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My guess is they will eventually, when the economy is stronger, launch a new 'Sporting' bike. I also expect that most of the people clamouring for them to do so will stay away from it in droves!Pete
Why is all of that plastic on the Millepercento bike?
Honda sells 87% of its motorcycles in Asia, mostly scooters at 125cc or less. Guzzi survival is likely not about selling to us few remaining old guys in the western hemisphere, but the huge numbers of young people in high-traffic cities in Thailand and China. Go back its horizontal single that was Guzzi's bread and butter for almost 50 years! Ie, a scooter that happens to be a motorcycle
What we need is a well built 700=800 cc sloper single with all the inherent ease of riding without a lot of plastic body shell. The engine should be prominent, well displayed and artistically finished. A real pussycat to ride to or around town, panther like in its grace. ;D ;D ;D
Piaggio have owned Guzzi for almost eleven years.In that time they have killed the V11 Sport / LeMans line and killed the MGS-01, but they have not released anything as sporting to replace them.
Sorry, that was a missed opportunity when they killed the MGS/01. Would it have sold in large numbers? We will never know but it would have brought people into the showroom. I know that I would have owned one.
OK , let's look at this from a business perspective . What have been the biggest sellers for Guzzi since 1967 . The loop frame models , followed by the Tonti frame Californias , and now the V7 series , correct ? So , why would Piaggio put any R&D money into a sporting model that will sell in very limited numbers ? You guys wanting a true sporting bike are gonna have to look elsewhere , or learn to live with the current style of offerings . Even if the SB is seriously updated , what , maybe 60 HP from 850 CCs , and they will need serious suspension upgrades to use even that much power . I remember the last Le Mans in '04 gathering dust on Atlas motorcycles showroom . Yeah , guys would say it was cool , but it just sat there . Even the mags liked it , didn't help . DustyI remember Ken having a 1981 G5 that sat there longer than any bike he ever had, why....I am guessing the 3600.00 dollar price tag he would not come down on. Sometimes it is not the bike... Just my thoughts.
As someone new to the Guzzi brand, I am looking at it from afar. The Guzzi culture I see are enthusiasts who like traditional design, not the greatest performance numbers. That is a race with no end and one someone else will always win! (Supercharged H2R?) I think instead Guzzi might make better inroads attracting new (different?) riders with their classic naked frame designs. That is what attracts me, at least.I am guessing reliability is somewhat similar to other Italian brands; that might be another thing that perhaps they are trying to improve. Ducati went through a phase circa 2007 where a massive ad campaign was launched specifically to address the issue that "Ducatis were expensive to own"... although that is true, and the engineering didn't catch up until around 2010. When I see a Guzzi at our shop it is mainly for simple things like an oil change or new tires, almost never do I see it in for a "cylinder head rebuild" like our Ducatis.So perhaps these new designs are more to showcase the new, more reliable engineering of the motor? Although I am a bit disappointed to see so much plastic -- the Guzzi V-design is quite beautiful. And second only to the BMW boxer. ;D I too wish they would move to smaller displacement motors more reminiscent of the classics. I'm sure modern technology can make up for the lost cc's!Time to run before people come after me with pitchforks for saying that. :wife:
Piaggio have owned Guzzi for almost eleven years.In that time they have killed the V11 Sport / LeMans line and killed the MGS-01, but they have not released anything as sporting to replace them.No, the mile-long Griso doesn't count. It's a standard.The spine-frame bikes were the last link to the Guzzi racing heritage. Piaggio broke that chain and it does not look like they care to fix it.While Piaggio/Guzzi do make nice bikes, they don't currently have anything available in the dealership that interests me.Sucks, too, as I really love the marque.If they'd ever do something about the engine in the small block, or come out with a worthy successor to the V11 line, I'd be more motivated. For now, I will just ride my Sport 1100 and enjoy its link to Guzzi's former glory.
If they wanted to, why couldn't they bring it back?
Come on....give Piaggio a break. They have the dominant bike in WSBK, a V4 and the best naked version of it in the known universe. Why try and reinvent another sportbike just to call it GUZZI.
The Guzzi guys want a street oriented canyon carver, super sport tourer while the Aprilia guys want a track bike. ...one marketed to some guy that 28 years old and the other guy that's 48.
Yeah, but people seem to really enjoy discussing it, judging by the thread responses. So may it isn't so tired?Lannis
Naw, we're just old and can't remember what we talked about last year. Maybe part of Guzzi's "problem"? :BEER:
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D We are getting like our grandfathers , telling the same old story over and over ;D Dusty
The article is pretty much a PR piece for Millepercento. Why they felt the need to trash the modern Guzzis in order to elevate the MP bike sis beyond me -- the latter are, after all, based on the former. Putting that aside, I think Piaggio is making a mistake with the current division between Aprilia (sport / racing) and Moto Guzzi (heritage / retro). IMO, a little inter-company rivalry is exactly what Piaggio Group needs to wake up both Aprilia and Guzzi. Remember the heyday of General Motors? Chevy and Pontiac each trying to out-do the other in performance and value made for some great cars. For all of Aprilia's recent racing success and Guzzi's refreshed line-up, Triumph, Ducati, BMW and KTM are leaving them in the dust. The current strategy is not working, so why not?