Rumours of new "smaller" Guzzis!

[ScepticalScotty]

In the latest issue of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure a couple of quotes.....

"We are developing new bikes that will retail for around £5700" - Luca Balduino - Guzzi Project Chief.

Galluzi then says later in the article  - "We have something planned for EICMA 2015". "I'm not going into details but we are working on something in-between".

Yeah this could all be smoke and mirrors  , but that sounds like 2 separate projects;

1. A cheaper bike than the V7 Classic line with a 750?? drivetrain.?? New Breva???? The Classics are more than £5700 these days. Hell I paid 5400 for my Breva in 2004!!

2. Something about the size of the Bellagio, at least in capacity terms.

[Loftness]

Isnt that the same price basically as current Stones?  Or are my currency calculations all off?

[mtiberio]

I hope that Piaggio find a horizontal single that drives a scooter in their line up and marries it to a open frame and makes a "modern" bologna slicer. Doesn't have to have the exposed flywheel, and it can even have some horrible CVT fan belt transmission/rear drive. Just expose the motor (double down tubes), leave the bodywork off and get a handful of styling cues from the old falcone. Scissor rear suspension? Girder forks?

heck, I'd buy one...

[HardAspie]

No CVT belts! Had that in a Reflex, and found it to be pure PITA. Otherwise your idea for a Nuovo Nuovo Falcone sounds great!

[Guido Valvole]

Simple is good! Oh wait, my age and mechanical (vs electronic) inclinations are showing… 
cr

[HardAspie]

Mine too! I have been chided for that!

[tiger_one]

I was shopping the Shiver 750 in 2009 or 10, and they had a Mana 850 (CVT), I could have demoed, but passed.  Wish now I had ridden that bike, it was just too far out there for what I was used to, I couldn't even think about getting one at the time.

[Steph]

Current V7 Stone II sell for £7100 here.
I guess a £5700 range would be either:
A new single cylinder model
Or
A 500 version of the current V7 as a base Guzzi offering, along with the introduction of an updated V7 model with a new motor & dual front disc.

I'd prefer the second option :)

[not-fishing]

Dogs!

I was thinking of a Black Arrow for my "little in townie"



But now you say there may be a new little Guzzi?  Now I have to wait...........



Still I like my Baloney slicer!

[ScepticalScotty]

Didn't even think about a single! Now thats interesting.

[Steph]

Or it could be a re incarnation of the Galetto scooter based on the power plant of the Vespa GTS 300 ABS
http://www.uk.vespa.com/uk/index.html#/vespa/UK/uk/Model/Vespa-GTS-Super/Vespa-GTS-Super-300

I'm sure dealers would like to shift a bit more volume

[jas67]

Or it could be a re incarnation of the Galetto scooter based on the power plant of the Vespa GTS 300 ABS
http://www.uk.vespa.com/uk/index.html#/vespa/UK/uk/Model/Vespa-GTS-Super/Vespa-GTS-Super-300

I'm sure dealers would like to shift a bit more volume

The 330cc unit from the BV350 would be a much better choice.   It puts out 33 HP vs. 22 HP from the 280cc unit from the GTS300.

[M0T0Geezer]

No CVT belts! Had that in a Reflex, and found it to be pure PITA. Otherwise your idea for a Nuovo Nuovo Falcone sounds great!

I put 5000 miles on a Honda Reflex scooter (250cc with CVT). It was a blast for both me & wife.
No problem ever with the CVT or its drive belt.
I put 16,000 miles on a Honda SilverWing scooter (600cc with CVT).
Again, no problem ever with the CVT or its drive belt.

Both scooters greatly benefited from taking a few of the weights out of the centrifugal clutch.  This allows higher revs at takeoff (more hp). Fairly easy job and easily reversible.

All that said, it's OK to want a manual tranny on the new Guzzi "mini" - naked is more fun.

[steven c]

 How about they chop off one cylinder like Buell did with the Blast? Now that would be different.

[canuguzzi]

I'm betting that it (if there is an it) will be something those who really like the current offerings won't like too much. Take the MGX-21 for example. It got anything but a welcome here yet that is exactly what they are putting out for sale.

Why?

Probably because they aren't too interested in selling to the same small base of customer and want to do something different that they have been doing or a variant of the same. There isn't much money in that.

