New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
You are correct, even the 100hp+ liter bikes of the 70s and 80s had pretty wide ratio gearboxes. For instance, the Yamaha FJ1200 had a ratio of 2.56 between first and top gear, and the Guzzi 850 T3 had a ratio of 2.67. My V9 calculates to 2.84. According to gearingcommander, the old BMW airheads had a massive 3.41 ratio! A BMW S1000RR has a ratio of 2.1, the Honda CBR1000RR only 2.0. Basically, if a Honda CBR1000RR is geared to do 60 mph in first gear at redline, top speed will be limited to 120 mph. If my Roamer was geared the same way for first (60 mph at redline), it would theoretically reach 170 mph in top. Another way to put it, is that in order to reach a 210 mph top speed for racing, 1st gear would need to go to 105 mph on the CBR. That is about the same as my old KZ400 did in sixth. Geared for the same top speed, my V9 would top out at 74 mph in first, an old Beemer airhead only 62 mph.For daily riding, most riders would likely prefer a ratio between 2.5 and 3.0, depending on the use. This will give relatively stressless takeoffs, even on steep hills with passenger and luggage, while at the same time offer relaxed cruising on the highway.
Back in the day, I remember the Z1300 "hit the headlines" with break the speed limit (70mph) in 1st.
It would do 56 mph in 1st at redline, but the speedo would be showing 60 by then. And the engines would freely rev way past its 8000 rpm redline, so I am sure many ham fisted riders saw 70 mph indicated.
AI Overview The Kawasaki Z1300 is known for having very tall gearing, allowing it to reach speeds of approximately 80–90 mph in first gear.1st Gear Speed: Reports indicate first gear is geared high enough to reach roughly 140 km/h, which is approximately 87 mph.
How's the power band different? Difficult question - but I think it's like the one answer already given: the airhead is more gradual from lower RPMs than the T3 etc. I have to give the Guzzi more throttle taking off than the airhead. But the guzzi feels more responsive to the throttle, and that could be partly due to the CV carbs versus Dellortos. The airhead feels more mild and relaxed. Saying that the Guzzi is a better bike than the airhead is an opinion based on personal preference. The airhead is a touring bike that can be ridden pretty damn sporty, while the Guzzis are, at heart, racing bikes that can be toured. The loops, I'm thinking, are more like Beemers than the normal Guzzis, though I've never ridden one. I didn't know that about gear ratios for the airheads being lower to compete with the 0-60 1/4 mile crowd. Interesting info! I liked my 90/6 much better with a 3.0 final drive and didn't notice any drop in power. One thing I was going to mention is the difference in the kind of people attracted to different machines. Even though the BMWs and Guzzis are pretty similar, they're still worlds apart. They have their similarities - shaft drive, engine/trans configuration, high quality, old school engineering - yet, they're very different. The sensibilities of the organizations that created them were very different and that imprinted itself in what they built. Even the fact that there's a very poor dealer network for the Guzzis while there are BMW dealers everywhere is part of that picture. It takes a particular person with unique traits to find Guzzis fitting into their lives.
This puts it all into perspective - a quote from chopperman on adventure rider:Well BMWs are like the Hot German Scientist chick. Glasses, prim, mannered, efficient. She can solve quadratic equations while kicking your ass with kung-fu moves. You have to approach her on her terms and then she will bring you ecstasy in the most efficient manner possible using techniques she learned from an ancient Kama Sutra she discovered on a sabbatical in India.Guzzis on the other hand, are the art school wild child. long, wind-tossed hair and mischievous winks. She will redecorate your house into a turkish harem while you are away on a business trip and greet you with absinthe tainted kisses. You will go out for pizza with her and wind up somewhere in the Mojave, tequila drunk and shooting cactus with a stolen pistol.It's very true - once I learned how the airhead WANTED to be ridden, how to be treated, what it liked or not, it worked very well. The Guzzi on the other hand feels normal and is more like an extension of myself. I'm not a floor-board guy either. And I prefer the sport bikes over cruisers - it's the ergos, and also what I like to look at. As for the vibrations, I've found both to be very smooth and turbine-like. They both have some roughness around 3K and the beemers have another harmonic around 4K. But it's not bad, really. There are other factors, like out-of-balance wheels/tires, unbalanced flywheel/clutches, alternator rotors, but also just normal tuning. Getting both cylinders matched and balanced is the tricky part. It seems like it can be 99% there, but that last 1% is where the magic happens and it really feels right. That goes with both Guzzis and airheads. I've gotten used airheads that I know would never have been sold if they'd only been tuned properly. When they're out of tune they feel like crap.
