Average Ownership of a 1400

[TN Mark]

Just curious who owned which 1400 model and for how long?

Why do I ask? The 1400’s were quite unique in a few respects. There were several models offered. Yet from reading this forum, the line was not well received by the Wildguzzi ‘faithful’. I guess it depends on who you consider the Wildguzzi faithful though.

There certainly seems to be more threads and talk here on the forum on the 1970’s and 1980’s Tonti frame bikes than anything else.
Second, I’d guess would be the Loop frames.
Most everything else is a very distant 3rd.
Even the V100 line seems mostly ignored on this forum.

The 1400 line was the last of anything Moto Guzzi made that interested me.

So, who owned what model 1400 and how long did you own it?

If you still own one, what mods have you added and why?

[Bill W]

I had my first Cali 1400 touring for 11months (pic) before a brand new Harley rider panicked coming out her driveway and shot right out in front of me and my son. I was already hooked on this model and bought the wrecked bike back from the ins company cause I knew I was going to buy another one and would use the wrecked one for hard to find spares. My second Cali I've had for about 4yrs now and have no plans on selling it. I installed some Guzzi bling items and a fueling kit/mod being these ( stock ) bikes run so lean that the headers turn blue ( a pet peeve of mine ) so I wanted to get her running richer. I also just recently put a Corbin seat on her being she is a keeper.

[blu guzz]

I bought a 15 Cali Custom in 2017 and put about 9,000 miles on it.  Bought an early V85 when they came out in 2019.  Traded the V85 when it started to feel too tall in 2024 for a 2016 Eldo with 18,700 miles on it from Cadre.  March 8, bike and I wrecked and it is totaled and I am sidelined with a with a broken leg, it had 33,900 miles on it.  Recovering now and plotting my next bike but much as I loved it, 700+ pound bikes are in my past now.  I will probably go with a V7 as it is the right height and 2oo pounds lighter.  I would have kept the Eldo at least this season had it survived, no other Guzzi goes down the road in quite the same way.

[Moparnut72]

I owned an Audace which I liked a lot. I finally sold it after a couple of year due to losing my confidence in it. This was due to my age as in old which made it hard for me to handle at slow speeds. Some of it was also due to the bike itself with weight being an issue but not the main one. The rake, trail and long wheelbase made it difficult to handle at low speeds, at least for me. The only other gripe was low rpm fueling. It surged pretty badly between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. I tried all kinds of things to help with the problem but nothing really worked. Beetle was working on a tune but due to a couple of problems he had yet to release it before I traded the bike. Even so I really liked the bike and would have liked to keep it but I was unable to do so. The power was intoxicating, huge amounts of torque that made high speed riding effortless.
kk

[TN Mark]

I wholeheartedly agree with every positive attribute mentioned. The weight hasn’t been an issue for me as it’s what I’m used to for the last 13 years or so.

I’ve only ever ridden one other 1400, an early CA Touring. It was all stock. The fueling and its subsequent running was awful. It didn’t ’border’ on dangerous, it was dangerous. Plus I absolutely hated the sound of the OEM exhaust. Nor did I care for the sound, or the cost of most calling mufflers.

The Eldo I bought last year came with both of those issues perfectly dealt with by Todd at GuzziTech. I likely wouldn’t have bought the Eldo had it been stock.

[guzzisteve]

A new friend from CA has an Eldo with over 50Kmi miles all stock. High idle thing that has to do with the air make-up unit on RH side of motor in front.
Simple fix. Well called yesterday looking at a Red one with low miles on it, didn't buy it. He has a 74 Eldo so lots to change up, and got an Ambo last fall to fiddle with.

[bad Chad]

A very good friend had a 15  Touring for something like 7 years, he really liked it, especially for absorbing miles on end.   I rode it several times, and was quite impressed with it each time.   The only reason he ended up trading it in on another Guzzi was it was just becoming too much bike for him.
He has short legs, and could just barley if at all, flat foot it, and subsequently dropped it a handful of times.  If he would have been little taller, and maybe now a little younger, he would have kept it.  He tried different seats, that helped, but in the end it was still more than he wanted to manage.

I really enjoyed the big girl, on any type of highway, the bike just shined.  If a bit ironic, as I'm about perfectly sized to own and ride a long bike bike, but, big heavy bikes aren't really my desire, different strokes for different folks.

