If you don't like Moto Guzzi's new styling direction, what do you do now?

[AH Fan]

Well boys and girls............. cant help but add my T/C.
First thing is of all the machines I have owned and ridden over the years the simple machines to a degree are the ones I seem to enjoy the most.
Second thing.......... Not sure why anyone would be willing to sacrifice those wonderful cables attached to throttle bodies in exchange for ride by wire.... ride em back to back and get back to this forum.
Cruise........ Hmmm not sure what that's about. If they wanna take the spirit out of riding these machines just continue down the road that Ducati took years ago ( a sad numbing experience )......... Rumor has it there working on a self guided motorcycle so you don't necessarily need vision or even be there for that matter.there you go.
How's that for an opinion?

Ciao.              

[Graham UK]

Now that the 8v motors are properly sorted, I'd been wondering about trading in my beloved Breva 1100 for something newer.  The Stelvio 8v seemed a possibility, but suddenly the only Stelvio advertised for UK is the NTX which is more than I could stretch to and has features I don't want.  The Eldorado looks lovely, but it's too bulky for me, and too much money, especially for a bike that might need over a grand spent on new headers.  That left the Griso which I've always had a soft spot for - but apparently that's about to be dropped.  The V7s are just a bit too cramped and under-powered for me, the V9 Roamer also feels too cramped, and the V9 Bobber styling isn't my thing.  If I could face having chain drive again, I might go for a V-Strom, and if I could face the absurd prices and reliability niggles a Harley Dyna might be in the frame.  I even considered a Crosstourer, but there seem to be a worrying number of UJ failures by 40k miles.  At present, the only new bike that draws me is the Indian Scout; it's too soon to know about reliability, but it seems like a thoroughly modern take on an old theme - it's styling somehow reminds me of the LE Velocette I first rode.  In the meantime, every mile on the Breva brings a smile to my face.

[Dogwalker]

THE *LOOK* ISN'T 'TRADITIONAL', IT IS OBSOLETE AND ANTIQUATED!

No, it's traditional.

Speaking of "look", obsolete and antiquated is something none, or very few, still use. But the "traditional" look is, on the contrary, very popular today.
Speaking of the "technology" that "move on", the functionality of a bike and the level of technology used isn't defined by the form of an headlight or of a tank.

[flip]

THE *LOOK* ISN'T 'TRADITIONAL', IT IS OBSOLETE AND ANTIQUATED! IT PANDERS TO IDIOTS AND FOOLS WHO ONLY REFFERENCE THEIR LIVES BY THE MISTAKES AND FAILURES OF THEIR PARENT'S GENERATIONS!

The world and technology move on. It saddens me that so many people are so resentful of that they have turned the second oldest motorcycle company in the world into a shallow joke.

Pete

Pete, your surely have a way with words! 

[Guzzistajohn]

Don't like the new ones? Just get 2 or 3 old ones for what you would pay for that new bike. The 1400 Cali? cost is about 8 Jackals

[flip]

or ...
         you could just ride something else!


 

Uh...that was pretty much the point of the original post. It was directed to those Guzzi owners that really aren't attracted to V-twin bikes with twin shocks and 40-45 horse power or to cruiser style bikes.

[canuguzzi]

The glaring open slot in the Guzzi lineup is a sporty bike. The Griso is a little too much of an acquired taste for some people. I think the next bike from the factory will be a resurrection of the Le Mans name. It maybe nothing but a naked Norge, restyled Griso or possibly an all new platform that their "Skunkworks" have been working on for the last year. They have captured a whole new rider with the small block series and it would be a sin to lose them to another marque.

Or maybe this is just a pipe dream on my part and the next bike will be a reworked Nevada.

If Moto Guzzi drops the Griso and Norge, all they will have are gaps.

How do you gain market share even if your products aren't cutting edge?

