Author Topic: 1400 Owners, Please respond  (Read 3478 times)

Offline kballowe

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #30 on: September 15, 2021, 08:47:14 PM »
Same here.  I was smitten with the blue Custom variant. 



I really wanted one of those blue ones.  Never could find one.  I had this 2014 gray custom.  Nice ride.






Offline Moparnut72

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #31 on: September 16, 2021, 07:37:42 AM »
The MGX has got to be awful handful at low speeds.  My Audace is a bit heavy at slow speeds but the MGX with 21" wheel has got to be very bad and reviews I have read confirm this. The Audace has a 17". I looked at an MGX it heavy to just get it off the sidestand. My Audace has been heavy at slow speeds. I thought at some point I was going to have to pass it on, I am old and not getting any younger. I found that the steering was too tight, set properly it is much better. I have gained more time. Yes it has some short comings but when I hit the highway, pure pleasure.
kk

Edit: I lied, my front is 18".
« Last Edit: September 17, 2021, 07:22:40 AM by Moparnut72 »
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Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #32 on: September 16, 2021, 03:46:17 PM »


I really wanted one of those blue ones.  Never could find one.  I had this 2014 gray custom.  Nice ride.





Had as in gone yah?
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Offline Houkster

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #33 on: September 17, 2021, 09:52:51 AM »
Bought a 2016 eldo from florida dealer 2 mo's ago. Finally got it 3 wks ago. Took a 1300mi rt to eureka,ca from ventura. Love it. Been 15 yrs since my last MG. Only problem was rear shocks, can bottom out. Ordered new ones from todd egan.  Had to get use to throwing my legs forward to the floorboards without clipping rear shifter! Learned quickly though. Good to be back. Maybe i'll restart the 'not a rally' rally.

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #33 on: September 17, 2021, 09:52:51 AM »

Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #34 on: September 17, 2021, 12:50:44 PM »
 :thumb:
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Offline TN Mark

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #35 on: September 17, 2021, 12:55:25 PM »
Bought a 2016 eldo from florida dealer 2 mo's ago. Finally got it 3 wks ago. Took a 1300mi rt to eureka,ca from ventura. Love it. Been 15 yrs since my last MG. Only problem was rear shocks, can bottom out. Ordered new ones from todd egan.  Had to get use to throwing my legs forward to the floorboards without clipping rear shifter! Learned quickly though. Good to be back. Maybe i'll restart the 'not a rally' rally.

Congratulations to you on your new Eldorado 1400. IMHO, the most beautiful Moto Guzzi, ever.

Offline ff73148

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #36 on: September 17, 2021, 01:54:03 PM »


Frank Ferrante
2016 Eldorado
2022 Can Am Spyder RT Limited

Offline pebra

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #37 on: September 18, 2021, 01:10:56 PM »
Bought a 2016 eldo from florida dealer 2 mo's ago. Finally got it 3 wks ago. Took a 1300mi rt to eureka,ca from ventura. Love it. Been 15 yrs since my last MG. Only problem was rear shocks, can bottom out. Ordered new ones from todd egan.  Had to get use to throwing my legs forward to the floorboards without clipping rear shifter! Learned quickly though. Good to be back. Maybe i'll restart the 'not a rally' rally.

Howdy, welcome (back) and how about some photos?

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Offline guzziken15

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #38 on: September 18, 2021, 08:52:38 PM »




    I have a 2014 custom with an upgraded Matris suspension front and rear, Touring bags ( they leak) and a sport screen. I get thirties commuting, high forties to over 50 on the freeway. Adequate power. It doesn’t like sitting in hot weather in traffic. I have nearly 26,000 miles on it.

Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #39 on: September 19, 2021, 10:13:34 AM »
Beautiful GuzziKen15!
How much heat does she put out in hot weather? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being minimal.
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Offline roadventure

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #40 on: September 19, 2021, 01:19:03 PM »
I am severly smitten with the 1400, ok I said it and my addiction has been spoken for all to hear.  :bike-037:

Anywho, I would like to hear the good, bad and the ugly about this mount. Don’t need Luap’s hour story recounted though!  :lipsrsealed:

So let me know likes, dislikes, model differences, year over year preferences, would you buy again etc.

