Introductions thread...Introduce yourself to the group !

[Bill Hagan]

Hi
My name is Frank AKA Francis
from Alberta ,canuckland
ex military
heavy equip. op
been riding since 75
I do most of my wrenching,so far


I figure I should educate myself before/or not, pulling the trigger on a new 1400 touring guzzi
hence the reason why I'm here ,thanks in advance for letting me roam around! 

I own

Sporty
750 four Honda
and soon hopefully a 1400 touring

Howdy.

Spent three weeks on a bike (of the pedaling kind!   ) in Alberta back in ... oh, never mind. 

Anyway, recalling that -- especially the vast distances -- and borrowing my brother's Touring, I think you will really like that machine.

Best,

Bill

[Toecutter]

Hello,

Name's Rod, I'm a 42 year old Inventory and Supply Manager for oilfield camps, and I live in Alberta, Canada.

First bike when I was 8/9 , and I've been wrenching and riding since. Big SOHC CB750 enthusiast, have one that was a daily rider up until last Thursday, plus three other projects. I also own a 72 Cb350, which is being rebuilt by my wife, and '67 CL90 with 2100 original miles on the clock, been with Honda since my first XL80S, until now. I purchased a 2014 V7 Special, and this is my first dip into the Moto Guzzi world.

I am 100% smitten with this bike, and I'm here to ensure that it is a long and wonderful relationship. Picked it up late last Thursday, spent Friday doing 200 km of in-city break in, did a 700 km round trip with my wife on the back on Saturday/ Sunday, and doing my first service tonight when I get home.

I do all my own service, but working on this bike is different than working an my old inline 4... so I'm bound to have a lot of questions. Please be patient with me.

 

[Lannis]

Hello,

Name's Rod, I'm a 42 year old Inventory and Supply Manager for oilfield camps, and I live in Alberta, Canada.

First bike when I was 8/9 , and I've been wrenching and riding since. Big SOHC CB750 enthusiast, have one that was a daily rider up until last Thursday, plus three other projects. I also own a 72 Cb350, which is being rebuilt by my wife, and '67 CL90 with 2100 original miles on the clock, been with Honda since my first XL80S, until now. I purchased a 2014 V7 Special, and this is my first dip into the Moto Guzzi world.

I am 100% smitten with this bike, and I'm here to ensure that it is a long and wonderful relationship. Picked it up late last Thursday, spent Friday doing 200 km of in-city break in, did a 700 km round trip with my wife on the back on Saturday/ Sunday, and doing my first service tonight when I get home.

I do all my own service, but working on this bike is different than working an my old inline 4... so I'm bound to have a lot of questions. Please be patient with me.

We'd love to know your impressions of just HOW this Guzzi is different than working on the inline Fours you are familiar with.   I'm sure some parts will be MORE frustrating (servicing the clutch, for example) and some much LESS (checking and adjusting valve lash).

The final drive may be a long-term trade-off - the chain and sprockets require servicing at shorter intervals but even a complete replacement is a minor job - the shaft doesn't need anything but oil changes until it goes bad, then there's wailing and gnashing of teeth ....

Good luck!

Lannis

[Toecutter]

Lannis...

Well, after doing the 1000km service, I will say this...

holy crap that's the easiest valve adjustment I've ever done.

Found the fluid change to be a bit of the PITA. Not difficult, but definitely messy. Also have discovered that the "shop manuals" are pretty confusing.

I'm used to listening to every little noise when I ride, too, and I'm coming to realize that the Guzzi is just... noisy. Sounds that would send me running to the garage with the CB750 seem to be just... normal... with this bike.

[Lannis]

Lannis...

Well, after doing the 1000km service, I will say this...

holy crap that's the easiest valve adjustment I've ever done.

Found the fluid change to be a bit of the PITA. Not difficult, but definitely messy. Also have discovered that the "shop manuals" are pretty confusing.

