2018 Eldorado

[moto-uno]

  If any members are familiar with this model and could fill me in on the pros or cons of owning one I'd
love to hear from you :) .Peter

[Peter949]

A local fellow in my area owns an Eldorado, and had the speedo replaced under warranty. Also I read on GuzziTech that the speedo can get misty from water vapor, and have water drops inside.

Recently there was a post about a Guzzi 1400 model "dropping the valves" and damaging the engine.

[Kev m]

Recently there was a post about a Guzzi 1400 model "dropping the valves" and damaging the engine.

THAT sounds like an anomaly.

[TN Mark]

IMHO, the Eldorado 1400 is without doubt the most beautiful Moto Guzzi being made today. By a very wide margin. Some of the 2016 models had an electrical component (Demand Sensor) issue which, when it failed, the bike ran very poorly. By now it's a fairly well documented issue and should be quick to remedy 'if' there's an issue. So far, I haven't read of the Demand Sensor being an issue on the 2018 models. From what I've been able to put together, the biggest differences between the 2016 and 2018 is the updated cruise control and a change to higher European emissions standards on the 2018. The bikes are set up very lean from the factory and can run much better with an aftermarket ECU program. Which, just happens to be available on this forum from Beetle.

As you may have seen, new Moto Guzzis tend to last a while in the showrooms. There are a handful of excellent dealers around the country so please ask on this forum before you buy. A brand new 2018 Eldorado is already 2 model years old so the purchase price should, and often does, reflect that.

Depending on your current and past motorcycle experience, what you'll find out quickly about the Moto Guzzi brand is there's a very limited after market for these bikes and accessories tend to be quite expensive compared to just about any other brand. If you price some Polaris Indian accessories you'll get the idea.

The 1400 bikes, if set up properly from a good dealer, are a joy to ride and own. This forum is by far the largest and most active with many contributors having been here since its inception. Find your best deal on the 2018 Eldorado, buy it from an excellent dealer and you'll likely have it for many fun filled years to come.

Also as I'm sure you know, a Moto Guzzi is a whole lot easier to buy than to sell.

 

[Moparnut72]

I'll add my two cents. I own an Audace which is a very similar bike to the Eldorado. It is virtually the same except for some body work and I believe without checking front end geometry. It is by far the best bike I have ever owned. Fast, comfortable, good handling and a joy to look at, gets lots of comments. It was priced very well, well below MSRP. The dealer did add on a bunch of fees to recoup some of the low pricing. I paid $11,000 for mine but it was 2016 which I bought in July.

There was a bunch of hassle buying this bike however. It was advertised as new but had a bit over 500 miles on it. I assumed it was used as a demo but had actually been sold but had been repoed due to a fraudulent credit app. Anyway I bought the bike after some trials and tribulations. I actually had tried to buy the bike 3 years prior but the dealership didn't want to be bothered moving a bunch of bikes to get it out of the showroom. So I bought a Harley instead. Three years later after being fed up with the HD I went looking for another Audace, I had my heart set on this model. Anyway it turns out this was the same bike I had looked at 3 years prior. So before I got to the dealership to test ride it, they took it out for a spin to make sure all was well. During this warmup ride by the manager, it dropped a valve. Why? Who knows. Anyway Piaggio sent a new motor for it. I test rode it, loved it and bought it.

I have only 5,000 miles on it at this point with no problems other than an installation short coming in the new engine installation due to an improper sensor connector not being fully engaged. My other gripe is that the dashboard is hard to see in certain lighting conditions.  I solved that by installing a Ram mount for my cell phone with a speedometer app. One or the other can be seen at all times now. My major issue with the bike isn't the bike at all but the dealer network. It is a group of three stores. The first one where I bought the bike messed up the paperwork resulting in nothing being mailed to me. They also got my phone number wrong, so the finance couldn't contact me and I couldn't contact them resulting in a couple of dings on my credit. The main dealership also screwed up the paperwork further. The third one never got a couple of due bills completed. So make sure you use a reliable dealer. I bought my bike in early July and wasn't able to get it registered until late October. When this was all going on I asked the first dealer if they could get another when the engine blew. I waited a month for the bike to be repaired. I was in the third dealer not too long ago and they had another Audace on the floor. I jumped all over the salesman, you couldn't get another aways back yet here is a new one. You had the last one for three years why would you gat another? "We got a good deal on it." All I can say for them is they gave me a good  price for my Harley.

