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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: btommy3 on January 08, 2015, 09:23:58 AM

Title: 2015 california touring
Post by: btommy3 on January 08, 2015, 09:23:58 AM
hello.
i purchased a california touring and should receive it by the end of this month. i'm adding a top case and heated grips. any insights, suggestions, tips etc. are most welcome.
i never rode a custom before. i rode lots of scooters, mainly burgman 650 and suzuki dl 650, bmw k 1300 s and bmw f 800 gt.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: Kev m on January 08, 2015, 09:49:34 AM
hello.
i purchased a california touring and should receive it by the end of this month. i'm adding a top case and heated grips. any insights, suggestions, tips etc. are most welcome.
i never rode a custom before. i rode lots of scooters, mainly burgman 650 and suzuki dl 650, bmw k 1300 s and bmw f 800 gt.

Sounds great - bet you'll love it!

Welcome and RIDE SAFE,

Kev
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: segesta on January 08, 2015, 09:52:17 AM
Welcome to the Forum, and to the California. I have the Custom model, and I enjoy it very much--but on this snowy, -8F day, it sits in the garage, mocking me.

Congratulations!
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: btommy3 on January 08, 2015, 10:12:44 AM
i live in israel. we have few rainy days per year such as now, and it even snowed in the north and jerusalem but i live close to the seashore in central israel.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: LowRyter on January 08, 2015, 11:13:42 AM
great motorcycle
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: rtbickel on January 08, 2015, 12:51:35 PM
I really love mine but after a few thousand miles you will be wanting some suspension upgrades.  Not cheap, but a significant improvement.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: samfrank on January 08, 2015, 02:00:36 PM
i live in israel. we have few rainy days per year such as now, and it even snowed in the north and jerusalem but i live close to the seashore in central israel.

btommy, I've dreamed of retiring and moving to Isreal. Been there twice and just loved it. You mean they actually have a moto guzzi dealer network there?
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: bad Chad on January 08, 2015, 02:30:36 PM
http://www.levi-itzhak.co.il/Levi/Templates/showpage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=2&TMID=84&FID=861&PID=8907

Could be?
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: bad Chad on January 08, 2015, 02:34:14 PM
And check this out!  Who new?   Guy robbed 22 banks in a row on a v65tt!! 8)
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/regions/lombardy/2012/06/21/Israel-Press-20-years-the-mythical-Moto-Guzzi-back_7073339.html
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: btommy3 on January 09, 2015, 01:12:07 AM
i'm happy to enrich your knowledge with some israeli history and folclore.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: tris on January 09, 2015, 04:56:22 AM
hello.
i purchased a california touring and should receive it by the end of this month. i'm adding a top case and heated grips. any insights, suggestions, tips etc. are most welcome.
i never rode a custom before. i rode lots of scooters, mainly burgman 650 and suzuki dl 650, bmw k 1300 s and bmw f 800 gt.

WOW you must be loaded ;-T

I did a load of work with a supplier in Israel a while back and one of the guys I was working with rode a scooter.

His insurance for a 400 Bergman was about 3 times as much as mine was in the UK for my 1100 California

It must have been you that knocked over those banks  ;)

Have fun - I'm sure you'll love it
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: btommy3 on January 09, 2015, 03:47:04 PM
 The insurance prices in israel ate outrageous and we also pay 100% tax on vehicles so the bike costs double than it should.
But i'm not loaded.
I'm ok.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: Lannis on January 09, 2015, 03:57:22 PM
i'm happy to enrich your knowledge with some israeli history and folclore.

Well, I'll tell you what ... once you've got the bike, you can enrich us with some Ride Reports (with photos) of what Israeli touring riders get up to, where they go, and what's there.   Curvy roads?   Mountains?   Seashores?

We don't get much input, and we'd like some!!

Lannis
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: bad Chad on January 09, 2015, 06:08:18 PM
 :+1
Well, I'll tell you what ... once you've got the bike, you can enrich us with some Ride Reports (with photos) of what Israeli touring riders get up to, where they go, and what's there.   Curvy roads?   Mountains?   Seashores?

We don't get much input, and we'd like some!!

Lannis
:+1
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: stmike on January 09, 2015, 06:51:51 PM
+2.  I made my way to a kibbutz in the Negev during the early '70s, and lived/worked there for several months.  Afterwords toured around a bit, and haven't been back since.  Would love to see some photos of your travels just to bring back some memories and to see how things've changed over the past 40 years (whew, I'm getting old).
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: Waltr on January 09, 2015, 07:36:21 PM
  When I comes to replacing tires if it was my bike I would put 180/65/16 Michilin Commander II bias ply on the rear and Commander II on the front, they should outlast others 3 to one and maybe steer a little slower, of course that is what I would do especially since you don't have to deal with cold rainy roads.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: btommy3 on January 10, 2015, 02:52:30 AM
I am a member of the israeli motorcycle union and also other riding groups and i try to use my gopro as much as possible.
I promise to upload pics and vids as soon as possible.
This is a film from march i filmed on my bmw f 800 gt which i traded for the california
guzzi
http://youtu.be/34P8P7jfKTk
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: tris on January 10, 2015, 05:15:21 AM
Israel is a fascinating place

I spent most of my time between the hotel and the office up in Nahariya but was lucky to see quite a bit.

I got up to Teffen, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem is quite remarkable.

I managed 1/2 day walking about the old town which is something I'd recommend everyone does

I'll probably go back some time with me paying!!
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: segesta on January 10, 2015, 10:33:02 AM
Non-Guzzi Content: Btommy, how did you like your F800GT? That bike intrigues me, though I'm not a "BMW guy."
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: Gian4 on January 10, 2015, 01:39:11 PM
100% tax!!.....boy I hope you have a good Jewish accountant LOL.  Welcome to the board and safe riding.
Gian4
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: btommy3 on January 10, 2015, 01:58:56 PM
I bought the f 800 gt after riding a k 1300 s for a few months. That bike terryfied me. I was really afraid of it. Toomuch power.
The f 800 gt felt as if it was molded especially for me.  The etgonomics are perfect. The bike is very comfortable. It is not a power bike but is a great touring bike. 150 km/h on 5000 rpm. I call it a gentleman's bike.
I loved it.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: gwb_mg on January 11, 2015, 10:54:07 AM
hello.
i purchased a california touring and should receive it by the end of this month. i'm adding a top case and heated grips. any insights, suggestions, tips etc. are most welcome.
i never rode a custom before. i rode lots of scooters, mainly burgman 650 and suzuki dl 650, bmw k 1300 s and bmw f 800 gt.
The Cali T is fantastic you will enjoy it immensely, it is one sweet ride. The top case is a great addition, however I was talked out of putting the heated grips on and listened and got a good pair of heated gloves. The grips will only heat the part of the hands that meet the grip, in other words you would need gloves heavy enough to keep the rest of the hand warm thus negating the heat transfer from the grips to the hand.
Title: Re: 2015 california touring
Post by: tiger_one on January 11, 2015, 11:18:39 AM
Very nicely done video, provides lots of info, dash, other bikes in the ride.  Kudos for that.

Nice group you were riding with also, very organized and predictable. 

Also the music matched the ride mood, I liked it.

Judging how you were riding and your report of the K1300s vs the 800GT, I am betting the California is gonna make you grin a LOT.  I have only ridden behind one for an hour or so, they appear to be a great road bike.