Opinions on a Jackal

[papatom]

I have never owned a Guzzi, and I'm not much of a cruiser fan, but there is a very low mileage [1100] 2000 model year Jackal nearby.  I was wondering what a ballpark price would be.  He's asking $5500 for it which seems kinda steep.  Has a plexiglass fairing, passenger seat, and backrest.  I'm only interested because of the low mileage, and I've seen some modified Jackals that seem would make a nice project.  Any incite on a fair price would be appreciated.

[Rich A]

That's very steep. I bought a like-new 2000 Jackal over 5 yrs ago for $3000. That was an exceptionally good deal, but I doubt the seller would be able to get much more than that for the bike you're considering.

These are nice bikes.

Rich A

[rodekyll]

At $5500 it needs to be something really special, but it's probably just a 15-y-o Jackal.  Pics would help.  I bought a perfectly good one a few years back for $1500.  With nothing but standard maintenance it still works good.

[Chuck in Indiana]

As mentioned above, they are a solid scooter. I'd think top dollar on it would be 3 ish though. If you aren't much of a cruiser guy, the Jackal can be customized to your heart's content.

[father guzzi obrian]

 3K seems about right. I recently sold a pretty solid low mileage Griso to a guzzi friend for 3400, so don't buy it for the investment.  If you are willing to spend 5K, get an EV with bags, dual front discs and tubeless rims... Cant see a new Jackal being worth that much money, YMMV
Cheers,

[papatom]

From pics on Craigslist it appears to be clean and unmolested.  Can't do pics of it, I'm barely capable of typing a post. I thought somewhere around $3000 would be fair but the low mileage, didn't know if there was any premium on that or not.  Thanks for the quick responses.

[Chuck in Indiana]

From pics on Craigslist it appears to be clean and unmolested.  Can't do pics of it, I'm barely capable of typing a post. I thought somewhere around $3000 would be fair but the low mileage, didn't know if there was any premium on that or not.  Thanks for the quick responses.

Strangely enough, unless it's extremely high mileage, it doesn't seem to affect Guzzi pricing as much as some makes. When I said 3 ish, I was factoring in the low mileage. I've seen beaters sell for under 2, but that is rare. About any big block Guzzi that is running will bring 2 large ish.  ;D

[Pasta Hog]

I looked around to see what my bike was worth, and the impression I got was that $2000 would be fair.

As for opinions of the bike:

1. The side covers are garbage. Expect them to fall off, and fiberglass replacements (if available) will run $180 unpainted.

2. The chrome falls off and rusts.

3. Getting the bike moving from a dead stop is not pleasant because first gear is so high. I have to rev mine up and let the clutch out gradually.

4. Someone here compared the seat to sitting on a log. That's the best description I've seen. After an hour, you will need to get off. I got a quote on redoing mine, and it was over $400 before shipping.

5. The gas cap may get stuck because the plastic swells.

6. Changing the oil is a nightmare unless you have a Harper Outsider. If you buy an Outsider, double-check the length of the bolts they send you with it, because sometimes they send the wrong ones, and they will tear threads out of your engine. The Outsider will not work well with the original crossover, so you will need an H-pipe to go with it.

7. The rear shocks are horrible, so you will want to replace them.

8. Shifting is unbelievable. You will get false neutrals all the time if you don't stomp on it.

Fun bike, though. Great sound. It has a wide torque band (at least compared to my other bike), so it's easy to fall into a habit of shifting too early, but it seems to ride best when you wind it up pretty good.

[Bill Hagan]

If it's red, it's worth that price.   ;D

Seriously, what the others said.  No way.  Well, unless, it's lust at first sight.   ;)

Good luck in finding one that isn't so dear.  You will if patient, a virtue often missing when looking at motorcycles.  OTOH, life is short, and, as that classified I saw in motomag a few days ago pointed out: "You'll Be Dead a Long Time."   :o

The dealer will not call the cops and eject you if you make an offer in line with what's been said here.  You might ride it home.

Bill

[Semper-guzzi]

I paid 3500 for mine but socal pricing is a but higher than most. Also got it at MG Classics so it's a good running one at that. Put about 7k on it since I got it in July. All I did was change tires and oil. It's att 47k now. No issues. Oh, and it's RED.

[cj750]

Verify the mileage before getting too excited. The Jackal in question has been listed on CL several times. In one of the earlier listings, there was a decent shot of the speedometer, and I'm 99% positive that the mileage showing was ~11000, not the ~1100 the seller has listed in the ad.
This: http://fayar.craigslist.org/mcy/4833637622.html looks like a better deal, to me.
Full disclosure:  I also have a Jackal that I'm thinking of selling, but was planning on waiting for better weather.

