Character in a motorcycle

[willowstreetguzziguy]

We often talk about Moto Guzzis having "Character".  What is it about a bike that creates its character or lack of it? Is it the engine or other parts or the sum of certain parts? 

What bike have you owned that had character?
What gave that bike character or personality?

[bad Chad]

From my perspective character comes almost completely from the motor/drive train.   Every Guzzi I have ridden had the added benefit of being fun to ride from a geometry stand point too.  The motor is Freaking fantastic, when its good, its good, and very little else can take me where this motor can.

[Chuck in Indiana]

From my perspective character comes almost completely from the motor/drive train.   Every Guzzi I have ridden had the added benefit of being fun to ride from a geometry stand point too.  The motor is Freaking fantastic, when its good, its good, and very little else can take me where this motor can.

Yep. I've never ridden a Guzzi that I didn't like, and I chalk it up to the drive train. There's something about the Guzzi Vtwin that I love. Big block, small block, 2V or 4V. Had em all.
For instance. I bought this pile of a MZ Skorpion project this spring. I'd heard tales of the wonderful handling, and thought, "Perfect for the SoCal canyons, and I could bring the Mighty Scura home."
The handling *is* wonderful. Big Paoli forks, Tarozzi clip ons, really stiff twin spar frame, Bilstein monoshock Yamaha race bike swingarm. Just think about flicking it into a turn, and it's already there. A wonderful chassis. It certainly out handles the Lario.
Ugly as a board fence.
The engine is... uh... adequate. Runs smoothly, makes 48 hp supposedly. Enough for a roughly 400 lb. wet motorcycle.
I don't care about it.
At all.
If Guzzi no shit builds that hemi small block, I'll take the Aero Lario out to California and ebay the MZ.

[Wayne Orwig]

I've seen some pretty odd characters on Moto Guzzi motorcycles.










Oh, you mean the motorcycle having character.... never mind.

[Doppelgaenger]

Part of character is the liveliness of an engine. With a guzzi it's hard to ignore the engine because the bike rocks back and forth a lot and they all make very lovely sounds. I'd say that this makes up for about 90% of character.

Another part of character is how the bike likes to remind you every now and then that it's italian and made by italians. So it'll do random stuff like shut off at a light for no reason at all and never do it again. Mine has that annoying pinging right now too which gives it even more character...

Still yet another part is how there are drips fosilized into the paint in inconspicuous sports, or that one part of the front fender where they sort of missed painting part of one of the screw holes. All these things remind you that it's a hand-built Italian bike

[MotoGoosy]

"Character" is what sets it apart from the average run-of the mill production bike.  With Guzzies, it's the transverse-mounted engine, which torques from side-to-side, rather than forward and back, a very subtle idle, but hammering above3k rpms (hard-mount engine), then smoother above 4k.  When I first got my EV I though the damned engine was coming apart when I revved past 2500 rpm.  Mine has a seating position that fits my body perfectly and an engine that feels like a one-cylinder tractor at various rpms.

[lucian]

When you choose to ride a motorcycle that has little dealer support within 100 miles, and forces you to do all the wrenching yourself, and makes funny noises you've never heard before but always gets you home , and every where you go someone wants to know what it is and why you ride it, and your always thinking about how you could improve upon it but can't seem to be able to , and when you get home and park it you always have to turn around and stare at it one more time, you have owned a bike with character. Not to mention all you characters who feel the same way, what an awesome deal. love you guy's     Dave

[Chuck in Indiana]

I've seen some pretty odd characters on Moto Guzzi motorcycles.










Oh, you mean the motorcycle having character.... never mind.

True. True.

[davedel44]

makes funny noises you've never heard before but always gets you home ,

Yours Too

you always have to turn around and stare at it one more time.   :1:

 Not to mention all you characters who feel the same way, what an awesome deal. love you guy's     Dave

Well said Sir!

Whenever I uncover either of the Stones I am taken aback at how beautiful they are.

