Well...it's new to me!

[RossB]

I've wanted a Moto Guzzi since I saw a 70s Elderado in traffic 30 years ago.  I was too young and foolish to be interested in owning a cruiser...I think I was riding a VF750R at the time...but I knew that I loved the look of the bike, the motor, and the SOUND of it.  Fast forward to 1996 when the 1100 Sport was the bike of my dreams...sporting looks with that timeless v-twin hanging out the sides...I must have worn out the full color brochure while ogling every detail of the design.   I could just imagine the musical cacophony it would make with aftermarket pipes.  Sadly, I couldn't find one anywhere in my area (I couldn't even find anyone who knew WHAT a Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport was) so I settled for a Honda CBR900RR instead (soulless appliance)  I've owned a lot of motorcycles since then, but the silver Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport has always been my unicorn.]

Two weeks ago, a silver '96 popped up on FB Marketplace within driving distance.  I wasn't shopping for a motorcycle...I didn't even have room for another motorcycle...but I was certainly going to buy THIS motorcycle! 25 years is much too long to live with regret.  I contacted the seller, cash in hand, but he informed me that the bike had already been sold.  :crestfallen:

A week went by and the Face Book Marketplace algorithm was working overtime; showing me pictures of "sexy young Moto Guzzis in my area who were dying to meet me."  None of them were silver 1100 Sports so I dismissed the notifications as quickly as they came...

Then...unsolicited. ..unexpected...a notification popped up that caught my eye...yet another single Moto Guzzi just dying to meet me...but this one was different...her red frame set her apart from the crowd...she had a diminutive size for easy handling... a glossy white tank in a sea of matte tones...an Arrow high pipe reminiscent of scramblers favored by the likes of Steve McQueen...stainless steel (the sexiest of all the iron alloys)...a conspicuous absence of boxes, bags, racks, or farkles...just a clean little machine with only the minimum of off-road pretensions.  A "jeans and t-shirt" bike in my vernacular.  My interest was piqued...

I contacted the seller, notified him of my intentions, and provided him with my motorcyclist resume' of sorts so that he might decide if I was worthy.  In the meantime, I watched and read every review on the Internet.  Apparently, my overly verbose communication paid off and he deemed me an acceptable suitor for this low mileage beauty in his charge.  By the time he responded, the hook had been set and I was ready to be reeled in.  Not one for a long, drawn-out courtship, I emptied my coffee can of discretionary funds, hooked up my trailer, and planned the 4 hour journey to his house the following day.

Arriving at the designated address in the wilds of New Hampshire, we exchanged pleasantries the way motorcycle guys do and did a little show and tell in the seller's well-stocked garage.  He had all the motorcycle boxes checked...American. ..English...Italian ...German.  Very nice.  He rolled out the little Guzzi, with only 474 miles on the odometer, and I was hooked.  I started the engine, blipped the throttle, and I was enamored.  The exhaust note seemed to yell "TAKE MY MONEY!"...at least that's what I was yelling in MY head.   There was no deliberation, no tire kicking, and no dickering.  Let's go fill out some paper.

An hour later, I was loading my new prize onto the trailer and the weather had changed.  I had arrived on a sunny day, but now the sky had gone black, the winds were whipping, and the air smelled of impending rain.  I think the owner took this a sign of karmic retribution for letting the prettiest bike in his garage go.  I set to strapping everything down before he could change his mind.  I ended up finishing in a torrential downpour, but my spirits were far too high to be extinguished.  I finally owned a Moto Guzzi!

Unfortunately, a bike that had probably never seen rain in its life, spent the next few hours getting doused in road spray and grime.  I unloaded in the dark and rolled it into its new home; pausing briefly to coat everything in a haze of WD-40.  At 6:00AM, the birds were singing, the sun was shining, and I sprung out of bed to detail every square inch of my new ride.  I stripped it of readily removable parts and sat on the ground with a hose and a toothbrush for the next 2 hours; like the obsessive-compulsive nut bag that I am.

Finally...time for the maiden run!  I threw on a plate from another steed and grabbed a motocross helmet that simply did not meet the stylistic imperatives of a bike like this. (I think I'm going to need a 3/4 helmet emblazoned with an Italian flag).  I thumbed the starter and, while it took longer to fire than I'm accustomed to, I was rewarded with v-twin music.  I threw a leg over, snicked it into first gear, and pulled out onto my street.  I was surprised by the power as I rolled onto the throttle in first.  Honestly, my expectations were low based on reviews, HP numbers, and the way that "agricultural" gets thrown around when describing Guzzis.  It was actually quite good.  No second gear throttle wheelies like my KTM, but an enjoyable amount of power, appropriate for the size, weight, and basic suspension.  I took it for a shakedown run through the idyllic Berkshire countryside and found it to be every bit as enjoyable as I had hoped.  The power rolls on enthusiastically, it's light and nimble, and the the sound is glorious.  I think I'm going to be a fan.

So, this was all just a really wordy way of saying "Hey.  I got a new bike." 

