California 1400 Owners, would you buy it again?

[Rhodri]

Thank-you, all.  In light of what you said, we will be pursuing the Tourer my local guy has on sale.  It's a 2014, but it's marked down to a bit less than $17K ... Now I just have to wait for my tax return.  :-)

[Dean Rose]

Thank-you, all.  In light of what you said, we will be pursuing the Tourer my local guy has on sale.  It's a 2014, but it's marked down to a bit less than $17K ... Now I just have to wait for my tax return.  :-)

What is it with waiting for a tax return? Can't people figure out how much to deduct?
I would rather keep the money than let the Government keep it with no interest.


Dean

[bpreynolds]

What is it with waiting for a tax return? Can't people figure out how much to deduct?
I would rather keep the money than let the Government keep it with no interest.


Dean

What's wrong with giving ol' Sam a loan until the end of the year, each year?  He knows what to do with it, right?

[rocker59]

What is it with waiting for a tax return? Can't people figure out how much to deduct?
I would rather keep the money than let the Government keep it with no interest.


Dean

LOL!  Yeah, mine is always within about $100.  Sometimes I get a check.  Sometimes I pay.  

I'm guessing a lot of people qualify for credits and deductions that I don't qualify for, therefore they see occasional windfalls at tax time.

[Kev m]

What is it with waiting for a tax return? Can't people figure out how much to deduct?
I would rather keep the money than let the Government keep it with no interest.


Dean

HA HA HA - I tell you what, if YOU can figure it out for me, I'll pay you a percentage.

Let's see this year we will have 3 W2's, 2 1099s, and a K1 (which we have no real way of planning the amount cause it's all determined by the company accountants last minute, but is normally well into the thousands of taxable "income"), 3 or 4 1098's from different mortgage companies and 2 HUDs on 2 different properties, 2 different student loan 1098-Es (which will probably equal 0 for what we can claim), whatever the Child Care Tax Credit statement is called, a buttload of moving expenses, oh yeah, and we'll be filiing 6 individual state returns (plus 2 different individual local returns) in 3 different states.

PLEASE, tell me how to plan that one...

And I have an accountant, she's done our work for a decade, she's not bad, but with all the changes in our lives this past year and no way to predict most of them, I don't know how she could have done it either.

[Tazturtle]

My wife took a Touring for an hour ride this weekend and quite enjoyed it.

I think, like the V7s, they make quite a good girl's bike! ;p

Kurt

[DaddyRabbit]

Yes, without a doubt.

[Touringman]

In a word...YES!  But a bit of background is necessary.  Having owned two of the Motor Co.'s bikes (a 1200 Sporty and a '01 wide glide) in addition to three different Japanese inline fours from 92 -07, BUT only one California 1400 Touring.  I believe that there is no perfect bike coming out of any factory anywhere in the world.  You buy what you like or want ,and then "fix" it to your liking.
The Cali 1400 is not a perfect bike for me, but it IS closer to perfect than anything else I sat on or test rode. And most importantly, my wife and riding buddy is now comfortable and very happy with the purchase.  FWIW: me: 5'10" 205lb. She who likes to be comfortable, 5'1" 110lb.
   
Pros for me:
It's actually relatively light weight (compared to it's immediate competition)...compared to my touring setup Bandit 1250, yes it is about 200 lbs too heavy.  But my wife and riding buddy is no longer happy folded up on the Bandit. Dont even get me started on the Roadmaster/Ultra Glide weight.
Great motor and trans: Smooth, powerful and will embarras a 110 inch Road King both in corners and away from the stoplight. (Don't ask me how I know. :+=copcar).
Cruise Controll:  Throttlemeister got nothing on this thing.
Great headlight and driving light combo!
Brakes:  Outstanding...Same P4 32 Brembo front calipers as a Ducati 1099, add a set of DP HH+ pads for better initial bite and you will never know it weighs 1100 lbs with me, my wife and a long weekends worth of gear. Best brakes I have ever experienced on a heavy bike. PERIOD! 
In short, it is the best handling, lightest, and most powerful cruiser/tourer I could find that fit my needs. (NO...the Diavel is not a two up cruiser/tourer and she wasn't comfortable on it.)

Whats wrong with it...
Seat...not terrible, too soft and unsupportive...has about a 250-300 mile limit for me. Hell, the Bandit has a factory gel seat and 700+ daily is no big deal.  Easily fixed, including a backrest by the nice folks at Corbin.
Suspension...No worse, but no better than my old Wide Glide.  Properly sprung in the rear but NO damping whatsoever...think pogo stick on certain roads.  Front, like about 90% of everything out there with cartridge forks...too softly sprung and too easy to hydrolock on sharp bumps.  Both of these easily solved by the nice folks at Race Tech.
Heel shifter...After removing two screws, I still have never owned a bike with a heel shifter...
Hard side bags leak...I modded the mounting system and it improved some, still needs some black silicone work on the two piece seam on the inside of the bags.  Note: the 60L top case does not leak even one drop. Bag leaking on a bike of this $$$ and caliber is nearly criminal. 