Sorry for all the ranting and raving but I kind of got wound up. It was absolutely the worst experience I have ever had buying any vehicle. We have had a dealership another 20 minutes further down the road that just took on MG so I am planning on checking them out soon. But you know what, it has all been worth it in the long run. I will also be looking at at a V7 for a second bike when finances allow. Good luck.

[drbone641]

Love my Eldo

[moto-uno]

  Thanks for all the hasty remarks , much appreciated . I'm going for a rode test at noon , kinda excited !
My last new motorcycle was a Le Mans 2 bought in 1983 , so it's been a while  . I still have that Le Mans . Peter

[TN Mark]

That’s wonderful! I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on it. The. a Touring windshield, driving lights, bags etc can all be added.

[Tom]

It's the best handling of the Cal 1400 series bikes.  The difference is the 16" wheels and tires.  Throwing it into Alpine style mountain roads with switchbacks is where the difference shines. 

[ampm7]

I bought a used 2016 Eldo in January and have put 3,000 miles on her so far (10,000 total). This is my 4th Guzzi and it is great! I got a good trade in value for my 1991 Heritage Classic but I have owned quite a few bikes before the Harley. I am getting into my late 60's and just simply can't mount a high seat height bike anymore hence the Harley and Kawasaki Drifter that I had before. The Guzzi has plenty of power, great brakes, handles very well for the bike that it is and is fairly simple to work on (removal of the tank is not) but let's not fool ourselves anybody that owns a Guzzi has to know how to do his/her own wrenching. I'm getting 44mpg avg. twisties, mountains, desert and freeway. As noted above, the instrument readout is somewhat difficult to read depending on the light. I have been working on decreasing the wind resistance as it seems to be not as good as some other bikes that I have had but is livable. The bike is a wonderful cruiser and sporting at the same time as evidenced by the previous owner wearing down the sacrificials on the footboards down to nubs. The only thing that was done to the bike was Agostini pipes (I left the db killers in as the low rpm fueling gets messed up) and I added a Boosterplug which cures some low rpm fueling, Thermo-Tec exhaust wrap, a bat-wing style front fairing, spots, and will put in Custom Dynamics Truflex brake/run for better visibility on braking. I also bought a laptop to download Beetle's Guzzidiag format for analyzing any malfunctions. No need to remap as the motor runs great. I also put on Progressive 944 shocks and am contemplating going with Racetech gold valves/springs or the more expensive Traxxtion AK-20 cartridges. The front end works fine but it could work better and since I will need to change the front tire soon it becomes an option as I don't like to have to redo work. There is one thing that I have noticed here in SoCal, I have not seen another Eldo on the road. So, if you don't like being the cookie-cutter crowd Guzzi is perfect!             
 
 

[kballowe]

We have a 2016 model.  It drives and handles well.

The only issue was that it had a failed throttle position sensor which took nearly five months to resolve.  This was a dealer service issue.
Half the people on this board immediately knew what it was.  After using the Guzzi diagnostic software, so did I.  The dealer?  Not so much.

[Tom]

I thought you were selling this bike?

[moto-uno]

  So the road test went well . I wasn't too impressed with the low speed running , both my carbureted bikes run smoother down low .
I've read that the "Booster plug" improves this . Any personal experiences would be much appreciated . Highway performance is rather
amazingly smooth and plenty of power . Thanks again for all inputs and hopefully more to come .   Peter

[Tom]

What rpm's were you running the bike on the test ride?