Another Dave
Galveston

[nick949]

When you choose to ride a motorcycle that has little dealer support within 100 miles, and forces you to do all the wrenching yourself, and makes funny noises you've never heard before but always gets you home , and every where you go someone wants to know what it is and why you ride it, and your always thinking about how you could improve upon it but can't seem to be able to , and when you get home and park it you always have to turn around and stare at it one more time, you have owned a bike with character. Not to mention all you characters who feel the same way, what an awesome deal. love you guy's     Dave

'By George I think she's he's got it'

Yes Sir!   

Nick

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Oh yes, character.  like when of the six bolts that hold the rear hub together, 4 of them broke and 2 stretched and bent, ovaling out the holes
 on the way home from the illinois rally.  ( the bike was two months old with about 2 thousand miles)
 Or the way my 2003 Hydraulic engine began seriously eating itself and the dealer cured it by simply adjusting the lifters.
 Yes, they have character but I didn't like that character.  It fit me well and was fun to ride  but constantly wanted to disassemble itself on the road.
  After those two brand new bikes, I considered them to be the Italian Ural.

[segesta]

I'm less (literally) mechanical in my analysis of Character. A major aspect of Character is what imagery is evoked simply by looking at a motorcycle. For example, the V7 has character because it looks like something from the 1970s. Which in turn evokes its own images and memories, thus giving Character to the bike. Hey,Buddy Russo might use one of these to chase bad guys! or whatever.

Compare and contrast to the mechanically excellent, extremely practical BMW F 800GT, which evokes images of... lightly toasted white bread. Packages of 500 sheets of printer paper. Nine volt batteries. Conclusion: No Character.

Mmmm, toast.

[charlie b]

Engine and, it's different.

Engine reminds me of the HD guys who insist the 'potato-potato' thing is the best thing in the world.  MG it is the side to side rocking.

But, most of it to me is being different.

I had a Honda NT700.  For all intents and purposes it rode better than my T5, I think was faster, a little smoother, much more reliable.  But, it was a Honda.  Most people thought it was a new ST.  To me it was boring.

The T5 rocks, shakes and makes noise, is VERY sensitive to steering inputs and reminds me way too many times it is over 30 years old.  But, I love the thing and will never part with it.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

In addition to the engine, maybe Character is in being very "Demanding". She demands that you...

Pay her particular attention (stare lovingly at he as you approach her or depart)

Maintain her physically (keep up on certain maintenance items)

Be tolerant of her weaknesses (loose bolts, leaky valve cover gaskets, _________, ________, _________, _________, and __________)

Don't take her places she won't enjoy  (the wrong kind of roads and crowds)

Feed her the right food (10/60 and 91 octane)

Treat her with respect (ride her the way she was meant to be ridden)

Respect her for what she is and can do well (don't compare her to a GSXR or Ninja)

[Hymes Inc.]

With the Guzzis it's definitely the traverse engine. I don't like v-twins, had never even ridden one and I didn't like them, everyone does them and I find them boring but the fact that Guzzi doesn't follow everyone else makes them a winner in my book.  My first bike was a Suzuki 400 single, I liked it because the mpg was great.  My second was a Kawasaki 440 parallel twin, I liked it because it was a bit faster than the single. Third bike was a Yamaha 550 maxim inline four, that is the motor I feel in love with. Never owned a V-twin other than my Guzzi and I'm certain I never will, unless it's another Guzzi. Someday I will own a Yamaha XS Eleven. They are nothing special but they draw me more then any other.

[Penderic]

If you are a pirate, it is real easy to add "character" to any bike. 

Arrrh!

[canuck750]

When you choose to ride a motorcycle that has little dealer support within 100 miles, and forces you to do all the wrenching yourself, and makes funny noises you've never heard before but always gets you home , and every where you go someone wants to know what it is and why you ride it, and your always thinking about how you could improve upon it but can't seem to be able to , and when you get home and park it you always have to turn around and stare at it one more time, you have owned a bike with character. Not to mention all you characters who feel the same way, what an awesome deal. love you guy's     Dave

Precisely :1:

Cheers
Jim

[lucydad]

I have fantastic dealer support less than 20 miles up the freeway (cheers MPH, Mike and crew).  Don't do my own maintenance.

