Stranger in the Guzzi Garage

[nick949]

Christmas came a few days early.  It's in the garage now, looking a little cross-eyed and shell shocked among all those Guzzis.

Nick

[Guzzi Gal]

BURRRRGMAAAAN!   

[Tom]

400 or 650???

[Vince in Milwaukee]

I'm liking the looks of that seat.  I see a lot of comfortable, fun miles in your future. 

[nick949]

400 or 650???

650. My mate Norm's scooter. I know it's a good one. He has ridden it non-stop from Halifax, Nova Scotia to his home in Ontario. 1557kms (967 miles) and this summer the rode it out to the mountains and back - 5500 miles over 11 days. Didn't miss a beat. Currently has 18,000 miles on it.

The seat is a Corbin, but I have the stock too.

Nick

[Shorty]

Congrats!  Nice sled.

[Tom]

Good mtn. bike.   

[Kiwi_Roy]

A serious motorbike

[oldbike54]

 Maybe the funniest thing that has happened in these parts for years was watching a guy on a Big Burghman outrun a couple of Harley Davidsons from a dead stop up to about 80 MPH . The HD riders were poking fun at the Burghman , and made the mistake of challenging its owner to a race . The excuses were many for why the Harleys were left for dead , twice . " I missed a gear" , "My clutch is slipping" , "the Moon is in the wrong phase" , ( OK , I made that last one up  ) .

 Dusty

[nick949]

Maybe the funniest thing that has happened in these parts for years was watching a guy on a Big Burghman outrun a couple of Harley Davidsons from a dead stop up to about 80 MPH . The HD riders were poking fun at the Burghman , and made the mistake of challenging its owner to a race . The excuses were many for why the Harleys were left for dead , twice . " I missed a gear" , "My clutch is slipping" , "the Moon is in the wrong phase" , ( OK , I made that last one up  ) .

 Dusty

When I had my Breva 1100 I thought I'd do a roll-on and leave Norm (on his previous Burgman 650) in the dust. I quickly got up to 100mph - he was right on my shoulder!  Serious bike!

Nick

[Gliderjohn]

I'm liking the looks of that seat.  I see a lot of comfortable, fun miles in your future.

I forget his last name but Richard ? from Lindsborg, KS. Years ago for a few years he hosted a spring Guzzi event at his motel. Anyway, he had a couple of heart attacks, recovered, bought a Bergman. Said it is like sitting on a sofa and he had earned an iron Butt on it.
GliderJohn

[analog kid]

Christmas came a few days early.  It's in the garage now, looking a little cross-eyed and shell shocked among all those Guzzis.

Nick




So what is Norm going to replace it with?
Maybe you know a guy who'd sell him a Guzzi...

[Kev m]

When I had my Breva 1100 I thought I'd do a roll-on and leave Norm (on his previous Burgman 650) in the dust. I quickly got up to 100mph - he was right on my shoulder!  Serious bike!

Nick

Uh not for nothing but MCN (M Consumer News) has the following quarter mile times for the Burg vs B11:

14.97 VS 13.0

Now sure maybe the CVT offered some advantage in the roll on, or one of you guys are fatter than the other etc, but the SHOULD be a pretty big difference in similar hands.

Heck even Dusty's Harleys should have done better if they were sober lol.

Not dissin on the Burg, I mean CC means something.

[lucian]

I bet that is going to be a lot of fun and make an awesome commuter.  Would be cool looking with some highway pegs. 

[mjptexas]

Uh not for nothing but MCN (M Consumer News) has the following quarter mile times for the Burg vs B11:

14.97 VS 13.0

Now sure maybe the CVT offered some advantage in the roll on, or one of you guys are fatter than the other etc, but the SHOULD be a pretty big difference in similar hands.

Heck even Dusty's Harleys should have done better if they were sober lol.

Not dissin on the Burg, I mean CC means something.

Twist & Go ameliorates a lot of rider sins!  My best timing on one of my favorite twisty roads was on a Mana.  There's a lot to be said for being at peak torque all the time.

[Kev m]

Twist & Go ameliorates a lot of rider sins!  My best timing on one of my favorite twisty roads was on a Mana.  There's a lot to be said for being at peak torque all the time.