Quality. Make the bikes reek with quality and people will buy them.  Make a Moto Guzzi the most reliable bike out of the crate. Make it so when you buy a Moto Guzzi, everything fits the way it is supposed to fit. How hard can that be? Fix the wiring, it isn't that they don't have enough wire, they just don't know what to do with it.

Moto Guzzis are known for what? It is not reliability it is being quirky. Being quirky is the marketing strategy?

Make the bikes the best in the business, then business will get better. No more kludge fixes years later, do it right do it right all the time and people will buy them.

[Tom]

THE *LOOK* ISN'T 'TRADITIONAL', IT IS OBSOLETE AND ANTIQUATED! IT PANDERS TO IDIOTS AND FOOLS WHO ONLY REFFERENCE THEIR LIVES BY THE MISTAKES AND FAILURES OF THEIR PARENT'S GENERATIONS!

Pete

For those of you that never have the pleasure of conversing with Pete.  This a huge guffaw moment with loads of discussion.  Somewhere there is a beer involved. 

I'd don't think that Piaggio will do the sport bike thing.  Power cruiser. Yes.  That seems to be case with the 1400 Cali different Volvo Sports wagon. 

[lazlokovacs]

If Moto Guzzi drops the Griso and Norge, all they will have are gaps.

How do you gain market share even if your products aren't cutting edge?

Quality. Make the bikes reek with quality and people will buy them.  Make a Moto Guzzi the most reliable bike out of the crate. Make it so when you buy a Moto Guzzi, everything fits the way it is supposed to fit. How hard can that be? Fix the wiring, it isn't that they don't have enough wire, they just don't know what to do with it.

Moto Guzzis are known for what? It is not reliability it is being quirky. Being quirky is the marketing strategy?

Make the bikes the best in the business, then business will get better. No more kludge fixes years later, do it right do it right all the time and people will buy them.

100% correct.

That thinking went out of the window in mandello (and probably most places) in about 1975...

now where are the keys for my ambo... funny how it never lets me down, 45 years since it was built.

[quasigentrified]

THE *LOOK* ISN'T 'TRADITIONAL', IT IS OBSOLETE AND ANTIQUATED! IT PANDERS TO IDIOTS AND FOOLS WHO ONLY REFFERENCE THEIR LIVES BY THE MISTAKES AND FAILURES OF THEIR PARENT'S GENERATIONS!

The world and technology move on. It saddens me that so many people are so resentful of that they have turned the second oldest motorcycle company in the world into a shallow joke.

Pete

<3 <3 <3

[Arizona Wayne]

100% correct.

That thinking went out of the window in mandello (and probably most places) in about 1975...

now where are the keys for my ambo... funny how it never lets me down, 45 years since it was built.

 



Yeah, your Ambo. never let's you down but it's marginal in every way except looks compared to newer Guzzis.


I've had it with all the new gizmos 'new' bikes are coming with now too and have no interest in any of them both for that reason and their looks, whether it be Guzzis or any other brand.   I'll just keep my current 'old' bikes running or just ride my scooters.    Rigs I can do most the maintenance on myself. 

[Rox]

...or two... or three... for less than the cost of a new one.

I've only bought two motorcycles new - a 1986 Yamaha Radian and a 2006 Ducati Sport 1000. For me, it's rare that a new motorcycle is different enough to catch my interest.

With all the great deals on older, reliable bikes, I just have a hard time paying so much money for a new motorcycle. And I don't finance or pay comprehensive insurance on vehicles. I was thinking about putting some hard bags on one of my V11s, but ended up buying a 1992 BMW K75s with better bags for about the cost of putting bags on a V11.

That being said, I cannot stop looking at the new Honda Africa Twin, but I am still comparing/contrasting to the Stelvio.

I think the answer to the core question of this thread is that you don't need to fall in love with a brand - you can fall in love with some specific models. If you have the opportunity to own more than one motorcycle, you can appreciate all the things that each bike does better than the others.

I like how you think.. 

[Vasco DG]

And it keeps coming back to this 'Ostrich with its head in the sand' argument about how complex the new bikes are. They aren't! They are very simple, they just require a couple of different tools to keep them going well!

