Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Zimmermichaels1ea on September 11, 2025, 08:25:17 PM
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Well we picked up a '21 V9 Bobber for the growing Guzzi stable, it's primarily for my son to ride, however in the interest of science I have put a couple of hundred miles on it and I have some observations and questions.
First observations: compared to my '23 V7 Special, the Bobber seems lighter and much easier to move around the garage either sitting on the bike and duck-walking or just pushing it. The V9 seems much lower than the specs state.
The riding position is comfortable, footpegs seem maybe a tad forward from my V7 but are comfortable. The handlebars are higher, I haven't gotten used to that but I can't say that they are uncomfortable.
Everything about the engine, gearbox is great, just like the V7.
On the road the bike seems to really turn much easier than my V7, I feel that I go around corners on my favorite local roads much faster than on my V7. There are times in corners where my V7 feels like I can't hold a line and the front tire wanders a bit. It's probably my poor cornering skills, but there it is.
The V9 seems to corner very steady and fast, it's fun.
Here's where I need some of your sage advice:
When I have the V9 out on the Interstate or bigger highways 55MPH or better, the bike feels sort of wiggly or squirrely.
The tires feel planted, and I don't feel like the bike is in danger of losing traction or going into a wobble, it's like it just shimmies a bit.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is it because of the fat tires? The tires are new OEM tires with great tread. I can't imagine it's because the bike is too light, not with my fat a** on it!
It's just a weird feeling, and the only thing that I would count as a strike against the V9 Bobber at this point.
Thanks in advance for any advice on my highway riding experiences.
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I had the same feeling when I picked up my V9 and rode it 300 miles back home. I imagine the fat tire has something to do with it, but I also suspect the seating position (more forward than the V7) and handlebar positioning might be a factor as well. When I was riding it home, I had a big duffle behind me, shoving me forward. Try A) sitting farther back, and B) rotating the handlebar or installing normal height bar mounts…or a standard style handlebar. I was going to experiment with the setup, but jumped too quickly into my Monza replica build.
Could be worth checking the steering nut for proper torque as well.
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My Roamer also is sensitive, but ne er feels uncertain.
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Zimmermichaels1ea,
I also have a 2023 V7 Special, but always preferred the looks of the V9 Bobber and have thought about trading. Do you have any other thoughts on the V7 vs V9 after riding both?
I wonder why it feels lighter and lower when the official specs show very little difference.
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My Roamer also is sensitive, but ne er feels uncertain.
And the front wheels of the Bobber and Roamer are quite different from one another.
Zimmermichaels1ea,
…I wonder why it feels lighter and lower when the official specs show very little difference.
Less fuel volume on the V9 (1.5 gallons = ~10 lb difference). Less mass for the tank. Seat is skinnier, allowing the rider’s legs to close in better and for a better reach to the ground.
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When I have the V9 out on the Interstate or bigger highways 55MPH or better, the bike feels sort of wiggly or squirrely.
The tires feel planted, and I don't feel like the bike is in danger of losing traction or going into a wobble, it's like it just shimmies a bit.
I had this issue on my V9 Roamer with the stock tires, putting on a set of Dunlop Elite 4's cleared it up for me. I hated those stock tires, didn't like the handling, tire life, or smoothness.
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ScotPiza: This afternoon I rode both the V9 Bobber and my V7 850 Special back-to-back on the same route: through town, out on a rural highway, on the Interstate for 15 miles or so, then back through town and home.
The V7 rides much more upright, and the seat is super comfortable. The bike is very stable at all highway speeds, but even with a Givi 140a windscreen my body takes a huge wind buffeting.
The V7 is an easy ride with no surprises, brakes are good, shifting is fine, stop and go traffic is no problem.
The V9 sits lower somehow, your arms are up higher to reach the bars and the steering tree seems a bit taller than the V7.
