Introductions thread...Introduce yourself to the group !

[Stormtruck2]

Where are you at?  I may know that bike. Then again I may not! :D

[MrDanS]

Dan S.
29
Systems Administrator
Midwest

Hobbies : Ham Radio, Video Games, Computer Programming, Tinkering

I originally got into bikes because of my dad. I remember riding with him on his ol' Guzzi when I was really young, and then on his BMW till I was older.
When I got old enough, he helped my younger brother and I me get into a motorcycle safety course, then got us our "first" smaller bike, a Honda Twinstar CM200T. Fun little bike. :)

Currently, one of his final gifts to me was his newer Guzzi, a 2001 California EV.
I'm here to hang out with you dudes (and any dudetts that may be here), and learn how to keep her running properly.
I very much look forward to learning from the group.  :pop

[Guzziguzzi]

Hi
Name Bruno Rony
Age 55
First Guzzi ever 2003 California bought July 2013
Also own a 2001 Bonneville and a 2009  Kawasaki Versys
Previous bikes (by order of appearance):
Honda Shadow 650
Kawasaki KLR650
Suzuki SV650
Suzuki Vstrom 650
Yamaha FZ1
Suzuki Vstrom 1K

Based in SoCal
Married, two boys sons ( I had to...see post below;-)
Addicted to riding the local canyons roads
Other hobbies: guitar, books, hiking

That's it for today:-)

[Lannis]

Based in SoCal
Married two boys
Addicted to riding the local canyons roads
Other hobbies: guitar, books, hiking

That's it for today:-)

That's California for you; they won't let you marry even ONE boy anywhere else ...  :o

Sorry!  Just had to.   :D

I've got two sons myself - I really quit riding while they were 0 - 15 years old, got back into it big time after that - one of them rides now (a Versys!), the other has no interest.   I've ridden his Versys and it's really a great do-anything bike ....

Lannis   

[MMasz]

Mike Masztal
Melbourne Beach, FL
Currently employed as HS teacher. Former Army and LEO
Married 33 years, 4 kids, 13 and under
Rider since 14;  BMW 1100RS (stolen), Suzuki 1100 Katana, Suzuki GS1000, Yamaha XS750 (totaled by a Gama Goat when I was in the Army), Bridgestone M2 (200 cc smoker), Honda Trail 50

Looking at M-G as I want a bike with “character", but don’t know of any decent dealers in FL.  PM me if you know of any.

[Guzziguzzi]

Indeed the Versys is fantastic, nimble like a bicycle and all the usable power to twist and swing anywhere! Got to sell mine unfortunately. Cant have more than 2 bikes in the garage...

[badwolf]

Hello. My name is Joe. I live in the Northwest 'burbs of Chicago and work for a giant, soulless corporation that treats its customers like garbage and its employees even worse. I'm currently 37 and I've only been riding for about 10 years. I own an Aprilia Futura (which I hope to keep forever), along with a Ducati Monster 620 and Triumph Speed Four - both of which I'm trying to sell in order to make room in the garage and the budget for a Guzzi. Ideally, I'm looking for a Breva 1200 Sport outfitted with the factory panniers, but I could also see myself on a 2v Grisso or one of the many V11 variants.

[Lannis]

Hello. My name is Joe. I live in the Northwest 'burbs of Chicago and work for a giant, soulless corporation that treats its customers like garbage and its employees even worse. I'm currently 37 and I've only been riding for about 10 years. I own an Aprilia Futura (which I hope to keep forever), along with a Ducati Monster 620 and Triumph Speed Four - both of which I'm trying to sell in order to make room in the garage and the budget for a Guzzi. Ideally, I'm looking for a Breva 1200 Sport outfitted with the factory panniers, but I could also see myself on a 2v Grisso or one of the many V11 variants.

As popular as Aprilia Futuras are, I'm really surprised that they quit making make and haven't made any since.    Sounds like you've got the European bug and some nice bikes to go with it.

Young man like you ought not be working somewhere that you hate ... if you don't like the people that you're working for, work somewhere else .... there's lots of opportunities out there AND some good companies.   Man can't be miserable each day at work and still enjoy life or his motorcycles!

Hope you get the Guzzi you want.    They really are nice bikes even though you're coming off of some other really nice ones ....

Lannis

[punkrod]

It's been a few years, so I thought I'd re-introduce myself.
After further inspection of the documents, it turns out the Eldo is a '73.
I just put her back on the road last weekend.

[crappazappa]

Jonathan, 33, engineer, charleston sc
2013 griso, a little bit better then the thruxton :)

[profaen]

Hi
I'm Laurie
I live in Sydney, Australia.
61 y/o, 3 kids, 1 granddaughter.

Used to have a MG Mach 1 Le Mans that was a beautiful problematic relationship, then 20 years on a Ducati M900, and now a V7 Racer (still running in but I think we'll be together a long time) and occasional rides on my girls Honda CT110.
I'll keep the V7R stock for a while, then start to mess with it a bit.

