Been away from the Bike...considering new 2015 Guzzi Touring....owner comments?

[Mike A.]

Been away from this board (and the bike). Almost 2 years now. (ouch). Daydreaming about a possible replacement of my 2001 California EV.

Did all the bugs shake out of those new bikes? No surprises? nearest dealer to me is about 50 miles. I can handle taking care of my 2001...but what about the new Tourer?

Ciao

CS

[gwb_mg]

I have the '14 and it is great. The only thing I had to change was the saddle, for me the OEM was very uncomfortable, went with the Corbin. Other folks have said the OEM saddle is fine for them, from what I've heard the '15's have a slightly different set-up.

[Mike A.]

How many miles on your 2014?

[lucian]

I have the custom 14 with 7000 miles on it , no problems to date, did switch to the corbin seat a big improvement for me. They have had an issue with the crossover pipes cracking but there is already an aftermarket fix out should it occur after warranty. I have also heard reports of the touring panniers not being water tight but have no personal experience on that. A nice comfy ride for two up traveling, very smooth motor. Best of luck.

[Abbienormal]

9600 miles on mine. Stupid stuff you can mostly handle.  Super bike and I have had about 25+ but mostly Japanese.  This is my second Guzzi and my first cruiser style bike. One pain as far as doing your own maintenance is you cannot turn off the "Service" light.  The dealer has to do it with the correct program as if there is a code that will do it nobody is talking. I have heard of the crossover cracking but so far not mine. The forward heat shields need the screws Loctited or they will come loose. I noticed my last replacement screws had blue thread lock on them new so maybe they have addressed that. I still Loctited them. I can verify the saddlebags are not even close to water tight. I have tried to seal mine this past winter but no testing yet. I have had some moisture in the headlight but not enough to worry. Some guys have had some in the tailights but not mine. I did install the heated grips, windshield lowers, 50L trunk with rack and some National Cycle hand guards. I put Wilber's shocks and fork springs on it this winter because I was not impressed with stock. I hear the Custom shocks are better.
They appear to have finally done away with the steel/plastic fuel filter as mine had an all metal one when I went to replace it.  The new oil filter takes a special wrench that happens to be the same as my BMW R1200GS had.
Warranty work has been a pair of warped front rotors and still waiting on a replacement 50L trunk as the handle latch decided to quit.

Rudy

[mikefmoto]

I have the '14 and it's a great bike. I have the factory low gel seat and am happy with it.

The only problem I had was the result of a factory assembly issue. The tail light plug wiring under the rear fender was not properly secured and eventually shorted from rubbing on the tire. The short wreaked havoc with the ECU and fuses since just about every electrical connection on the bike goes through or is monitored by the ECU. It took a while for the dealer and MGUSA engineering support to figure it out since it caused many phantom problems and error codes.

Even though this was a crazy and rare anomaly, other than this, the bike has been great so far. The Italian factory quality control just needs to be double checked.

It's a great bike for two up trips. The panniers are not water tight, it's not a lid issue, it's a seam issue. The panniers are assembled from two halves and screwed together. There is no seal or gasket between the halves, they're just screwed together so water seeps in. Easy to fix.

[Abbienormal]

Actually there is a seal. I took mine apart this winter and found gaps in the seal. I reused one seal and put a piece of o-ring material in the other. I think reusing the seal is best. I had to cut the seal to get it to go back in which is what I suspect happened at the factory. I then used Loctite Silicone seal after looking at various brands and their claims And filled the gap before seal install and above the seal then screwed them back together. I'll know first bike wash as they used to get a cup of water in them just washing the bike.
I even spoke to product support at Loctite and they said the type of plastic the bags are made of nothing will stick to it so I am figuring the silicone will just act as a form fitting gasket. I had tried spraying the sealer like they advertise on TV only Rustoleum brand on the inside of the bags along the seal line.  It made a big difference for a few months then started peeling off.
Guzzi's claim of fiberglass saddlebags as an option for the custom is false. They are the same plastic as the Tour which is some 15% fiber reinforced stuff going by the recycle code if I remember correctly. If they were fiberglass they would be one piece and not leak.

Rudy

[mikefmoto]

Actually there is a seal. I took mine apart this winter and found gaps in the seal. I reused one seal and put a piece of o-ring material in the other.

Thanks Rudy. I'm going to have to look at mine again. I only noticed a seal around the lid. My plan was to use silicon.

[gwb_mg]

How many miles on your 2014?

I bought in mid-August and have just over 10,000 miles on it. The panniers are not water tight, dealer took care of that issue, other than that no issues what so ever.

[Mike A.]

Thanks for the comments.. I have a 2001 Cal. Special and a 2001 Cal. Ev...just started the EV for the 1st time. Its been sitting in the shed since November. (almost 5 months!) I thought for sure it might not start.

Nope. The battery was on a charger all winter, and as soon as I turned the key on and the headlight came on I knew: the battery was alive and well. Cranked it and within 2 seconds The old beast was roaring. Maybe I should just stick with something I know?? :)