Guzzi reliability

[OLD-WAN]

In this day of anaerobic gasket maker NO ONE should have ANY leaks after using it.  Replacing soft gaskets with gels, lapping mating surfaces where necessary, using hard gasket material and making your own gaskets and torqueing correctly will solve most nitpicking weeps and oozes.  I've used all those methods and some others to keep the oil where it belongs in earth moving heavy equipment and over the road/out in the boonies trucks and other equipment.  If a D-9 cat can be sealed up so can ANY kind of equipment...for the most part.

My 2002 EV 1100 Cal Special has it's issues, but I like it more than all the other machines I've run...including my Beemer's AND Honda's.  I'm still waiting for seals and axle boot  ::( ...it leaks tranny oil,  ::( ::( but I get in 50-100 miles a day and just keep adding fluid.  It's a total PITA to keep cleaning off the goo, but while the sun shines and there's no white stuff coming outta the sky I plan on keeping on, keeping on.  ;-T

[Testarossa]

I'm not an ace mechanic by any means.   But none of my bikes have ever sat in a dealer's shop waiting for anything.   Sometimes they sit in MY shop for a bit waiting for me to get my lazy arse in gear or to get home from a job far away .... but they're not waiting on parts or a mechanic.   Valve and final drive gaskets, brake light switches, flushing brake lines, and stuff like that is really easy to do on a Guzzi.

None of those bikes have ever had anything break that needed a dealer ....

 :+1

Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  If you don't like it, get one of these: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Honda_cx500_1981_blue_rhs.jpg/300px-Honda_cx500_1981_blue_rhs.jpg

[JBU]

 Buy a honda.  

I own 4 guzzis and one honda. All the guzzis are running and the honda has a dead battery and a leak oil valve. I like to work on the guzzis I don't like to work on the honda.  If I were going to sell one of my bikes it would be the honda and I would replace it ith another guzzi.  

[charlie b]

Yes, an older bike will require more maintenance, especially one that sat.

As an example.  My 30 yr old bike likes to eat throttle cables.  I had to pull over at the side of the road in southern Colorado on Saturday to change one out.  I was over 100miles from the nearest cycle shop (or bicycle shop) to get new cables made so relying on a tow service would have been useless.  I carry two spare throttle cables with me as well as a spare clutch cable.  I had previously gone through the seals and replaced some bearings, fork dampers, head bearings and such because the previous owners had not ridden it much.

I just sold my Honda NT.  It was new and had no troubles over 28,000miles (except when a mechanic failed to clip the FI connector correctly).  The only thing I worried about on that one was flats.  It was so reliable it was boring ;)

The Guzzi IS my primary transportation.  My backup is a truck.  I ride every day to work (unless the roads are icy) and take fairly long trips, many times on pretty remote roads, alone.  And, yes, my bike will drip a bit of oil in various places.  I just keep it above the low marks.

But, I can work on it and I carry enough tools to do almost anything.

If I did not work on my bike then I would not get a bike more than a couple years old, and it would be a Honda.  OK, so maybe a Yamaha/Kawasaki/Suzuki  :)  

It does sound like most of your issues are due to the bike not being ridden a lot.  If you like the bike and want to keep it then you should expect to replace some more items, like seals and such.  Some are not cheap for the labor.  And like Wayne said, if your dealer is ordering parts from Italy then maybe you should order them yourself (if they are available) from other sources.

[Lannis]

In this day of anaerobic gasket maker NO ONE should have ANY leaks after using it.  

Loctite 515.   You can buy it at a Caterpillar dealer.   Or John Deere.   It's what's for dinner when you really want it sealed ..... No need in using paper or cardboard gaskets any more.

Lannis

[sidecarnutz]

I have had 15 Guzzi's over the years. Still working to get my newest one, a '71 Ambo. back on the road. I have found that the more I ride them and detail them out mechanically, the better they are. Even the ones from the 70's can be made to be completely leak free. But after a couple months of riding their may be some weepage that picks up dirt and  then the bike needs washed. ::) My most unreliable Guzzi's were bought new. They needed time to get broken in and settled in. The best were owned by enthusiasts who road the heck out of them and maintained them themselves.