Thanks in advance
inditx

The only negative I found was the exhaust crossover design.  Fixed it using the Todd's H-Pipe replacement.

I currently have one for sale....

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2014-Moto+Guzzi-CALIFORNIA+1400+TOURING-5017739768/?cmp=email_cycle_paa_posted

Let me know if interested.

dave
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Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #41 on: September 19, 2021, 09:36:25 PM »
Thanks Dave, I’ll take a peak.
Might be too early to pull the trigger but you never know.
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Offline Bpreynolds2

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #42 on: September 20, 2021, 05:58:41 AM »
Completely and utterly smitten with its looks, I bought kballowe’s 2016 Eldo and drove it for about 3k or more miles.  It remains one of the most gorgeous bikes I’ve ever owned; however, among the 11 or more Geese I’ve had in the last 18 years of driving it was sadly maybe my very least favorite of all of them.  That’s not to say I think it is a bad bike; rather, just one that didn’t seem to suit me very well.  A lot of this is/was subjective.  Even with mid controls they felt too far forward for me and my lower back would start barking after only about 40 minutes in the saddle.  I struggled with various screens to try and make it more of a “touring” rig but everything I seemed to use just elicited more turbulence and so forth.  It had the 17” front wheel so it did handle well for its size; yet, I’m just being honest, “well for its size” was still not something I personally enjoyed as I could run circles around it on a twisty road with nearly any of the four 1100 Calis (also cruisers) I previously owned, and those were much more fun to drive per se.  The Norge and Stelvio were better touring rigs for me and other than it being completely gorgeous I could not figure why I needed the 1400 over any of those other tools.  I loved it best parked in front of my garage while sipping bourbon and gazing at it in lurid fashion.  The 1400 is, to me, a sharp looking motorcycle in that genre and the Eldo, to me, is the star super model of that line.  I just didn’t gel with it much at all.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2021, 06:56:20 AM by Bpreynolds2 »
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Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #43 on: September 20, 2021, 09:15:33 AM »
Thanks sir, I appreciate your candor.

I rode one, albeit a short ride, and I found the feet too far forward as well. Reminded me of my Vulcan Mean Streak and I, like you, had a sore back in no time at all.

But they are beautiful bikes and I’m sure great mounts for some.
Much appreciated.  :thumb:
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Offline Guzziman22

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #44 on: September 21, 2021, 10:16:11 AM »
Recently bought a 2014 Cali 1400 with 6k miles on it.  Beware, it's top heavy and a handful in close quarters.  I am dealing with the dreaded throttle hang issue now.  Also, since I'm old, I don't care for the Agostini pipes and would gladly trade someone for stock muffs.  Another issue is the display backlighting.  So dim most of the time (at any of the 3 settings) it's unreadable.  I still haven't adjusted to the radical idle.  It idles like a home depot paint mixer!

Overall, just be aware that it's a touring bike, not an urban sprinter.

Offline vintagehoarder

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #45 on: September 22, 2021, 10:44:12 AM »




    I have a 2014 custom with an upgraded Matris suspension front and rear, Touring bags ( they leak) and a sport screen. I get thirties commuting, high forties to over 50 on the freeway. Adequate power. It doesn’t like sitting in hot weather in traffic. I have nearly 26,000 miles on it.

When these bikes cam out the leaky bags were discussed a lot, the leakage occurs where the two piece bag seams meet.  Someone cam up with this, products.  I applied to those seams in 2014 and not a leak since and have been in some pretty heavy rain.  Check it out.