V7R character is:
--beautiful and unique, an engine that chunka chunks and can roar, and pulls easily and does not complain between 3000 rpm all the way to the rev limiter, and twin exhausts that give a nice snarl.  And lots, and lots of people that look, ask and want to discuss the bike.  Reliable and just fun to ride.  Quirky transmission definitely, but smooth to a toe that knows....a bit slow to warm up and the throttle likes a bit of twist to go....easy and forgiving to a fault.  Heavy haul on brakes...but they work. Yep, that's the Guzzi, Little Goose.  Grin machine.  Take every bit of olive oil this Italian will produce...

Triumph 675 Triple Streety....Mary Anne..finally got me that triple engine.  Smooth as a jet, fires up instantaneously, no chuga chuga.
Instantaneous throttle response...an absolutely endearing, and addicting air intake whoosh/scream as the roll on happens past 4000 rpm.
Something terrifying above around 7 grand....wheelie machine--and yes we have lift off.  Scalpel, razor like handling, use with care, and challenging. Local hispanics stop me at light, window down...and ask about the bike, can you rev it?  Leave them in my exhaust...very, very fast especially with speed shifter....brakes terrific.  No idea what limits are.

Character is in the engine mostly, but also sounds, and overall bike feel.  Looks count a lot.  That gorgeous finned Guzzi transverse V engine is the ultimate though.  Rarity also...and something about traditional engineering from northern Italy. 

Hope to ride this weekend.  Just back from sporadic rainy bicycle ride.  Virus still unloading from lungs.  Guzzi might get a run.  Got my recent graduate and etal friends here now, back from their road trip.  Three extra cars out front.  Off to airport runs, and launching youngest off to NYC Brooklyn-Manhattan Sunday morning.  One of her friends desperately wants to hear the Guzzi fired up.  We will see, maybe this afternoon. She has good taste in motorcycles....tryi ng to get me to promise to sell it to her if I ever part.

[MotoGoosy]

When I want a smooth, quiet, powerful ride I hop on my Kawa MeanStreak.  When I want to take a faithful old Shepherd for a run, it's the Guzzi.  When I get back I hate it.  Until tomorrow.

[bib]

When you choose to ride a motorcycle that has little dealer support within 100 miles, and forces you to do all the wrenching yourself, and makes funny noises you've never heard before but always gets you home , and every where you go someone wants to know what it is and why you ride it, and your always thinking about how you could improve upon it but can't seem to be able to , and when you get home and park it you always have to turn around and stare at it one more time, you have owned a bike with character. Not to mention all you characters who feel the same way, what an awesome deal. love you guy's     Dave

Eggs-actly!.. feel that way too.
When you ride a bike that listens to you, that you listen to intently, when you park it and then stare at it before leaving it, when you return from a ride and catch yourself thinking of when again? When it leaves you agitated, fuming- but you will not walk away, and at other times leaves you singing inside you know you are in love ... what or who can do that to you has 'character'.
Now I have to make sure my better half knows she is first 

[Doppelgaenger]

When you choose to ride a motorcycle that has little dealer support within 100 miles, and forces you to do all the wrenching yourself, and makes funny noises you've never heard before but always gets you home , and every where you go someone wants to know what it is and why you ride it, and your always thinking about how you could improve upon it but can't seem to be able to , and when you get home and park it you always have to turn around and stare at it one more time, you have owned a bike with character. Not to mention all you characters who feel the same way, what an awesome deal. love you guy's     Dave

You hit it right on the nose. I am always staring at the bike when I'm not riding it. There is something just so right about the engine the way it is on a Guzzi.

I love the WTF looks when people drive by and realize what is sticking out the side of the bike.