On new ones I have found NO grease on the drive splines and drive shaft, dry cush drives, dry steering head bearings, (I have a theory they don't like to get their hands dirty at the factory!) I have found loose fasteners (Green Loctite is your friend!) Lights unplugged, Dry pivot points on V11S rear suspension, Loose petcocks barely engaged on the bung threads, loose hoses....... Honestly my new Urals were better assembled than my Guzzi's. That said, a well used & cared for Guzzi can be very reliable! A real pleasure to own.

[boatdetective]

No one has mentioned the dealer. Replace the rear m/c & line? At such low mileage? Sounds odd to me. Seems to me that those folks here who don't wrench and are happy are covered by one of our patron saint dealers (MPH, Rider's Hill, Speakers, MI, etc). However, plenny stories of frustrated owners with dealers who really don't know all the little wrinkles with Guzzis and how to iron them out. I do my own work, and have accepted that every Guzzi model has a list of things to be done. I love my bike, but could not in all honesty say that the quality control in Mandello is even acceptable. O ce the bike is really sorted, I think the basic design is quite reliable. However, if you are not a mechanic and absolutely must depend on the machine-  then you really should get a Honda.  Of course, there will be a raft of people here who will chime in and claim that they've logged X00,000 blissful miles on their Guzzis and only changed oil and tires. IMHO, these are at best abberations from the norm and at the worst lies. They'd also make the OP feel like crap.

IF you don't mind wrenching and IF you are the type who wants to dive in a d learn (quite literally) every bolt on hour machine, then you picked the right bike and MOSDEF the right group of folks. I am one of those self reliant types and love my bike.  If you have even the slightest interest, then you absolutely can learn to do most anything on your CalVin. The jobs you mentioned are minor.

Think about what YOU need and go from there. If you need help, you've got it. However, if you need absolution for buying a machine from Big Red, I can't argue with that.

[Muley]

I've found that if you leave an oil leak long enough various forms of crud will stick to it and make a pretty good seal, and the leak will magically stop ;D  Just don't wash your engine -ever-and it will clear up all kinds of problems.

Seriously, Guzzis do have anomalies not necessarily found on other bikes, but this is what endears them to many of us, that and the fact that you don't see one at every intersection.  If you want reliability at the expense of class, then by all means get a Honda. 

[oldbike54]

You guys are aware that Hondas do occasionally break also ?
Dusty

[rodekyll]

Yes, but there is a Honda shop three blocks from just about anywhere but here.  For an only vehicle and a non-mechanic, they're more sustainable. 

[Testarossa]

Hondas wear out too. I put about 50,000 miles on on Honda 4 over the years I lived in New York. Wore out and replaced everything on that bike except the crankcase, cylinder block, transmission and frame. Synching the four carbs was a regular chore, like changing the oil and filter.

[oldbike54]

Yes, but there is a Honda shop three blocks from just about anywhere but here.  For an only vehicle and a non-mechanic, they're more sustainable. 

You haven't ever dealt with our local Honda dealer , everyone that works in their shop is a NON MECHANIC .  :( ::)
Dusty

[Wayne Orwig]

No one has mentioned the dealer.

Yes I did. That is the first thing that came to mind.

I've encountered many dealers, even some of the good ones, that will park a bike for weeks on end waiting on a part that can be found and shipped overnight from another dealer. I understand that they can't be expected to comb the world looking for a part, but they can contact the owner and give them the option.
I saw one bike actually sit on a dealers service stand for about 6 months. Yes, about 6 months occupying shop space, waiting on a transmission part. I did the same basic fix by pulling the transmission one weekend, order the same part from MG Cycle (or was it Eish), and assembled it the next weekend.

Bizarre.

[Vasco DG]

I have to say that the 'Waiting for parts' thing does strike me as a bit weird. With the exception of Bellagio exhaust gaskets, (Which appear to be stocked in a warehouse on Mars, or possibly one of the moons of Uranus!) virtually anything I order, no matter how queer, ( I currently have an ignition switch surround for a Griso on back order. Hardly a commonly requested part!) arrives within three weeks apart from in August. Admittedly I have a good relationship with our importer and think they really do try hard to help people if they don't act like assholes but I have to wonder about where the problems with bikes actually lie. Is it the bikes, the dealers, the importer or the factory? I have no idea.

