2021 Lemans

[AH Fan]

Yes Steve accept for one glaring detail..
You haven’t FI’d your LM3 and God (and you) only knows what wizardry you have performed on your #3 and do you expect to be able to operate your bike at V85 beating levels long enough to see the new one blow up ?
I THINK the point was/is, that although we all remember how good our lives were back when the first Le Mans hit the showroom floors, going back now and riding one in today’s world is like spending the night with your first girlfriend again..
You have to overlook a fair few things..(and so does she..)
I gave my Mk2 the arse because although it was ok by today’s standards, it had no brakes, no suspension, no power and steered like the Exxon Valdez...again, other than that it was really good.

Oh Man thats some funny Sh--t there.    And probably very true.   

[guzzisteve]

The thing is that I have 95 Sport suspension, wheels, brakes on it and a new Jackel block for FI. All I need is $ to finish it.
The older I get the faster I was syndrome.

[Kev m]

Not for nothing but some of you guys take this shit way too seriously. An insult? Yeah whatever.

Also I definitely think a lot of this is silly grass is greener syndrome. The standards for hp measurement (if even used by an Italian company) were different. I bet if you took the original side-by-side with a V7III or definitely the upcoming new V7 you would find a very competitive bike in the new version.

Who gives a shit if it isn't some "fire breathing" monster. If you want THAT, buy it.

Fact is my wife's little bike (696) is still an air-cooled 2V twin that will hand a lot of bigger bikes their asses. But that's not why she (we?) like it. At the end of the day the look, feel, and function combine to the right package.

I hope they abandon the "Racer" moniker and go with a Neuvo LeMans completing the package with the looks and dual discs, even if it is just to annoy you grumpy old farts.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I found this on this very forum.
I think its a photo shop illustration but I'd buy this in an instant.

You can buy this right now...  This is a v7 built by Guareschi Moto for the 'Fast Endurance' v7 race series. all the parts are available as a kit. Of course they dont have it for the new 850 V7 yet
https://www.guareschimoto.it/

[twowheeladdict]

You can buy this right now...  This is a v7 built by Guareschi Moto for the 'Fast Endurance' v7 race series. all the parts are available as a kit. Of course they dont have it for the new 850 V7 yet
https://www.guareschimoto.it/

Nice website.  I really like this scrambler build.  https://www.guareschimoto.it/portfolio-articoli/la-v7-secondo-guareschi/

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Nice website.  I really like this scrambler build.  https://www.guareschimoto.it/portfolio-articoli/la-v7-secondo-guareschi/

they are a great follow on Instagram, not many folks here who are users of insta tho

[twowheeladdict]

they are a great follow on Instagram, not many folks here who are users of insta tho

Yeah, I tried to sign up on instagram to follow Itchy Boots, and now I get emails from there wanting me to follow others instead of emails telling me she posted something new.  I'm guessing a lot of these sites are geared towards smartphone users. 

[andyals]

Not for nothing but some of you guys take this shit way too seriously. An insult? Yeah whatever.

Also I definitely think a lot of this is silly grass is greener syndrome. The standards for hp measurement (if even used by an Italian company) were different. I bet if you took the original side-by-side with a V7III or definitely the upcoming new V7 you would find a very competitive bike in the new version.

Who gives a shit if it isn't some "fire breathing" monster. If you want THAT, buy it.

Fact is my wife's little bike (696) is still an air-cooled 2V twin that will hand a lot of bigger bikes their asses. But that's not why she (we?) like it. At the end of the day the look, feel, and function combine to the right package.

I hope they abandon the "Racer" moniker and go with a Neuvo LeMans completing the package with the looks and dual discs, even if it is just to annoy you grumpy old farts.

Back in 1996 I owned a Kawasaki ZZR1100 and fancied myself as being pretty quick on that bike.
That was until one day I was pressing on through some country lanes overtaking everything as usual, when I spotted a bike closing in on me fast from behind.
When I saw the barn door fairing my pride forced me to go quicker because no way was that old thing getting anywhere near me.
But it was no good.
I could not shake this guy off and then in a split second he took me while I was braking for a right hand bend in an absolutely beautifully executed text book overtake.
Just to add insult to injury, after he got passed he gave me a big wave and before I knew it he was a spec on the distance. .
The bike was either a BMW R100RT or 80RT.
He was going to quick for me to make out anything but the outline and year of the bike.
That was my down to earth moment, and an incredibly humbling experience.
I may have had the faster bike but that didn't mean a thing against a much better rider.
In anything other than a straight line it's a riders skill that counts, not the bike.

