Tired of negativity- Tell us how good your Guzzi has been to you

[Gootsz]

All

I can't believe the bitchin i been hearing lately:

I will start:

2000 Jackal virtually flawless. maybe a fuel pump.

2009 Griso had the rocker conversion done as a recall (good for Guzzi) breather hose up at neck would not seal. Gloob of goo  good to go. (poorly molded tank) 

2014 Custom (only 2k miles) Cheap mirrors already corroding. Big deal called a brush and rustoleum.By the way i live in the land of CORROSION - Florida

Micky

[Kev m]

My V7 Has been FANTASTIC. LOVE IT.

(But since you asked for no negativity, I'll leave my old Jackal or B11 out of it).

[Luap McKeever]

Complaints are the nature of discussion forums. That's usually why they exist.  So people can research problems and find solutions.  I belong to another non-motorcycle forum for a specific make of second amendment tool (aka firearm), and if you read the things on there you'd never purchase one of them pieces of junk. But, I love them and haven't had a single problem out of them, so I have no posts there.  I figured it's like this: There's probably over 2 million of these in circulation, and there's about 1,000 people with problems.  I'll take the odds on the problem ratio.

Guzzi's are I would suspect to have relatively the same sort of ratio.  I've not had any problems out of my 2012 Stelvio.  It has been reliable, fun and fast since purchase.  I love it.

Nice thread.   

[Vasco DG]

Never had a major problem on any Guzzi I've ever owned that I didn't cause myself.

Current Griso 1200 is one of the early ones that is supposed to be a fragile grenade. Nearly 90,000 kms and it refuses to break. In the last week or so it's oil pressure switch had had a bit of a cow but nothing that stops it from working.

Oh, the original breather hoses perished and split at about 50,000 km and one of the throttle linkage ball joints went tits at about 60,000.

So far my 'gina remains resolutely un-packed with sand.......

Pete

[Steve Scott]

Y2K Jackal with around 125,000 miles, owned since new. Problems? sure, but nothing I couldn't take care of myself. This bike has never left me stranded. It's definitely the best bike I've ever owned, and might just be the best vehicle I've ever owned.

The only time it's ever been in the shop was when the speedometer cable broke at something like 35,000 miles. I ordered one and was going to change it myself, but my dealer heard about it and insisted on taking care of it.

No complaints.

Since you asked for no negativity, I won't mention my Hondas or Yamahas.

[Bonafide Bob]

I have only had my 2013 Stelvio for a short while(4700 miles), but so far is has been a pleasure to own and ride.
Bob

[blackcat]

CX has always been a problem child so I won't add to this list though I do love the bike.

1000S-60,000+ miles-seal on final drive.
SPIII-15,000 miles(sold)-no problems.
04-Lemans-11,000 miles(sold)-speedometer problem.
07 Norge-50,000 miles-warped disc and final drive seal. Disc under warranty, final drive was probably a warranty item but I purchased one locally and installed myself.
97 Daytona-no problems but not many miles.

[Guzzistajohn]

I've had my CX100 since 1989. I did a little facelift on her in 2000, valve guides, rings etc. It's never let me down. Never fails to put a smile on my face.

[Haze]

My bike is still so new, that I really haven't had the chance to get some serious saddle time in yet, but I am looking forward to many a good hour on the road. So far, I have had one good night of riding, and it has been a blast. I love the V7 Stone handles. Nothing steers like a Guzzi.

[John A]

I too have never had a major problem on a Guzzi that I didn't cause myself. I have gotten over 100K miles out  of every one I put on the road, starting in the'70s on Ambassador's. I've been pleased with them, although I don't have anything newer than 2002.

[steveford]

Closing in on 24000 miles on my 14 California Touring. What an awesome bike!!! What else can I say. Heading out for another 300 mile day in a few minutes. GO GUZZI GO!!! 

[nick949]

Eldorado..........n o problems I haven't caused myself through poor wrenching skills, inattentive maintenance or abuse.
750S .............no problems at all - Oh yes, I did replace the clutch
Nuovo Falcone...after valves and guides, it's running like a top
Breva 1100.......no issues

It's unfortunate that some people have issues with their new bikes then sell them too quickly. Gradually all these minor things get sorted, leaving a great collection of worthy bikes out there for bottom feeders like me.

Nick

[Kev m]

OK, my apologies.

I ignored the first two comments about not having had problems they didn't cause themselves.

Now I gotta speak up:

It's unfortunate that some people have issues with their new bikes then sell them too quickly. Gradually all these minor things get sorted, leaving a great collection of worthy bikes out there for bottom feeders like me.

No.

I didn't cause the dash failures or the pinging that 3 dealers couldn't solve on my Breva 1100. And even if I did eventually pay Todd at Guzzitech $500 to sort that out (and I shouldn't have had to) the specter of dash failures will forever follow that bike. And I didn't sell it too quickly, unless 4 years and 15k miles is too quickly.

