*California 1400 Merged Threadfest*

[Dean Rose]

I've 1100s in both my bikes and they run great. Sure I would like to own one of the newer bikes with the new 1200 8V. But how many CCs or HPs do you really need?
Just drop a gear and go that's all you need to know on a GUZZI.

Dean

[trippah]

Pete - i think the exobison was the offspring of an armadillo/bison "meeting" one very lonely night on the olde prarie.  Thankfully it didn't catch on or the plains indians would have been long gone before Custer et al arrived, rendering our "romantic" Western History useless for movie fodder.

[dguzzi]

Maybe like this?

[troyhamilton]

Jim Fueling built something like that based on the harley evo motor. it was very interesting.

[T.B.]

I liked that photshop bike, you have the idea, niw build a real ine. My grandad was a drad racer in the mid 60's. he linked 4 289's to gether in a dragster. they outlawed him, he only do exobisons after that. it could lay smoke all the way down the 1/4, but was a female dog to stop!

Troy. think about it for a moment.

Where are the exhaust gasses going to go from the back cylinder? How is the new charge going to get into the front one? These aren't simply constraints of engineering, they are constraints of reality.

Also what the hell is an exobison??? A buffalo with a shell?? ;D

Pete

rofl !

[heloise06]

Is this for real?

The 1900cc 1984 Cal2 didn't go over too well...

Is that bike real?  They made a 4 cylinder? 

If is real is incredible.!!!!!!!
Mauro www.heloise06.it

[ciantarp]

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/New-bikes/2009/June/jun2409-guzzi-planning-harley-davidson-rival/

Moto Guzzi planning Harley-Davidson rival
By Michael Neeves -
New bikes
 24 June 2009 14:22


Moto Guzzi is setting its sights on Harley-Davidson with an all-new 1600cc cruiser, MCN reveals this week.

Conceived to take on Harley’s 1584cc ‘big twins’, the new bike will be a new, big-bore version of the Italian firm’s Guzzi’s traditional across-the-frame V-twin and will carry the historic ‘California’ name.

in an exclusive interview with MCN, Moto Guzzi’s Head of Communications, Daniele Torresan said: “Our American importer has asked us to consider making a big cruiser for their market.

"The largest capacity we can go to with our current four-valve head engine is close to 1400cc. That would not be big enough, so we are thinking of producing a simple two-valve head design, which can be 1600cc.”

“The bike is only at design stage at the moment, but we may produce a prototype for the Milan show later this year.

"I have seen some of the sketches and it’s a typical cruiser style, a bit like the Yamaha Midnight Star, but obviously typically a Moto Guzzi.”

[JJ]

Here is the 2009 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 - - it actually looks better in person. :) 8)

See more here:  http://www.motorcycledaily.com/21july08_triumph2009thunderbird1600.htm

[IceBlue]

I kinda like this bike. It looks like a "real bike". Knowing Triumph, it will have a sound that match.

Ciao

[ronjon]

Just read this in the Euro Gossip section at the link below.  I especially like this statement

would not involve too much in terms of development time and cost.

I mean, we are not talking about Honda here  ;)

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/285/4792/Motorcycle-Article/Euro-Gossip-October-2009.aspx

Moto Guzzi is rumored to looking at producing a 1600cc two-valve version of its V-Twin motor to power a cruiser that can go head to head with Harley-Davidson. Pressure is apparently coming from the US importers and dealers who see the new 1600 Triumph Thunderbird stealing sales from the traditional American cruisers including Victory.

Sources suggest that an uprated and updated California with a bigger motor would be an easy answer that would not involve too much in terms of development time and cost. However, at the moment initial drawings show a more traditional cruiser on the drawing board, but with the arrival of Pierre Terblanche to the company, this could soon change. In case you are wondering why they do not use their Griso motor with eight valves, this can only be pushed to 1400cc in the current format!

[rocker59]

1600 Triumph Thunderbird stealing sales from the traditional American cruisers including Victory.

 

LOL!!!  That's funny right there!!!

How many new T-Birds do you think Triumph will import to the USA this year?  A couple thousand?

That'll really put a dent in HD's 200,000 USA units, won't it ?!?!?!   ;)

[rocker59]

at the moment initial drawings show a more traditional cruiser on the drawing board, but with the arrival of Pierre Terblanche to the company, this could soon change.  !

This part is interesting...

What do they mean "traditional"?  Does that mean Guzzi California traditional, or does that mean HD/Victory/Japanese cruiser traditional ???

And, Terblanche is a wildcard.  He could come up with something fabulous.  He could come up with something hideous....  Who knows?

[bad Chad]

Makes sense, they want to sell bikes to guys who would otherwise buy another brands big cruiser.  

It's not so much about putting a dent in HD, it's about maybe selling 1500-2000 Guzzis in NA, vs hundreds.

[chuck peterson]

never make it. the crank would need to be bigger, so the counter balance would need to be bigger, so the engine case would need to be wider, so the frame would have to be wider, so they'd have to engineer a new frame...for one bike?

sorry, I think they're at their limit. You'd lose the Guzzi feel.

nah, never, ever gonna happen.

well, maybe...

[toddhaven]

That would be stupid.












I wonder which colors will be available.

[fotoguzzi]

That would be stupid.












I wonder which colors will be available.

;D
orange & black?

[Crusty]

How is the Triumph stealing sales from anybody, when it isn't even in the dealers showrooms yet?<diclass="msgbox">Noilesuploaded!</di>

[jeff]

Core competencies! Target the brand!! Guzzi will really miss the boat if they go through with it.
Guess it would keep the death to the brand rumors alive.
They will probably do it...sheez.

