New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
I guess the Guzzi footprint is too risky to the masses, and probably isn't even known much outside of the faithful.
I think the fad of dull paint really needs to end.. high end cruzer guys seem to like shinny...
Power... its close to all the big players...
and maybe im going WAYYYYYY off the deep end... but maybe water cooling?.
Anyone who enjoys spirited riding cares about cornering clearance.
Here's the problem; how many people want to flog a 700lb cruiser all the time over mountain roads, want it to be quick as well as fast, want good ground clearance, want air cooling and traditional cruiser design? Not many. If they do they buy a Diavel or something else that's water-cooled. It's a niche bike in a niche market by a niche brand with no support.
Another element is that the Guzzi line up of small blocks and 1400 cruiser doesn't match up with the traditional Guzzi rider that is more inclined to a sporting bike and has some experience with quality problems and warranty service with newer bikes. Having said that, the Griso is still available but is an older product. But sport touring was a big element, and nothing in the Guzzi quite matches that.
count me in the minority of people who love to flog a 700lb cruiser and change their own oil and adjust valves.
this bike has its own catagory: sport cruiser.
You've hit on something here. Guzzi is drifting away from it's traditional market and customer. 950-1200cc "mid-sized" bikes that were simple, elegant, and out performed their spec sheets. Griso is the last of those bikes, without any replacement in sight.There is a huge hole in the current Guzzi lineup where a very large number of the people on this forum reside. I believe the current California would've been a much bigger success if they'd made it shorter and lighter. The American big cruiser market is a tough nut to crack, and you're not going to do it with a plastic-fendered machine with a high-revving engine from an unknown company with no dealer or aftermarket support.
I think the 1400 T would appeal to me if my feet were under me and not in front. I came close to getting one on several occasions. Never pulled the trigger and have gone lukewarm about it. I am impressed that the newer Guzzis seem to be pretty reliable and don't have reoccurring problems.
i did say, a niche of a niche of a niche. the victory i had was a kingpin tour, so i don't know about the 92 bikes, but it handles pretty well, the engine was very powerful, but signed off at about 4,000 rpm. the v-rod was not a sport cruiser, it was a magnificent motor in a very compromised frame. but, these nit pics aside, i do agree with you that it is a very small niche, oh, did i say that already?
...comments that let me to conclude that they were riding the bikes MUCH too low in the rev range. They were riding the 1400 like their Harley's and we all know that doesn't work. I started to mention to guest riders PRIOR to their ride that they would have a MUCH better experience keeping the bike around 1K higher than they would on their hogs.