Finally rode a V9, and actually bought one!

[smdl]

You can update your signature now.   

Congratulations!

Cheers,
Shaun

[Kev m]

I assume JCC (good to see you btw) was talking about the silly pedantic discussion of family, DNA, lineage, bla bla BS.

[mjptexas]

The real surprise to me is the handling.  For a cruiser-ish bike, it's very nimble.  it loves to lean and turn, while the fat front wheel keeps it planted.  I think most people see the front wheel and think it's all a styling exercise, but I'd submit there's a good chemistry between the chassis and the oversized front wheel.  It works much better than one would expect.

Ground clearance is limited, but not as much as I was led to believe in some of the reviews I read.  It's not like you're scraping everywhere you go.  I was on some tight twisties today and no scraping even at a moderately fast pace.  If your goal is to tear up twisty roads, you probably should be on a different bike in the first place.

I had a Sportster Custom with fat 16 inches front and back.  Handling was quite good albeit limited by cornering clearance.

WRT ground clearance: won't be an issue for anyone but knee draggers.

[jas67]

First of all, it's just great to be back on a Guzzi.  It's been about 3 years without one.

I'm still enjoying your former V7R 

Congrats on the new Bobber, and thanks for the ride report.     

[FL-Mike]

I'll take a red one if they come to the U. S.

Me too!  Although I think both the pearl white and yellow look good, I think the red is just fantastic.  Not sure what the chances are of the US getting red....  I think the bike just looks super unique, I've never seen anything with quite that styling. 

[bkiser]

I agree with Adan's assessment of the bike exactly.  The peg placement might look cruiser-ish with the slightly forward controls, but when riding, it just feels right.  Unlike my previous Bonneville, the controls are out of the way when putting feet down.  Makes everything so much smoother.  The Bonneville also required a shift to 2nd right about mid-intersection after every light.  Not so on the V9....first has some legs.  Initially, I intended to put some lower, narrower bars on the bike as I've just never cared for drag-style broomstick bars, but Guzzi got these spot-on.  The brakes are vastly better than the Bonneville in bite, power, and feel.  My neighbor has a new Thruxton R, which is a great bike, but he prefers the brakes on the V9.  It just seems that Piaggio paid attention to some details here and there and got them right.  I also imagine they learned a few lessons from the V9 which will make for a better V7III.

[Adan]

Couple updates to report.

I have Matris cartridges on the front and Matris standard shocks on the rear.  Vastly better than stock.  I felt that stock was tolerable, but the bike felt toy-like.  Now it feels roadworthy.  Still a very firm ride, but the Matris shocks, unlike the stock ones, will not transmit big jolts to your spine.  Overall the bike feels much more planted and confidence-inspiring. 

I wouldn't fault anyone for keeping the stock suspension and moderating their riding.  That's sort of what this goofy bike was intended for.  But there's a lot to be gained here by upgrading.

I've been getting 48-50 mpg on the open road measured as mileage divided by refill volume.  That's about 8% less than claimed by the onboard computer.  Cruising on the freeway at a constant 55 mph in 6th gear, the dash tells me I'm getting around 72 mpg.  Assuming an 8% optimism, that's still 66 mpg.

The Bobber flyscreen is reasonably effective and a must for highway travel.

The solo "comfort" seat is slightly better than the stock, but not much.  It gets you from maybe 40 minutes up to an hour before you're aching.  I feel like the problem is not the amount of padding but the lack of contour.  Even the comfort seat never lets you forget that you're on a minimalist bobber.  By contrast, I sat on the Triumph Bobber and didn't want to get up, it's so well-contoured.

[aschem]

Picture reminds of a place I sometimes passed by in Monterey, CA

[Adan]

Picture reminds of a place I sometimes passed by in Monterey, CA

It's the town of Mendocino, which as you may already know played the role of Monterey in the film East of Eden.

[greer]

Thanks for the report and the pictures Adan, beautiful bike!  Is there a good bit of foam in that seat?  A belt sander will remove that uncomfortable crown in no time flat.

Sarah

[Roamer853]

I'll take a red one if they come to the U. S.