I found it easier to take the bags off, lay them on a towel, and then thoroughly coat all inside seams.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OR5PHW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Offline Ben Siefker

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #46 on: September 29, 2021, 07:59:04 PM »
I just recently purchased a 2018 California Touring with 6250 miles on it.  Since I have had it I have put over
a 1000 miles on it.  It is heavy at parking lot speeds, but handles great at speeds higher than 25mph. 
The 1400 has plenty of power and low end torque and is very smooth on the highway.  The seat is very comfortable
and my girlfriend finds the passenger seat comfortable as well.  The floating floorboard treads transmit no vibration to the feet, but they could be larger. I like to stretch my legs out further in front of me and run out of room.
Many have mentioned that the 1400 runs hot and mine is no exception.   On a 90° day it is uncomfortable as heat just rolls from the cylinder heads and gas tank.  Mine seems to run about 40°- 50° hotter on the right cylinder than the left.
The bike does a really good job of absorbing bumps and I haven't bottomed the shocks out, even riding two up.  I weigh 220lbs.  The bike looks beautiful, runs smooth, and handles great on the road.  So far I haven't been disappointed with anything other than the heat issue.

Offline ff73148

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #47 on: September 29, 2021, 08:29:55 PM »
I just recently purchased a 2018 California Touring with 6250 miles on it.  Since I have had it I have put over
a 1000 miles on it.  It is heavy at parking lot speeds, but handles great at speeds higher than 25mph. 
The 1400 has plenty of power and low end torque and is very smooth on the highway.  The seat is very comfortable
and my girlfriend finds the passenger seat comfortable as well.  The floating floorboard treads transmit no vibration to the feet, but they could be larger. I like to stretch my legs out further in front of me and run out of room.
Many have mentioned that the 1400 runs hot and mine is no exception.   On a 90° day it is uncomfortable as heat just rolls from the cylinder heads and gas tank.  Mine seems to run about 40°- 50° hotter on the right cylinder than the left.
The bike does a really good job of absorbing bumps and I haven't bottomed the shocks out, even riding two up.  I weigh 220lbs.  The bike looks beautiful, runs smooth, and handles great on the road.  So far I haven't been disappointed with anything other than the heat issue.

Ben,
When was the last time this bike was serviced? I would check the valve setting on the right cylinder if it's running that hot.
Frank Ferrante
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2022 Can Am Spyder RT Limited

Offline moto-uno

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #48 on: September 30, 2021, 06:34:52 PM »



  My new 2018 Eldorado , man I love this bike . Did however make a few changes early on. First was to try my
 hand at making saddles , the stock passenger one was a bit of a joke ( looked good though ) , my better half
can now ride for hours without pain . Next to go were the rear shocks .The most I can say for them was , the
rear wheel did move up and down , and we'll leave it at that . Floor boards were next , not really bad , but I
preferred my feet further back , also removed the heel shifter , not a fan of them .
  Low speed was not the motors forte , a Booster plug improved that noticeably , but I thought it could be a bit
better and went for a "Beetle" map , that was what it wanted all along . It's still not a motor to lug around with
and try to short shift in spite of it's displacement . Loves to be wound out a bit and then shifts a treat .
   Not particularly fuel efficient , but I can get 300km out of a tank . The acceleration up through the mountains
here in B.C is a smile generating thrill , (and my wife locks her arms around me) , the faster it goes,the quicker
it gets  :grin: . 18,000km and the tires still look barely used .
   I added Koso Apollo heated grips , really nice when it's barely 10 degrees celcius , they were no small struggle
to install over the throttle tube though .
   Did I say it was drop dead gorgeous !  Peter

Offline Kiwi Dave

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #49 on: September 30, 2021, 08:00:54 PM »


I really wanted one of those blue ones.  Never could find one.  I had this 2014 gray custom.  Nice ride.





That was the color of my first Cali 1400.  I purchased it before I flew to California; registered 08 May 2013.  I claimed the first purchase in the USA.  Let me know if you were earlier.

The silver paint job sucked.  It was semi soft and tended to collect near the bottom of the tank.  A Monday morning job in the factory.  No warranty for this I was told.




This photo was taken up Angeles Crest, immediately after I picked it up from the dealer.




This is the same bike at Bluff in New Zealand.  I was there for the Burt Munro Challenge.




And this after the new paint job shortly afterwards.  Modeled after the colors of a '70 Triumph Bonneville I once owned.  Wished I still had it.

Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #50 on: September 30, 2021, 08:29:12 PM »



  My new 2018 Eldorado , man I love this bike . Did however make a few changes early on. First was to try my
 hand at making saddles , the stock passenger one was a bit of a joke ( looked good though ) , my better half
can now ride for hours without pain . Next to go were the rear shocks .The most I can say for them was , the
rear wheel did move up and down , and we'll leave it at that . Floor boards were next , not really bad , but I
preferred my feet further back , also removed the heel shifter , not a fan of them .
  Low speed was not the motors forte , a Booster plug improved that noticeably , but I thought it could be a bit
better and went for a "Beetle" map , that was what it wanted all along . It's still not a motor to lug around with
and try to short shift in spite of it's displacement . Loves to be wound out a bit and then shifts a treat .
   Not particularly fuel efficient , but I can get 300km out of a tank . The acceleration up through the mountains
here in B.C is a smile generating thrill , (and my wife locks her arms around me) , the faster it goes,the quicker
it gets  :grin: . 18,000km and the tires still look barely used .
   I added Koso Apollo heated grips , really nice when it's barely 10 degrees celcius , they were no small struggle
to install over the throttle tube though .
   Did I say it was drop dead gorgeous !  Peter

Nice moto-uno!
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Offline inditx

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #51 on: September 30, 2021, 08:30:31 PM »
That was the color of my first Cali 1400.  I purchased it before I flew to California; registered 08 May 2013.  I claimed the first purchase in the USA.  Let me know if you were earlier.

The silver paint job sucked.  It was semi soft and tended to collect near the bottom of the tank.  A Monday morning job in the factory.  No warranty for this I was told.




This photo was taken up Angeles Crest, immediately after I picked it up from the dealer.




This is the same bike at Bluff in New Zealand.  I was there for the Burt Munro Challenge.




And this after the new paint job shortly afterwards.  Modeled after the colors of a '70 Triumph Bonneville I once owned.  Wished I still had it.

Saweeet! Kiwi Dave!
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Offline bulwnkl

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #52 on: October 07, 2021, 09:02:33 PM »

Many have mentioned that the 1400 runs hot and mine is no exception.   On a 90° day it is uncomfortable as heat just rolls from the cylinder heads and gas tank.


Crud. I remain SUPER attracted to the 1400s, and am looking for a 2-up touring (but my wife and I both love twisties) bike. However, southern AZ is ludicrously hot, so this might still be a deal-breaker.

Is this a characteristic of all Guzzis, or is it radically worse on the 1400s?

Offline Tom

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #53 on: October 07, 2021, 09:12:40 PM »
Where AZ are you?  I didn't notice any additional heat.  For a big bike it handles well.  Not a problem going up South Mountain to the tv antennas or over to Tortilla Flats.  I don't drive my Cal 1400 Touring.  Going through Salt River Canyon was not a problem. 
From the Deep Deep South out in left field.  There are no stupid questions.  There are however stupid people asking questions.  🤣, this includes me.  😉

Offline bulwnkl

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #54 on: October 07, 2021, 09:41:35 PM »
I’m off the west edge of the PHX metro, but work roughly south of Sky Harbor.

Im not sure I understand your comment about not driving the California.

Offline moto-uno

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #55 on: October 07, 2021, 11:20:24 PM »
 The heat from the motor is a non-issue , unless you spend most of your time in town .
 On the road it's carried away with the breeze . I know , I rode mine to Lytton ,B.C this summer
 and the temp (in the shade was 46 degrees celcius) and there's no shade on the roads in
 and out of that burned out community .  Peter

Offline guzziken15

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #56 on: October 14, 2021, 11:25:53 PM »
Beautiful GuzziKen15!
How much heat does she put out in hot weather? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being minimal.
inditx

   The intakes get hot in stop and go traffic but the engine doesn't put out as much heat as my old Honda ST1100 or my Ducati ST4S when the fan kicks on. When moving heat is a non-issue. I let the fan for the oil cooler run until it quits after a ride
on a hot day.

Guzziken

Offline RCraft

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Re: 1400 Owners, Please respond
« Reply #57 on: October 15, 2021, 07:11:38 AM »
Bought a new 1400 in 2014 and have almost 90k and still going strong. Bought it in the first place because it was the most comfortable bike I could find. Love it so much I bought an Audace to keep it company. Very p[leased with both bikes.

 

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