Buying a discontinued bike?

[Seventy One]

I'm losing a lot of sleep over a certain leftover '15 Stelvio NTX.

Assuming I like it, my plan is to put about a 100k miles on it...or more. That may happen in ten years, that may happen in six. Should I be concerned that the bike is being discontinued?

Aren't manufacturers required to carry spare parts for a number of years afterwards? I believe that is the case for cars. Is it that way for cycles too?

[Bonafide Bob]

I have owned more motorcycles than I can remember in my 60 plus years of riding and my Stelvio is at the top of my favorites list. Parts have to be made available for ten years. If you like it buy it, you won't be disappointed.
Bob

[bad Chad]

Should you be concerned?  No.   Must mfg carry parts for years?  yes.

Go buy it.

[Bulldog9]

I'd only be worried if the line/make was not well established or just a one year limited or super unique one off model. Guzzi is not a large (compared to Honda/Yamaha etc) but well established and long standing manufacturer. The CARC series platform is well established and parts will be available long after we are not riding. My 79 Yamaha xs1100 was discontinued for 4 years when I bought it, to this day have no problem with parts. Go for it.you won't regret it, especially with forums like this. Do you have a decent dealer for major repairs that might ever be needed? (Unlikely)

[Gliderjohn]

Haven't had any part problems with my T-3 and it os over 40 years old.
GliderJohn

[HDGoose]

Motorcycle in the USA are RV not motor vehicles. So parts requirement are different for RV and automobiles.

That said, we are talking Guzzi. Are parts available now?

[leafman60]

Are we sure the Stelvio has been discontinued?  Could be but I have not seen anything but speculation on that.   

[pete roper]

Well, in fact you do John because a lot of the aftermarket stuff that is now being produced because the factory and its original suppliers no longer do is complete shite.

Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it is. Case in point a crownwheel hub I bought last month had one of the bolt holes machined 1.5mm off angle meaning that the crownwheel couldn't bolt to it.

The idea that the 'Old Ones' are *more* repairable than the *New Ones* is just patent BS. Sorry.

Pete

[charlie b]

The Tonti series has been great for old Guzzis.  Many parts are the same or similar over the >20yrs of production.  Some of us have low production number bikes, like my T5 here in the US.  Some parts become unobtainable pretty quickly, especially things like the plastic parts.

I needed an SPIII fairing.  Had to get it from Reboot in France off one of their wrecked bikes.  Same would be the case with side covers or a gas tank or seat pan, etc, etc.  I have to pay high postage prices to get any of those T5 specific parts, and when the wrecked ones are done I am out of luck.  Yes, every now and then a wrecked one shows up.

The running parts have been easier, but....

I've gone to VW coils cause they are easier to find.  Switch gear is now the universal stuff.  Brake and clutch levers are 'standard' items now.

So, if your question is about keeping the bike bone stock, then any of them are subject to issues.  In that case my advice would be to pick up some of the plastic or other parts that may get damaged as they come up in wrecking yards.

[Lannis]

I'm losing a lot of sleep over a certain leftover '15 Stelvio NTX.

Assuming I like it, my plan is to put about a 100k miles on it...or more. That may happen in ten years, that may happen in six. Should I be concerned that the bike is being discontinued?

Aren't manufacturers required to carry spare parts for a number of years afterwards? I believe that is the case for cars. Is it that way for cycles too?

It's as quick and cheap for me to get any part I need for my 1955, 1961, or 1969 BSAs as it is for my 1983 or 2009 Guzzis.    I quit worrying about that years ago.

Lannis

[pyoungbl]

The Stelvio NTX has a few bits that are not common to the rest of the CARC line.  The gas tank and some plastic bits come to mind.  I'd guess that 95% of the parts are used in other bikes (and 100% of the drive train).  In many cases the parts are not only Guzzi part numbers but Aprilia part numbers.  I'd be surprised if you had a parts supply issue for the next 10-15 years.  There are at least two non-dealer suppliers who have made a good business of buying stock from Guzzi dealers who have dropped the line.    Don't worry too much about being able to get parts.   Instead, revel in the fact that you yourself can do just about any service on the bike.  That's the long term picture.  Our friends buying the latest high tech Japanese product won't have that benefit and, with the huge number of models that are only made for a couple years, they might be the ones with a part supply problem.

Peter Y.

[Seventy One]

Do you have a decent dealer for major repairs that might ever be needed? (Unlikely)

I'm not sure. I suspect they're a good shop but I just don't know for certain. They are two hours away from me. I haven't heard anything specifically bad about them. Of course I could have said the same about my Triumph dealer (Sport Rider in Altoona Wisconsin) and they ended up being absolutely worthless.