Pete

[spgott]

Thanks.  You guys have been super helpful.  Heading off to work now but will respond a bit later.  Can't get rid of my Guzzi...its just too beautiful.

[Kev m]

Late to the party - my thoughts:

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=62686.0

The above thread is the EXCEPTION - not the RULE.

BUT - and here is the big "BUTT" - if that was a Honda or another major brand the OP would likely have it resolved A LOT quicker, and IF the dealer was the problem (not the importer or mothership as it seems to be in the case of Guzzi) then the OP would also likely have more options to pursue another dealer.

Personally there are two things I don't understand with regards to motorcycle ownership

1. I don't understand how ANYONE can own one without working on it. I'm NOT saying you have to be able to rebuild the motor, or even replace the clutch. But oil changes, basic maintenance and inspections, simple repairs like valve cover leaks are things riders SHOULD generally be comfortable with. WHY? Couple of reasons - A. Bikes are so much less mechanically robust than a modern car it is not funny. You'll need tires about 4x sooner for example. B. Bikes are treated as recreation in the US and dealers rarely prioritize getting you back on the road so you can get to work etc. C. Why would you trust a tech with your life? At least with a car you've got more of a safety envelope if the tech screws up but on a bike, the margin is thin. Look, the truth of the matter is that some brilliant guys go to tech school, but the percentage is a LOT SMALLER than the brilliant guys who go to engineering college. So at the end of the day it's fine to let someone else work on it - just be damn sure you trust them and that YOU CAN CHECK THEIR WORK (trust, yet verify).

2. I don't think anyone should have a SINGLE GUZZI as their ONLY BIKE - IF THEY DEPEND ON IT and have no back-up plan (or are not willing to use said back-up plan long term). YES, Guzzis can be as reliable as an anvil. But when they are not, if it is something more than a basic repair for which the parts are readily available you may be SOL for a while. A lot of this has to do with the dealer - so IF you know the handful of real top notch ones in the country you'll likely be fine most of the time. But again, if it's an oddity - a CARC dash that craps out, or a porous engine casting, or the like - you may very well be down for MONTHS.

I say all of this and I've NEVER - NOT ONCE (knocks on wood) had a problem that stranded me for more than a few hours in a decade of Guzzi ownership. But I still wouldn't own one as my ONLY bike.

[charlie b]

Kev, I'd modify that last part.  Not own a Guzzi as their only VEHICLE.

I am happy with a Guzzi as my only bike.  But, I have a car and a truck as backup, like going to get parts when I work on the Guzzi  :)

I might even add, I would not own ANY older bike as my only vehicle.

And, yes, Hondas do break.  But there are dealers to take them to.  Just don't buy a 'weird' Honda (like the NT700) as most dealers have never worked on one and some parts have to be ordered from Europe.

[Kev m]

Kev, I'd modify that last part.  Not own a Guzzi as their only VEHICLE.

I am happy with a Guzzi as my only bike.  But, I have a car and a truck as backup, like going to get parts when I work on the Guzzi  :)

I totally get that and I tried to touch on that with the "If they depend on it and have no back-up plan" part.

For me a back-up car/truck is just not enough - If one bike is "down" I want to be able to hop on another and worry about the down one later.

[st2lemans]

Fortunately, most of my Guzzi problems have occurred within pushing distance of home.

4, however, weren't:

1) Tranny got stuck in 5th.  Luckily, the friend we were staying with had a garage and tools, and a Guzzi dealer a few miles away (in Grosseto). Had no manual, so winged it.  Had the bike running again 24 hours later.

2) Broke the big spring inside the tranny after crossing from Andorra into Spain.  Had to be shipped home.  Got breakdown insurance after that.

3) Had an ergal flywheel shatter just north of Strasbourg.  Luckily had breakdown insurance then, which organized (and paid for) a rental car and shipment home.

4) Dead rotor near Lucca.  Fortunately, a friend had showed up with his bikes on a trailer, so we loaded mine on for the drive to near Grosseto, where another friend had organized the shop to be open Saturday AM for me to get a new rotor.

