Guzzi in Cycle World August 2015 - Peter Jones & the weird tribe of migrant serfs

[Testarossa]

Peter Jones writing in the August issue:

"There's too much to admire about Moto Guzzi motorcycles to not want them to succeed, but they're just a bit too strange for the masses. So, since we want them to survive, I thing that you should buy one, while you might think that I should buy one. Neither of us will. Moto Guzzis are great bikes, but they're bikes that only Moto Guzzi owners would own, and somehow we all know what I mean by that, even though I can't explain it.

But then there's Moto Morini . . . "

[Arizona Wayne]

Peter Jones writing in the August issue:

"There's too much to admire about Moto Guzzi motorcycles to not want them to succeed, but they're just a bit too strange for the masses. So, since we want them to survive, I thing that you should buy one, while you might think that I should buy one. Neither of us will. Moto Guzzis are great bikes, but they're bikes that only Moto Guzzi owners would own, and somehow we all know what I mean by that, even though I can't explain it.


But then there's Moto Morini . . . "

You're a few hours late on this...............

[canuguzzi]

Dear Peter Jones,

I did buy one, so now it is your turn. Go buy one and I'll buy a copy of Cycle World. That seems only fair.

[kevdog3019]

Boy is there truth in that statement. That's pretty funny. 

[segesta]

Sorry, I don't get what is supposed to be so "strange" about Moto Guzzis. They have two wheels, a handlebar, a V twin engine, a seat. No para- tele- whatever suspension. Throttle on the right grip. Except for the Griso, their styling is traditional. They cost about the same as most motorcycles. They're just rare, is all.
I really like my Guzzi, but maybe I'm missing something.

[mgfan]

Too many sheep, not enough black sheep!   

[kevdog3019]

Sorry, I don't get what is supposed to be so "strange" about Moto Guzzis. They have two wheels, a handlebar, a V twin engine, a seat. No para- tele- whatever suspension. Throttle on the right grip. Except for the Griso, their styling is traditional. They cost about the same as most motorcycles. They're just rare, is all.
I really like my Guzzi, but maybe I'm missing something.

What's strange about Guzzi is Guzzi, not the bikes.  They do things a little differently shall we say.  There's Luigi on the line of course and the corporate shananagans that has kept them at a distance to the general public for quite awhile.

[Guzzistajohn]

I guess writers have to write about something

[Arizona Wayne]

I guess writers have to write about something

This guy is a new writer for CW and I'm not really impressed by his articles so far...........I'd give him a D for this 1.

[pyoungbl]

Magazines are struggling to stay in business.  Many have cut staff and mainly use freelance stuff so the quality is...well, you get what fits the pages.  Some rags are just recycling old articles so I guess we should be happy that CW has not started doing that too.  My SIL worked for a high end publishing company for 25+ years.  He got caught in the third round of layoffs about two years ago.  Now they call him in on a contract basis to do their web stuff...less pay, no benefits.  It seems like a downhill spiral.

Peter Y.

[HardAspie]

I'm kinda strange. I am on hold for a time. Hoping that a Goose decides to fly my way. Then I can aid the factory in staying upright.

[Testarossa]

Read the whole article and it's an endorsement of Italian bikes with character. I can't explain my behavior in regard to old maintenance-intensive (mostly Italian) motorcycles, so in a sense the article is about me (and probably most of us on this board).

For purely emotional reasons I have bought, rebuilt and maintained an Aermacchi/Harley 350SS, a Laverda 750SF, my T, and the '70 Triumph. AT least two of these bikes were right-foot shifters (I honestly can't recall which side the Laverda used), and I got rid of the two Japanese bikes for being too, um, vanilla. A Morini would fit my style nicely. When I acquired the T, it appealed to me aesthetically and because it handled so well, but also because the layout promised easy owner maintenance. Of course I wasn't thinking about clutch replacement but fortunately I got at least 50,000 miles on the original clutch.

Ducati is the only Italian brand that really made it into the U.S. mainstream and I'd welcome an explanation about how that happened, and why it didn't happen for Guzzi.

I'd ask the same question about BMW. In the late '60s Guzzis were no odder than Beemer boxers of the same era, yet BMW gradually achieved traction in the market while Guzzi just plodded along in second gear. Why and how did that occur?

[Arizona Wayne]

Read the whole article and it's an endorsement of Italian bikes with character. I can't explain my behavior in regard to old maintenance-intensive (mostly Italian) motorcycles, so in a sense the article is about me (and probably most of us on this board).

For purely emotional reasons I have bought, rebuilt and maintained an Aermacchi/Harley 350SS, a Laverda 750SF, my T, and the '70 Triumph. AT least two of these bikes were right-foot shifters (I honestly can't recall which side the Laverda used), and I got rid of the two Japanese bikes for being too, um, vanilla. A Morini would fit my style nicely. When I acquired the T, it appealed to me aesthetically and because it handled so well, but also because the layout promised easy owner maintenance. Of course I wasn't thinking about clutch replacement but fortunately I got at least 50,000 miles on the original clutch.

Ducati is the only Italian brand that really made it into the U.S. mainstream and I'd welcome an explanation about how that happened, and why it didn't happen for Guzzi.

I'd ask the same question about BMW. In the late '60s Guzzis were no odder than Beemer boxers of the same era, yet BMW gradually achieved traction in the market while Guzzi just plodded along in second gear. Why and how did that occur?

