I'm getting tired o waiting for my numbers to come up!!

Cheers 

[guzzler]

5 hours ago, PJPR01 said:

A modern day Greenie!

Think I'll stick with my old one....V11 that is.

Although, maybe with a seat hump, clip ons and a wee fairing oh and some decent pipes if the current greenie gets too much as the years march on!

I won't give her up easily though....

Cheers 

[Lucky Phil]

40 minutes ago, docc said:

Of everything shown this year, I found myself liking the Royal Enfield Classic 650, especially the teal. Looks "just so." 

Yet, weighing in like a V11 with half the  horsepower drains my enthusiasm. 

You know docc you forget how overrated horsepower is until you get on something like the RE. I'm sure your GB500 with slightly less hp/lb compared to my RE650 with the same engine is fun to ride is it not.

Phil

[audiomick]

1 hour ago, Lucky Phil said:

... you forget how overrated horsepower is until you get on something like the RE...

A couple of years back, before I bought the V11 Le Mans and the Breva 750, I was tossing up about my motorcycle situation, and whether it made sense to keep the Kawasaki 1000 GTR. One of the things I did was a back to  back comparison of the GTR with the V35 Imola over the same stretch of country road. I came to the conclusion that, while it was nice to have the possibility of using the 98 hp that the GTR had, I wasn't actually using more than the 30-odd (on a good day) hp that the Imola has.

Ok, the Imola weighs a bit over half of what the GTR weighs, and that is to be taken into account. Even so, the little 350 Guzzi motor is really a lot of fun. 3 times the horsepower is also fun, but you don't need it to have fun.

Having said that, I wouldn't have an Enfield. Don't like parallel twins. Never did, never will.

[docc]

1 hour ago, Lucky Phil said:

You know docc you forget how overrated horsepower is until you get on something like the RE. I'm sure your GB500 with slightly less hp/lb compared to my RE650 with the same engine is fun to ride is it not.

Phil

Yah, I thought about that comparison. If power-to-weight ratio could be an indicator, the GB is about 75% that of the V11 and that new (heavy) RE 650 is about half.

Not sure what all makes this new Enfield so much heavier, but apparently it is. One of the reviewers said, "The Indians like their metal!"

[Lucky Phil]

4 hours ago, docc said:

Yah, I thought about that comparison. If power-to-weight ratio could be an indicator, the GB is about 75% that of the V11 and that new (heavy) RE 650 is about half.

Not sure what all makes this new Enfield so much heavier, but apparently it is. One of the reviewers said, "The Indians like their metal!"

So docc by my calculations the GB500 @170kg DRY and 39hp has a power to weight of 4.3kg/hp

The RE @230kg DRY and 47hp has a power to weight of 4.89kg/hp BUT the RE 650 makes a lot more torque than the GB500. 41nm @ 5500 rpm V 52nm @5650rpm. The RE would feel a way faster ride and you can shed 12kg off the RE with a $750usd full exhaust system and make more power still. Plus the 650 twin is silky smooth and has less vibes than the V11. 

Phil  

[Lucky Phil]

4 hours ago, audiomick said:

A couple of years back, before I bought the V11 Le Mans and the Breva 750, I was tossing up about my motorcycle situation, and whether it made sense to keep the Kawasaki 1000 GTR. One of the things I did was a back to  back comparison of the GTR with the V35 Imola over the same stretch of country road. I came to the conclusion that, while it was nice to have the possibility of using the 98 hp that the GTR had, I wasn't actually using more than the 30-odd (on a good day) hp that the Imola has.

Ok, the Imola weighs a bit over half of what the GTR weighs, and that is to be taken into account. Even so, the little 350 Guzzi motor is really a lot of fun. 3 times the horsepower is also fun, but you don't need it to have fun.

Having said that, I wouldn't have an Enfield. Don't like parallel twins. Never did, never will.

Nor did I until they got smart people designing them.

Phil

[docc]

12 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

So docc by my calculations the GB500 @170kg DRY and 39hp has a power to weight of 4.3kg/hp

The RE @230kg DRY and 47hp has a power to weight of 4.89kg/hp BUT the RE 650 makes a lot more torque than the GB500. 41nm @ 5500 rpm V 52nm @5650rpm. The RE would feel a way faster ride and you can shed 12kg off the RE with a $750usd full exhaust system and make more power still. Plus the 650 twin is silky smooth and has less vibes than the V11. 

Phil  

Good point on the torque.

[p6x]

 

[docc]

So, just some musings as EICMA 2024 comes to a close.

First, thanks to everyone here who has shared images and videos.

Most especially our  Man on the Scene, @v11_meticcio !

In particolare il nostro  uomo sulla scena, @v11_meticcio !

While Moto Guzzi, predictably, did not offer anything new, they did have a spacious and well appointed display. I recall the introduction of the entirely new V85TT as a single bike in a faux desert scene complete with a big plastic camel. Not even a bored-looking girl on the sand.

FWIW, I like the Guzzi line. I think it has a lot to offer the broader audience without becoming a clone of the greater market. I see what looks like some nice fit and finish and an admirable effort to retain brand identity.  I see Piaggio's "Travel" assignment for Moto Guzzi's brand purpose coming through, yet with a lot of very approachable models for the younger riders as well as those of us that may consider a smaller displacement, lighter and smaller bike at some point.

Sure, I am a little disappointed the "V7 Sport" moniker got pasted to a cooking V7 even though I appreciate the brake an fork improvements. Maybe some clip-ons and more "V7 Racer" style rear-sets would have been in order. Without the rubber footpegs that hardly say "Sport."

That said, I do like the light blue V7Sport. It has a lot of nice touches and details, IMO . . .

I particularly like the V100 Mandello in rosso/nero with the winglets veiled by the graphics. Nice looking bike with the gold accents.  "Wind Tunnel ", baby!

https://www.motoguzzi.com/en_EN/landing-page/v100mandello-wind-tunnel/

 

 

[audiomick]

37 minutes ago, docc said:

 I see what looks like some nice fit and finish and an admirable effort to retain brand identity.

Indeed.

I don't really expect Moto Guzzi to bring out any "serious" sport models in the foreseeable future. Aprilia is the designated Marque for that in the Piaggio concern. The best we can hope for is a "sport classic" or "retro sport" like the Paul Smart Ducati model a while back. Still, I would be happy to see that, even if I probably couldn't afford to buy one.

Edited November 10 by audiomick

[docc]

The last Moto Guzzi EICMA display/introduction that got me motivated, 1997  . . .