[moto-uno]

  The revs were from around 1800 to 4500 rpm . Under 2500 rpm was not too smooth .  Peter

[80CX100]

   I wasn't too impressed with the low speed running , both my carbureted bikes run smoother down low .
 Any personal experiences would be much appreciated .Thanks again for all inputs and hopefully more to come .   Peter

Hey Peter,     Iirc, you are mainly a "carb" bike guy? like I was until just a few years ago.

     If this is your first ride on an ECU/EFI bike, there can be a noticeable difference, especially if it's in need of a tune up and TB's balance.

     I found the lurchy/gurchy instant on/off at slow walking/parking lot speeds, very disconcerting on my first EFI bike compared to carbs. I modified my riding style on the EFI bikes and typically will trail brake at very low speeds, just to smooth things out, I don't remember ever thinking about doing that on a carbed bike on a regular basis.

     A good tune up & balance and possibly a map upgrade can help a lot; I've had 3 EFI bikes, without a doubt, my Griso, the only one with a Beetle map, is the best mannered of the bunch at low speed.

     Personally I'm not into the 1400 bikes so much, but of them all, the Eldorado is the one that works for me;  very classic lines, and the wheels make it the best handling of the bunch, if it was well tuned and set up, I'm sure it would be a very nice motorcycle. 

      I'm glad it's your decision and not mine, I've seen 2 major deals on beautiful Eldorados go by that I shed a tear every time I think of them,lol.

      Good luck with it 

       Kelly

[Dave Swanson]

     Personally I'm not into the 1400 bikes so much, but of them all, the Eldorado is the one that works for me;  very classic lines, and the wheels make it the best handling of the bunch, if it was well tuned and set up, I'm sure it would be a very nice motorcycle. 

      I'm glad it's your decision and not mine, I've seen 2 major deals on beautiful Eldorados go by that I shed a tear every time I think of them,lol.

      Good luck with it 

       Kelly

The Eldorado has been working on me since they came out.  I have read all the mail on them - good and bad, but am still drawn to the Eldo like a moth to a flame.  Except for the white walls I really love the look of the modern Eldo!

[elvisboy77]

  So the road test went well . I wasn't too impressed with the low speed running , both my carbureted bikes run smoother down low .
I've read that the "Booster plug" improves this . Any personal experiences would be much appreciated . Highway performance is rather
amazingly smooth and plenty of power . Thanks again for all inputs and hopefully more to come .   Peter

Make sure it is in VELOCE mode!  No problems then.  I LOVE my 1400 Eldo.

[moto-uno]

  This is in fact the first fuel injected Moto-Guzzi I've ridden , but as an m/c mechanic for quite some time I've ridden
countless other fuel injected bikes , none exhibited this rough a low rpm running . The bike is brand new from a
dealership and I'd hope it is setup as well as it should be (wanting to sell it and all :) ) Peter
Thanks again for all your remarks .

[Moparnut72]

Mine has low speed low gear surging between 2000 and 3000 rpm. It is kind of a pain because I have to go tomy house on a quiet residential street. It is hard to keep the speed down without the surging. It isn't something that I can't live with. I will probably do a Beetle map at some point. It isn't as bad as my Harley was.
kk

[Ncdan]

Make sure it is in VELOCE mode!  No problems then.  I LOVE my 1400 Eldo.

I have the 1400 tourer. Are there much of a noticeable difference between the touring mode and the race mode?

[Dave Swanson]

I do not see a reference to any 1400 maps on Beetle's site.

https://www.griso.org/

[ampm7]

Until the bike gets thoroughly warm it does have a slight glitch at low speed. The Boosterplug makes the bike run richer especially at low rpm's.Of course when you give it throttle and have it at 6,000rpms it is getting enough fuel. Installation is not easy as most temp sensors are in the airbox on most bikes but this one is mounted to the manifold. The motor does have a lot of engine braking on deceleration which takes some getting used to. The fueling is not nearly as bad as my VII was even after it was mapped/dyno'ed and a Power Commander was put on. The bike also does not like to be run below 3,000rpm's just like my Suzuki SV1000s and GSXR750. Keep the rev's up as lugging is bad...