Jay

[bad Chad]

Pasta, something is wrong, or you are not doing it right.  First gear is high, but there is no need to rev the bike to get it moving, you either have something out of adjustment, or wore out, or you just are not doing it correctly.

[papatom]

CJ770 thanks for the heads up.  I thought it might have been for sale before.  Plan on buying something by spring so I'm not in a hurry.  Still doing research.  Would like a V11 Sport of the same era, maybe a Quota, or a ...  you get the picture.  Thanks for all the info.  Great site.

[Semper-guzzi]

Mmmm a quota. Those are cool. I'm keeping a lookout for those.

[boatdetective]

Jackals are very basic. I had a 2004 EV and it is a much better machine for not much more of a premium. Perso.ally, I couldn't get used to the riding position- I like my feet under me, not in front. At 6'- I would also need to get a higher seat. There are many Calu fans here, but I'll tell you the transmission in a 1934 truck is more sophisticated. Drove me nuts. Upshifts not that bad- but downshifting into a corner awful.  The heart of the bike- the engine, will be the least of your worries. Personally, I'm sold that the current crop of bikes are the best they've ever made.

[Pasta Hog]

Pasta, something is wrong, or you are not doing it right.  First gear is high, but there is no need to rev the bike to get it moving, you either have something out of adjustment, or wore out, or you just are not doing it correctly.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I can relate my experience. My Harley takes off very smoothly from a dead stop. Unless the Jackal has some RPMs going, it stalls or lugs. I have to release the clutch gradually in order to avoid being jerked around or having to restart the engine.

[Semper-guzzi]

I don't claim to be an expert, but I can relate my experience. My Harley takes off very smoothly from a dead stop. Unless the Jackal has some RPMs going, it stalls or lugs. I have to release the clutch gradually in order to avoid being jerked around or having to restart the engine.

My jackal zooms like a rocket at take off. I don't know.

I also don't get why everyone has issues with the transmission. My heal toe shifter has very very seldom not gotten into the gear I was aiming for.

[Park Ridge Phil]

 I'm with Chad and Semper on this one. No problems with shifting or transmission. Ride it like you stole it. Go to your local dragstrip and let it rip. I just would like to change out the whole tail light and turnsignal assembly on mine. Any thoughts? 

[rodekyll]

I installed a Ford Duolamp on a Jackal rear fender using a bit of angle stock for a mount.  I twisted off the oem mounting lugs and replaced them with bolts through the fender's bracket.  Then I replaced the 1156 bulbs with LEDs.  Works good.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I don't claim to be an expert, but I can relate my experience. My Harley takes off very smoothly from a dead stop. Unless the Jackal has some RPMs going, it stalls or lugs. I have to release the clutch gradually in order to avoid being jerked around or having to restart the engine.

You can't expect a Guzzi to take off from a stop like a Harley. The Guzzi is a higher speed engine, and doesn't have the bottom end torque of a Harley. What you are experiencing is perfectly normal.

[bad Chad]

Chuck does have a point >skunk< :D, big HD do have considerably more torque down low than the faster spinning Guzzi, but's it's all relative.  With a few rpms the Guzzi will streak off, the old school 5 speed is just that old school and requires an authority figure to make it behave!  Rev it up, kick it hard and it will treat you right!

[radguzzi]

I usually do not like to divulge how much I have into my motorcycles and I am not even sure why however, for this cause I will tell you that I have less than 3K in this 2001 V11 California Jackal as it sits...  A great deal of that figure is due to the excellent price that I paid for it and some good folks here that pay it forward, a trend that I too practice.

[cj750]

I'm with Chad and Semper on this one. No problems with shifting or transmission. Ride it like you stole it. Go to your local dragstrip and let it rip. I just would like to change out the whole tail light and turnsignal assembly on mine. Any thoughts? 

I just grabbed the first taillight assembly that looked like it would fit with minimal tweaking at the local MC salvage, painted it to match, and added a couple of universal chrome bullet turnsignals. Simple and works great.

[Joliet Jim]

I'm with Chad and Semper on this one. No problems with shifting or transmission. Ride it like you stole it. Go to your local dragstrip and let it rip. I just would like to change out the whole tail light and turnsignal assembly on mine. Any thoughts? 

:+1

[charlie b]

I looked around to see what my bike was worth, and the impression I got was that $2000 would be fair.

As for opinions of the bike:

1. The side covers are garbage. Expect them to fall off, and fiberglass replacements (if available) will run $180 unpainted.

2. The chrome falls off and rusts.

3. Getting the bike moving from a dead stop is not pleasant because first gear is so high. I have to rev mine up and let the clutch out gradually.

4. Someone here compared the seat to sitting on a log. That's the best description I've seen. After an hour, you will need to get off. I got a quote on redoing mine, and it was over $400 before shipping.