Perfect, no. Best I could find that suited my (our) needs? Yes, and then some.  And I would do it again in a heartbeat and never look back!  Proud to own it, ride it, and talk about it to whoever wants to listen.     



           

[mtiberio]

I drilled drain holes at the low point in the bags on my 1400. This way, my stuff might get wet, but won't be floating in a puddle of water at the end of a trip...

[omega1]

I had the saddlebag lids covered with clear 3M film to prevent accidental boot damage when getting on and off.

[rslezak]

I certainly would buy it again, ride one and decide for yourself.

Met you in Nova Scotia couple years back ... Was quite unusual to see another California in literally the middle of no where (Meat Cove) !! Just sold my California for a newer model - I should have kept both, really miss that bike !!

[lucian]

too funny, I had forgot about that.   I still love my 14 custom and would no doubt buy it again.  30.000 miles and counting, yeh it's heavy to push around but what a mile muncher.

What did you get? Another 14?  Nice to hear from you,

[Ncdan]

One of the sweetest running motors ever put in a Motorcycle and as Lucian said it’s a monster of a mile muncher.
That being said I won’t say “never” but I can say probably not. After having the Stone now which is a couple hundred pounds lighter and more of a simpler machine, well I’m pretty satisfied at this time in my ridding life.

[Bulldog9]

I didn't have a 1400 California, but did have the 1400 MGX-21 for 8 months and 3000 miles, and no I would not own one again, or as much as I love the look, especially of the Cali and Eldo, would not own once again.





My reasons.

1. Too heavy to push and move around, and awkward at slow speeds. The weight issue was health related, with a hip and knee replacement, just did not want the extra 350-450 lbs. The awkward at slow speeds was an MGX issue, the other 1400's did not have this issue.

2. I've come to the realization I just dont like the 8V motor. Had a 1200 8V Norge, and 1400, and though both had great power, the motor did little for me compared to my 4V motors (Griso, 1200S).

3. Too much electronic involvement. Throttle by wire, and all the other systems, ABS, TC, Cruise were just things I don't value and saw them as potential long term ownership headaches.

4. Fuel Mileage....... If I commuted, I would regularly get in the high teens, low 20's and rarely saw over 35MPG when on the open road.

5. HEAT! This thing absolutely cooked my shins and calf. No issues on any of my other bikes, and virtually no way to mitigate.

6. Had a bunch of issues right out of the box, leaky breathers from poor casting on the head, loose oil pressure sender connection, clogged gas tank vent system, MC brake recall, gauges fogged and left oily streams inside the gauge glass, poor illumination on the gauges, crappy/worthless radio and speakers, wonky CC engagement, odd clunk on frost heaves, worthless USB port, and though not fault of the bike, terrible setup that had several things fall off including the left handlebar stub while on a ride in the mountains.  All those are 'teething pains' and quirks, but in the end, other than the unique look, I just couldn't connect with it.

Though I enjoyed riding it, made a bunch of modifications and Isotta accessories, it just didn't work for me. I forced myself to ride it as I spent so much on it (far more than on any other bike) when not riding it, I was constantly regretting it and considered selling, and when I did, did not have a second of remorse. I listed it and sold it (in 1 week, at a 'break even price') while it still had factory warranty, saw no reason to squander it.  A week later, I leapfrogged 41 years back in time, and bought a Convert, which I adore.....

[slopokes]

Just found the key to my stock room..

[DougG]

Hi Slo,                                                                                             11-16-20

No only "Would I", but I did.  I have a 2015 and a 2017 Cali Tour.  They are medium weight cruisers.  I ride with a BMW club in western North Carolina and a friend in the Adirondack Mountains in upper New York State.  In NC, we ride mountain twisties...We've ridden them dozens of times and every time - no exceptions... I get this... "How much does that bike weigh?"
Now understand...I'm not a high performance grade rider, I've never raced bikes...etc.  However if you keep the RPM'S at > 3500, the bike never disappoints, and it can lean! 
Suggestions:
Buy a 2017 or newer (no "dred red triangle" much better cruise control.  Get a good aftermarket heated grip set.  Install a 1 or 1 1/2 gal roto cast fuel canister in a panier.  I did all these things (plus a pulsing led tail light unit).  I'm a happy camper.  BTW... I'm 70 years old, boast a 29" inseam and weigh 168 pounds.  the bike is well within my range of comfort.   Hope this helps.

Be well, stay well,
DougG

[lucian]

Hey Doug, could you enlighten me more on the improved cruise control. I've always found the one on my 2014 adequate , albeit basic. Hope all is well! Dave

[DougG]

Hi Dave,                                                                                                                                     11-16-20
Yeah, the cruise on the '15 is OK, it works..  it's ON/OFF, I have no problem with it.  But the '17 has resume.  Sounds like a small improvement.  Depending on one's riding style, it may be.  I have both and prefer the '17.  But I wouldn't kick the '15 out of bed for that.

