Introductions thread...Introduce yourself to the group !

[jdelv]

Jon DelVecchio
42
Teacher
Rochester, NY

I've recently joined the Moto Guzzi fraternity with the purchase of a 2007 Griso.  I'm wondering what took me so long to get into these bikes!  I teach high school business education subjects full-time.  Part-time I teach driver ed to teens and NYS pre-licensing courses.  About 6 years ago I also became an MSF coach.  All these experiences have led me to create my own skill-building resource titled "Motorcycling streetSkills cards" (www.streetSkills.NET).  The idea is flashcards used to build good riding habits and skills.

I'm looking forward to submersing myself into the Guzzi world.  Look me up if you're ever in Western NY.

[hidn45]

This might be a good place to interject that the Moto Guzzi National Owners Club website has listings of rallies, meetings, area rep.'s, etc. that are very useful to the newbie.  There's no better place (except here) to get to know your Guzzi brethren than around a rally campfire.

     I believe it's mgnoc.com

[doug2943]

Doug Krogh
56
retiring after 27 years with federal law enforcement
have a new great wife who now rides a 07 Nevada
I have a 04 Cali with sidecar

Wife LOVES riding her MG (after her did the state bike school) :+=copcar

[tixen]

I missed this thread the first time 'round. :)

Soleil Golden
27
Married
Web Developer
San Jose, CA

Bikes:
2008 Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 GTS - "Amy"


1990 Kawasaki Concours - "Saki"


:D

[eddie850]

Eddie Cox,
I'm in the UK,
35 years old,
Ex Triumph and BMW technician now changed career,
Married with 4 year old twin girls, Sasha and Caliegh named after one of my bikes,
Bikes include,
Moto Guzzi Lemans 3,
Moto Guzzi V65 Monza,
Moto guzzi California 3,
Moto Guzzi Spada NT,
Laverda Jota 120,
MZ 250 sidecar outfit,
Mz 251 Saxon tour,
 

[duc]

Mell Paul
65
auto body repair shop owner
Norcross Ga Near Atlanta
Riding guzzis since 1997
Riding forever

[Guzzi fan]

Tom Prescott, 50, Merchandiser, Fayetteville, NC.

[B-rad]

Hello all!!! My name is Brad, and I am 35yr old manchild who has been divorced twice and have found that the only real truth in my life is that I can love a bike more than I can a woman. I was a devoted Ducati maniac who lived off all things from the Panigale district till one day I was walking through a Harley dealer and saw a 2004 Breva 750 that needed to come home to a garage where the native tongue was italian. My Vespa made it feel right at home. I currently live in Huntsville AL, and can usually be seen riding up and down the parkway on one of my pasta rockets. Currently looking for a V7 or Duc GT1000 to round out the family. With the Monster gone it just feels like something is missing. Maybe a nice young lady with a heated garage and a love of italian iron is still out there.

[Ad B]

Hi,
I'm "Ad B", living in Holland (the Netherlands), Europe.
I'm playing at this world for some 53 years now.
Driving motorcycle from my 18th.
I had a lot, the most survived my riding style, 4 are killed by going over the edge.
The last 20 years I drove a Harley, a special build Harley.
It was time for a change, to wake up my "Joe Bar" feeling. ;D
I fel in love with a Guzzi, a Griso.
So for 1,5 year I'm enjoying a Griso 1200 8V. :drool
More of this bike in the Picture topic...

Ad B

[mychaelruiz]

Hello to all.

I have been riding for almost 40 years and have now purchased my first Moto Guzzi. (04 Cafe Sport).

I live in northern California. For the most part I love twin motorcycles,(with the exception of Laverda triples).My other bikes are :
1995 Ducati 916 Superbike
2001 Aprilia Falco
2004 Triumph Thruxton
1982 Laverda 1200 Mirage TS

I am a Healthcare Executive.

[Tom]

Welkommen!  So do your co-workers try to give you heat for riding a motorcycle?  :pop

[kitze2]

Hello to all.

I have been riding for almost 40 years and have now purchased my first Moto Guzzi. (04 Cafe Sport).

I live in northern California. For the most part I love twin motorcycles,(with the exception of Laverda triples).My other bikes are :
1995 Ducati 916 Superbike
2001 Aprilia Falco
2004 Triumph Thruxton
1982 Laverda 1200 Mirage TS

I am a Healthcare Executive.

Welcome.
Where in NorCal you at?
There is a loose knit Guzzi group here abouts.
We meet the 1st Monday on each month. Also do a few informal rides occasionally.

Cheers,

[beena]

I missed this thread when I joined.

I'm Beena.
From the UK.
40yrs old in three day's time.
Relatively new to bikes having passed my test in 2008.
Started off on a Kawasaki 550 Zephyr, moved on to a Triumph Bonneville Scrambler, then on to a Triumph Street Triple and now have a V7 Classic, which is much more my style than the Street Triple. Picked her up just over a week ago and loving every minute of it.