[Kev m]

Back in 1996 I owned a Kawasaki ZZR1100 and fancied myself as being pretty quick on that bike.
That was until one day I was pressing on through some country lanes overtaking everything as usual, when I spotted a bike closing in on me fast from behind.
When I saw the barn door fairing my pride forced me to go quicker because no way was that old thing getting anywhere near me.
But it was no good.
I could not shake this guy off and then in a split second he took me while I was braking for a right hand bend in an absolutely beautifully executed text book overtake.
Just to add insult to injury, after he got passed he gave me a big wave and before I knew it he was a spec on the distance. .
The bike was either a BMW R100RT or 80RT.
He was going to quick for me to make out anything but the outline and year of the bike.
That was my down to earth moment, and an incredibly humbling experience.
I may have had the faster bike but that didn't mean a thing against a much better rider.
In anything other than a straight line it's a riders skill that counts, not the bike.

BTDTHTTS  (been there, done that or had that done to me, have the t-shirt) 

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Yeah, I tried to sign up on instagram to follow Itchy Boots, and now I get emails from there wanting me to follow others instead of emails telling me she posted something new.  I'm guessing a lot of these sites are geared towards smartphone users.

if you go on to her page and look around the options... 'Turn on Notifications for this user' and that should help.  She's mostly riding around her home country in the snow at the moment lol

[Murray]

To be fair those numbers mean a lot because they prove that the current 850 engine is pretty much on par with the early Lemans.
Put it in a more sporting format with decent suspension with less weight and I doubt there's much much in it.

With a bit of effort they can make a bike that is slightly better than a bike they made 40 odd years ago, progress! 

[andyals]

With a bit of effort they can make a bike that is slightly better than a bike they made 40 odd years ago, progress! 

Honda are considered to be one of the most cutting edge manufacturers today.
Back in the 80's they produced a mid weight all rounder called the CX500.
That bike produced 50bhp.
Their modern day equivalent is the NC700 which produces 51bhp.
There are plenty of other examples.

[Huzo]

Honda are considered to be one of the most cutting edge manufacturers today.
Back in the 80's they produced a mid weight all rounder called the CX500.
That bike produced 50bhp.
Their modern day equivalent is the NC700 which produces 51bhp.
There are plenty of other examples.

Well yes but the savage restrictions that are in place now, make it harder to get the same kW/litre.
If the shackles were removed, I bet Honda could get more than 51 bhp out of their 700 cc’s.
Same for the V85.
The new bike is quieter, more frugal AND more powerful than yesteryear’s Le Mans. Remove Euro # whatever, noise restrictions etc.. and the V85 would flog the Le Mans like a red headed stepson.

[twowheeladdict]

if you go on to her page and look around the options... 'Turn on Notifications for this user' and that should help.  She's mostly riding around her home country in the snow at the moment lol

Thanks.  Yep, the pandemic really forced her to be creative with content and she did get her merchandizing going. 

Reminds me of the writers strike many years ago that tanked some really good shows, and also ushered in the era of "reality" shows.   

[twowheeladdict]

With a bit of effort they can make a bike that is slightly better than a bike they made 40 odd years ago, progress! 

When you consider the choking emissions standards, it is actually amazing!

[andyals]

I really like the 85TT.
Adventure bikes are not my thing.
In fact in general I don't like them but this Guzzi swung me because they showed us that this type of bike can be aesthetically pleasing and not like a giant tonka toy.
I was tempted but I'm going to wait until they build either a Lemans tribute or something similar on the same platform.
That would be awesome.

[twowheeladdict]

I really like the 85TT.
Adventure bikes are not my thing.
In fact in general I don't like them but this Guzzi swung me because they showed us that this type of bike can be aesthetically pleasing and not like a giant tonka toy.
I was tempted but I'm going to wait until they build either a Lemans tribute or something similar on the same platform.
That would be awesome.

For where I live adventure bikes give the best ride on the most roads.  When on my Road Glide, I am limited to about 25 percent of the available roads, on the V7III  50 percent, on the Van Van the opposite 50 percent from the V7III,  and the Himalayan about 80 percent since it won't  comfortably do high speeds. 

Logically a V85TT or similar bike would take care of the majority of my riding, but I am not ready to part with what I currently have. 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Piaggio aren't stupid.  I'm sure there's something of that ilk on its way as I'm typing this.  It's just so blindingly obvious that there's a wellspring of demand for such a bike, for which they have almost all necessary componentry already in place with the current range.

Just a few tweaks to the geometry, a couple of cheap cast wheels, a smidge of plastic bodywork, LED light & other requisite supplier contracts in place & voila!  A brand new model emerges just in time for the Anniversary.  Just hope it's not the pig in pretty clothing that the "Racer" was.

[andyals]

Piaggio aren't stupid.  I'm sure there's something of that ilk on its way as I'm typing this.  It's just so blindingly obvious that there's a wellspring of demand for such a bike, for which they have almost all necessary componentry already in place with the current range.

Just a few tweaks to the geometry, a couple of cheap cast wheels, a smidge of plastic bodywork, LED light & other requisite supplier contracts in place & voila!  A brand new model emerges just in time for the Anniversary.  Just hope it's not the pig in pretty clothing that the "Racer" was.

I'd love to believe that but these are Italians we're talking about who are not renowned for their logical approach to marketing.
For example they had the MGS01 which was one of the the most beautiful bikes ever made and people were begging them to produce a road going version at the right price using the current at the time big block.
But nothing.

