V100 Standard Vs S

[eldointheweeds]

Now that the V100 Mandello has been out a while, what are your thoughts on getting the base model vs the S? Are those Olins really that great? Are they going to last a long time? Will the average dealer know how to fix them when the time comes?

(Mostly I wonder about the Olins, but what about the other added features? Does the TPMS work well? How is the heated seat and grips?)

[Dave Swanson]

Now that the V100 Mandello has been out a while, what are your thoughts on getting the base model vs the S? Are those Olins really that great? Are they going to last a long time? Will the average dealer know how to fix them when the time comes?

(Mostly I wonder about the Olins, but what about the other added features? Does the TPMS work well? How is the heated seat and grips?)

Although you can never go wrong with Ohlins on a bike, most of us don't ride at a level that we really need high zoot suspension.  The heroes out there that can ride like the devil will be able to tell the difference I would assume.  The rest of us - not so much.

Ohlins are very reliable, and should last you a long long time,  but when the time does come that they need service, very few Guzzi dealers (possibly 0) would be certified to overhaul Ohlins units.  They should be returned to an Ohlins service center.   I just did that last year with the rear Ohlins shock on my Ducati 916 and was very satisfied with this service.

Heated grips are always a nicety, but wont last forever on any bike.  TPMS is ubiquitous on bikes nowadays and is reliable. 

I can say for this average hack the Ohlins semi active suspension on my S is excellent, but I am sure I would be very satisfied with a base model.  I have plenty of fun on my old bikes with archaic suspension.  I have surprised many riding friends just how swift a pace you can maintain with my 1956 Harley FLH which has NO rear suspension. 

One of my favorite YT channels is the Lemon Drizzle Gang.  They have a couple of well done V100 videos.

https://youtu.be/pOb64_piGqM?si=YzZyMlXQtpjz1auu

https://youtu.be/lkPQua22Shc?si=SXMlbrnohBd-D9jQ

[PeteS]

I test rode the standard V100. Seemed OK but given it was an escorted ride we didn’t go particularly fast and the road was fairly smooth. I ended up buying a Wind Tunnel which falls between the standard and S model. It has the full Ohlins but no heated seat or grips which is Ok by me. Its less expensive having Guzzi do the suspension upgrade than doing it yourself after the fact if you find the standard setup not to your liking.

Pete

[Dave Swanson]

I test rode the standard V100. Seemed OK but given it was an escorted ride we didn’t go particularly fast and the road was fairly smooth. I ended up buying a Wind Tunnel which falls between the standard and S model. It has the full Ohlins but no heated seat or grips which is Ok by me. Its less expensive having Guzzi do the suspension upgrade than doing it yourself after the fact if you find the standard setup not to your liking.

Pete

Yes, I forgot to mention that.  The S with Ohlins is a relative bargain if you tally up what you get for the difference. 

[LowRyter]

Road the standard bike when it came out.  Rips.  Seems like a nice ride to me.   Either model should be fine.  I think you'll need to have a maintainer to keep it serviced, not really a DIY bike. 

[eldointheweeds]

So y'all are saying I should get both bikes? I like the way you think. :)

Thanks for the perspectives

[Dave Swanson]

So y'all are saying I should get both bikes? I like the way you think. :)

Thanks for the perspectives

I think you will be happy with any of the models.  WARNING - if you watch those Lemon Drizzle Gang videos you will be buying one.   

[Motormike]

Don't overlook the "active" part of suspension, no matter whose name is on the shocks and forks.  I have a Ducati and a BMW with active suspension, and nether use Ohlin's. But the ability to adjust the quality of your ride with just the touch of a few buttons or screen settings is pretty nice.  If you know you will never carry a passenger nor any luggage, then it might be overkill.  Simpler is always cheaper, upfront and to repair. As I always say, yesterday's luxury is today's necessity. 

[TN Mark]

How many V100 owners will keep the bike long enough to wear out Ohlins suspension? Likely, none.
How many V100 owners may find the oem Guzzi low budget suspension wanting? Likely, many.
As has been said, getting Ohlins already installed from the factory seems like a no brainer.
IMHO, same with a heated seat and grips. Once you have them, not wanting them again is quite rare.