And Kev, I'll say it again. I have no problem with the smallblock powerplant but it really doesn't need to be in a crappy, obsolete, chassis. I don't care if it looks like 1970's hipster wet-dream or an insect on steroids, I just want suspension and brakes that work with a degree of subtlety and a frame that isn't a hacked about horror from a different age.

I like the *Old* bikes for heavens sakes but if you want an old bike then why not just buy one rather than gleefully trying to paint a once highly inovative company into a stagnant backwater?

I'm really hoping we get something exciting next year but I'm not holding my breath.

Pete

[Arizona Wayne]

And it keeps coming back to this 'Ostrich with its head in the sand' argument about how complex the new bikes are. They aren't! They are very simple, they just require a couple of different tools to keep them going well!

And Kev, I'll say it again. I have no problem with the smallblock powerplant but it really doesn't need to be in a crappy, obsolete, chassis. I don't care if it looks like 1970's hipster wet-dream or an insect on steroids, I just want suspension and brakes that work with a degree of subtlety and a frame that isn't a hacked about horror from a different age.

I like the *Old* bikes for heavens sakes but if you want an old bike then why not just buy one rather than gleefully trying to paint a once highly inovative company into a stagnant backwater?

I'm really hoping we get something exciting next year but I'm not holding my breath.

Pete

Sorry Pete, but I'm not going to go down the throttle by wire road any time soon.  A throttle cable is all I need and my `04 750 Breva is sophisticated enough.

[Vasco DG]

The RBW system works fine, I don't know why the Cali 1400 shakes so much at idle? That really ticks me off. I have a feeling it may be deliberate which reaches a whole new level of stupid!

Pete

[Aaron D.]

I absolutely love ride by wire. Probably outlast any throttle cable.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Yeah, your Ambo. never let's you down but it's marginal in every way except looks compared to newer Guzzis.

 

[lucydad]

Here's another answer:  buy a Triumph Street Triple.  Just back from a ride.  Damn I love this bike!!  It is refined, easy to ride, handles like a greyhound chasing a bunny, sounds wonderful, and can be either a terrifying demon, or smooth cruiser.  Brakes are fantastic.  Reliable.  Relatively good looking if you happen to be a Klingon.  Lot of bang for the buck!!  And it even has a fuel gauge, ABS and gear indicator.

[Kev m]

And it keeps coming back to this 'Ostrich with its head in the sand' argument about how complex the new bikes are. They aren't! They are very simple, they just require a couple of different tools to keep them going well!

And Kev, I'll say it again. I have no problem with the smallblock powerplant but it really doesn't need to be in a crappy, obsolete, chassis. I don't care if it looks like 1970's hipster wet-dream or an insect on steroids, I just want suspension and brakes that work with a degree of subtlety and a frame that isn't a hacked about horror from a different age.

I like the *Old* bikes for heavens sakes but if you want an old bike then why not just buy one rather than gleefully trying to paint a once highly inovative company into a stagnant backwater?

I'm really hoping we get something exciting next year but I'm not holding my breath.

Pete

I wouldn't mind dual discs, and I guess USD forks would be ok if they didn't effect price too badly. But the V7 does everything I need it too without a monoshock or SSSA.

As for an actual vintage bike, no thanks. I want a NEW bike with turn key reliability as well as more flavor/style than a Honda.

[Arizona Wayne]

I absolutely love ride by wire. Probably outlast any throttle cable.

Yeah, well, when it quits you're SOL.  If you have a replacement cable you can be back on the road.

[Murray]

Here's another answer:  buy a Triumph Street Triple. 

Gutless non existant mid range 600 supersport motors, pass on all of them and the local triumph dealer I'm not prepared to give them any of my money.

[Kev m]

Yeah, well, when it quits you're SOL.  If you have a replacement cable you can be back on the road.

