Romancing with Guzzis

[mkmd555]

I have been an admirer Moto Guzzis for ages. Like a peeping Tom, I have admired them in a perverse and yet loving ways.

However, I always stayed clear of Guzzis, because these bikes are like buxom ladies who look good, but unsuitable for marriage (To my mind, the Guzzi designers have conjured up the cylinders shape like protruding breasts, which attract unwary buyers.)

Beemers are an engineering feat, but Guzzis really look great. It is romanticism vs. rationalism

Yours truly is dreaming of a Guzzi Griso. Has anyone had the experience of Guzzis? How do they compare with oilheads?

The Guzzi site talks about ‘soul” "personality” "spirit” and other subjective ideas. I want to know facts.

Regards

M khan

[arbik]

My friend....

you are hitting the nail right on the head, but you dont know what you're fooling with....
I own two Moto Guzzis, as well as my R1150R Rockster.

The beemer, is my wife. Feels solid, dependable, and fun. Its that german woman...that treats you well, but never blows your mind away in the sack.
The guzzis....are my mistresses. Out of this world fun, exciting, and full of charm, spite and character. Its like that Italian mistress that can give you an ungodly amount of worldly pleasure, but if not happy, can cut off body parts, and be full of spite and fire.

I always take the beemer on longer trips, or when I HAVE to be somewhere.
I always take the Guzzis on Sunday rides, and short fun rides, as the feel, is indescribable. On the flip side, the Guzzis require a lot of attention to "setup" and "sort out", as well as upkeep.

Now....with the Griso....you're coming pretty close to having it all. The Griso, which my buddy has, and I've ridden quite a bit, is an amazing motorcycle, and while it may require a little more attention than a beemer...its definitely worth it.

You should not have a single Guzzi, as your sole motorcycle, but if you can have two bikes, one should be a guzzi...
....go for it, and live it up..., you only live once, and you *need* to experiance this...

cheers!!

-arbi

[frbank6]

Funny you would ask about this now...I've been reading about the Griso since all this spline business cropped up. It sure is an attractive bike. And just as I started paying attention to them, I noticed Ewan McGregor was riding one for a bit in the first episode of Long Way Down. It sure is an eyecatcher.

Only one thing keeps me away...their dealer network is pathetic. Only one dealer in my state and he's 200 miles away. We had a dealer, but he went under and nobody has picked up the line.

Sorry I can't help with facts. I've never seen one on the road, but I have an older friend who has had them off and on over the years and says they are good, but underrated, bikes.

[arbik]

As far as facts...here is the deal.

If you get a Guzzi, be prepared for VERY poor dealer support, and shoddy parts network.
on the plus side, its a brotherhood of owners, and everyone helps everyone out. There are good aftermarket parts suppliers for them, and very knowledgeable community, since well, everyone who owns one, wrenches on it themselves.

-arbi

[CycleRob]

If I ever abandon BMW, 1100 Breva is where I'll go. "They've come a long way baby" since the old days, but the dealer network is sparse. I rode a really old one some 30+ years ago and was blown away by the amazing V-8 sounds the exhaust made. Working on it was easy too, but that was then.

This is now, the 1100 Grizo

[wncbmw]

I also have toyed with the Guzzi idea. But if you think the BMW dealer network is bad, wait until you try a Guzzi! A local shop had them, along with Ducati and Triumph but dropped them due to problems with the financing for the dealer to stock the bikes and horrible parts service. We are talking months to get routine parts!

For now, I will just admire the bikes, not buy one.

BTW, my flesh and blood wife refers to the Roadster as the 'Metal Mistress'!

[GypsyRR]

Hmmmm. I wanted to post just this:

But.......

I too toyed with the idea of a Griso, but not for the same aesthetic reasons as the OP or arbik. I guess not only is beauty in the eye of the beholder, but so is imagination. It was the strong muscular look of the bike that first took my breath away.

[Rog(UK) - Yorkshire Dales]

Arbi's right; the BMW is your wife, but if you have a Guzzi, it's your mistress.

I have a Guzzi convert, which is a bit of an oddball, having a two-speed gearbox (only one of which can be used when in motion) plus a torque converter. It's like a big scooter and is a hoot.

Most of my miles on Guzzis were, however, covered on a 1994 Spada 111. - that is until a Range Rover decided to turn directly across me after allowing the three cars in fron of me to pass him. I managed to end up with a mangled arm (I was lucky!) but the Moto Guzzi had a last snap at the Range Rover by knocking off its front wheel and sump. That bike was a beauty. It was sooooooo easy to service and was totally reliable. Those bikes up to 1995 are bombproof.

Whilst I throughly enjoy riding my Rockster, I do feel that it is a little bland. It does everything very competently. The Spada just made me smile every time I rode it! - ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. I never tired of it's sound. Yes, it only had 72 bhp compared to the 85 of the Rockster, but the difference really was not evident. As has been said so many times, if you want power, go for a Gixer or Kwacker or Speed Triple.....there are plenty to choose from.

If you want a bike which will makes you feel that all is well with the world, a Guzzi is one of the more sensible choices - and at the moment, with all the talk on spline failure, I've started hankering after another Spada or Strada.

Ride safely,

Rog

[Dr. Strangelove]

If the Guzzi is the mistress, I suggest the real thing; Italian or other.

You don't need a "mistress" that requires someone else to work on her.

I have never owned a Guzzi; 5th ammendment on the other; of the two I'll take my chances on flesh and blood.

John

[Entropyd]

>>If the Guzzi is the mistress, I suggest the real thing; Italian or other.
You don't need a "mistress" that requires someone else to work on her.
I have never owned a Guzzi; 5th ammendment on the other; of the two I'll take my chances on flesh and blood.<<

Are the two mutually exclusive? Can I have both?

[CRazyCam]

I have a Guzzi convert, which is a bit of an oddball, having a two-speed gearbox (only one of which can be used when in motion) plus a torque converter. It's like a big scooter and is a hoot.

Hi Rog.

I am very jealous!

It's not oddball, at all, it's a perfectly sensible bike to have, and I need one in my garage.

regards,CrazyCam