Driving through traffic in town the powerband on the V9 seems to provide more torque as I navigated traffic. The big tires and wide, straight bars make turning and weaving real easy. In face, the V9 Bobber seems to turn better (easier?) than the V7. It's extremely fun to ride around town.
The rear suspension is harsh, and the seat is a padded board, nowhere near as comfy as the V7.
Here's the big complaint: The V9 seems very "wiggly" on the highways or Interstate. At speed, the V9 feels like I'm driving along grooved pavement causing the bike to squirm underneath me. However this was happening on nice new asphalt, smooth as a billiard ball. The effect is disconcerting. I didn't feel like I was about to lose control, but the ride was not as confident as my V7.
I then returned home and checked the stem --OK. I then checked the tire pressure--OK. Then I added virtually the max of preload and made sure each shock was adjusted the same.
I then went out again on the same route and made sure to sit far back on the seat as Dirk suggested. It made some difference in perceived wiggling. But the bike still doesn't feel as controlled or solid as my V7.
And that's a shame, because I too love the looks of the Bobber, and I love the low speed riding, and the turning ease of the big tires.
All that being said, if I can't straighten out this high speed instability I'm selling the Bobber. It's a very cool design, but if I can't ride it confidently on highways when needed it's just an expensive toy. And I'm not confident letting my son ride it either. I originally thought of this bike for him, but I'm very disappointed with it so far. So much so, i went out an bought him a new Kawasaki Eliminator 500. Same rugged looks, but that bike rides like a dream.
The Bobber not so much so.
Verdict as of tonight -- unless someone has a fix for the wiggling -- the Bobber is up for sale on Monday.
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Tires are 4 y/o and some didn't like them stock.
I'm not one of them, and I've never had a handling issue on a V9, but I've heard others complain about the stock tires on both them and the V7's
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I would hate to invest even more money in the V9 at this point, but Kev m you have a point.
What are the preferred tires for a V9 Bobber? Bias ply or radial?
Maybe I could try tires and see if that solves the problem.
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Tires have made a difference on all of the bikes I have owned. A good case in point was a 2007 Victory Kingpin Tour. It came standard with Dunlap tires that were fairly hard. But, the bike was totally stable. The Dunlaps lasted for good mileage but when they were done, I replaced them with Metzler 880s, what I thought was the best rubber you could get at that time. The stability was not the same, especially in corners. Not dangerous, but not as planted. I really wasn't happy with the 880s but it was a big investment, so I lived with it. Not dangerous, just less relaxed. I hate to say that on my current 1400 Eldo, it had the same Dunlaps on it as the Victory and they were hard and a little scary in the rain, but the bike was absolutely stable. My shop replaced them with the Metzler 888s and darned if I don't have the same feeling from these Metzlers as when I had the Victory. Tires really make a difference and it might be a small enough investment to transform the bike since you like so much of the rest of the features. Let us know what you decide.
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I’m curious if misaligned forks could cause this is issue as well?
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I am going to check that. I'm sure there's a tutorial on YouTube.
Dunlop D404F is what's on the bike now.
Looking on the web, I've found either:
Dunlop Elite 4
Or
Continental ContiTour
Or
Michelin Commander III Touring or Cruiser or Scorcher III
Or
Metzeler CruiseTec
Too many choices!! I don't have any idea which tire might be better.
Any V9 Bobber owners have any opinions?
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CruiseTec’s have worked out very well for me on my Roamer.
I found the forks on my 17 v9 to be completely inconsistent on anything but smooth surfaces. Putting Ikon shocks on greatly helped the ride comfort, but did next to nothing to settle the bike down on bad road. What did make a real improvement was to have the forks up graded. I sent the to RaceTec in California where the change the springs, oil and put something called gold valves in, not sure exactly how they work, but they do. The rebuilt forks transformed the handling from unpredictable to decent. It’s still far from great, but it’s what one should expect from this kind of bike. Relatively complient , predictable and amusing enough.
My guess is, if you don’t do something about the shitty stock forks, your just going to be chasing the wind.