I'm used to listening to every little noise when I ride, too, and I'm coming to realize that the Guzzi is just... noisy. Sounds that would send me running to the garage with the CB750 seem to be just... normal... with this bike.

I love my Stelvio every time I

1)  Check the valve lash

2)  Change a rear tire

Easiest bike in the world for those things.

I hate any Guzzi compared to an inline 4 every time I have to work on the clutch, though .....

Lannis

[wannaGuzzi]

My name is Arndt, age 51, 6'5", from Los Angeles.  I'm a Financial Analyst.

Current bike: DL 650 V-Strom (Suzuki)
Next bike: some Guzzi.  I'm here to learn about MG bikes before I buy one.

Dream come true bike: the new Audace!!!

[wannaGuzzi]

My name is Arndt, age 51, 6'5", from Los Angeles.  I'm a Financial Analyst.

Current bike: DL 650 V-Strom (Suzuki)
Next bike: some Guzzi.  I'm here to learn about MG bikes before I buy one.

Dream come true bike: the new Audace!!!

Oh!  And hello everybody!  Thanks for having me.   

[oldbike54]

Oh!  And hello everybody!  Thanks for having me.   

 Well dangit , you're welcome 

  Dusty

[ecavoli]

Hi all,
I'm Eric, 42, in Wethersfield, CT
I'm an ad writer, please forgive me.
I've been riding a BMW F650 but always wanted a classic. Always wanted a Guzzi.
Got both in a 75 850T
Board has been a great resource, thanks!

[ecavoli]

sorry, still figuring out the image posting...

[Bjorn Are Stolen]

Hello, I'm a 40 year old, have owned Guzzis since I was 17, only 3. The first one was a v50 that I had a lot of fun with, putting on a clip-on. Then I bought a Lario when I was 20 years old. It have been extensively used, and -yes, I've had the obligatoric crash of the engine, but I believe it was caused by the gearbox jumping out of 5th gear. Then last autumn, I stumbeled across a 1100 Sport Corsa, and bought it on impulse, starting to try and sell the Lario. It has proven very hard, it does have a bad reputation  -So now I've decided to strip it down, and make a café-racer out of it in stead.

I have never been tinkering much on my Guzzi's, I had an uncle that used to be a MC-mechanic, so all major problems I had him take care of. But now he has sadly passed away, so this will be the first time I actually pick a guzzi apart.

[duncan]

Hello all, been reading along for a while and finally convinced Luap to allow me to sign up ;)

Rolled into the guzzi world a good decade ago and have not looked back. Started out by getting a V7 850GT, but now have a collection of various big and smallblocks, loops and tonti's and getting into single cylinders. Takes up most of my free time keeping them all running, but that's all fine with me, I can think of worse ways to spend time.

[Mikkilicious]

Hello all, new guzzi owner from the Kansas City, Mo area.
My name is Mikki, im 33, and this is my first motorcycle. Grew up on the back of Harleys, but when i saw this one i fell in love.
Its a 2004 Breva 750.
Im stoked.
Finished the safety class this week, ordered new tires that will be here next week, then gonna change all the fluids and get to riding.
Look forward to eaves dropping on all your conversations in the future.

[thechief86]

Hi! I'm Eric, and this winter I bought a low mileage Breva 750! I've had several bikes, most faster than this one by a lot,
but the Breva remains my favorite bike I've ever owned. I have Hepco & Becker hard bags on it, bar end mirrors, and although I have 2 different windshields for it, I run without one because I guess I'm too tall to avoid the buffeting I get from the wind coming over the top.
So far I've ridden this bike about 500-600 miles a week on average, and now that I'm close to 8k miles, the final drive is leaking between the wheel and swingarm. It only leaks when I ride faster than 75mph for an extended period, and only puts a few drops on the wheel and a thin film on the hub, and only when the temp is above 90* F. (The vent is not clogged)
This is my primary means of transportation, so I need to fix that asap.
Anyway, here are a few pics of my bike:

[Muzz]

More Baby B's!