My interest in this particular bike stems from its simplicty and owner serviceability. I just don't want to get stuck in Bootwash Iowa waiting for a cycle shop to source some out of production bits for me.

 

[Rough Edge racing]

I'm not sure. I suspect they're a good shop but I just don't know for certain. They are two hours away from me. I haven't heard anything specifically bad about them. Of course I could have said the same about my Triumph dealer (Sport Rider in Altoona Wisconsin) and they ended up being absolutely worthless.

My interest in this particular bike stems from its simplicty and owner serviceability. I just don't want to get stuck in Bootwash Iowa waiting for a cycle shop to source some out of production bits for me.

 True words, learn to repair as much as possible.  On the other hand there are riders paying 100 bucks for an oil change and don't flinch because they think it something special...

[Perazzimx14]

Should you be concerned?  No.   Must mfg carry parts for years?  yes.

Go buy it.

And if they don't what happens? I can't imagine Guzz legally bound or not maintaining a full compliment of parts for bike they no longer produce. Heck 1/2 the time they don't have parts for bikes in current production.

I suppose to get aroung the legal side of things they can simply backorder parts until either the duration passes or you get tired of waiting and move on.

[Lannis]

True words, learn to repair as much as possible.  On the other hand there are riders paying 100 bucks for an oil change and don't flinch because they think it something special...

But that's fine, as long as they are happy with it.   There are very many people who make more money at their job in the hour and a half they'd spend in the garage changing oil than they spend paying the shop to do it.   

Even though retired and on a fixed income now, I very often pull my car in to have the oil and filter changed at a shop because I'd rather pay $25 for the labor they provide than to go home, wait for the car to cool some, jack it up, find the stands and put the car on them, squirm up under the car, splash some oil on myself and the floor, wait for it to all drain out, twiddle the plug back in, finagle my way up to the oil filter, fight it off, twiddle the new one on, and break out 4 quarts of oil and dribble it in, get it off the stands and back on the floor, and put up the stands and tools and wipe everything down.   Hell, I'd pay $50 some days, I don't care how "easy" it is ....

Lannis

[PJPR01]

Another option these days (not sure if they work on all cars though)are the contraptions which suck the oil out of the top, and then just take the oil to the nearest auto parts store to be  recycled.   

[charlie b]

Yes, at one time I did make a lot more than any of the service shop hourly charges.  But, my bike is also one of my hobbies, which includes maintenance on it.  The cages are both under warranty so the dealer does the work on them.

It also depends on the job and how confident I am of the person doing the work.  I had a Honda NT700V and the dealers did not see many of them.  One guy had the rear drive destroyed cause the dealer serviced it incorrectly.

[Lannis]

It also depends on the job and how confident I am of the person doing the work. 

There's that too ....

Lannis

[twowings]

You will wear out LONG before that Stelvio does...buy it and be happy! 

[HDGoose]

A local friend now has a useless Norge. The Piaggio says the dealer failed to perform proper PMI, and the dealer says it's a Piaggio issue. For my own life, liberty and freedom, I'm glad I didn't buy that Norge. He and I were looking at it at the same time. I bought a 2002 used Harley with low miles. He bought the new Guzzi. Not sure what he will buy next. I'm satisfied with the ElectraGlide, still have my 97 Cali1100i, and all is well.

[bad Chad]

Of course there is more to this story than your telling us.  "The dealer failed to perform proper PMI"   according to Piaggio.  "And the dealer says its a Piaggio issue"

Sounds like it has absolutely nothing to do with the bike, but rather some individual or group screwing the pooch.

My 07 Breva with all its electronic bells and whistles continues to be flawless.

[Seventy One]

Rode a Versy 1000LT and a Versy 650 yesterday. Both very nice bikes but still haven't ridden the Stelvio. Need to do that soon.

A local friend now has a useless Norge. The Piaggio says the dealer failed to perform proper PMI, and the dealer says it's a Piaggio issue. For my own life, liberty and freedom, I'm glad I didn't buy that Norge. He and I were looking at it at the same time. I bought a 2002 used Harley with low miles. He bought the new Guzzi. Not sure what he will buy next. I'm satisfied with the ElectraGlide, still have my 97 Cali1100i, and all is well.

Would like to hear more about this. Nature of the problem and/or a dealer name would be good.

Speaking of dealers, has anyone had a bad experiance with Leos South in Lakeville Minnesota?