And my Jackal, I hardly caused the list of failures in the 8 years and almost 40k miles I gave it.

I didn't cause the ignition switch, starter, and regulator failures, nor the rear shocks that literally blew out in the first few thousand miles. I guess I could argue that I had the audacity to ride it in the winter which "caused" the cheap chrome on the wheels to fake off or the rear fender to rust through, but the horrible tail light, the turn signals that literally shook till they broke their own mounts, that wasn't me either. The motor/driveline and the frame were stout, but all the ancillary shyte was just that - shyte!

Have I mentioned I LOVE MY V7!!!

[Steve Scott]

Hey Kev,
 IIRC your Jackal was an outdoor-stored, unloved example from a saltwater state with corrosion issues when you got it. Maybe a lot of its problems could be lumped into the "Previous Owner Difficulties" category?

From what I've seen/heard, the most reliable Moto Guzzis to date have been the '98 EV's and Y2K Jackals.

[Kev m]

Hey Kev,
 IIRC your Jackal was an outdoor-stored, unloved example from a saltwater state with corrosion issues when you got it. Maybe a lot of its problems could be lumped into the "Previous Owner Difficulties" category?

From what I've seen/heard, the most reliable Moto Guzzis to date have been the '98 EV's and Y2K Jackals.

Can't say if it was stored outdoors or not for sure... it did have a slightly faded speedo when I got it. That was the only evidence. No corrosion when delivered.

But yeah, I'll give the possibility that some of the corrosion on the wheels or fender might have come from that.

I don't think that had anything to do with the ignition switch failure on the Blue Ridge or the Starter failure (not after disassembling it and seeing why it failed).

There were just so many cheap ancillary parts on it that I've always chalked most of the problems up to what Guzzi was sourcing at the time.

Would be nice to think I was just a victim of buying a 1k mile "used" bike.

[myway]

while I would love to buy something new just to buy a bike, yes I have a problem. my calvin has been the best bike I have ever ridden for me. an the easiest to maintain. Dan

[Triple Jim]

Bought by me in 2013, my 1989 Mille has been reliable, comfortable, and a lot of fun, handles better than expected, and burns less gasoline than expected.  Passengers say it's comfortable for them.  Many details show that the factory wanted to build a high quality product, like adjustable roller bearings in the swing arm pivot, and O-ring sealed bronze bushings on the shift and brake pedal pivots.

Almost everything I've done to it falls into the routine maintenance category, or the undo previous owner's cosmetic blunder category.  The one thing that could fall into the repair category was adding the "startus interruptus" wire to avoid an occasional click without the engine spinning.

[dilligaf]

WOW!!!  I wouldn't know where to start but then I tend to enjoy all my motorcycles and that includes the occasional problem.   
Matt

[Waltr]

"My Goot-Sea Beddy Beddy Goot to Me"

[LowRyter]

I've enjoyed both my Guzzis.  They've had a few nagging issues but I've been able to get them covered and they are enjoyable motorcycle to ride, supreme.

But I really want to say how good Guzzi riders are and how they've helped me so much.  Joe from Chicago and Chuck from Indiana got me fixed up when my EV fell in the trailer just a few weeks ago.  I've gotten tons of great advice from this an other boards.  Finally, I've made some great friend for life from our rides together.  My first rally was in Salida Co and I commented how much fun it was to Ken Hand and he replied, "Welcome home."  That sums it up for me.

[PeteS]

My two Guzzis have never left me at the side of the road unlike my Norton and BMW airhead.
The Guzzis have had to limp home but always made even a few hundred miles. Bad U Joint on the LeMans, bad coil on the Lemans and bad injector connector on my EV. The latter two left me with one cylinder but still soldered on.
Since a rebuild on the LeMans in 1991 its done over a 2000 miles on the track getting its neck wrung and has yet to have a failure in 30k miles. Every spring I put in fresh gas, turn the key and its idleing smoothly in a few seconds. Still surprises me to this day.

Pete

[SteveAZ]

LM III

Just under 20k miles when I bought her, sitting around 47k now. Almost always self maintained.

Oil lines from heads died around 20k, replaced them and a weeping cylinder base gasket at the same time.
Alternator rotor fried at 30k
Clutch got sticky and was on its way out, replaced with deep spline at 35k

Then the bad day came. 47k. Very expensive bottom end sound at 80mph on the freeway, no way to shut her down and had to ride a bit to clear traffic making a bad thing go worse. When all was said and done, engine is seized solid as an anvil. Oil drain plug looked like it had been dropped on the floor of a Chinese machine shop....metal of all sorts everywhere.