Yes, there are more powerful bikes but they are a very enjoyable ride and guaranteed to put a smile on your dial.

[HardAspie]

I remember those days. Dang, there I am realizing my age again!

[BELISA8@BIGPOND.COM]

Hi all,
Bill Marshall
Mech Engineer
Perth Australia
60
Sort of hooked on V7 Sports

71 V7 Sport
72 V7 Sport
73 V7 Sport
74 V7 Sport

[11201ny]

Hey!
I'm brand spanking new to this forum. Just about to drop some $$ on a V7 ii Stone ABS.

From Brooklyn, NY
42

[Wazonga]

Good evening All,

Calling in from the Netherlands, where I have been the happy owner of a V75/4 for about 14 years.

Bought the bike with a broken left exhaust valve, but hey, it only cost a few hundred Euros, and the battery and both tyres were new, so, I thought, how could this possibly be a bad deal? :)  It had run about 20,000 km's at the time.

Spent around a year repairing & improving the bike: found myself a fresh cylinder & piston, repaired the head, fitted new valves, different springs, built myself a 14 mm camshaft with an oil passage, added oil-cooling to the heads, built a microcontroller-based replacement for the motoplat boxes, re-jetted the carbs with the aid of a lambda-sensor in the exhaust, fitted an upgraded oil pump, and happily run the bike everywhere since then. Took it to Portugal once (I am based in the Netherlands), and to Mandello Dell Lario. The bike has been absolute fun to drive, and I have grown somewhat attached to it. Never missed a beat, and for a long time I thought I had the 4-valve problem 'solved', until last week, that is, when, with just over 85,000 km's on the odo, and without much warning, I find myself looking for a new piston once again.... :)

Read a lot of the enthousiastic posts on this forum from Lario and V75/4 owners, So I thought this must be the place to meet others similarly afflicted. :)

Regards,

Arnoud, Vught, The Netherlands.

[MG McANICK]

First, I'd like to say that this forum seems to offer much more than the other Moto Guzzi forum I found.  Over here, there are dozens, if not hundreds of new posts daily.

My internet handle, MG McAnick,  is in reference to my 48 year affair with the MG automobile, not Moto Guzzis.  (What's the plural of Guzzi anyway?)  I guess that makes me officially old. I can take most of my MGA apart, and reassemble it,  without referencing a book. It has broken that many times over the years.

I'm new to Moto Guzzi and have a lot to learn.  I've had several BMWs (two now)  but none on them are as gorgeous as an Italian movie  star like the 2007 California Vintage 1100 I got a few weeks ago.

I am in Kansas, a state now without a Moto Guzzi dealer, although at least one of the former dealer's techs is at another shop.

 I'll post more about the bike's woes in a technical thread.

[Haze]

Long thread!

User Name Haze
I'm a lawyer, 46, I have new V7 Stone, and I live outside of Philadelphia

[Carmine]

    Have been following the forum since ownership of a California 1400 late 2013. Retired from the NYC fire department a year after 9-11 and decided to satisfy my dream of riding a motorcycle. Started with a 2006 Victory Hammer, then after maturing at the age 62 decided to change my image. Learned a lot about Moto Guzzi and the people who own them, all good!      Live by one of the exits in New Jersey!

[Mikkilicious]

Hey Erik! Looks great, almost exactly like mine!!! I just haven't mastered the whole post a picture thing yet. I'm slacking.  Let's try this

[duc13]

OK, so time to say G'day. Have been lurking for a while so thought it about time.
New to Guzzi but not Italian twins, I have a soft spot for another Iti marque also  .

Bought a sport 11 a little while back and love it, couple of mates have some of the more
modern Guzzi's but I still haven't ridden one.
Have to say the older stuff appeals to me more now days.
Anyway here's the sport and thanks for what seems to be a great forum.