[moto-uno]

  ^ Are you pleased with the low speed running after installing the Booster Plug ?
I had no qualms with any other engine speeds . Thanks  , Peter

[elvisboy77]

  This is in fact the first fuel injected Moto-Guzzi I've ridden , but as an m/c mechanic for quite some time I've ridden
countless other fuel injected bikes , none exhibited this rough a low rpm running . The bike is brand new from a
dealership and I'd hope it is setup as well as it should be (wanting to sell it and all :) ) Peter
Thanks again for all your remarks .

I believe the roughness at idle is intentional. 

[LowRyter]

I believe the roughness at idle is intentional.

Intentional or not, that's the nature of those bikes. Sorta reminds of a Harley. 

All Guzzis that I've ridden, including the 1400 need to be ridden 3k+.  Great powerband but Guzzis don't like to be lugged.  When my EV is loaded down with saddlebags and windshield, it doesn't like top gear until an indicated 80 (70 in the real world).

[80CX100]

I believe the roughness at idle is intentional.

     I think you're right.

     Iirc, I've read comments by Pete and Beetle, that MG's engineers/designers, did some funky tuning down low, to give the 1400 bikes that HD potaeto/potahto sound and feel.

     Beetle's maps may not show up on his site yet, but I "think" he's probably got some in the works or available.

     fwiw, good luck with the decision

     Kelly

[TN Mark]

The first time I test rode a CA Touring the fueling map was horrible. The throttle was like a light switch between a too low idle up to about 2400 rpm. Something was clearly way off on that bike. I didn't get to switch ride modes to see if it would have a positive effect. A slight throttle blip would send the rpm up to 2400, hold it there then drop it like a rock to 800rpm. This is definitely not a designed in element to mimic anything. It's either a fuel map error, something was broken or something was way out of adjustment. Other EFI bikes I've ridden have been spot on, so again, no legitimate opportunity to bash EFI in general. Maybe Moto Guzzi EFI on some models, but not EFI in general.

On some makes, disconnecting the the Oxygen Sensors in the exhaust will fool the ECM into thinking the bike hasn't warmed up. This allows the bike to run on a richer 'cold' fuel map in the lower rpm range. But most newer models will throw a code if the sensors get disconnected.

The second Guzzi 1400 I test rode was an MGS-21 which had better fueling. That bike exhibited much less EFI low speed jerkiness. Before and after it was fully warmed up. So again, something sounds to be off on the Eldorado Peter rode. There are ways to correct the oem fuel map which was only designed to pass strict emissions testing, not to allow the engine to run properly. The aftermarket is your friend to getting the 1400 to perform and run properly through correct fueling.

[Moparnut72]

I can live with mine if I have to but the fueling in the lower gears at lower rpm is annoying. I am not going to put one of those devices that trick the ECU into believing the temps are lower than they actually. I am also not going to spend more than $1,000 for one of those Power Commander tuners which is about a 1/10 of what I paid for the whole bike. I have looked at Beetle's maps and I don't see one for the 1,400. The only one close is an 8 valve with roller tappets but that is for a Griso. I hope he develops onefor our bikes, even though I would be nervous messing with my ECU but for a smooth running bike I will do it.   
kk

[TN Mark]

Things like a Power Commander V (PCV) or a Maximus remapping of the ECU work beautifully. Though you’d have to do a couple of bikes to get up to $1K with a PCV with a dyno tune. The Maximus ECU tune, if available for the Guzzi, is also shy of $1K. Installation of the PCV with a dyno tune was around $500 from the most respected tuner for my bike brand that exists. My PCV has been 100% perfect for over 7 years.

The harder issue is finding someone who’s both knowledgeable and capable of correctly tuning the Guzzi to run like it should and can. Again, the oem map was intentionally made way too lean to pass emissions testing. Change mufflers and/or alter the intake and you only exacerbate the issue. A bone stock Guzzi 1400 clearly needs a proper (aftermarket) fuel map.

YMMV,