[bronzestar1]

I recently traded in my '24 V100 Mandello Aviazione Navale on a '25 Triumph Speed Twin 1200.  If you can get a Navale, that would be a very good compromise between the base Mandello and the S.  The Navale has TPMS and heated grips, but no Ohlins suspension.  Some of them came with quick-shifters I believe.  Mine didn't have one, but I wouldn't have used it anyway.  'Course the Navale only comes in 1 color, but if you can get your hands on one, that's what I would recommend. 

[kingoffleece]

A rider doesn't really wear out Ohlins-but they do, like all high performance shocks, need to be refreshed on a regular basis for optimum performance.  The ability to have them rebuilt and made good as new is a real bonus.  Further, a top unit like an Ohlins needs correct set-up.  It is possible to have them set up so incorrect as to riders wanting them swapped out until a knowledgable person sets them up.
If, as the owner, that expense is not agreeable perhaps the regular offering would be more appropriate.

It's not all that hard for an owner to do, but it does require time and a willingness to make one adjustment at a time to get everything in balance.

[kingoffleece]

Roads play a huge part too.  New England and New York, among others, can beat the snot out of anything with the frost heaves and pot holes.
Here in the southwest there are beautiful stretches of road tabletop smooth. 

Two of the worst scenarios are getting kicked out of the seat and being far over in a long curve with uneven pavement slowly (or not so slowly) bouncing the motorcycle to the outside of the curve as the tire(s) lose traction and "hop".  This is a sure way to understand the difference between proper and non-proper suspension and spring rate.  Not the only way, but one that surfaces quite often in my experience.

[eldointheweeds]

A rider doesn't really wear out Ohlins-but they do, like all high performance shocks, need to be refreshed on a regular basis for optimum performance.  The ability to have them rebuilt and made good as new is a real bonus.  Further, a top unit like an Ohlins needs correct set-up.  It is possible to have them set up so incorrect as to riders wanting them swapped out until a knowledgable person sets them up.
If, as the owner, that expense is not agreeable perhaps the regular offering would be more appropriate.

It's not all that hard for an owner to do, but it does require time and a willingness to make one adjustment at a time to get everything in balance.

The V100 S Ohlins are "Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension" so no set up needed.

[kingoffleece]

You still need to set spring sag.  Not too difficult.

Here's a description of the Ohlins product.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ohlins-electronic-suspension-explained-mechatronic-magic/

[LowRyter]

Roads play a huge part too.  New England and New York, among others, can beat the snot out of anything with the frost heaves and pot holes.
Here in the southwest there are beautiful stretches of road tabletop smooth. 

Two of the worst scenarios are getting kicked out of the seat and being far over in a long curve with uneven pavement slowly (or not so slowly) bouncing the motorcycle to the outside of the curve as the tire(s) lose traction and "hop".  This is a sure way to understand the difference between proper and non-proper suspension and spring rate.  Not the only way, but one that surfaces quite often in my experience.

Set the preload to comfortable and make sure the bike is level, front to rear.  Once the preload is done, make sure the adjusters are in the middle setting.  Then ride of over some bumps and set the compression, then the rebound, try at two clicks or more.   Again, front to rear being level and equal shock.  Make it comfy and level.   

I like it soft, that means I use BOTH the front AND rear brake to keep it level.

[turboguzzi]

If i was living on an island, what is the single motorcycle upgrade i'd take with me?

Suspension :)

Will add to that: a good rider on a so-so bike will go faster than a so-so rider on an ohlins equiped one, but thats not the point IMHO

For me its all about the "Plushness" of Ohlins and other top tier suspensions that make the difference to stock Sachs/Marzocchi/KYB etc.

It's this "cushioning" feeling over irritating bumps that makes the difference in comfort. It's all connected to better high speed valving, listen to Kevin Cameron's podcast on "V squared"

The relative small extra $$ of the ohlins over stock is the best money youll spend on your motorcycle and could even pay it all back in resale value. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcLlQ7pNPcg

[blu guzz]

I was in the BMW world for 20 years before finding true love with Guzzi.  They all shipped with suspensions designed for 250 lbs guys.  My first aftermarket set was by a company called "Works" and they were very simple with few adjustments and priced right.  None the less, I was astonished at the improvement.  I deliberately sought out bad roads just to feel them work. When I got my first set of Ohlins for my K1200RS, I was a little disappointed at first with how firm they seemed.  Because they were sprung for my exact specifications, I expected pillow soft luxury class ride.  What I got was pretty Germanic feel (firm), but, I learned with a little seat time was that I was not feeling the bite of stutter bumps in the road and I had perfect control.  I have been a fan ever since.  I became a better rider because I could concentrate on the riding and not worry about how much some bump or pothole was going to hurt my wrists or spine.

