New To Me 2016 Eldorado 1400

[Bill W]

I have a extra tank bag and tank mount that I will sell for $250 for the set ( plus shiping ). No shoulder strap but I think I have the rain bag ( no promises ). If interested PM me for any questions or more pic's.


 

[TN Mark]

I’ve only managed about 650 miles on the heavily GTM modified Eldorado. At only 2 1/2 weeks past a full knee replacement, my riding days are still weeks away.

But let me tell you, those were absolutely fantastic 650 miles. I’m so anxious to get Bella out again.

A dear friend and brother will be picking up my Victory Cross Country Tour later this week.

I’m looking forward to a very long relationship with Bella and Betty. Betty being my greatly enhanced 2013 Victory Hard-Ball.

[TN Mark]

I have a extra tank bag and tank mount that I will sell for $250 for the set ( plus shiping ). No shoulder strap but I think I have the rain bag ( no promises ). If interested PM me for any questions or more pic's.

Thank you Bill W for a flawless and satisfying transaction.

[TN Mark]

This is the all leather matching Eldorado tank bag I purchased from AF1 Racing. As I posted elsewhere, the leather, the stitching and the hardware are a perfect match for the Eldorado leather saddlebags.

I’m using the mount (2S000038) I purchased from Bill W as mentioned in a previous post. The tank bag (2S000039), cordura and leather I purchased from Bill W is available if anyone needs it.

Here’s a picture of the all leather tank bag:




I’ll post the Cordura and leather tank bag (2S000039) for sale in the Swap Meet section as well. $150 delivered to your 48 contiguous US address.

[TN Mark]

I'm 6 weeks past knee replacement so I have a bit longer before I can get on the Eldorado and parade her around town. Plus, well, it's only 30 degrees F here today.

I'm on my way to enhancing the Eldo as well. I've gotten good deals on some beautiful Moto Guzzi - DPM accessories. I bought a few extra pieces that I'm selling off for cost as well. Why did I buy them? Because they were great deals so I figured I'd pass along a great deal.

I bought the beautiful Eldorado leather saddlebags as well as the matching tank bag. I don't have the 'correct' tank bag mount yet but the one I bought used will work. I'm considering having the correct one made by a local contact that makes custom fit motorcycle vests.   

Next decision is the matching 30L all leather Eldorado trunk bag. Apparently Moto Guzzi had two designs made under the same item number. The earlier version is more square and the later version is more of a duffle bag shape. Both clearly made by the same subcontractor that made the saddlebags and the tank bag. Same leather, stitching, hardware and design.

Oh, but the price! That's a bit of a heart stopper. I found the older version for around $300, which, is actually a decent deal for a 10 year old piece. The seller seems to be selling off the last old stock one they have. The later version has an MSRP over $900! IMHO, they both look great but the later version aesthetics match the saddlebag aesthetics perfectly. 

If I can sell the few items I have shown on two Guzzi forums it makes a purchasing decision a lot easier.

Then again, for me, this Eldorado is a life long motorcycle. Piagio certainly isn't making any more accessories for the 1400's so, once they're gone, they're gone for good.

[TN Mark]

Takes care of that. Tim ant Cadre Cycle informed me yesterday the item number for the all leather 30L black bag is NLA. So, what’s already at a seller is all the nos there is. That, or perhaps a used one somewhere.

Yes, I know, a first world kind of thing. Minor in the big picture of life.

[TN Mark]

They have three of this model 1400 / Eldorado trunk left in inventory. When they’re gone, they’re gone.





This version is no where to be found but is/was under the same 2S000527 item number.

[Moparnut72]

I have a hard time understanding why so many bikes these days have such high pipes.
kk

[TN Mark]

Or why they are forced to mount a trunk so high and so far behind the rear axle. Afterthought designs are irksome.

[TN Mark]

My Eldo’s 3 piece leather ensemble is now complete.
I pick up the trunk tomorrow from my local (Cleveland, TN) Guzzi dealer. The saddlebags, the trunk and the tank bag all match perfectly.