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Not really understanding how wider tires are interpreted as contributing to more nimble handling? Sounds to me like the bike has some baked in flaws.
I would enjoy the Kawasaki and move on from the V 9. But then again, cruiser type bikes never had any appeal for me.
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Not really understanding how wider tires are interpreted as contributing to more nimble handling? Sounds to me like the bike has some baked in flaws.
I would enjoy the Kawasaki and move on from the V 9. But then again, cruiser type bikes never had any appeal for me.
Width of the tire isn't as important as profile from aspect ratio.
But handling isn't all in the tires, it's also affected by rake, trail, wheelbase, center of gravity, weight, etc etc etc.
Not to mention people are talking subjective impressions and not objective measurements.
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Width of the tire isn't as important as profile from aspect ratio.
But handling isn't all in the tires, it's also affected by rake, trail, wheelbase, center of gravity, weight, etc etc etc.
Not to mention people are talking subjective impressions and not objective measurements.
Yup. All true. Generally , narrower ties with lower aspect rations provide quicker steering and more agile handling. Wider tires with higher aspect ratio's
offer greater straight line stability and a softer ride at the expense of sharper response. Also, wider tires have more rotating mass which would slow
steering réponse. So, the observation of quicker steering and less stability in a straight line with wider tires doesn't square with my experience. Again,
all your points regarding chassis geometry and suspension certainly come into play as well. If I couldn't't sort it easily with a tire change, I would move on.
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Yup. All true. Generally , narrower ties with lower aspect rations provide quicker steering and more agile handling. Wider tires with higher aspect ratio's
offer greater straight line stability and a softer ride at the expense of sharper response. Also, wider tires have more rotating mass which would slow
steering réponse. So, the observation of quicker steering and less stability in a straight line with wider tires doesn't square with my experience. Again,
all your points regarding chassis geometry and suspension certainly come into play as well. If I couldn't't sort it easily with a tire change, I would move on.
The tires on our Duc Monster look much wider than the tires on our V7's, though I've not done the math.
I wouldn't say the Monster is less nimble, though I might say at times it feels more stable. Sometimes I think the V7's fall over a bit suddenly and the Duc turns in more predictably.
PoTAYto, PoTAHto?
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ScotPiza,
The V9 Bobber is smaller in stature than the V7 Special. Here's a picture of the bikes in my garage with a broom stick laying across the seats to illustrate the lower overall stance of the V9 Bobber. Very scientific!
(https://i.ibb.co/DD0qgHCd/thumbnail-20250913-153806.jpg) (https://ibb.co/DD0qgHCd)
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I took a 100 mile ride today on the V9 trying to figure out what is going on with what I'm calling "wandering" for lack of a better term. The ride was a mix of country roads both old and crappy and newly paved, and then city riding.
The longer I rode the more I got used to the bike wandering a bit in the lane, it's still disconcerting at times especially in wind gusts, but I didn't feel like the bike was in danger of going out of control. It just seems to have trouble keeping a line in the lane at times -- not all the time -- but enough to be annoying. In the curves the bike is great and feels solid on the road, holding a line wonderfully. It also seems immune to tar snakes and long grooves that some of these country roads develop after farm machinery takes their toll. These imperfections always upset my V7, but not the Bobber. That was refreshing.
What bothered me more today was the absolutely atrocious rear shocks. The bike feels like a hard tail at times, very jarring.
So, is this a mix of old, not so great OEM tires along with piss-poor rear shocks and perhaps inadequate fork springs/oil?
This is maddening because up to 50 MPH the bike is everything I want (minus the spine jarring shocks!) Now I'm debating how much money I want to throw at this problem, or if I should cut my losses and look elsewhere for a bobber style bike. Honda Shadow Phantom anyone?