5. The gas cap may get stuck because the plastic swells.

6. Changing the oil is a nightmare unless you have a Harper Outsider. If you buy an Outsider, double-check the length of the bolts they send you with it, because sometimes they send the wrong ones, and they will tear threads out of your engine. The Outsider will not work well with the original crossover, so you will need an H-pipe to go with it.

7. The rear shocks are horrible, so you will want to replace them.

8. Shifting is unbelievable. You will get false neutrals all the time if you don't stomp on it.

Fun bike, though. Great sound. It has a wide torque band (at least compared to my other bike), so it's easy to fall into a habit of shifting too early, but it seems to ride best when you wind it up pretty good.

As horrible as all these sound, for someone who has never ridden an older Guzzi, they are pretty accurate when comparing a 5sp Tonti big block to a more modern bike. 

Comparing a sportier bike to a HD is like apples and oranges.  Guzzi engines (like many other bike engines) like to be at higher RPMs.  Yes, you can force them to lug along at 1500rpm but it is not where they like to be.  If you like the lumpy feel of an HD don't get a Guzzi.

#3 does depend on which model you buy.  Some have 7:33 gears instead of 8:33's so 1st gear is lower.  Mine has both 7:33's and 16" rear wheel so 1st gear is pretty low, but, that comes with a higher RPM at highway speeds.

#6 replacing the oil filter on the older big blocks requires removing the oil pan.  Not a horrible nightmare, just takes a bit longer.  On mine the factory recommends replacing the filter every third oil change so it really isn't a big deal.  The advantage is you get to see if there are any metal bits in the pan.

#8 just use a firm shift movement.  I just push and hold the shift lever until I am fully in the next gear.  If you try and speed shift with just a jab at it, then you might find yourself in a false neutral.  Again, not horrible, just can be embarrassing.  If your tranny is especially bad then have a good shop shim it properly.

As far as low mileage, for an over 10 yr old bike, I'd rather have one with more miles than less.  Less than 1k miles per year, especially if not ridden much in the last few years, to me is bad.  It means you may end up replacing seals and bearings in places you normally would not have to.  Cost of parts is not much, but, if you are paying someone to do the work it can be expensive.

[kidsmoke]

My jackal zooms like a rocket at take off. I don't know.

I also don't get why everyone has issues with the transmission. My heal toe shifter has very very seldom not gotten into the gear I was aiming for.

This is my experience as well.

I'm with Chad and Semper on this one. No problems with shifting or transmission. Ride it like you stole it. Go to your local dragstrip and let it rip. I just would like to change out the whole tail light and turnsignal assembly on mine. Any thoughts? 

Rad and cj750...both of you have done great work with your Jackals, love em. And the tailight assembly was a "weakness" I addressed as well.

LED Duolamps are a great solution in my opinion. I made a LP bracket from one of those side mount kits so common these days, found some unobtrusive LED side markers. I like it, but perhaps not as much as what you both (CJ/Rad) have done.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

A jackal isn't a Harley

It's a sporty revy cruiser (as sporty & revy as a cruiser can be)... Not a parade duty couch

You simply aren't going to be able to roll off from idle on the Guzzi.. Give it some rpm..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bill Hagan]

****

Very nice looking machine.

Have to ask, tho, about that blocking out of the tag.

I see that done a bit and have never really understood why folks do that.

At least you used a red marker.  ;D

Bill

[kidsmoke]

Very nice looking machine.
Have to ask, tho, about that blocking out of the tag.
I see that done a bit and have never really understood why folks do that.
At least you used a red marker.  ;D
Bill

Ha!! Hey Bill. thank you.

In answer to your question, I confess to being a "sheeple" on this issue, I'm not certain of the damage some very motivated person with too much time on their hands could do, but I also see this done often, and have concluded, less shared info on the interwebs is better than more...so I defer.  I suppose if someone had access to a state registry, info such as name address lic. number, social security number etc may be obtained..... In these days of cloned VIN numbers for insurance fraud and such....I suppose some very industrious scumbag may have developed a process, and has people browsing through enthusiast forums, ebay, Craigslist and such culling data???

[kidsmoke]

To address the OP...I agree mileage that low is for a 15yr old bike is suspect, and if true, not a great sign. That said, my 2000 has 24k on it and runs like hell. Last summer it was gone through and re-mapped by Jim Barron At Rose Farm Classics, an acknowledged guru with guzzi's,  and runs flawlessly and is quick as can be. NO mechanical issues whatsoever. (though some may have been addressed before I got a hold of it.)

I ride with the previous owner, who graduated to a Cali 1400, and he kicks himself. the cost:joy ratio is just insane with these bikes, IMHO

My point is that if you can get the seller to a realistic place, you'll have a bike with a ridiculous upside to it. Miles and miles of riding ahead of you for a VERY low cost.