I've been trying to post a picture of it for the past 5 minutes, but I can't seem to make it happen.  I guess I'll keep trying.

[RossB]

[Kiwi_Roy]

Welcome to the forum and your new girlfriend.

I post pictures using IMGbb
Never mind I see you figured it out
She's a beauty no wonder you are besotted.
The problem with Guzzi's you let one in the door and before you know it they multiply.

[Markcarovilli]

Congrats and you did your heart good....

Mark

[Lannis]

I thought for a minute after all that build-up that you weren't going to tell us what model it was, and we were all going to have to come up there and sweat it out of you!   

Good catch!   If it has a KTM for a stablemate so that you can enjoy this bike for what it is (as the rest of us do) rather than wish that it had "10 or 15 more horsepower" to turn it into something else, then your motorcycle resume is mature and complete!

Enjoy!

Lannis

[Chuck in Indiana]

Welcome to WG Ross. Nice scooter..

[RossB]

I was trying to titilate the readers! 

I have a few other bikes in the garage so this does fit neatly into the long-vacant niche for a "standard" type motorcycle that i can hop on for a ride to a friend's house or an after dinner ride around the local countryside.  The bonus is that it has a little of that scrambler vibe that I've always liked.  I LOVE the high pipe.
I haven't had a high piped bike in a decade.  This bike also provides much needed Italian representation for the little Model UN going on in my garage. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

I was trying to titilate the readers! 

We don't allow no porn except Guzzi porn..

[oldbike54]

 

 Dusty

[wirespokes]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not into the newer stuff (Fuel Injection) but do like your new sweetheart. 

Now that you've gotten a substitute unicorn, better start making room - an 1100 Sport is gonna show up. You can bet on it!

[RossB]

Now that you've gotten a substitute unicorn, better start making room - an 1100 Sport is gonna show up. You can bet on it!

I hope not!  My wife might just snap!   

[RHAT]

Sweet 

[wirespokes]

Better start working on the wife. Just sayin   

[Dave Swanson]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum!  You have broken the Guzzi ice with a fine looking Stornello.  Prepare the wife because the door has just been cracked open.  For proof check out my signature line.  When I bought my first Guzzi, 73 V7 Sport, I thought it would be my one and only.   

[RossB]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum!  You have broken the Guzzi ice with a fine looking Stornello.  Prepare the wife because the door has just been cracked open.  For proof check out my signature line.  When I bought my first Guzzi, 73 V7 Sport, I thought it would be my one and only.   

Thank you sir!  I'm not sure that I can fit any more bikes in the garage - even if I want to.  This makes number 6.  I suppose I might start weeding out some of the others, but I've had longterm relationships with most of them.

[slopokes]

Good choice —- but wrap the high pipes—-please don’t ask me how I know....

[malik]

Lots of fun there! Congratulations.

Once the glow of first ownership has worn off a little, do be aware that the slow to cold start "feature" can be remedied. Lots of helpful info on here for you.

[pebra]

Hi Ross, great story, you're a real POET!

Congratulations with your first Guzzi, and welcome!
Now let's wait and see how long it will take before he wants one more - - - - 

[Guzzistajohn]

Yep, that looks pretty "wordy" whatever that says  welcome to the gang!

[RossB]

Yep, that looks pretty "wordy" whatever that says  welcome to the gang!

You're not wrong.  I don't even want to read it...

[Tom]

 

[Guzzi Gal]

What a wonderful beginning for a love affair! May you enjoy a long and happy life together.

[80CX100]

     You've definitely got a gift with the King's English, and obviously very good taste in motorcycles.   

     That's a sweet bike, wishing you many safe miles.

     

      Kelly

[RossB]

     You've definitely got a gift with the King's English, and obviously very good taste in motorcycles.   

     That's a sweet bike, wishing you many safe miles.

     

      Kelly

Thank you very much! 

[zebep]

New enough for me. I like it .My newest Guzzi is an 2007

[RossB]

New enough for me. I like it .My newest Guzzi is an 2007

Agreed!  I was in the market for a '96 Guzzi.  This thing is 20 years newer than that; albeit probably no more technologically advanced than the 1100 Sport that I was hunting.

[greer]

"I was surprised by the power as I rolled onto the throttle in first.  Honestly, my expectations were low based on reviews, HP numbers, and the way that "agricultural" gets thrown around when describing Guzzis."

That was my experience exactly.  The V7 is definitely one you need to ride for yourself.  Enjoy!

Sarah

[Zoom Zoom]

Congratulations. Your silver 1100 Sport will be along shortly.

ZZ

[s1120]

Congratulations on the new bike!!  Im on the other side of the Berkshires in columbia county NY, and Ill tell you, the roads in the area are perfect for the Guzzi lifestyle!!  Nothing like the way the power it put out in the nice hilly, sweeping 45-55mph back roads!!  Enjoy the new ride!! 

[Huzo]

     You've definitely got a gift with the King's English, and obviously very good taste in motorcycles.   

     That's a sweet bike, wishing you many safe miles.

     

      Kelly

Agreed..
Why use one word when a hundred will do...