[Kev m]

With a bit of effort they can make a bike that is slightly better than a bike they made 40 odd years ago, progress! 

First, who is to say the new one wouldn't be "better" - that it wouldn't be lighter, quicker, turn better, stop better, and last longer? Not to mention be easier to live with daily.

Second, how do you define "better"? - is it strictly lap times? (Again we don't yet know that the new one wouldn't be better at that), or can it be defined in a multitude of other things. Better fuel mileage, easier maintenance, longer lived components, how about all that with less environmental impact? Or how about better just because someone who wasn't old enough to buy and ride the original when IT was new can buy one now?

As Papa used to say with his thick Italian accent - "You don't want? Good, More For Us"

[Murray]

When you consider the choking emissions standards, it is actually amazing!

When you look at what other manufacturers are doing its completely and utterly lazy.

[Dirk_S]

When you look at what other manufacturers are doing its completely and utterly lazy.

Aside from choosing to avoid the liquid-cooled route, I’m legitimately curious what you mean by this abstract response... Care to get specific with examples?

[Kev m]

When you look at what other manufacturers are doing its completely and utterly lazy.

That's like saying Jeep is being completely and utterly lazy not making a Bugatti Veyron.

Hell it's like saying Mazda is being completely and utterly lazy not making a Bugatti Veyron.

Bottom line to make the changes necessary for the type of performance boost you seem to want would mean fundamentally changing the formula, not just multiple valves or LC, perhaps total engine architecture too. At some point it then becomes an Aprilia and not a Guzzi.

There's no reason one manufacturer NEEDS to be something to everyone, or everything to everyone.

[Bpreynolds2]

Ahhhhhhhhh.  The feel of a good thrusting stick in my hand and the thick smell of a bear nearby. 

You guys and your never ending “Give me a Lemans” threads.  It would basically be a restyled Racer; that is, it would basically be a pointless variation on an already pointless and overstyled bike. 

[andyals]

I think companies like Guzzi are in a no win situation.
The purists scream in horror at the very notion of new technologies, and then as we see here, decry them for keeping as much as they can to their original formula
Damned if they do, damned if they don't

[andyals]

Ahhhhhhhhh.  The feel of a good thrusting stick in my hand and the thick smell of a bear nearby. 

You guys and your never ending “Give me a Lemans” threads.  It would basically be a restyled Racer; that is, it would basically be a pointless variation on an already pointless and overstyled bike.

Pointless as they may seem, the V7 range have been the saviour of the company and are good sellers.
Perhaps you would have preferred seeing them go down the sink in the name of tradition.
Probably.
What's the point of the Racer?
Probably no more than the point of an ancient Lemans in the age of the Fire blade and Hayabusa which are a lot cheaper to buy.
Biking isn't about points
These are not cars for crying out loud

[Bpreynolds2]

Pointless as they may seem, the V7 range have been the saviour of the company and are good sellers.
Perhaps you would have preferred seeing them go down the sink in the name of tradition.
Probably.
What's the point of the Racer?
Probably no more than the point of an ancient Lemans in the age of the Fire blade and Hayabusa

Oh, please do note.  I did not say “V7 range”.  The V7s (Stones, Specials, etc.) are practical and tastefully styled bikes.  Probably my favorite Guzzi I’ve ever owned. 

[Kev m]

You guys and your never ending “Give me a Lemans” threads.  It would basically be a restyled Racer; that is, it would basically be a pointless variation on an already pointless and overstyled bike.

Not necessarily.

There's no reason they couldn't make it something more special.

They could use the 7SM and give it more hp, multi-mapping, USD forks and dual discs along with the already improved rear suspension.

That would be both a real change from the current Racer and arguably really justify the higher price from the other V7 variants.

Hell one could argue properly done it would reduce the "overstyled" nature of the current Racer.

[andyals]

Oh, please do note.  I did not say “V7 range”.  The V7s (Stones, Specials, etc.) are practical and tastefully styled bikes.  Probably my favorite Guzzi I’ve ever owned.

This is the same whining I'm very familiar with in the case of BMW owners.
The Racer isn't to my taste either but I wouldn't declare it pointless just because I don't like it.
That would make me an arrogant fool because I know someone who owns one who enjoys it very much.

[Bpreynolds2]

This is the same whining I'm very familiar with in the case of BMW owners.
The Racer isn't to my taste either but I wouldn't declare it pointless just because I don't like it.
That would make me an arrogant fool because I know someone who owns one who enjoys it very much.

See my above bear and stick quote to appreciate the intent of my post and overall humor I mean.  And hey, I really should have put "For me" before everything said above.  I love big, goofy, Halloween looking upright dirt bikes for the road and I'm absolutely certain a lot if not most of the people here would find those bikes pointless as well.  But I wouldn't be offended by their opinion nor would it bother me.  That's why they make chocolate and vanilla motorcycles