[Bonafide Bob]

OK, so time to say G'day. Have been lurking for a while so thought it about time.
New to Guzzi but not Italian twins, I have a soft spot for another Iti marque also  .

Bought a sport 11 a little while back and love it, couple of mates have some of the more
modern Guzzi's but I still haven't ridden one.
Have to say the older stuff appeals to me more now days.
Anyway here's the sport and thanks for what seems to be a great forum.

Welcome to the forum, your Sport is beautiful.
Bob

[WP1962]

Hi There,

My name is Wim, I'm from Alkmaar, the Netherlands and 53 years of age. I work in the dredging industry currently on a project in Kuwait which doesn't sound good at the moment. But the rotation is good and gives me plenty time to drive around. I'm the proud owner of a '72 V7 Sport which is in a more or less project state and a '93 Quota 1000. Below my Quota near the beach where I live and the Sport when I bought her 3 years ago.

Look forward to browse the forum now I'm a member and cheers to you all.

[barbarosa]

new guzzi guy- 36 years of riding, prior DS was a 88 R100 GS, still have my 99 R1100S BMW sport tour and am in love with this guzzi. Mugai~OrAnge is a 2014 Stelvio in orange of course.

i average 400-500 mile a week on a bike and am just getting my first 1000  miles on the bella guzzi.

live in northern colorado front range and more than ten years of going to Paonia rally i was often seen in a kilt. am an IT Systems analyst consultant type.

putting a gpr on the guzzi as i like to hear my bikes. look forward to finding more things to know about the beast and see you on the road.

[duc13]

Welcome to the forum, your Sport is beautiful.
Bob

Cheer's Bob 

[MGPilot]

New Guzzi owner -- a '16 Stone II. Have ridden on and off since '83. '82 Honda CBX, then a '91 BMW R100R & then an '05 R1200RT.

Wanted an older bike, but I have so many projects that if it became a project, it might a year in the queue before it would be on the road.

Compared to the smooth, capable road bikes I've had, the V7 is much more engaging, flickable and overall, perfect for the many short rides I have the time for. I live on an island with a winding (sweepers to hairpins) road around the edge of the island. The relatively light weight 750 is the perfect tool for the job--and still capable on the freeways to get to other areas.

First Ride/Tire Pressure Caution
One minor note of caution to other V7 riders. Mine, at least, is sensitive to tire pressure. Got the bike from the dealer who (based on their experience with other models) ignored the factory recommendation of 36/36 tire pressure and put in something like 34f/38r.

On tight turns, the bike wanted to fall into the turn rather than hold a line. On some straight stretches (30mph/very slightly worn surface), the back tire would start to oscillate (move) side to side with increasing strength. I stopped to see if I was getting a flat, but whacking both tires--they sounded ok. Didn't experience this so much at higher speeds. But the bike just didn't feel as sharp as the demonstrator.

Got it back to my garage. Equalized the tire pressures (compensating for the warmer tire temps) and took it for a second ride. It was a new bike. Sharp. Held its line in corners. No oscillations. Whew.

IMHO, the factory isn't kidding about the tire pressures. Your mileage may vary.....but I'm using 36/36.

James

[muxo00]

Hi guys! Im muxo00 from Spain, proud owner of a 74' MG 850 T just a few months ago-it was my uncle's bike, well one of them, but unfortunately he died on year ago-. It needed some deep restoration, which is still on course, but I hope in a few weeks I will be able to get it home to the Canary islands, where I live.

One of the problems I have now is thta I cant find pictures of the original 74' seat of a guzzi 850 T; I need it cause mine had to be re-done again. The result is great, just like the old one...but it has no MOTO GUZZI written on it! And Im looking for pictures of original 85' T seats, but I cant find any...

The letters are quite unique, as MOTO GUZZI after this model (T II and T III) changed the pattern. Anyone around can give me a hand?

Thanks very much!