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I believe you stated it has D404's on it. Good tire, but can handle oddly. I asked about the D404 and found most were not "happy" with them . The staggered groove on the front can cause some front end wiggling at some speeds and roads. I have a tire on my HD that has the stagger like the D404 and for instance at city speeds and slowing for a light, with hands off the bars, the bars will wiggle. They didn't wiggle with a Metzler ME 888. Not a scary wiggle, but they move. Freeway grooves are no problem with that tire.
I had a Michelin Pilot something on my EVT on the front. Hit a certain design of grooves on a freeway and in the curves it felt like I was on ice. Handlebars kept wiggling in the curves. Figured out the grooves in the tire were likely hooking the freeway grooves. Changed tire to a different design, no more ice feeling.
Good luck with your decision on the bike!
Tom
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Interesting to hear about the shocks. When the V7 went to the 850 version, many aspects of the frame were changed. One difference that was very obvious to me was the rear suspension. I really did not like the suspension on the 750 or the earlier V9 versions and it felt to me as you described, like a hard tail. My first thought on a test drive was "these have got to go". When the V9 went to the 850(new) engine, I wonder, did they keep the old V9 frame and terrible suspension? Maybe another owner can chime in.
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Simplest, cheapest and reversable possible fix is raise the forks 15MM.
Next quit messing with bargain basement tires and put on radials. Conti road attack 4, trail attack 3 or Bridgestone A41.
Then buy good shocks and fork springs for the riders weight assuming you will keep the bike.
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Exactly.
Almost every motorcycle will benefit from even inexpensive shock upgrades. Expecting another OEM with a similarly priced motorcycle to be better out of the box is, IMO, foolish. The manufactures simply don't spent the $$ there.
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The shock springs are too soft for most. I upped the preload on the shocks until I was down to 20mm of sag. They still lack rebound damping, and rhe springs are still too soft, but now they rarely bottom and comfort is greatly enhanced.
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The springs were to soft for you??
Your the first fellow I have heard make such a claim. The springs on mine (17) were much too stiff, and I weigh 240lb!
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Similar feels about the stock suspension, but I’m around 150 lb.
I just took my V9 on the highway for the first time in a while. Since changing my seating position due to the cafe job, I notice that while I feel more confident riding it at speed, it still doesn’t want to pick a straight line.
The tires are Continental Milestones.
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Well, after three long days of riding the V9, on city streets, country roads, and high-speed highways, I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to invest some more money into the Bobber. Originally, this bike was going to be my
son's bike, but upon further review as they say, I decided to keep the V9 and sell my V7. My son wasn't disappointed as he got a new Kawasaki Eliminator out of the deal!
So for the Bobber here's what I'm purchasing as recommended by Todd at GTM cycles:
Matris V9 fork spring kit with adjusters
Matris V9 Standard shocks set to my weight etc.
New tires: this will depend on what is available from tire dealers. Vagrant recommended radials -- most of the sites that sell tires don't say if they are radial so I'm confused about tires so far.
Regardless, new tires will be ordered this week.
Thank you all for the benefit of your experience! I really appreciate it.
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The springs were to soft for you??
Your the first fellow I have heard make such a claim. The springs on mine (17) were much too stiff, and I weigh 240lb!
What static sag do you have with the bike alone, as well as with you sitting normally? Because they feel stiff, I agree, but that due to them bottoming out. At least on mine. I am 190 lb net and carry 20 lb of riding gear. Same case with my son's V7 from 2010 - rear felt harsh, we upped the preload and it became much smoothere and comfortable. He is around my weight.
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Are we talking about shock or fork springs?
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Can't blame the manufacturer, they are trying to satisfy a wide range rider weights. No sense in spending a lot of money on suspension. I am 160 lbs soaking wet so just about every bike with stock suspension has been very stiff and rough riding. My V7 as well as my Mandello ride pretty rough i went to the Nevada State Campout this weekend. I rode my V7 with a good load of camping gear, it rode quite well with the extra weight. I am considering trading both of them for a V7 850.
kk
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Are we talking about shock or fork springs?
Shocks. Fork OTOH is plenty stiff and oil is too thick for my taste, giving a harsher ride than needed.