Broke the tranny spring in the other one as well, but it happened just as we were leaving for a raduno in Austria, so did an emergency tranny swap (in only two hours, pretty good as on of them has a sidecar).  Also, both rear drives died a month apart, both times I noticed the problem at home. Same with the tw

Tom

[boatdetective]

Fortunately, most of my Guzzi problems have occurred within pushing distance of home.

4, however, weren't:

1) Tranny got stuck in 5th.  Luckily, the friend we were staying with had a garage and tools, and a Guzzi dealer a few miles away (in Grosseto). Had no manual, so winged it.  Had the bike running again 24 hours later.

2) Broke the big spring inside the tranny after crossing from Andorra into Spain.  Had to be shipped home.  Got breakdown insurance after that.

3) Had an ergal flywheel shatter just north of Strasbourg.  Luckily had breakdown insurance then, which organized (and paid for) a rental car and shipment home.

4) Dead rotor near Lucca.  Fortunately, a friend had showed up with his bikes on a trailer, so we loaded mine on for the drive to near Grosseto, where another friend had organized the shop to be open Saturday AM for me to get a new rotor.

Broke the tranny spring in the other one as well, but it happened just as we were leaving for a raduno in Austria, so did an emergency tranny swap (in only two hours, pretty good as on of them has a sidecar).  Also, both rear drives died a month apart, both times I noticed the problem at home. Same with the tw

Tom

Just the fact that you have listed four breakdowns and who knows how many others that were "a push from home" tells me something.

[Dilliw]

I've got a buddy with a lot of miles on an '82 Wing and I bet he has had as many/more issues over the years as any of the Loop Captains around here.  That includes major structural issues with the frame.  My last Honda leaked fuel all over my leg.

The key to a good Guzzi is to buy one from one of the old farts on this board.  They'll have it all sorted for you so all that's left to do is ride :) 

[boatdetective]

I've got a buddy with a lot of miles on an '82 Wing and I bet he has had as many/more issues over the years as any of the Loop Captains around here.  That includes major structural issues with the frame.  My last Honda leaked fuel all over my leg.

The key to a good Guzzi is to buy one from one of the old farts on this board.  They'll have it all sorted for you so all that's left to do is ride :) 

Amen to that. I've tried to point this out to folks who are looking at leftovers. To me, the sorted bike in the long run will save you more aggravation that one with less miles but all the factory gremlins.

[barenekd]

The reliability of Guzzis are only in question on this forum. these are the people that have had a problem or two. Most people don't get onto forums because they don't have anything to bitch about, or need any help fixing thing because nothing has gone wrong. If you go on forums for any other bike, you get the same stuff. It's interesting to read what's happening to the people who are on the forums, but you can't let you become paranoid about your bike.
I owned a Royal Enfield which I dearly loved. Never had much problem with it, noting I couldn't fix in short order, but it's amazing the numbe of people that told me they were unreliable or worse. My experience with mine and the people I ride with is that they aren't any more problem than just about any other bike I've ever owned,and that's a fair amount. I've owned my first Guzzi for about 3 and half months and have 4800 miles on it. A spark plug cap broke. That's my grand total of problems. Seems pretty reliable to me. I work on it occasionally because I don't mind doing it. I haven't had any need to take it back to the shop yet. Oh, the Enfield never had to be taken back, either. But I drop in so thisoe guys won't forget who I am, in case I do need something! Make your dealer your best friend!
Bare

[Kev m]

I owned a Royal Enfield which I dearly loved. Never had much problem with it, noting I couldn't fix in short order, but it's amazing the numbe of people that told me they were unreliable or worse. My experience with mine and the people I ride with is that they aren't any more problem than just about any other bike I've ever owned,and that's a fair amount. I've owned my first Guzzi for about 3 and half months and have 4800 miles on it. A spark plug cap broke. That's my grand total of problems. Seems pretty reliable to me. I work on it occasionally because I don't mind doing it. I haven't had any need to take it back to the shop yet. Oh, the Enfield never had to be taken back, either.

Well, if you hadn't lost credibility with the RE comments you sure will claiming Guzzis are reliable based on not even owning one as long as a single service interval. :P :D

Or, maybe you're saying you expect your Guzzi to be JUST AS good as your RE was ;)

All kidding aside, I think Guzzis (especially later model ones) can be VERY RELIABLE.

But woe is the owner who gets the oddity.