[lbronson]

Hello
 New owner of a Norge. Loving it
Larry Bronson
48 living in Bothell Wa
10th motorcyle, first Guzzi but always like them.
riding since 1976

[Guzzistajohn]

Welcome to the forum guys,  ;-T have fun!

[dmsh]

Dimitri, 39, Staten Island, NY
Embedded software/hardware engineer
New owner of MG V65 Lario 1986

[MIGuzzi]

Greetings folks... I'm Orion from Annapolis, MD.  I joined the group due to the purchase of my 2013 V7 Racer.  Enjoying the bike and it accompanies a 1971 Bridgestone, RS 200 Mach II, which is also a fun little two stroke.  Thanks, Orion

[Matt]

 


Now that is a thing of understated beauty. I *like* Loops but most aren't my thing, that bike is my thing.

 ;-T

Welcome, now go start a thread to tell me about it.

[Asher1877]

Greetings to one and all,
I'm a former harley davidson motorcyclist. I met a member of these boards (kevin) on the sportster forums and I myself have been seeking not necessarily something different, but I'm tired of the same old same old so I came here to educate myself on guzzi. I reside in the Austin, Tx area. Guzzis have always intrigued me but as we are all aware they do not seem to be take seriously by the motorcycle press so they are not reviewed much beyond the "first ride".

From what I've seen just browsing the pictures the california appears to be the model for me. For my riding style, I sometimes ride 2 up with my wife in the texas hill country I commute about twenty miles each way from work and occassionally do 400 mile days with my spouse. I really don't know what else to type so it is what it is.

Thank you for the time in reading this.
Asher.

[Lannis]

Greetings to one and all,
I'm a former harley davidson motorcyclist. I met a member of these boards (kevin) on the sportster forums and I myself have been seeking not necessarily something different, but I'm tired of the same old same old so I came here to educate myself on guzzi. I reside in the Austin, Tx area. Guzzis have always intrigued me but as we are all aware they do not seem to be take seriously by the motorcycle press so they are not reviewed much beyond the "first ride".

From what I've seen just browsing the pictures the california appears to be the model for me. For my riding style, I sometimes ride 2 up with my wife in the texas hill country I commute about twenty miles each way from work and occassionally do 400 mile days with my spouse. I really don't know what else to type so it is what it is.

Thank you for the time in reading this.
Asher.

Thanks for taking the time to write!   One thing you need to keep in mind is that (like any Internet forum) you hear a lot more of the "problem" issues than you hear about specific good stuff.   I think that's partly because most everyone here basically loves Guzzis and already knows all the good stuff, so not much bandwidth is spent on praising them and talking about how much we like them.   Most of it's spent on solving problems, so it can tend to sound negative.

A Guzzi California or EV touring model sounds about like what you want.  Everyone's different, though - my wife and I have a Stelvio for two-up touring, it's just the way we're made.   Any Guzzi can take you anywhere you want to go for hundreds of thousands of miles .....

This is a great forum, and I hope you'll be able to participate.

Lannis

[Rael]

Ross Elliott
29
Lawyer
San Antonio

I lusted after the Griso since I first saw one in a magazine.  When I had an opportunity at one I had to take it.  More than a year later and I treat it with respect-- I don't let it sit in the garage and I use the entire tire and tachometer!

[gootsi]

Now that I have my first Guzzi, I think I'll add to this thread. :)

I'm in San Antonio and last week I finally got rid of my old SV650 for something a bit fancier that I can actually be proud of: a 2012 Griso 8V SE, in the stunning Tenni green.




I bought it from AF1 Racing in New Braunfels thanks to some striking serendipity. I was up in Austin randomly one weekend, just to hang out and shop and stuff with the GF, and decided to swing by their Vespa/Guzzi/Aprilia dealership and look at their stuff. I knew they wouldn't have the Tenni Griso I had my heart set on, but it would be a fun way to kill some time. One of the owners greeted me, we chatted for a bit, and I mentioned I was looking for the hard-to-find Tenni Griso. Lo and behold, just that morning, someone traded one in! A week later and I was the proud owner of a like-new 2012 8V, with around 2500 easy miles on it. I was thrilled to have found one just 30 minutes from my house, so I wouldn't have to deal with sight unseen buying and shipping from across the country. I didn't think that would happen again soon, so I snatched it up before it even hit his sales floor.

I love the bike so far. AF1 set up the suspension for me so no complaints there. I may need to lower the pegs an inch or so, but I'm going to see if I can get used to it first.

I just can't help staring at it. It's so pretty.  :drool

[Tash566]

Tim Ashton, 50 yrs old and a first time Guzzi owner (this makes my 14th bike total though)
I have a V7 stone that I love that replaced the 2007 SV650 that had 40k miles on it. The one before that was a R90S that had 145k miles on it so needless to say I do a bit of riding.
I've added quite a bit to it and I'll post pictures here in a week or so!

[Big Kahuna]

Hello from Central California.