I bought one down in Sydney Australia. (Yes its RED)
My first real bike after riding a 200cc Aprilia Sport city for 8 years
A big step up and its taking some getting used to - but the journey is fun
It moves and twists and shudders and growls.
51 and got a scooter licence
59 and riding an 800cc bronco.
Luverly

[changohot]

I picked up a 2017 Roamer last week and rode  it from Eugene, Oregon to Portland, went well. Can't really tell the difference from my V7, yet.   I'll have to get use to the new  tech stuff on the Roamer compared to my V7. Love the V7!

[PasoDuc88]

Picked up a Giallo Solare Roamer - my first Guzzi - last Friday after months of obsessing over these beautiful (in my opinion) machines.  In the 90+ miles I have put on her, I have found the character of the ride to be incredibly true to the reputation Guzzi is known for - a real blast just thumping down the road  .. I envision becoming more and more fond of this bike as the miles accumulate.

[passator cortese]

hi there, I just  bought a V9 Bobber. I'm waiting to have it delivered, I have a question do you guys know if the MY2017 for USA market is already equipped with the revised footpegs?

[DaSwami]

hi there, I just  bought a V9 Bobber. I'm waiting to have it delivered, I have a question do you guys know if the MY2017 for USA market is already equipped with the revised footpegs?

To my knowledge they did move the pegs back from 2016 to 2017 models.   If I'm correct they moved them back even further in the 2018 models, at least in the Roamer.   Looking at photos online seems to confirm this.

[mjptexas]

To my knowledge they did move the pegs back from 2016 to 2017 models.   If I'm correct they moved them back even further in the 2018 models, at least in the Roamer.   Looking at photos online seems to confirm this.

Yes, they have moved them back.  I installed the oem kit on my V9.  There are some comparative pictures near the end of this thread:

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=88136.0

[PasoDuc88]

To my knowledge - and in my purchase experience - the USA MY 2017 V9s were not equipped with rear-set (revised) pegs from the factory, but included rear-set pegs as a free option (I was given the rear-sets by my dealer, but have not yet installed them as I'm content with the original peg set-up).  However, I understand USA MY 2018 V9s will be delivered from the factory with the same rear-mount set-up the Euro MY 2017 V9s are equipped with.  And as others have noted, this set-up will place the pegs even a bit further to the rear than what is possible with the rear-sets available for/included with the USA MY 2017 V9s...  I know - confusing.   

[Jackr]

I’ve had my 2016 Roamer about 15 months now. Not much to add to this discussion, just glad to see some others riding these things and reading about the experience. Don’t know much about the DNA history, lineage, etc of the V9, or how it fits overall into Guzzi history. My previous three Guzzi’s were big block Californias. I’m pushing 25k on my Roamer and find it works beautifully for my riding, which includes general transportation, some cross country rides (I had a handful of 600 mi days this summer on a 6,000mi trip), and seems close to perfection for a lot of the canyon riding I do here in CO. As I stated on a thread some months ago, I see my Roamer as a fine all rounder that is fun to ride to the liquor store or out to the west coast and keeps a big grin on my face as I ride the scenic routes around here. It feels quick and agile, with enough juice to make it real.




post picture to web

[passator cortese]

I think PasoDUC88 is right, from the picture of my v9 I can see the pegs in the 2016 position, I'll ask the dealer the 2017 pegs

[Devildog]

25k miles in 15 months! Well done Jack. Any thing needed doing besides scheduled maintenance and tires? No cold weather or high altitude fueling issues?
Bill

[Jackr]

Devildog...No extra maintenance or adjustments. I did have the recall work for the front brake cable done last summer. Other than that, and the few changes I�ve made to the basic bike (solo seat, proper horn, lose the charcoal canister and associated plumbing, remove the unwanted stuff like passenger footpegs and exhaust heat shields), I follow the maintenance schedule in the owner�s manual and ride as much as I can. This is my 4th Guzzi and that�s one aspect I like about the marque - I flog these machines without much thought (other than the regular maintenance as I mentioned) to anything more complicated than riding. I respect and admire those who spend time with their machines in the garage maintaining, upgrading, and tinkering, but for me the big enjoyment and ultimate satisfaction comes from riding. I believe the best maintenance for any motorcycle is to ride it every day.

Having said that, I find it useful to know and be on friendly terms with someone who does possess the knowledge, skill, experience, and tools to sort things out when needed, which invariably happens.

So far so good with my V9!