Bike is getting a beautifully freshened 1100cc mill and the 850 is going into storage for a future day when I have a case of beer and I'm in a forensic mood. I'm having a local Guzzi expert do the engine transplant as I am in an apartment following a two year divorce (far worse experience than any bike issues)

I love the bike and had realistic expectations when buying it. The major failure may have been my fault in some way but that is yet to be determined. There was oil in the bike but didn't check things out any further.

Can't wait to get her back and no bitching here!

[Arizona Wayne]

Bought my `04 750 Breva used w/low mileage on it.  8 years later and 42K miles on the clock the only thing not caused by me was a weak battery.  Put in a bigger battery and an on/off switch for the headlight.   

Prior Ambo., Convert., LM IV, CX100 were pretty trouble free too.  Never owned a new Guzzi so never have perfection expectations. 

[canuguzzi]

Complaints are the nature of discussion forums. That's usually why they exist.  So people can research problems and find solutions.  I belong to another non-motorcycle forum for a specific make of second amendment tool (aka firearm), and if you read the things on there you'd never purchase one of them pieces of junk. But, I love them and haven't had a single problem out of them, so I have no posts there.  I figured it's like this: There's probably over 2 million of these in circulation, and there's about 1,000 people with problems.  I'll take the odds on the problem ratio.

Guzzi's are I would suspect to have relatively the same sort of ratio.  I've not had any problems out of my 2012 Stelvio.  It has been reliable, fun and fast since purchase.  I love it.

Nice thread.   

 :1:

Like the news, ever see a successful station that broadcasts happy news? People often come here for help, if they need to vent, whats the big deal? Better they have some place to go than just sell the bike and move on.

[old head]

Bought new 06 Breva, first two years, never had so many issues with a new bike in all the years been riding.  since the last trip to MPH for the warranty work, 5 years ago, havent had an issue.

Dash failed
throttle bodies started weeping
starter quit starting
bearing in the transmission began grinding itself to pieces
oil pressure switch kept throwing low pressure sign

All taken care by MPH under warranty. 
Seems to have all its gremlins exorcised and has been trouble free for the last 5 years. running close to 50k

Best riding bike I have ever had, just love it, guess that's why I never got rid of it.  I just wish MPH was closer but that's okay, seems to have found its place.
just change the oil and filter, check the valves, new tires every now and then, and it just running and running.

Old Head

[Gootsz]

Problems i am totally happy with. i have been here myself for some serioue stuff.

But the baby a$# whining and crying over a mirror or a decal just slays me.
Like no other brand ever had a problem.
Guzzi is a small run "cottage" industry.
They don't make enough of anything to have all the bugs worked out.
They buy parts and use them not all the time their fault that  these parts are sub par.

Micky

[Steph]

10 years and 59,000 miles of London commuting, my wife says it's the most reliable motorcycle I've had.

 

[cleatusj]

'93 Calli 3, best money ever spent on a vehicle, any problems, hell yes it's mechanical. Complaints are it hits the century mark too quick and 5th gear is only usable above 85.  Are these negatives? I think not, as it does all this while pulling a wind block off to the right called a sidecar. I guess there is one negative, if I'm not careful it will eat a rear tire in 1500 miles or less.

[Adk.IBO]

Just got back from a little 150 mile roundabout to the HD dealer to get a hat and a "milk" glass for my neighbor that helped me get my boiler working yesterday. 5th season and 30,000+ miles. Absolutely no worse than any of the 25 other motorcycles I've had and better than more than a few. Now that I've finally got a plan for a trailer hitch that I'm sure will work it will only get better. DMC Sidecars from the state of Washington built one for a guy (name is not coming to me right now) that showed up at the National from Florida and I took pictures. DMC Sidecars sent me some pics also. My BIL is a fabricator with tubing benders and welders ect who will make me one for my Norge this Thanksgiving. If anyone has an interest in one send me a PM with your e-mail address and I'll send pics. I'll have my BIL fab up however many needed at that time. I'll start a thread of it's own on this subject soon. Yup my Norge is a keeper til I'm ready to move on. It's working quite well for me and Cooper (my dog). The breed has longevity so he and it may be around for a long time. Anything that replaces the Norge will have to work for Cooper too .

Stay safe, John

It came to me, it was Paul in Fla. who bought the bike from Moto International on the condition that they could install a trailer hitch. Unfortunately they need the bike at DMC Sidecars to fab up another one. If anyone that wants one is close to them they will do it.

[charlie b]

I only had my Honda NT for 28k miles, but, it has nothing but valve adjustments, oil and tires done on it.  It just wasn't as fun to ride as the T5.

I put over 50k miles on it now (total nearing 90k). I've had several throttle cables break (now I can change one alongside the road in about 20min, including carb synch).  One clutch cable.  Front spring issue that was because of something the PO had done (fixed in two hours in the campground).  Broken speedo angle drive.  Stuck PVC valve.  Front dampers replaced (one of the originals had disintegrated).

PO had replaced clutch, front springs and rear shock/springs.

PS I will never get rid of this bike  :)