[bronzestar1]

I have a '26 Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory (another Piaggio product like Guzzi), that has the full Ohlins front and single shock rear suspension.  As delivered, the settings were so stiff I got bounced around on the seat pretty good.  I took all the preload off the rear spring, and adjusted the knob on the shock two clicks towards soft from the middle.  Did the same for the front forks, two clicks softer than the middle.  It's still a somewhat bouncy ride, so my experience would be that unless you're tracking the bike, or are an absolute expert at suspension settings, the Ohlins upgrade isn't worth it on the Mandello S.  Now, if there are some other things included in the model upgrade, like TPMS, heated grips, more rider aids, etc., that might make it worthwhile.   

[kingoffleece]

I'd expect that bike to be very stiffly sprung due to it's extreme sporting nature.  The few Factory bikes I've ridden were certainly not plush, but then again I expected them to be aimed at high speeds and smooth track days.  Not surprised that the bikes were too stiff for street riding.

[PeteS]

As someone who found the new V85 as ridged as a hard tail, the V100 with Ohlins is not that. Set the sag as K.O.F suggests and go. It just glides over the bumps and keeps the tires on the pavement.

Pete

[Moparnut72]

I'd expect that bike to be very stiffly sprung due to it's extreme sporting nature.  The few Factory bikes I've ridden were certainly not plush, but then again I expected them to be aimed at high speeds and smooth track days.  Not surprised that the bikes were too stiff for street riding.
[/quote

That describes the V100 I had. I backed everything off, it was better but still pretty stiff. With all my camping gear it was actually pretty good. I took my new V7 850 on a camping trip this past weekend. I realized after a bit that I needed some pre-load on the rear shocks unfortunately I didn't have a spanner with me. The best riding bikes I have ever owned were a R75/5 and a R90/6 with Fox shocks on the rear. Eight inches of travel didn't hurt either. I need to work on the setup on my V7, maybe replace the shocks.
kk

[Buckturgidson]

I was fortunate to get a great deal on a leftover '24 standard V100, but I would have preferred an S because the standard suspension is pretty harsh for a lighter weight rider. The dealer previously had '24 S models for $2K more (no brainer) but I was told they were not getting anymore, only 2025s at regular MSRP.
Sure enough, 4 days after I closed on my standard the dealer received several more S models that they sold for $2K more. The sales manager said he "had no idea we were getting more."
Anyway, I still love the bike, especially in white with gold wheels, just wish it had the upgraded suspension.

[LowRyter]

If i was living on an island, what is the single motorcycle upgrade i'd take with me?

Suspension :)

Will add to that: a good rider on a so-so bike will go faster than a so-so rider on an ohlins equiped one, but thats not the point IMHO

For me its all about the "Plushness" of Ohlins and other top tier suspensions that make the difference to stock Sachs/Marzocchi/KYB etc.

It's this "cushioning" feeling over irritating bumps that makes the difference in comfort. It's all connected to better high speed valving, listen to Kevin Cameron's podcast on "V squared"

The relative small extra $$ of the ohlins over stock is the best money youll spend on your motorcycle and could even pay it all back in resale value. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcLlQ7pNPcg

I'm still sorting out a rear Ohlins just installed on my Ducati.   Right now I'm trying to make it as comfortable as the old Sachs (42k miles).  Agree with your point, suspension is for street comfort, maybe better control too, but not for "speed".

[eldointheweeds]

I was fortunate to get a great deal on a leftover '24 standard V100, but I would have preferred an S because the standard suspension is pretty harsh for a lighter weight rider. The dealer previously had '24 S models for $2K more (no brainer) but I was told they were not getting anymore, only 2025s at regular MSRP.
Sure enough, 4 days after I closed on my standard the dealer received several more S models that they sold for $2K more. The sales manager said he "had no idea we were getting more."
Anyway, I still love the bike, especially in white with gold wheels, just wish it had the upgraded suspension.

I am 250 lbs w/o gear, so sounds like I'd be good to go. :)_