Here's the new love of my life:

[mychaelruiz]

Kitze2, I am in Walnut Creek. I would love to join some rides. My usual roads take me up around Corners, lake Berryessa, Calistoga, Middletown and so on. Although I am open to all areas.
Myke

[quotaduck]

Hey y'all. I promise to do my best to be a active participant. But, truth be told, my wife is much better at keeping up with day to day posts.

She rides a Griso 1100, but I look better on it.

Cheers,
Shawn

Errr...Actually, she looks better on the Griso than I do. But that's only from behind!


...ok, she just looks better.

[Spadoman]

Hello. I'm 63 years old. I just bought my first Moto Guzzi. A 2005 Nevada Classic 750. I also ride a 2008 Triumph Scrambler that I have set up as a dual sport bike. I have been riding for a long time, over 40 years. I don't work for wages, I am a disabled Vietnam Veteran. I live in River Falls, WI, about 50 miles from Minneapolis, MN. I have been married to the same woman for 41 years. I am not bald. I have lost some of my sight, some of my hearing, some of my teeth, have had 7 heart attacks, 2 bypass surgeries and have a pacemaker installed. I like to think I will live until I die, not just be alive. So, I ride motorcycles. Oh, and I am also a full blood Italian and I finally am the proud owner of an Italian bike. Let's ride!

[auto]

I'm another one that missed this thread when I signed up.

My name is Steve.
I'm 49 yrs.old
I live a bit east of Cincinnati,Ohio

I work at a transmission manufacturing plant (Ford).I've been there 21yrs. earned a Journeyman's card in Machine Repair and am currently working in a lab.

Last bike brought me here,2012 Griso SE.I'm really enjoying it
I have several others.....

1983 Kaw. GPZ1100 (for sale)
1995 Kaw.ZX-11 (for sale)
2004 HD Road King
2007 HD DynaGlide
1980 HD FLT
2010 HD Road Glide
1983 FXRT (last yr. Shovelhead,first yr.FXRT)

I enjoy all things motorcycle (obviously),firearms,and the outdoors.

Just me,no wife,no children.

[Dropinparts]

Hello!
My name is Stuart.
I'm 57 years old and live in Tuxedo, NC.
Been a General Contractor in Florida most of my adult life.

My 2012 Griso is my first Guzzi and I'm lovin it!

Being its my 83rd motorcycle (and I promised my last), that's saying a lot.
Glad to be on board with the Guzzi tribe.  ;-T

[SS Twin]

Bonjourno!  My name is Steve and I am a life long rider, just now getting my first Guzzi. Long time BMW rider who also love all bikes, especially twins. BTW, im an identical twin and Frank and I still ride, hang out, and talk as much as ever.

Current rides are my Honda Valkyrie Tourer, HD Ultra Classic bagger, Ducati Monster 900ie (another sexy Italian), and my around Swiss army knife, a BMW R1200GS. Decisions, decisions, what type of MG should I get?

At my age (60+, that's all I'm saying), I thought it would be a Breva or Norge......then I looked at a really cool Centauro (owned by Brad in Clerawater, not sure of his screen name). Wow!  What a beautiful beast......., but he also has a Griso.  Well that was that.  It was to be a Griso, I knew.

Looked at 2 (black and red) and was able to decide on the red one which is in Idaho!  Not exactly "in the hood", but through some digging and some serious dialog, it was a go.

My bike is being loaded on an Allied transport rig tomorrow and is scheduled to be here in NE Florida on 7/23. Ouch, 2 more weeks to wait, and I haven't even seen it in person or ridden any other Griso.  Faith!  But I am impressed with it's stewardship.  She was purchased new in 2008 by Ed (triumph68) in St George, Utah, and very recently sold to Michael (caffeineo) in Idaho.  Turns out he really wanted more of a dual sport ride, so he posted it for sale on advrider.com. I saw it there and fell in love. So now it is on it's way to Florida and an excited new guzzi rider.

No pics yet, will post more when she is "home".

Steve

[oldspice]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here, current Aprilia and future Guzzi owner, hopefully within the next year.  I've been smitten by the Stelvio ever since I first laid eyes on it and with the introduction of the NTX to the States, I'm 100% sold.  Now, I only hope there's one left by the time I get my new-motorbike-buying-ducks in a row!

Thanks for the continued wealth of info and fun!

[QCGoose]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here, current Aprilia and future Guzzi owner, hopefully within the next year.  I've been smitten by the Stelvio ever since I first laid eyes on it and with the introduction of the NTX to the States, I'm 100% sold.  Now, I only hope there's one left by the time I get my new-motorbike-buying-ducks in a row!