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What static sag do you have with the bike alone, as well as with you sitting normally? Because they feel stiff, I agree, but that due to them bottoming out. At least on mine. I am 190 lb net and carry 20 lb of riding gear. Same case with my son's V7 from 2010 - rear felt harsh, we upped the preload and it became much smoothere and comfortable. He is around my weight.
Well, I weigh 280 in all my riding gear. I have the preload dialed all the way up, which seems to help a bit.
I'm really putting my hopes into better shocks and better tires. Todd at GTM cycles recommends Dunlop Mutant radials, which I think I'll order this week.
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I’m 240lb and found the stocks to be punishing over bumps, directing the energy through the chassis and into my spine!
I put on a set of Ikon shocks, off the shelf but made to run on the v9 and found the to be much much better. No more grunting on bad roads. I don’t know what sag I have set, they work fine for me out of the box so I haven’t felt the need to look into it.
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I’m 240lb and found the stocks to be punishing over bumps, directing the energy through the chassis and into my spine!
As did I before I upped the preload - the shocks were bottoming constantly with stock preload. With you being 50 lb heavier, it must have been bone-jarring.
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It was noted earlier the counterintuitive notion that the V9 handles well despite having big bobber tires. Conversely, considering the V9 has a fairly steep rake at 26°, shorter trail than typical cruisers (117mm/4.61 in.), and the stock balloon tires have diameters that are at least as big if not a hair more than the V7’s stock tires, on top of the weight of the wheels, less gas up top, and lower seating of the V9 all bringing the weight of the bike closer to the ground, it makes sense why the V9 is perceived as cornering pretty well. Even the unsprung weight of the wheels coupled with the steering geometry of a standard feels to me like the bike’s front WANTS to move easily, as the farther the steering gets from the rider’s hands, the heavier the front gets, thus the front has a bias wanting to fall more into turns. That’s at least what I’m sensing with my position on the bike having changed to a sporty stance with clip-ons up front.
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Just catching up with this thread.
A couple of thoughts.
1. The OEM tires are notorious for bed manners and if they are older you may need to change them out.
2. Figure out the proper tire pressures and preload settings for your rear shocks. Have you set the sag properly? Setup makes a ton of difference and getting your bike sorted for you and your writing styles make a big difference.
3. As far as positioning the saddle. In my experience, moving back in a way from the handlebars and closer or more over the rear axle promotes and increases high speed weave. If that gets out of control, you can end up with the tank slapper and become history especially if you going too fast. Perhaps I haven't had enough coffee yet, but I seem to remember the best way to get rid of a tank slapper or that kind of weave is to lean forward and loosen your grip on the handlebars. So sitting farther back makes no sense to me.
Two main causes for the kind of weave you describe for me are too much weight in my saddlebags or top case, too little rear preload, and bad tires or tire pressure.
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Maybe that was part of my problem. :laugh:
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Just catching up with this thread.
3. As far as positioning the saddle. In my experience, moving back in a way from the handlebars and closer or more over the rear axle promotes and increases high speed weave. If that gets out of control, you can end up with the tank slapper and become history especially if you going too fast. Perhaps I haven't had enough coffee yet, but I seem to remember the best way to get rid of a tank slapper or that kind of weave is to lean forward and loosen your grip on the handlebars. So sitting farther back makes no sense to me.