[DougG]

By the way...the '15 has a recessed button for the cruise...a little hard to select with gloves on.  The '17 has a toggle.. somewhat easier to operate.  IMHO

Be well, stay well,
DougG

[Ncdan]

Hi Slo,                                                                                             11-16-20

No only "Would I", but I did.  I have a 2015 and a 2017 Cali Tour.  They are medium weight cruisers.  I ride with a BMW club in western North Carolina and a friend in the Adirondack Mountains in upper New York State.  In NC, we ride mountain twisties...We've ridden them dozens of times and every time - no exceptions... I get this... "How much does that bike weigh?"
Now understand...I'm not a high performance grade rider, I've never raced bikes...etc.  However if you keep the RPM'S at > 3500, the bike never disappoints, and it can lean! 
Suggestions:
Buy a 2017 or newer (no "dred red triangle" much better cruise control.  Get a good aftermarket heated grip set.  Install a 1 or 1 1/2 gal roto cast fuel canister in a panier.  I did all these things (plus a pulsing led tail light unit).  I'm a happy camper.  BTW... I'm 70 years old, boast a 29" inseam and weigh 168 pounds.  the bike is well within my range of comfort.   Hope this helps.

Be well, stay well,
DougG

Doug, are you saying the TPS has been revised? The TPS issue is the reason I let my 2015 tourer go as I had to replace mine twice in 7K miles, I simply got weary of the on going issue and after the 2nd one I lost trust in it.

[DougG]

Hi Dan,                                                                                                                                                              11-17-2-

First of all, I have to correct something I said earlier.  I should have said that the cruise control actually has a "toggle or jog function".  In other words once you set a speed, you can incrementally increase or decrease it (jog it up or down), by thumbing the toggle on the grip up or down.

And YES, the issue with the throttle grip position sensor has apparently been resolved...i was told that the new ride by wire system eliminated that problem.  I do not know the exact details but I can say from my own experience that the '17 has not issued a single "dred red triangle".  (Over 11k miles with no problem.)  Rarely...maybe every twentieth start or so, the '15 will throw the service code on the display.  I turn it off and on a couple of times and it goes away.

Be well, stay well,
DougG

[Ncdan]

Hi Dan,                                                                                                                                                              11-17-2-

First of all, I have to correct something I said earlier.  I should have said that the cruise control actually has a "toggle or jog function".  In other words once you set a speed, you can incrementally increase or decrease it (jog it up or down), by thumbing the toggle on the grip up or down.

And YES, the issue with the throttle grip position sensor has apparently been resolved...i was told that the new ride by wire system eliminated that problem.  I do not know the exact details but I can say from my own experience that the '17 has not issued a single "dred red triangle".  (Over 11k miles with no problem.)  Rarely...maybe every twentieth start or so, the '15 will throw the service code on the display.  I turn it off and on a couple of times and it goes away.

Be well, stay well,
DougG

Thanks for the clarification Doug. It seems that there are just a small per of the earlier 1400 models which had the TPS issues, my buddy Lucian has 30k on his 2014 tourer and has had zero issues of any kind. I guess I just had the possessed, one in a hundred, bikes. As I commented before, the 1400 motor is the most rider friendly I’ve ever owned.

[lucian]

The newer 1400's , I believe 2016 and after have the throttle position sensor in the twistgrip . They have  eliminated the cable controlled spool potentiometer, and all demand and output signals are electronic and verified via magnetic  hall sensors. So far there have been no reported issues and the same components are used on all the RBW Aprilias .  I am not sure if all the logic is the same, and I assume they mostly made this change to allow for the more adaptive cruise control. But from looking at the signal parameters to the throttle control valve ,all looks identical.  I would think it may be possible to upgrade the older models to the newer controls. You would need to replace the twist grip and demand sensor . And without the new loom and controls and ecu programing you wouldn't be able to add the newer cruise functions. .

[DougG]

Hi Dave,                                                                                                                                                     11-17-20

You are right.  Why am I not surprised?

Be well, stay well,
DougG

[blu guzz]

I loved my 2015 Custom.  It had a few niggles, only one attributable to the bike which was an electrical connecter that was a few mil. too short, solved by the factory with a slightly longer connector.  I got complements and questions everywhere I parked it.  For it's size, it handled incredibly well, in fact it was a sport-cruiser.  I don't know why the Custom had a better suspension than the touring, but it had the piggyback resovoirs on it and I think an extra inch of travel.  Only the lure of the new and exotic v85 tore me away from its charms.  Loosing 200 lbs and 7 inches of wheelbase didn't hurt either.  But, I would not hesitate to buy another if I wanted that kind of bike again.

[DougG]

Hi all,                                                                                                                       11-18-20

One other detail...the '17 has a dial adjustable rear shock.  The only time I have used it is when the bike was fully loaded and had a full top case as well.  I guess for 2-up riding it would be useful.

Be well, stay well,
DougG

[moto-uno]

 Are Eldorado owners allowed to comment ?  Peter

[Jorg66]

Sure,why not Peter .

[Ncdan]

Are Eldorado owners allowed to comment ?  Peter

I think the Eldo model is the best looking of the 1400s👍

[steveford]

I bought the first 1400T sold in Portland Oregon, and it's been an awesome bike closing in on 70000 miles. I tow a Bunkhouse camp trailer with it, without problem, and tons more power than my 01 EV. I would certainly buy another one, but I need to wear this one out first. This is by far the best Guzzi I've ever owned.