I have owned many motorcycles in the past, lots of dirt bikes, and dual sports, and streetbikes from a 1975 CB400F to an R6 and my last bike was a Ducati 900SS. On my "bucket list" has always been a Moto Guzzi Daytona 1000. That bike has always held a special place in my heart... That is until I saw a 2013 V7 Racer at my local dealer. I have been lusting after that bike ever since! If everything stays on track, I should be picking one up next week. I have been feverishly doing my research for the last week, and I am financially almost there.
I can't wait to get that baby home!
Keep your fingers crossed, that I join the Guzzi family very soon!

[dp1100s]

David polovich from Biloxi Ms. 57 yrs.  I'm looking to buy a new Stelvio.And any pros and consare very welcome.

[Zoom Zoom]

Welcome David. The Stelvio is a great bike that has gotten better, IMHO. Cons: Tall, like any adventure bike. Once on it's ok for me. 32/33 inseam. Not really a con but there are some threads about the aux lights shorting out. Easy to deal with pre-emptively. Also adding a relay into the start circuit to supply direct voltage to the starter solenoid is something many Stelvio/Griso/Norge/Breva/1200 Sport owners consider. Again, very easy to deal with.

Pros: Very good range on a tank of fuel. Long suspension travel soaks up bumps well and keeps the bike under composure. The wheels are tubeless, just so you know. The NTX comes very well equipped. Over all it is a great package.

Do a search on Stelvio and you can find lots of answers. Don't be afraid to ask more. 

Mine is an '09. I like it a lot and would do it again.

John Henry

[dp1100s]

Why does it need a relay installation?  Its a new bike?  Explain please. Also how is it done.  This is odd to me.  ???

[Lannis]

Why does it need a relay installation?  Its a new bike?  Explain please. Also how is it done.  This is odd to me.  ???

The Stelvio was designed like most other similar Guzzis - no proper relay for the starter, and no relay for the headlights - all the current goes right through the switch, and it will burn up at some point.

Just one of those little things that make Guzzis lovable, and ensure that only well-'ard rocker enthusiasts stick with them.

I have a 2009 like Zoom Zooms, and I like it very much.   Once sorted, they'll go forever.   Some people don't like the "once sorted" part.

If you use the list Search Function, and type in "Stelvio" alone or with any other feature you like, you'll find 5 years worth of excellent information on the goods, bads, highs, lows.   Just remember that most of us already know and appreciate the good parts, so we don't write much about that - we spend our time talking about the parts we need to fix ....

But that's no different than any other brand-specific forum.   

Good luck!

Lannis

[dp1100s]

Thank you

[Zoom Zoom]

Why does it need a relay installation?  Its a new bike?  Explain please. Also how is it done.  This is odd to me.  ???

Actually it probably will not for a while. Mine is two years old. An '09 bought new in '11. I have accrued 21,000 on it. A few hundred miles ago, I had some weird electrical issues. One was an ECU Error that prevented the bike from starting. I have since replaced the battery and have not had that issue since. I have since become aware that a low or bad battery will do that. I have spoken to others that had it happen to them. I would argue that a two year old battery should not be faulty, but I don't know if it was properly activated or exactly when it had been activated. (Proper procedure for filling, letting set and charging for the first time.) Anyway, along with that was a click when I hit the starter button. That was a week after I replaced the battery, which prompted me to finally add the relay to my bike. It is pretty easy really. Here is how I did mine: I ran two wires from the starter solenoid. One which I plugged back into the solenoid with a female spade end and the other with a male end that I plugged into the trigger wire I removed off the solenoid. I simply got these up to a location I determined would be suitable for a relay. (Under the left side cover under the seat.) I then brought two more wires from the + and - of the battery to the same location. The relay is a 40 amp job common at nearly any auto parts store. (Probably could do it with a lower amp relay but the one I got has a metal mounting tab rather than the molded plastic tab found on the cheaper relay. It is still only 8 bucks.) Then plug all the ends onto the proper terminals of the relay and you're done. I soldered all my ends and shrink wrapped them. I spent much more time prepping everything than actually connecting it all up. Oh yeah, I also soldered in an inline fuse holder, which I put a 15 amp fuse into after everything was connected.

Nothing I did was permanent. With just moving one wire, I could be back to completely stock without any damage to the factory wiring. When under load, some here have noted as much as a 6vdc drop in voltage at the solenoid. I have maybe 10 bucks and a couple hours in that job. Since doing that, the bike has started flawlessly, every single time. Of course only time will tell, but so far so good.

John Henry

[Marina]

Hi all,

I am making my return to the Guzzi community. My job here has eaten up all of my time for the past years, and since I walk to work, I hadn't been riding. Just returned from a ride out to Albuquerque, and I am ready to make riding regularly part of my life again.

Hi to all my old friends. Chet - glad to see Rusty is still in the stable. Bill H. - I envy you the Griso.

Marina

[Muzz]

Hi all,

I am making my return to the Guzzi community. My job here has eaten up all of my time for the past years, and since I walk to work, I hadn't been riding. Just returned from a ride out to Albuquerque, and I am ready to make riding regularly part of my life again.

Hi to all my old friends. Chet - glad to see Rusty is still in the stable. Bill H. - I envy you the Griso.

Marina

Welcome back Marina.

The Guzzi addiction is still strong; number on the forum far larger than it used to be earlier on.