I agree with the seating… to a point. I’ve been playing with this, because my V7 III will do a bit of a lateral metronome swing since I began experiencing my front suspension issues with the enduro forks and 21” wheel. One thing I noticed about moving forward is that it forces your elbows up. Noticing that, and keeping in mind that veteran off-road riders always say “keep the elbows up”, I started experimenting—at high speed, if my V7 III begins to do the left-right rock, I lift my elbows, and the rocking usually subsides. Even without moving my weight forward, the rocking subsides. I’m not gripping the handlebar more; in fact, I make sure to keep the grip somewhat loose, but I’m changing the force direction that I put on the ends of the handlebar. I think when the elbows are down, our hands can often pull the ends of the handlebar without our noticing it. This extra pulling force on opposite ends can fairly easily get out of balance once we ride over a bump, uneven surface, etc., which can then lead to an escalating oscillation between the otherwise consistent pull or push on each end. Whereas keeping the elbows up, we’re getting rid of that tendency to hang weight on the ends. So, while I personally found some stabilization on my V9 at speed by moving my weight back to where it’s supposed to me, I did so making sure those elbows were up (and yes, I have also gotten rid of these lateral swings by moving myself forward as well, but noting the elbow placement).
Note that I have also been able to get rid of this pendulum rocking by simply avoiding a straight line and dipping to the left a little, then to the right. But clearly that’s not a permanent fix.
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Okay, bumping an older thread to give a promised update on the V9 and my issue with it "wiggling" on the back tire a bit at speed.
Well, I purchased new Michelin Commander III Touring tires in the correct load range for the relatively light-weight V9 Bobber, and they have made a HUGE difference!!
The rear tire does not wiggle under me as I ride along smooth pavement (I had trouble detecting the wiggle on crappy road surfaces :grin:).
The Michelin's make the bike feel very planted on the road even at 80+ MPH on the Interstate. They don't seem affected by grooved concrete, which is a great, and they corner like the bike is on rails.
So, I think I'm at least 75% there in sorting out handling on the V9.
I say that because riding on a really smooth, freshly paved asphalt road in my town, the ride was very "bouncy" (up and down) and I think that may be because I have the pre-load on the shocks cranked all the way down, probably way too much pre-load.
I guess if the "bouncy" ride continues even after experimenting with rear shock pre-load, the my next move is to purchase better rear shocks set for my weight with adjustable pre-load AND rebound.
That's my story so far!
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FOUR THOUSAND MILES LATER
Just thought that in the interest of science, I would quickly post my experiences with the Bobber after 4 thousand miles of riding, some of which were on clear, sunny Wisconsin winter days -- so freaking cold! Besides daily commuting and weekend rides, I took taken 4 longish moto camping trips, two last fall and two this spring. So a good amount of rides given the weather up here.
I replaced the tires right away last September with Michelin Commander II tires. They made a HUGE difference in handling, ride comfort and my confidence riding this bike. The guys at the local bike shop helped me adjust the rear shocks and after the tires and shocks, the bike really handled well. I took the bike to an advanced street rider course at the motorcycle/cart complex at Road America. There I really got to throw the bike into the track's tight twists and turns and got to know its handling so much better in a safe environment. I left that course feeling that the Bobber is a very capable bike, it does take more effort to tip into turns, but it feels very solid and stable in the corners. It holds a line on the road very well, even in very windy conditions. At 70+ MPH on the interstate it is fine, but passing semis can buffet the bike a bit.
Over the last eight months, I have begun to really prefer the Bobber to my '23 V7 Special. I find it comfortable for daily rides and I can ususally sit in the saddle for about the same amount of time that I can sit on the V7 which is @ 2 hours before I need a break. Fully loaded up with bags and gear, the Bobber is a bit cramped, the V7 feels a bit bigger.
Finally, the Bobber sounds way better than the V7. Its engine note is deep and it really rumbles at idle. Its valves make much less noise than my V7 which still clicks and clacks loudly. The V7 has over 7K miles and has had two dealer services, whereas the Bobber has only had it's first service. Both bikes have identical exhausts one is chrome and the other is black, but they are the same, not like the later Bobbers that have cool looking exhausts.
Conclusion: The V9 Bobber is a great looking and riding machine, at least in my opinion!
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Interesting read, thanks for sharing. I find the stock seat on my V9 to be about as comfy as a church bench, meaning not at all.
How did you cope with the limited cornering clearance during the street course?