[Mark West]

Got to wonder how big a 1600 guzzi motor would be.

They'd probably have as much success if they brought back the Ercole.

[SidecarMike]

That would be stupid.












I wonder which colors will be available.

I'd mortgage the house for a red one. ;-T

[mogu83]

Got to wonder how big a 1600 guzzi motor would be.

A 1600cc Goose - I can see it now. Fire it up,rev it and the bike flops on its side.  They should stick to Retro bikes.

[twhitaker]

I remember ten or so years ago Dave Parker stroked an engine using a portion of a Chevy crank and got 1500cc. This was put in a Tonti LeMans frame.

[Kev m]

Makes sense, they want to sell bikes to guys who would otherwise buy another brands big cruiser.  

It's not so much about putting a dent in HD, it's about maybe selling 1500-2000 Guzzis in NA, vs hundreds.

Do you really think it is that simple? i.e. if you increase the CCs they will suddenly sell 3x to 4x as many bikes in the US???

 ???
 P:)

[Travman]

How is the Triumph stealing sales from anybody, when it isn't even in the dealers showrooms yet?<diclass="msgbox">Noilesuploaded!</di>

The Triumph Thunderbird is most definitely in the showrooms.  I've seen one at my local Triumph/Guzzi dealer for about 2 months.  I saw one at a British/European motorcycle show this past Sunday.  It sounded better than I expected and it looked better than expected when a rider was on it.

[Offcamber1]

never make it. the crank would need to be bigger, so the counter balance would need to be bigger, so the engine case would need to be wider, so the frame would have to be wider, so they'd have to engineer a new frame...for one bike?

Consider that a Spine frame has no lower frame rails and all of a sudden the crankcase width is less of an issue.  As for the rocking when you blip the throttle, that has been dealt with effectively before by other manufacturers.

I would think though that you would lose part of the Guzzi appeal by not having a high revving Vee Twin.  The world does not need yet another thundering big bore cruiser.

Stuff the 8V 1200 in it and make it sing!

[pete roper]

What does it matter what they produce, and IMHO there is absolutely NO reason for something as gigantic and silly as a 1600cc motorbike, they can't get more than a handful of dealers in a country the size of the US who can work on their current product. why complicate things by producing yet another useless nail using obsolete technology and a combustion chamber design that makes it virtually impossible to get through ANY developed world country's emmissions standards.

Bin the pushrod motor! If people want it let 'em buy and old one and keep it running, it's not THAT hard. Use the current 8V motor as a stepping-stone, stop-gap model, if they feel the need they can punch the bore out by at least 5mm, maybe a bit more, the spigot walls are pretty damn thick on the 1200 motor, it's got room to grow if needs be.

If I were them though I'd be spending my money on training workshop staff the world over and finding someone better then Webber-Marelli and Digitek to supply the 'Brains' and instruments and tuning the wretched things up so that they both meet emissions standards AND work well, not one or the other!

After the current 8V reaches the end of its life, and it shouldn't be too long, it's a nice motor but its still a dinosaur, they can build any damn thing they want. I won't be buying one, my current bikes I expect to 'See me out' but if they want to compete in the 'Cruizer market they can build something huge, flash, vulgar and unpleasant like a Polaris and sell it to vulgarians and mouth breathers and with a bit of luck they'll use a bit of the money from that and other projects to build a new powerplant from the ground up for the next generation of dustcarts witha Moto Guzzi badge on.

I won't care, I'll be dead by then.

Pete

[Chicago Mark]

Go figure.....size matters. Even in the motorcycle cruiser crowd. If the current 8V is good for 1400cc then it should be relatively easy to redesign/stretch/stroke it to 1600 or even 1800cc. Stretch the current Tontin frame a good 6" and you'd have enough room to design a seat for two "American" sized riders without the passengers toes poking into the back of the drivers legs. They would even have room for a 6+ gallon gas tank, cruise control electronics, abs, heated seats and grips etc, etc. etc. Sounds good to me.

The sad thing is it sounds like the current 1200 8V may be outdated before I even get to enjoy one. :(

Mark

[bad Chad]

Makes sense, they want to sell bikes to guys who would otherwise buy another brands big cruiser.  

It's not so much about putting a dent in HD, it's about maybe selling 1500-2000 Guzzis in NA, vs hundreds.

Do you really think it is that simple? i.e. if you increase the CCs they will suddenly sell 3x to 4x as many bikes in the US???

No, it's not that simple, but it could be part of an overall strategy to increase sales in a big way; or not.
 ???
 P:)

[Ragnar]

If Guzzi are going to produce a big bore Cali it won't be aimed specifically at the American market. It will be aimed at Harley sales in Europe, where they are double the price of the domestic sales.

[chuck peterson]

never make it. the crank would need to be bigger, so the counter balance would need to be bigger, so the engine case would need to be wider, so the frame would have to be wider, so they'd have to engineer a new frame...for one bike?

sorry, I think they're at their limit. You'd lose the Guzzi feel.

nah, never, ever gonna happen.

well, maybe...

The new case starting at the Breva 1100 supposedly has been re-dimensioned for all of those things including eventual expansion in both bore and stroke. Make it big enough, as mentioned in a post further down - and whacking the throttle open at a stop sign may make for some interesting riding dynamics.

yup, there it is. Confirmation I really do know nada...Thanks, Carl, keeps me in line