New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
I like your posts. And I do have to point out that you pretty much knew this before. Was it really anger at Guzzi that made you pick the Ducati?
I have issues(obviously). My love/hate relationship with Guzzi swung solidly towards the hate side at the end of my California 1400 ownership and I popped for a Ducati Scrambler Street Classic as a palette cleanser. I can’t seem to find THE bike so I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’ll eventually try ALL the bikes...one at a time. I used to have 5 or 6 at a time but I don’t have the space anymore. Anywho...the Ducati. All hipster marketing BS aside, it’s a pretty interesting machine. It’s ugly and plastic-y but the Street Classic weighs 410lbs ready to ride. The handlebars are really wide so it feels even lighter when you start throwing it around on a curvy road. The engine is lovely. It sounds like crap but it’s flexible and peppy without being even remotely scary. You can get everything it’s got, feel like you’re going pretty fast but not get in over Your head. It’s nice. The tank range sucks and the suspension is a g*ddamned travesty. I take my watch off when I ride it because Holding the handlebars on a rough road is like running a jackhammer. I’m convinced either the bracelet will break or the mainspring will tangle. So, why am I blathering about a Ducati on a Guzzi forum?Because(yes, I know you’re not supposed to start a sentence with “because”) almost everything I find lacking in the Ducati wouldn’t have been an issue if I had bought the V7II Scrambler I had my eye on when I was bike shopping last year. Tank range? Pshaw. The V7 has an amazing tank range. Plastic? Not much on the Guzzi. Suspension? Ok, the Guzzi definitely isn’t great but it’s better than the Ducati. The Guzzi seat is, well, it’s a seat while the Ducati has something that looks like a seat but is actually a device designed to cause your prostate to swell. You can mount bags on a V7 and haul stuff. The design of the Ducati subframe means brackets hang from under the subframe, which applies all the load to two bolts. Not good. Basically, I think the V7 is a Motorcycle(capitalized on porpoise) while the Duc is a bit of a toy. Meat and potatoes versus cake with frosting. I don’t exactly regret my purchase. The Ducati was nearly $3,000 less than say..a Milano. Sometimes it does come down to money because you’re curious and being able to flip it without taking a hit allows you to experience ownership pain free(except for the swollen prostate). However, the more bikes I ride the more I am coming to appreciate the simple honesty of the V7 Stone and Special. I think they’re really nice bikes. I also think Guzzi needs to stop with the matte crap and go back to beautiful paint and chrome like the V7II. To summarize:Man buys DucatiMan reviews DucatiIn Ducati review man decides a Moto Guzzi is a very fine thingThank you. Please drive through.
Quite the opposite experience I've had with my Ducati 939 SS. Most comfy seat and best suspension of any bike I've owned. Best handling bike, best brakes, 450lb gassed with 110HP. My legs get a little folded but not as much as my V11 Sport and the SS is the most comfortable bike I own. Range is about 125 when I get a prompt and about another 25 miles reserve. So far as the styling, it's prettiest new bike out there but not as pretty as my Sport. Lots of bells and whistles on the dashboard. Has factory bags. They call it touring sport bike. It's been reliable with 13k miles.Nicks are buzzy mirrors and notchy clutch gearbox when cold. Eats OEM tires, but changing brand. I could use a little more legroom.
You have described an understanding akin to the difference between people who just drink wine or whiskey and people who can appreciate what made it wine or whiskey.
Funny story....I love the SuperSport. Seacoast Sport Cycle offered me one at a stupid low price and I started the purchase process. Then I saw they had a leftover Street Classic for $6800. I was like a raccoon seeing something shiny and next thing I knew I was riding the Scrambler home. I think the SS is a motorcycle for adults who like sportbikes. Super competent and they're beautiful. However, I love gravel roads and while I was lured in by the SS, I ended up buying the Scrambler. I'll definitely have a SS some day.
I wouldn't have a Ducati in the garage anymore if not for the fact that Jenn loves it and probably always will.So as long as we do have it I take the opportunity to ride it now and again.It's always the same thing.I start out grinning and laughing and nodding as I understand what she loves about it. I toss it around for 40-50 miles and really enjoy.As the ride goes on I get more and more uncomfortable.I keep going because the bike needs a little workout anyway if I've taken the time to ride it.By 75 miles I'm still tossing it around, but I'm not grinning as much. It's not just a little discomfort in the riding position, that's easy enough to overlook, it's something else. As the ride goes on not every moment is tossing it back and forth, there are lots of moments connecting the tossing together and the shine wears off during them.The motor shines going up and down the rev range and the chassis shines in hard braking and aggressive corners. It starts to feel dull and monotonous on the straights, especially if you're not risking your whole license.So by 100+ miles I pull into the garage thinking how much more I enjoy the V7.Yeah the V7 isn't as sharp a tool at aggressive moments, but it's plain more fun and interesting the rest of the time, hell maybe all the time.YMMV, and it's a personal thing, but that's where I find the joy in my, uh actually both our, V7s.So in the end I'm glad I have a Duc to keep that in perspective.
I must admit Kev, you and others here, are tempting me to do a 200 mile tripand take a close up look at these little creatures 👍
You put an "e" in whisky!
I remember some of this the first time when you bought the Scrambler. BTW- they make several versions of the Scrambler series and have some 1100 models. I'm sure they make some with upgraded suspensions. Did you consider the 950 Multi Strada?
You see this same story play out right here, time after year after year. Despite that, some have to find out for themselves. But they always come back.For ME personally, I'd rather not waste the money and precious time to find out what I already know - It will always be a Guzzi.Just get the V7 and be happy.Cam
I could never only ride one motorcycle or even one brand of motorcycle anymore than I could only eat spaghetti every day for the rest of my life.
I'm not saying you need to have a screw loose like some people with dozens of bikes that they can't ever ride.
Then why limit yourself to only one (at a time)?Between deep discounts and used bikes there's no reason to not at least have two....I'm not saying you need to have a screw loose like some people with dozens of bikes that they can't ever ride. But having two or three opens up so many more possibilities.
I've got two.You know you've got an open invitation if you visit family in NJ and want to grab a ride on one.Though I still think the middle ground is the V9.
You really know how to hit a guy where it hurts Kev! LOL
1)Because kid in college. I could certainly afford a couple but I had to go get my daughter from UNC suddenly this Spring. I imagine it will happen again this Fall during a second wave. I’m keeping money free instead of tying it up in possessions for a while.2)Because I don’t have a garage at the moment.3)Because I just realized I have to remove the muffler and mid pipe to do an oil change on the Scrambler. It has a metal screen pre filter which is fun to get at and requires a 14mm Allen head. Everyone has a 14mm Allen wrench🙄. I can only take so much of that kind of fun from Italian machinery at once. It reminds me of the 2 ounce plastic, cosmetic battery cover in the 1400 that had five fasteners, three of which were different sizes and types. It’s maddening.