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"V7 which still clicks and clacks loudly" I admit my hearing isn't perfect but I can't hear the valves on mu 15, 16, 17 v7's or any of my four v85's or my new 26 v7 sport. I'd check them myself if I were you.
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The only reason your v7 valves are ticking louder can be your dealer has set the lash greater than it is set on the v9. They both are specked the same.
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At 240 and 280 those riders are way outside the design parameters. At a MINIMUM proper spring rates are required for anything even close to acceptable.
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Well, I weigh 280 in all my riding gear. I have the preload dialed all the way up, which seems to help a bit.
I'm really putting my hopes into better shocks and better tires. Todd at GTM cycles recommends Dunlop Mutant radials, which I think I'll order this week.
Todd did my Griso 12004V suspension front and rear. Totally transformed the bike. I would do what he suggests and set the sag and fork height according to his recommendations.
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My road course experience:
I must not be an aggressive enough rider :shocked: because I never scraped the pegs during the entire course, and the instructor told me that throughout the day he saw my lean angle increase dramatically. It is for sure a pretty twisty track with all kinds of turns and elevation changes take a look at this link to see an old picture, they've added to the track since then:
https://www.roadamerica.com/motorplex-track-days
Clicky clacky valves:
Thanks for the advice guys! I think that I will have to pull the heads and check the valves myself. What concerns me is that the same Guzzi dealer/shop, and I'm assuming the same mechanics, did the valves on both bikes. Maybe I'll record a video because it is very noticeable. What is the recommended valve lash? I've seen several different opinions on the forums.
Finally, the seat:
It is flat, not very plush, but so is my ass! :grin: So for now, it will do! For long rides I do pack a seat cushion I picked up off of Amazon. I've only used it once, coming back from moto camping, @ a 300+ mile day and I was trying to get home and that seat began wearing on me. The cushion helped get me through. YMMV.
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I bought my 2017 V9 Bobber about 8 months ago. It had 1900 miles on it. I've had enough Guzzi's to know how they're supposed to sound. I also thought there was excessive valve clatter. I checked clearance 3 times, always correct. I also thoroughly inspected for anything loose. Again, everything was perfect. And, the bike runs great. I came to the conclusion it must be cylinder fin ringing. I'm just going to keep riding it and if anything is really wrong it will surely expose itself. It's at 4,000 miles now.
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Hm, my 2017 V9 is running very quietly, and I run the clearances at the upper tolerances. Of course, it is not hydraulic tappet silent, but with earplugs I cannot hear anything from the valves, and even without there are no untoward noises. Compared to my old Volvos with B18, B20 and B30 engines, my Guzzi is virtually silent.
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I had this issue on my V9 Roamer with the stock tires, putting on a set of Dunlop Elite 4's cleared it up for me. I hated those stock tires, didn't like the handling, tire life, or smoothness.
Too few riders seem to understand how much tires affect handling. Thank you for the post what worked for you.
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Uncommanded incessant weaving can be a symptom of poorly greased/overly tight headstem races.
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Update on the loud valve clicking on my V7 Special as opposed to the quiet valve train on my Bobber:
The valves really tick loudly at idle after the engine is good and warm, so I rode the 2 hours down to the Guzzi dealer in Milwaukee on Saturday and had the mechanic give it a listen.
He said, as you all surmised, the valves need a bit of adjustment. "Better too loose, than too tight" he said. So they will adjust them for me next week.
Though the clicking is noticeable at idle, he said it's not too bad to ride home....just don't really push it hard. I appreciate his optimisim! One look at me should have told him that I don't ride aggressively :shocked:
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If you ride it to the dealer it will have to sit for a few hours to cool off. The valves need to be adjusted cold. I screwed up on my free initial service and rode it for `2 hours to the dealership. The plus was that I was given a Zero as a loaner. I really liked it. At the time they were way too expensive and the range was quite limited. It would have made a great around town bike.
kk
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Good tip! For service, I usually bring my bikes in on my trailer hitch motorcycle carrier. That darn thing has more than paid for itself.