New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
Couple of thoughts. At 42 years old, I figure I’m closer to the demographic in question than most of ya ;)If a newer rider wants to…Go fast, they get a Japanese bike, Ducati, or Triumph; Look “American-made”, aka cruiser badass, they get a Harley or Honda Rebel (heh);Ride ‘Classic-styled’, they get a Bonnie, Street Twin, RE, or some used, old Sportster or Japanese naked standard;have community support, they go to anyone else with larger dealer networks and thus larger ownership*Younger generations, as many of you probably were and are—are attracted to what’s thrown in front of their faces. Where’s the marketing / advertisement from Guzzi? How are they getting their brand engrained into first-time riders’ brains? They’re quirky, small production, and other brands seem to represent their particular attraction niches better. They’re not the cheapest, lightest, most powerful, most common, most ‘classic’…Younger folks who buy Moto Guzzis today get them because they’re accessible (seat height, cheap, not too powerful) and like something that kinda stands out as different, but they’ve still got other more well-known brands to choose from. Heck, Royal Enfield is probably more well-known now because they’re so cheap out of the box and don’t suck.*Community support—it’s my experience, having gone to a couple BMW and Guzzi rallies, that the old guard tends to be quite curmudgeonly and protective when it comes to newer riders. Ahem—*most older farts are not bitter curmudgeons*…BUT, there are enough to leave an impact—especially those who own bikes with such niched and special histories. I was casually reminded by a few guys at a Guzzi national rally a couple years ago that my politics were the clear minority amongst the rest of the crowd…folks— I’m left of center. C’mon.As a person raised solely by my grandparents and around a lot of older folks, I feel pretty comfortable saying that younger folks are often turned off by the stereotypical ‘old white guy who’s not afraid to scoff atcha.’ Older men are just as guilty of creating cliques as anyone else. Therefore, when you have this existing old guard protecting a brand—a brand that’s smaller in representation than so many other brands out there—it can be hard to feel welcome. This is why I really advocate for and heavily support women and younger riders when it comes to choosing bikes and being part of healthy cultures that make them feel included. Make ‘em feel welcome, and they’ll stick around…and invite their friends…and draw others whose demographics are more aligned with theirs. I hang around older riders because I know there are often many lessons to learn from stories and anecdotes. I seek that knowledge in hopes to turn it one day into wisdom. Many other ‘younger’ riders don’t necessarily have the connection that I do with older people, and so they focus on seeking out their own kin for comfort and fun.And if the older dudes are the ones at the rallies, those who don’t want to be surrounded by that maybe just hang out with the couple friends they have or lurk on Facebook.
When I was at Agostini in Mandello de Laurio last month, the sales person I rented the bike from told me that there was a young American Vlogger who reviews motorcycles there the day before, rented a bike for her review. He didn't know if it was Youtube or Instagram, but she was cute and blonde, and NOT itchy boots. I didn't catch the name, but they are out there.
If some of those details (blogger vs vlogger, and not blonde) were different then I'd say it could be my friend who got me into Guzzis. She just rented a V7 from Agostini after touring the Moto Guzzi factory. She's written for Revzilla and Motorcycle.com. Might be more than a few young ladies from America out there renting motorcycles who also do some journalism, blogging, vlogging, "influencing", etc. though.Here's an older piece she has on her experiences touring solo, which have mostly been on V7shttps://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/setting-out-solo
My btdt two cents about being a younger Guzzi rider over the years? Far too many older Guzzi riders are hung up on how nice your bike is or isn’t instead of simply being supportive that you are actually riding one. This isn’t a fashion or status play for me like it seems to be for them. If I actually cared what people like them think, I would have moved on to something else long ago.
You are describing BMW riders, NO Guzzi rider or group I have ever met with cared about how 'nice' your ride was. But what do I know? I didn't get into Guzzi till 9 years ago when I was 51.
Maybe that’s not been your experience, but it’s been mine. No reason to make it up. Being a relatively broke young guy riding an unpretty but special bike apparently makes people think they that I need or want their advice. Ever since I started riding my cosmetically imperfect V7 Sport, I have consistently had and heard people say “when are you going to fix it?” and “that would be a nice bike if you…”. It’s happened in multiple states and even at the IMOC. It gets old, just like the endless Big Twin vs Sportster bias. My bike is 100% mechanically spot-on and that’s what it’s all about to me.So, I get lucky again a couple of years ago and end up with a much nicer but still not perfect CX100 to park next to my old V7 Sport. At one of the first events I take it to, an older rider parks his blinged-out Loop next to me. Then he says - not kidding- “that would be a nice bike if you fixed…”. I walked away. Later, when he was leaving, he shifted his bike into neutral to start it before spending 15+ min trying to get it back into gear so he could actually ride home. I thought about saying to him “that would be a nice bike if you..” but I didn’t.
I think we need picture of your V7
Not diminishing your experiences. I've only been in the Guzzi community since 2015, and being in the Army have been in Washington, Virginia, New York, Carolinas, and Kentucky, and pull in riders from all the surrounding states, and found the Guzzi community very cool, diverse, and 'MY" kind of people who love to ride, respect all. No snobbery at all. But to be fair, my bikes are newer, and generally pristine, though NOT a classic like a V7 sport. I can imagine having a very desirable bike in ratty condition and seeing enthusiasts wanting to see it cared for and in best condition. My oldest is a 76 Convert, and would love an original V7 Sport, Ambo or Eldo. All my other bikes are CARC or modern small block (V7ii).My only point is that the Guzzi community is the best I have been in, and are largely helpful and encouraging and willing to help. Perhaps you are being a bit sensitive. Then again, the red suspender snapping codgers can be pretty snotty............. . They sure are sensitive, at least on this board. In fact I am sure these comments will cause the moderators a ton of headache.