[turboguzzi]

There certainly seems to be more threads and talk here on the forum on the 1970’s and 1980’s Tonti frame bikes than anything else.

Really? As a tonti guy (SP1, LMIII) I wish it was so...

Just had a quick glance at the 30-40 messages you can see in the landing page of the forum, spotted just two about tonti bikes.

That said, it's all a matter of sales numbers. popular bikes (V7, 850) are out there in bigger numbers= more messages. the 1400 surely wasnt one.... 

[inditx]

2016 Eldo for about 6 months
Never really gelled with her and my riding needs changed so I traded it in
ymmv
inditx

[TN Mark]

Really? As a tonti guy (SP1, LMIII) I wish it was so...

Just had a quick glance at the 30-40 messages you can see in the landing page of the forum, spotted just two about tonti bikes.

That said, it's all a matter of sales numbers. popular bikes (V7, 850) are out there in bigger numbers= more messages. the 1400 surely wasnt one....

I’m sure you’re right about that. I likely just notice the older Tonti posts since I had so many of them over the years. I’d ‘guess’ the various V7 and V85 models being the most popular likely get the most traffic.

I’m admittedly almost 10 years late to the meat of the 1400 forum traffic.

I’ve likely seen every 1400 YouTube reveal / road test video posted. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive. But you’re right, that didn’t translate to brisk 1400 sales. Much to the chagrin of the designers and engineers at Piaggio / Moto Guzzi I’d guess.

[turboguzzi]

I’m sure you’re right about that. I likely just notice the older Tonti posts since I had so many of them over the years. I’d ‘guess’ the various V7 and V85 models being the most popular likely get the most traffic.

I’m admittedly almost 10 years late to the meat of the 1400 forum traffic.

I’ve likely seen every 1400 YouTube reveal / road test video posted. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive. But you’re right, that didn’t translate to brisk 1400 sales. Much to the chagrin of the designers and engineers at Piaggio / Moto Guzzi I’d guess.

My guess is that the whole thng started when Migule Galuzzi started the Piaggio design center in Pasadena. We have a quite a few on our club rides, but they are rare also here in italy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Angel_Galluzzi

[Ncdan]

I had a 2015 touring for around a year. It was the best running and riding heavy bike Ive ever owned.
I got it with around 2k miles. In the 1000 miles the TPS sensor went out. A new sensor was around $500 at the time so I was able to find a used one in Canada.
After replacing the sensor, I rode the bike for another couple thousand miles when the second sensor went bad also.
I did some research and discovered that there was an issue with these sensors during the time of the 2015 models and that not only Moto Guzzi was having issues the other Italian bikes that use the sensors was also having problems with the sensors failing.
After replacing the second sensor, I lost trust in the bike for this reason therefore I sold it.

[TN Mark]

Ncdan,

     I remember reading about your CA Touring and and another Eldorado repeated Demand Sensor issues. As well as the multiple issues Luap had with his MGX-21. Piaggio knew they had a bad batch of these demand sensors and they should have replaced them under warranty for every one that turned up as being bad in the field. The demand sensor failure is one of the reasons I'll short fill my 1400 with 3.5 liters of oil instead of the full 4 liters in a oil & filter change. What I've read is that with the engine oil at the Full mark on the dip stick, oil mist can, and will, get into the airbox and 'could' contribute to a demand sensor failure. Is that 100% true? I really don't know. But Piaggio did have a bad batch of these demand sensors on bikes so, in the end, I don't know if the oil level in the engine contributed to the failing demand sensors or not.

[Moparnut72]

My Audace was the reason I bought my V7lll. I read so much about "issues" with the 1400's that I thought I had better have a backup in the event of a failure during the peak riding season. I didn't have any trouble with either. However the Audace resided on three dealer's floor before I bought it. Prior to my showing up to test ride it, the sales manager took it for a test ride to make sure it was operating correctly. Well it wasn't, the engine locked up solid. Piaggio sent a new engine for it. The service manager never really told me what happened but reading between the lines it sounded like it dropped a valve. When I was finally able to test ride it part of my ride was on the super slab I was shocked when I looked at the speedometer I was shocked to see that is was registering over 90 mph. It sure didn't feel like it. That thing would surely munch the miles. I still miss her especially on a longish trip.
kk

[blu guzz]

Both of my 1400's were trouble free. There are some very nice, low mileage examples in easy reach of me and one is at Cadre right now.  However, due to age and declining strength, I think I am destined for a V7 at this stage of the game.

