Motorcycles
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Thanks for the info @harley dave
I have ridden a shaft driven bike. It was a V7 racer and i got on just fine with it. I actually loved that bike but there's something about this one that i like. It's being sold by a dealer so i feel like that should give me some comfort. I think it started life as a Nevada and according to them it's a pro build. I'm hoping this could be a nice show bike and something i can learn more about maintenance but i don't want to end up with it on blocks… so to speak.
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That's a nice looking Guzzi @Sam.
My last bike was a BMW, and so I'm used to a shaft drive. The nice thing is that they don't require maintenance like a chain.
My brother runs a Moto Guzzi Griso. He likes it a lot, but it's given him a lot of trouble with the electrics. He says that he uses more batteries than petrol, and it's quite a thirsty bike. I'll see if I can get him to drop by and comment in this thread.
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@Sam:
Thanks for the info @harley dave
I have ridden a shaft driven bike. It was a V7 racer and i got on just fine with it. I actually loved that bike but there's something about this one that i like. It's being sold by a dealer so i feel like that should give me some comfort. I think it started life as a Nevada and according to them it's a pro build. I'm hoping this could be a nice show bike and something i can learn more about maintenance but i don't want to end up with it on blocks… so to speak.
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its a lovely looking bike if you get it (and dont be offended) i would change the tyres as they look like firestones which are very of the moment and retro but are not the greatest tyres ,other than that is a cracking looking bike and there is nothing like the sound of a guzzi and with that exhaust on there i bet that sounds fantastic
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Cheers for the advice @harley dave @Graeme
I wonder why the electrics are so bad on them? I'd hope that the guys who put this together would have looked at that maybe? I'll ask. Apparently it does sound amazing so i'm sure my neighbours will appreciate it
I am still torn, it kept me up last night thinking about it. I would like a cafe racer before i'm too old to handle one but they're not easy to find in the UK. If anyone has any suggestions on where to look i'd be grateful.
I had the same feeling about the tyres @harley dave I like the look but i've always thought of them as car tyres and English whether the way it is i'd be afraid to take it out on anything but a bone dry day. So yeah, I'd definitely want to change them.
hmmm Appreciate the your thoughts on the subject guys.
SP
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@Sam the issue that my brother had is that his Griso kills batteries, and so frequently won't start. He's never found the cause, but with two small children he hasn't had much of a chance to ride it regularly, and it was stored in a cold garage.
He's just moved house, and his new place has power to the garage, so the bike is now plugged into an optimate. It's also been fitted with a fancy lithium battery, which has a three year guarantee, so should save him on replacement costs. Or bankrupt the supplier.
If you PM me your email then I'll ask him to get in touch.
I've currently got a deposit on a new Triumph Thruxton R. That offers a lot of the Café Racer styling, but with modern components, though you'd probably have to raid the options list to get what you're after. But that's likely to cost money.
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Since Graeme uttered the word "Griso" like a strange archangel of doom I have been summonsed.
The V7 is lovely - and that is a stunning example. The motors are just superb, the shaft drive is probably second to none and they ride… oh man... they ride.
However.
The electrics are a bit shonky. The Griso eats batteries - I spend more on them last year and the year before than petrol! I think this was down to a mix of the bike being kept in a remote and deeply cold garage (in the grim north) with no power and hence no optimate. There is also limited time to ride due to munchkins.
Since moving I now have it in a garage, with power and an optimate... and also a shiny new LiFePo4 battery.
Despite my issues with batteries, fuses (I used to carry around a pocket full of assorted fuses when riding - most the gremlins have been found and remedied now) it is probably the sexiest bike on earth.
That said, I am hankering after a Victory Gunner at the moment… for those times that the Guzzi doesn't start
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i love guzzis only the italians can make a bike that has a soul ( nothing after 1978 though) as said before the electrics are ummm iffy to say the least but when they work there great .
FOR SAM . if you really want a guzzi i would get one hang on a minute did you say you had a v7 why did you get rid of it .
best of both worlds new and cafe race style(sort of).
if it was me i would be looking at the new triumphs or even an old bonnie (carb model) and just put some vonzetti bits on there just plug and play and look great .
low investment and you can allways sell the bits when you want to get rid of it -
just going to throw this in to the mix …........................................harley cafe racer :D.nice v twin motor
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Hey guys. Again… thanks for the info!
I've been flip flopping on the whole idea this weekend and i've still not come down 100% on either side.
@harley dave i never actually owned a V7, i just took one for a test ride. I ended up going for the HD 48 instead. Hearing you guys talk about them puts me in the mind of what people say about Alfa Romeo. You're not a car lover until you've owned one. And again with the Italian passion. Why oh why would they make them with such bad electrics though?! Has no one ever written to them to say "oh, BTW your wiring is pants"
@GuzziRob Cheers for your insight. Victory bikes are beasts! Never ridden one but i've had a few pass me and them make you jump! A good sign in my book. I'm a bit more nervous about this bike now as i do not have a garage at all.
I have to say i think i'm tempted to go for the V7 or just wait a bit longer till i can have a proper look. I was just bewitched by that picture i posted. OK, more thought needed!
Cheers guys!
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the v7 would be a better bet dont forget the other guzzi would be nearly 40 years old or so by now
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@Sam:
Why oh why would they make them with such bad electrics though?!!
Because they're Italian. It's kinda their thing.
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It shouldn't be a thing! If electricity starts the bike you make damn sure it's tip top!
@harley dave The bike in the photo is from 1995 so not much older than my Suzuki GSX600 which has done twice the miles. I'm guessing that might not be a good comparison though.
Think i'm going to try and get up and see it. Off to Manchester i go!
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To be fair, the V7 shouldn't be so hard on batteries, smaller engine to try and start. Which also means bump starting the thing should be a whole lot easier (last time I had to push mine half way up Wrynose Pass in the Lakes, freewhile with clutch in until I hit somewhere north of 35mph and then dump the clutch in 3rd.
Locked the back wheel but somehow it managed to move enough to get the damn motor to turn over! Just as well, it would probably still be there if it hadn't started!
If they get ridden enough that isn't going to be such a problem though, and if you live somewhere with a more amenable climate than the Lake District that would probably go in your favour too.
Or just get a spare battery and keep it on a charger in your home
They are such awesome bikes to ride though… even if I do have the urge for a large capacity cruiser at the moment....
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@GuzziRob I believe that @Sam lives in sunny Gosport, which is somewhat warmer and drier than the northern wastes of Cumbria.
I'm going to give Sam another bad idea here. Moto Strada, who are Rob's Guzzi pusher, have a very tasty Café Racer special in stock. They're up in Skipton, so not too far from the other dealer.
It's based on the latest V7 Racer, so more modern than the other Guzzi, and quite a bit more expensive. But it's a lovely looking thing.
Hopefully this doesn't end with @Giles being tapped for a pay rise.
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