 



Ducati got traction here by making the 851 and the start of the Superbike class of road racing and then World Superbike racing in `88.  Then the awesome 916 series didn't hurt.   Moto Guzzi pulled out of road racing in the 50s.

[HardAspie]

Race Sunday sell Monday.

[pyoungbl]

Well, I just got CW this afternoon and read the entire article.  The key point he made (IMHO) was one should stay away from Guzzi.  At the top of the list to stay away from would be Moto Guzzi.  There did not seem to be any rational for that other than the fact that Guzzi uses a V that is placed differently from most other bikes.  I guess being different is the kiss of death.  It strikes me odd that there are other brands that have tried various engine configurations...pa rallel twin, single, V4, V2, horizontal single, and even rotary...but that's OK.   Maybe it was just a slow month for ideas and the magazine deadline came up all of a sudden.

[MotoGoosy]

We all know what the drawback to Guzzi's is and the cycle rags are kind when they review them, but they all ding the hard-mounted translverse engine and MG still hasn't gotten the message.

[Testarossa]

The article contains a spectacular typo: it claims we ride with our engines sideways-mouthed. Flounder engines, I suppose.

[kevdog3019]

The cool part is Piaggio sees Guzzi as something different for themselves and for this we are all grateful.  If it had the same engine layout as some of the others would Piaggio want them?  Harley has done ok with their "old school" designs so I think Guzzi being unique is what makes Guzzi what it is today.  Who cares what the rags say, Guzzi will be around longer than they probably will so who gets the last laugh?   

[Arizona Wayne]

The cool part is Piaggio sees Guzzi as something different for themselves and for this we are all grateful.  If it had the same engine layout as some of the others would Piaggio want them?  Harley has done ok with their "old school" designs so I think Guzzi being unique is what makes Guzzi what it is today.  Who cares what the rags say, Guzzi will be around longer than they probably will so who gets the last laugh?   

For starters, I don't think  Peter Jones represents anyone but himself on this.  I'm surprised CW has given this guy a forum to share his thoughts 'cause so far all his thoughts I've read I think are not worth sharing. He's certainly no Peter Egan or Kevin Cameron.

[HardAspie]

And it seems to me that continuing the old  classic is what Guzzi has always done. Anyone here not want a version - any version - of the Falcone?

[lucian]

Some people just don't dare to be different, and that's fine. Personally I have always been drawn to things out of the ordinary and found the  uniqueness of the Moto guzzi's to be there best attribute. I think until you have actually owned a goose you will never understand it's true value. All bikes are fun to ride, but I have found the guzzi's the most fun to own, to work on ,and to ride by far. The like minded people you meet along the way only enhance the whole experience and you feel as though you have joined a supportive family instead of a bad ass cult. Ive got nothing against loud pipes and doo rags, to each there own. I just prefer the character to be in the bike not on it.

[56Pan]

(snipped)
 Ive got nothing against loud pipes and doo rags, to each there own.
(snipped)

Me too.  Except for ape hangers.

[Guzzistajohn]

I don't know, ape hangers ain't so bad. We rode by a big gaggle of dudes on ape hanger bikes going to Guffy, Co. the other day, couldn't help but laugh a little in my Shoei. Do they get bugs in thier armpits?

[Gliderjohn]

Quote from Guzzistajohn:

I don't know, ape hangers ain't so bad. We rode by a big gaggle of dudes on ape hanger bikes going to Guffy, Co. the other day, couldn't help but laugh a little in my Shoei. Do they get bugs in thier armpits?

Be fun to watch them get behind a bee hauling truck.
GliderJohn

[Arizona Wayne]

Quote from Guzzistajohn:
Be fun to watch them get behind a bee hauling truck.
GliderJohn

Be fun to watch them have to suddenly stop...........ther eby causing the apehanger to break off at it's mount...........and see them fly forward still hanging onto said apehanger.......... ..with official non DOT 1/2 helmet on. 

[Penderic]

Different folks, different spokes ....... 

Simian hangers on a Roto Guzzi. 


Hipster on a Rolling Stone. 

[MotoGoosy]

Yep, some like it rough.

[Railroad Bob]

One of their editorial writers, Peter Jones had this to say in the CW August '15 issue.  I won't bother with the link: I'll just type it here:

"There are different levels of questionable choices when it comes to motorcycles. I'd have to put Moto Guzzi at the upper level of that scale, being a brand that normal people might want to own but not quite. Moto Guzzi has been trying to get into motorcycling's USA kingdom of acceptability for nearly 100 years now, never getting farther than camping outside the castle walls, like a weird tribe of migrant serfs. Guzzi's sideways-mounted shaft drive V-twin is so peculiar that Honda once copied it.

There's too much to admire about Moto Guzzi motorcycles to not want them to succeed, but they're just a bit too strange for the masses. So, since we want them to survive, I think that you should buy one, while you might think that I should buy one.  Neither of us will. Moto Guzzis are great bikes, but they're bikes that only Moto Guzzi owners would own and somehow we all know what I mean by that, even though I can't explain it."

The bolded lines are mine.  Oh well, there it is.  Looks like his observations continue to keep us as outsiders, WAY outside the realms of "normalcy."    Not a bad thing.

[prof_stack]

Who ever said we were normal?   

[Wayne Orwig]

Why be normal?
Not for those with the herd mentality.