Congratulations on the overall design and execution Moto Guzzi. Well done!

For those asking why spend money on a 10 year discontinued model Moto Guzzi. This Eldorado is, for me, a grail bike that I’ll likely keep for life. I’m essentially doing what I did with my Victory Hard-Ball. Also, a grail keep for life bike. That is I searched and acquired the items for the bike I wanted.

Neither Victory nor Moto Guzzi are making more of these bikes. The bikes are genuinely quite robust. Factory accessories are harder to find for the Victory now than they were when I was looking a few years ago. Thankfully that bike is complete.

Factory accessories for the Eldorado, except for a few items are gone from Piaggio. But, with eBay and a few other aftermarket sources, It’s now also complete. And, I never paid MSRP for anything for the ElDorado. Especially an Italian eBay source I found, most factory accessories were priced quite right. So much so that I bought extras that I’m now selling so someone else may find something they want.
 

[Bill W]

I feel the same way about my Cali 1400 to the point that when I wrecked my first one ( 4yrs ago ) I bought it back from the ins company to keep as a parts bike being I knew I was going to buy another one ( which I did 6 weeks later ).

[TN Mark]

More Eldo bling (2S000347) came in today from my favorite Italian eBay seller, Valer14.

From this:




To this:





Love it.

[blu guzz]

In an hour or so, I am heading up to Cadre with my trailer to pick up my 2016 Eldorado.  I have gotten into the habit of giving it to them in January or February for what I now think of as my annual service. I can only manage about 5,000 miles a year these days.
I always used to do my own maint. on my bikes but as I tumble toward older age, I have less interest.
Mark, you will find the bad news that these bikes need tires about every 5,000 mile and maybe 6,000 if you really want to stretch it.  I am very tire conservative personally.  I found that the handling on this bike degrades much more with over 4,000 miles that did my 2015 Cali Custom which uses different tire sizes and rubber compounds.
Also, given that this is now a 10 year old bike, I like the professionals to look it over. 
So, first nice day, I will be joining you on the road.  Unfortunately, that is likely to be some time away given the current weather pattern where I live.  I hope your weather breaks soon.

[Moparnut72]

The last few bikes I have owned 5,000 miles was about the average life of a tire including my 1400 Audace. The Mandello with Angel GT's made it to 9,000 and probably would have made it to 10,000 but as spring was coming I changed it early. I think with better handling due to softer rubber mileage suffers. In the 70's I always got 10K out of K70's on the rear and 20K out of the front on my Airhead.
kk

[TN Mark]

My new to me Eldo came with new Avon Cobra Chrome white walls. I’ve read for years how poor tire life is on the 1400 bikes. Frankly it’s quite surprising. My Victory, heavier and more powerful, averages 17K miles on the rear tire and 30K on the front. That’s with either Bridgestone or Dunlop.
Do you guys see any difference in tire life between brands. Dunlop, Avon, Shinko etc all have tires for the Eldo.

[TN Mark]

Tonight I had a goal to check out adding the saddlebag brackets. Since the bike already has the heavy luggage rack, just about everything needed to mount that, has to be removed to get to the rear top saddlebag bracket in mount.

I first removed both seats and the luggage rack. Then I removed the three top 10mm bolts and next the lower two 8mm bolts. And disconnected both wiring harness connections.

What’s keeping the fender on are the front locking tabs onto the top shock trim. The shop that installed the luggage rack put a deep scratch on the fender. I figured that’s why there was a decal there. They also broke one of the fender locking tabs. They used duct tape to hold it in place.

Due to the horizontal luggage rack support bracket under the fender, getting to the locking tabs is quite difficult. Not enough room for a plastic trim tool. Tomorrow I’ll try to wedge a credit card or something similar under the tabs to set the fender free. I’ll need my wife’s help to hold and wiggle the fender free.

The only way to get to the spacer out so I can install the saddlebag brackets is to remove the horizontal bracket. The only way to remove that horizontal bracket is to first remove the rear fender.