[Bill W]

My Audace was the reason I bought my V7lll. I read so much about "issues" with the 1400's that I thought I had better have a backup in the event of a failure during the peak riding season.

I picked up a Honda CTX1300 as a backup. Had the CTX for just over a year now and only put 400miles on it since I brought it home.

[rtbickel]

I bought a Touring when they first came out and sold it after 5 years.  I had never had a true bagger before and had mostly ridden 750s except for a 2001 California that I still have.  Farkled it a bit and never any problems with it at all and I absolutely loved the way that it ran, handled and ate up miles and was very comfy.  But as age advanced for both me and the bike, it became a bit too heavy for confidence (low speed maneuvering and needed help to pick it up when dropped), had to go to the dealer for tire changes due to no center stand and worries about parts availability as time went on caused me to get the itch again, which led to my V85. 

[dte8dom]

I have a 2014 custom. Not one issue with it since I bought it brand new in 2016. Love it but as I get older I’m thinking something lighter. As much as I love the power, the ride, the handling and the power it is a big machine. When riding it gets small but it’s still a big bike at slower speeds

[TN Mark]

I may be wrong and I fully admit to being biased.

The 1400 was the epitome of the Moto Guzzi air/oil V-Twin design.

Sadly, I don’t see them ever eclipsing what they did with that line.

[Bulldog9]

Just curious who owned which 1400 model and for how long?

Why do I ask? The 1400’s were quite unique in a few respects. There were several models offered. Yet from reading this forum, the line was not well received by the Wildguzzi ‘faithful’. I guess it depends on who you consider the Wildguzzi faithful though.

There certainly seems to be more threads and talk here on the forum on the 1970’s and 1980’s Tonti frame bikes than anything else.
Second, I’d guess would be the Loop frames.
Most everything else is a very distant 3rd.
Even the V100 line seems mostly ignored on this forum.

The 1400 line was the last of anything Moto Guzzi made that interested me.

So, who owned what model 1400 and how long did you own it?

If you still own one, what mods have you added and why?

MGX-21 for 6-9 months.  Sold primarily due to an unexpected need for hip and knee replacement. Didn't want to push around a 900lb pig in my garage or parking lots, so sold immediately while still under warranty.  Wasn't a bad bike, and probably the best sport touring bike as far as comfort and competency but ONLY between the speeds of 35 & 85 MPH. Above and below, and the thing was very unstable.  No regrets selling it, haven't missed it for a second.

Had I bought an Eldo or Cal Touring, I probably would have kept it and still have it.

[Moparnut72]

I agree, I probably should have gotten an Eldorado instead of the Audace. With the smaller front wheel I may have been able to keep it longer. I test rode a black one and it just didn't do anything for me. Also felt like there was something disjointed in the rear bodywork. I don't remember it being awkward at slow speeds which I did with the Audace but I figured not a big deal which actually turned out to be a problem after a couple of years. The looseness in the back which I found out later was to be easily remedied.
kk

[blu guzz]

It looks like many of us love the bikes but reluctantly sell them when age starts to catch up with us. I am constantly surprised for a bike that sold comparatively few examples in the US, probably less than 1,500 over the entire run, very nice examples are generally always available.  I think many older guys held on to them even after they were comfortable riding them and finally decided they just were not going to ride them any more.  Also remember, they were pretty spendy when new.

[Moparnut72]

Yes they were spendy but used or a long time leftover could be had for a song. I traded a '2 year old 17 Harley Slim S for my '16 Audace. I went into the dealership with "have I got a deal for you." The Guzzi had been on the floor for over three years. You haven't been able to sell the Guzzi but the Harley will sell fairly quickly. Done deal.
kk
 

[TN Mark]

It looks like many of us love the bikes but reluctantly sell them when age starts to catch up with us. I am constantly surprised for a bike that sold comparatively few examples in the US, probably less than 1,500 over the entire run, very nice examples are generally always available.  I think many older guys held on to them even after they were comfortable riding them and finally decided they just were not going to ride them any more.  Also remember, they were pretty spendy when new.

Really, all five models of 1400’s, only about 1500 in the US. That’s very few sales over their 7 year lifespan, 2014 to 2020.

California
California Touring
MGX-21
Audace
Eldorado