I think if anything smaller, it is a 500 -650 model, something a lot of people would buy but many here would rather never say the light of day. The market for the 500-650 bikes is screaming hot. No one really bothers with 750s anymore except the holdouts.

I heard a rumor and it is pure rumor only, that Honda is going to pop out another V-engine ala CX series but with longer legs.

[Guido Valvole]

A new 500cc version of the current smallblock V-twin makes no sense as the engine wouldn't weigh any less than the 750 or be physically smaller, just less powerful. And any new engine is likely to be liquid-cooled, for emissions and noise considerations.

But since Guzzi has built pretty much any conceivable engine design over the years, there's no need for them to stick with a transverse V-twin just because that's all they've had for the past 40-plus years.

500cc V8? 
cr

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I hope that Piaggio find a horizontal single that drives a scooter in their line up and marries it to a open frame and makes a "modern" bologna slicer. Doesn't have to have the exposed flywheel, and it can even have some horrible CVT fan belt transmission/rear drive. Just expose the motor (double down tubes), leave the bodywork off and get a handful of styling cues from the old falcone. Scissor rear suspension? Girder forks?

heck, I'd buy one...

Something like the Italjet Amarcord?

[Penderic]

For all the many rich cosmo hipsters out there .....

just add a plastic milk crate, designed by Guchi, a must have accessory item. 

[canuguzzi]

Well they could do that almost, borrow the V4 liquid cooled jobs from Aprilia and come out with some real slick middle weight that just sets everyone back on their heels.

MG doesn't have anything that makes the younger crowd want to get one that squirts up and down city streets and screams through the canyons. There is a huge market there and it wouldn't take too much for them to get just a nice piece of that. The tech/dealer base is already there for something like that and they'd get a whole generation of riders to notice MG.

Maybe two people on this forum might buy an MGX-21 so obviously MG is targeting someone else there as well.

[Kev m]

Well they could do that almost, borrow the V4 liquid cooled jobs from Aprilia and come out with some real slick middle weight that just sets everyone back on their heels.

MG doesn't have anything that makes the younger crowd want to get one that squirts up and down city streets and screams through the canyons. There is a huge market there

Is there really a huge market for that?

The US market is > 50% Harley and presumably another what, at least 10-20% Harley clone.

The remainder is divided between Sport Bikes and Adventure bikes, and growing little segments like Scramblers and Cafe bikes.

Is there really a"huge" portion left for a mid-sized sport bike?

Though I'll admit, I DO believe the mid-size market in general is currently the largest growth potential.

[mtiberio]

Something like the Italjet Amarcord?

I love it

[not-fishing]

When I talked to Miguel Galluzzi months ago it was "About the Ride".

So far all of his Guzzi variations are basically that.  and I believe he does not want to overlap the Aprilia performance bikes

As to the younger riders like my 19 year old son scooters are more fun than econo-cars but they still have all the character of a blender.  They want something with gears that you shift.

So I'm intrigued that he's looking at a a smaller bike and I'm hopeful it's a single with say 30 hp at 375 lbs and a Guzzi Frame/suspension.

[HardAspie]

Ah! Yes. I put more than 11,000 miles on my Reflex. I probably ran into troubles that few owners of scooters do.

[acogoff]

     May be just me , but I would prefer an exposed classic bacon slicer flywheel machine, but not holding my breath on that one.

[Bob Wegman]

     May be just me , but I would prefer an exposed classic bacon slicer flywheel machine, but not holding my breath on that one.

I would buy one also.

[rocker59]

Something like the Italjet Amarcord?

The coolest little motorcycle that never was...

[Murray]

The only bike they have officially touted is smaller as in smaller than the 1400 cali. So highly unlikely to be cheaper than the current 750 range. Latest suggestion is it will be around 1100 cc.

[Penderic]

Never thought an 1100cc would be positioned as a "mid" size motorcycle! 

[Doppelgaenger]

Something that cheap means small engine and much less metal than the current lineup. Historically, Guzzi doesn't skimp on components like brakes so I can't see them making something heavy and cheap.

I sure hope that they make a smaller bike with a new engine in the 50cc range. The transverse v-twin has been done to death and guzzi needs to show that they can innovate at this point.

[lawries]

Aww come on now Pete, don't hold back