And what scares me are the unreasonable failures, whether it was the hydro valves that took YEARS to solve or the pattern of $900 dash failures on Brevas.

So you're fine, UNLESS you're not, and I'd you're not, you might be SCREWED.

[Kev m]

Well, if you hadn't lost credibility with the RE comments you sure will claiming Guzzis are reliable based on not even owning one as long as a single service interval. :P :D

Or, maybe you're saying you expect your Guzzi to be JUST AS good as your RE was ;)

All kidding aside, I think Guzzis (especially later model ones) can be VERY RELIABLE.

But woe is the owner who gets the oddity.

And what scares me are the unreasonable failures, whether it was the hydro valves that took YEARS to solve or the pattern of $900 dash failures on Brevas.

So you're fine, UNLESS you're not, and if you're not, you might be SCREWED.

[oldbike54]

So Kev M , are we Royal Enfield bashing now , sheesh , I can't keep up .  ;)
Dusty

[Kev m]

So Kev M , are we Royal Enfield bashing now , sheesh , I can't keep up .  ;)
Dusty

Not at all. I think they are fantastic looking bikes.

I haven't ridden or owned one so can't comment on that, but they DO have a bit of a reputation for being problematic. I can't confirm or deny, but enough people I trust have had to spend enough time working on then that I suspect there is some truth to the rumor...

....yet still I wouldn't rule one out someday.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Not at all. I think they are fantastic looking bikes.

I haven't ridden or owned one so can't comment on that, but they DO have a bit of a reputation for being problematic. I can't confirm or deny, but enough people I trust have had to spend enough time working on then that I suspect there is some truth to the rumor...

....yet still I wouldn't rule one out someday.

I met a guy on the Angeles Crest that had a cafe RE. He said it was the most fun he'd ever had with a bike. He also said it had "issues".  ;D

[Orange Guzzi]

I would unload the bike quickly on some unsuspecting soul, like me. 

Everything I have ever owned has had some kind of problem.  If you ask enough people about experience with something, you will find negative experiences.  Time will break things from non use just as well as using or abusing.  I like my Moto Guzzi and believe it is one of the easiest bikes to work own.  I do all my own repairs and maintenance and do not know where a Moto Guzzi dealer is.  Parts have never been a problem with the interchangeability of parts.  I would have to say that my now gone Sport 1100 was the easiest of all my bikes to work on.  But if you decide to sell, let us know.  The Honda dealer does not want such a tractor on their show room floor.

[boatdetective]

The reliability of Guzzis are only in question on this forum. these are the people that have had a problem or two. Most people don't get onto forums because they don't have anything to bitch about, or need any help fixing thing because nothing has gone wrong. If you go on forums for any other bike, you get the same stuff. It's interesting to read what's happening to the people who are on the forums, but you can't let you become paranoid about your bike.
I owned a Royal Enfield which I dearly loved. Never had much problem with it, noting I couldn't fix in short order, but it's amazing the numbe of people that told me they were unreliable or worse. My experience with mine and the people I ride with is that they aren't any more problem than just about any other bike I've ever owned,and that's a fair amount. I've owned my first Guzzi for about 3 and half months and have 4800 miles on it. A spark plug cap broke. That's my grand total of problems. Seems pretty reliable to me. I work on it occasionally because I don't mind doing it. I haven't had any need to take it back to the shop yet. Oh, the Enfield never had to be taken back, either. But I drop in so thisoe guys won't forget who I am, in case I do need something! Make your dealer your best friend!
Bare

Well, I guess I must be hallucinating about the frozen clutch slave on my Griso because some numbnutz at the factory used the wrong screws. Or how about the side stand falling off? Don't let me forget about the terrible, snatchy throttle. BTW- the bike had only 3,000 miles on it. Listen, bare, if you are insinuating that all the folks that wrestle with mechanical issues here are just cranks, I would strongly suggest that you hold that thought lest some little bit of Guzzi "soul" bite you in the arse when something lets go on your machine. I happen to think it's refreshing that folks here are willing to discuss the warts on their bikes as well as the good qualities. As for the folks here, I've said it before- there is no way in hell that I'd keep a Guzzi without the help and camaraderie that i get here. Viva la Guzzisti!