Any and all tips are welcome.

[Bill W]

My tire life on my 1400 Touring was about 6k with Metzler tires which I did not care for so I went with Bridgestones on this last tire change and really liked the handling of these tires. So far I have about 4k on them and tread is still looking pretty good. My son has Shinko 777's on his bike and has gotten some great life out of them but they don't make it in the 200/60 so I passed them by but they ( Shinko ) do make a 185/65 which I've read that size tire really improves the bike ( 1400 Touring ) handling so I might go that route next tire change.

[blu guzz]

Mark:  Fortunately, mine came with hard cases already installed by the previous owner.  They sure are useful.

[Cam3512]

Mark:  Fortunately, mine came with hard cases already installed by the previous owner.  They sure are useful.

You must've bought Zoom's former Eldo?

[TN Mark]

Well, well, well. How awesome is it to have a wonderful wife with small hands. She was able to get the rear fender tabs lifted just enough for me to pull the rear fender off.





The shiny spacer is what had to come off. Which meant loosening all the luggage rack hardware.





Here is the saddlebag bracket installed with all fasteners loose enough to get everything assembled.





Even more good news: there’s no issue with piggy back rear shocks on the Eldorado with saddlebag mounts. Sweet

[TN Mark]

I’ll take the rear fender to a local painter I’ve used previously to see about getting the scratch taken care of.

[TN Mark]

PS: I know this is about 10 years late, but, whoever the engineer is who ok’d the luggage rack and saddlebag mounting system designs on the Eldorado 1400 needs, at MIN, to be pantsed and publicly humiliated.
With a throat punch thrown in for good measure.

[blu guzz]

No Cam, it's not JohnHenry's bike but looks pretty close. Mine came from a gent who lived in Fla.  But, JH did tell me that it was a bear getting them to work as the Eldo is just different enough from the California models to give Mark the troubles he has been happening. 
If my bike hadn't come with them, I would have continued with the soft luggage as I am not a patient as Mark is.

[Moparnut72]

I test rode an Eldorado in 2017. I rejected it for a couple of reasons. One was the rattly sounds from the rear fender area. There was some discussion a year or two later about a fix to cure that as it was a common issue. I wish I had known about that at the time as I would have bought the bike instead of the Harley. I bought an Audace a couple of years later. The rear fender hardware is pretty fiddly which I had to deal with when adding side case mounts. I would look into that while you have it apart if you still do. Now I wish I had bought an Eldorado instead of the Audace. I loved my Audace but due to weight and variety of chassis geometry issues I had to let it go. I think I could have ridden an Eldorado much longer. Enjoy your bike hopefully as much as I am with my V7 850.
kk

[TN Mark]

There’s been some discussion about the long Eldorado rear fender flexing a bit. Mine only has 2000 miles on it so the rear fender was still quite solidly mounted. There are two 8mm bolts on the underside which may have come loose on some bikes. My 8mm bolts were quite tight and had blue LockTite on them. I’ll re LockTite them upon installation.

The support bracket under the rear fender had tabs that some owners found were snapped off. Perhaps due to the incorrect torque on the mounting bolts. Too much or too little torque are both problematic.

There are also three locking tabs on each side of the rear fender that snap onto the side trim pieces above the shocks. My fender was removed previously to mount the luggage rack. The shop that did that broke one locking tab off of each side. Those locking tabs being at the front of the fender may not effect it wiggling much. Frankly, I never noticed the rear fender wiggling anyway. Except for at idle, the bike really doesn’t vibrate. The engine shake at idle seems designed in for some silly reason. Increasing the rpm just 400 to 500 rpm’s completely smooths out the engine.

For me, the aesthetics of the Eldo have always moved me. Plus the ergonomics suited me best of all the 1400 models. It took me a while to find this particular bike and I’ll be quite pleased to have it last me through to the end. At 65, I’m looking for it to last 20+ years. Now I need to last as long too.