Thanks for the continued wealth of info and fun!

Not only another Iowan, but a semi-local one at that! Doesn't happen too often on here lol.

Speaking of IA City, we were just there earlier today (and are there quite often, usually for the football games).

Also, not to push you towards a different model, but a reminder that there's a gorgeous black '06 Breva 1100 at Ned's in Riverside for only $5300/$5400 (I forget which), and it's certainly worth checking out.

[Jeeron]

Today I came across this site again, and appearantly I registered myself in the past buth ave done nothing with it. So here goes!

My name is Jeroen and I`m from the Netherlands. I`m 25 and I've been driving motorcycles (Guzzi) thanks to my dad since I was legally able to do so, which is 7 years and counting.

My first bike was a V35 III.
After two years (I had a limited drivers license; 25kw) my father and I bought a Sport 1100 '95 carb which we still have.
And soon after that I bought myself a Guzzi V50 Nato 1984 former Dutch army police bike.
(The above image was taken last year when my dad and I drove to the south of Portugal and back which was a bout 3700 miles in total)

And some roadside repair during that holiday: http://moguz.nl/misc/roadside/index_eng.html (fast translation into english)

Now what comming up: 23 july I'll be going with my little nato and my girlfriend to Mandello. Will be a fun week but probably not for her butt  :bike

Our shed has:
Moto Guzzi California 3 with 2 person EML sidecar (this is wat started it all for me when I was 6 years old)
Moto Guzzi Sport 1100 carb
Moto Guzzi V50 nato
Norton Commando 850 MK3
Yamaha XV750 (chopped by my dad)

[fat albert]

Hi All
My name is Jack. I got my new Norge the end of April and it just turn 5000 mi yesterday. Really like the bike. I am 69 and retired and live in Crossville Tn

[sign216]

Welcome Jeeron, glad to see someone who appreciates the smallblock.  I've always thought of trying to add a Nato kickstart to one of the modern 750s, but finding surplus kickstart levers is impossible, at least in the USA.

Good to have you on board!

Joe

[IceBlue]

The Nato is an interesting bike. The mill is slightly modified - it has lower Hp and more linier tourque. Done by lowering compression slightly. The piston has a larger combustion carve out, than the regular V50/III. I actually have a Nato mill sitting on the shelf as a spare for my V50/III with spanking new cylinders and pistons.

Welcome to you and your bikes Jeeron  ;-T

Ciao

[Jeeron]

Thank you guys for the welcome. Small blocks are great fun to ride, and I use it year round and ride about 1242 miles (2000km) per month but the nato has one downside and that is it's fuel consumption. Compared to the civil versions where 47mpg (5L - 100km) is possible my nato is around 36mpg (6,5L - 100km). And offcourse it's top speed which is according to my garmin about 86 mph (139km/h). But then again it has 25kw power, and recentely someone put on a dyno bench and got 24bhp on the rear wheel.

The Nato does indeed have a larger combustion carve out, but also uses V35 cilinder heads and valves.

Sign 216, are you only looking for a lever or for a complete gearbox? There is/was not sure if he still excists a motorcycle scrapper that had brand new boxed nato engines and gearboxes. I could call him and see what he has. Feel free to pm me, or mail me which is probably faster :P.

Just keep in mind that in order for the lever to fit the Balance pipe ( H piece in the exhaust system) can't be to close to the carter or it won't fit because of the axle that sticks out. Mine is without a lever because I`m using a V35 III exhaust system. I`m guessing there should be at least 3 inches (horizontal) between the carter and the H piece.

[Lannis]

Thank you guys for the welcome.

The gloom and doom guys keep saying that we old guys will all die off and no one will be left to ride Guzzis!   How do they explain the 20-somethings like you who are enthusiastic about this sport?   

And with a MkIII Commando Interstate too!    Best of the old Brit roadburners ....

Thanks for sharing your bikes with us.

Lannis

[Sheepdog]

I've been a member of this board for five years, yet I've somehow neglected to participate in this thread.  My name is Keith Bagley and I live in Waldheim, LA (just North of New Orleans).  I'm retired from the US Government in 2008, where I was in the national security business (NNSA).  I'm married, I have two grown kids, I'm an Army veteran, and I'm 56 years old.  In addition to motorcycles, I enjoy cycling, canoeing, fishing, and hunting...outdoor stuff.  I entertain myself by playing guitar and going to see live music.  I've been riding constantly since 1969.

[Lannis]

  I've been riding constantly since 1969.

Wow!   Talk about butt-burn ... I can only do about 3 hours at a time.    :D

[Gini Fata]

Gini Fata
retired
56
2000 jackal sold to friend
1987 lemans sold
2000 v11sport missed dearly..crashed
yamaha fjr  for sale
2012 norge cant wait
and others