I'm sorry, but this is the same old tired argument we hear all the time. The type that has people removing reliable electronic ignitions for points.

Thing is that the vast majority of these modern components so far outlast their predecessors you will likely need that vintage replacement and may never need the modern equivalent to be repaired.

Not that it can't happen, but HELL, I'm not going to stock every possible replacement for every vehicle I own anyway.

[Zinfan]

Eh if they don't make what you want then why not buy another brand?  If you are a fan of Moto Guzzi will you come back if they produce something that would fulfill your needs 4-5 years down the road or would you have washed your hands of the brand entirely? 

[Vasco DG]

Yeah, well, when it quits you're SOL.  If you have a replacement cable you can be back on the road.

Using that argument you could say if you carry a demand sensor with you you can be back on the road in an identical or shorter period of time. The argument is like a colander!

Pete

[Arizona Wayne]

Using that argument you could say if you carry a demand sensor with you you can be back on the road in an identical or shorter period of time. The argument is like a colander!

Pete

Guzzis are 1 of the few brands I've had clutch or throttle cables break on and that's why I carry replacements for when it happens. 

[Kentktk]

I'm sorry, but this is the same old tired argument we hear all the time. The type that has people removing reliable electronic ignitions for points.

Thing is that the vast majority of these modern components so far outlast their predecessors you will likely need that vintage replacement and may never need the modern equivalent to be repaired.

Not that it can't happen, but HELL, I'm not going to stock every possible replacement for every vehicle I own anyway.

  :1:

[opc]

For you Guzzi owners that might not care for the more traditional look of the new Guzzi's, what do you do when it's time for another bike? Let's say you like the looks of the Lemans, Sport series, Grisos or even the Breva based bikes, do you give up on getting a new bike and buy one of those or do you move on from Moto Guzzi and switch to another brand? If you're a sport or sport-touring kind of guy, it doesn't look like Moto Guzzi will have any new bikes for you.

<snip> but it doesn't look like Moto Guzzi will be making anything then that I would want.

<snip>

I'm actually looking at bikes now:
Another GRiSO (stories of slow parts deliveries do not inspire confidence in Piaggio support of a discontinued model)
Ducati Monster 1200s or 821
Aprilia Tuono 1100 (but would still have to deal with Piaggio.  )
BMW R NineT

[canuck750]

THE *LOOK* ISN'T 'TRADITIONAL', IT IS OBSOLETE AND ANTIQUATED! IT PANDERS TO IDIOTS AND FOOLS WHO ONLY REFFERENCE THEIR LIVES BY THE MISTAKES AND FAILURES OF THEIR PARENT'S GENERATIONS!

The world and technology move on. It saddens me that so many people are so resentful of that they have turned the second oldest motorcycle company in the world into a shallow joke.

Pete

The most popular brand in North America got to that envious position by sticking with traditional design and considered to many what accounts for obsolete technology. The Motor Company may well pander to fools and idiots but from a business model you sure can't knock them. Perhaps the folks behind Guzzi have looked at what works for the Motor Company and are taking their lead. Go fast and high end technology appeals to many but the Japanese have had a stranglehold on that sector for decades. I think Guzzi may just be returning to the origin of their success in the late 60's and early 70's.
Or maybe they just think they know what hipsters will buy and are heading in that direction.
I may buy a new to me Guzzi this spring and get a Cali II or even take a giant leap towards modernity and get a spine frame bike.

[Arizona Wayne]

Well none of doing that is going to help the Guzzi factory right now.  I see your newest 2 bikes are not Guzzis. Not saying there's anything wrong with that. 

[rboe]

Using that argument you could say if you carry a demand sensor with you you can be back on the road in an identical or shorter period of time. The argument is like a colander!

Pete

Let them think that way. It's their money, it's their life and there are plenty of old bikes for them to fart with. I love EFI (carbs are proving to be a royal PITA for me), ABS may have saved me two shoulder surgeries, now if they can just do something to replace cams and tappets we'll be in hog heaven. :D