Oh yeah sure I had a turbo w/ a CVT for a few years. You're right it forgives a lot of sins. Which is what I was saying there have to be some sins for a B11 or even most Harleys to get caught by a Burg.

[nick949]

Uh not for nothing but MCN (M Consumer News) has the following quarter mile times for the Burg vs B11:

14.97 VS 13.0

Kev
    I think it says a lot more about the riders skills than the bikes.    The point was, it seemed pretty surprising fast (and more than fast enough) to me.

Nick

[Kev m]

Kev
    I think it says a lot more about the riders skills than the bikes.    The point was, it seemed pretty surprising fast (and more than fast enough) to me.

Nick

Absolutely on all counts!!!

Oh crap, congrats if I didn't say it before...too distracted.

Merry Christmas!!!

[Tom]

Depress foot brake.  Increase engine to max rpm's.  Release brakes.      (para-phrasing) the Convert Owner's manual.   The big single should make it accelerate pretty smartly. 

[nick949]

Depress foot brake.  Increase engine to max rpm's.  Release brakes.      (para-phrasing) the Convert Owner's manual.   The big single should make it accelerate pretty smartly. 

Tom, 

     FYI  The 650s are double overhead cam, 4 valve per cylinder twins. In the Suzuki range the 400s and smaller are singles.  The Convert launch may work but the CVT is a bit different to the Convert's hydraulic torque converter and may not appreciate it.  Perhaps I'll find out 

Nick

[Tom]

Rode the 400 not the 650.  Vespa's and the BV500.  Seemed to help for a quicker accelerated launch.   

[kingoffleece]

Can't seem to get a picture to load but the bride just got (from me) a new BMW G310R for next season.  Nice build quality-I was pleasantly surprised.

[wymple]

I checked out the 650 this summer. Really surprised at how heavy they are.

[rider33]

I keep two bikes in the city, my Vespa GT and new V7iii (two Italians, what the hell was I thinking?).
I use the scooter for inner-city transport, the V for back road carving.  People who don't ride scooters never quite understand the simple pleasures of a lighter weight, shorter wheelbase vehicle with internal storage, and a low COG.  That's the practical side, the real entertainment value tho is in passing pick-up trucks and sports cars on the freeway on one.  The inevitable 'WTF?' look is priceless :)

[Lannis]

  That's the practical side, the real entertainment value tho is in passing pick-up trucks and sports cars on the freeway on one.  The inevitable 'WTF?' look is priceless :)

I had a new 1979 Vespa P200E, kickstart, twist-grip shift, and a two-stroke engine and 10" wheels in a stamped steel frame designed for just over walking speed with a 90cc engine in Italian towns; and the engine would push it to 70 MPH.

When I passed a pickup truck or a sports car, in side breezes and normal pavement roughness, the "WTF?" look wasn't on the pickup driver's face, it was on MINE, accompanied by stark terror .....

Lannis

[Sheepdog]

My brother-in-law is a Bergman fan. He's owned a bunch of bikes, but likes the 650 Executive best. My wife and I have a Piaggio BV500. I've had that rascal to 100 mph (indicated). The handling on these scooters with larger diameter wheels is pretty good (they're sensitive about tire pressure, though). I wouldn't call it a lightweight, however. It weighs about 430 lbs...

[rider33]

yeah, that's the other thing about a scooter: it's way more fun to go fast on a little bike than on a big one.  My Vespa weighs something like 300# and at 75MPH you feel like you are Mario Andretti.  Conversely, I used a ST1300 for touring duties (Paneuropean for out friends across the pound) for a while. I forget what it weighed but it had to be something like 750-800# and it carried that weight pretty high.  75MPH felt pretty much like 95MPH which felt pretty much like 105, you had to watch yourself on that bike.  On a scooter if you jump on the gas you are very much aware that you are on a small device going likely faster than you should.  The edge may not be as sharp but it's much more visible.  Then again if I just wanted to be lulled to sleep I could drive a car...

[jas67]

Can't seem to get a picture to load but the bride just got (from me) a new BMW G310R for next season.  Nice build quality-I was pleasantly surprised.

Congrats!   Looking forward to ride reports.

[TimmyTheHog]

Awesome man!

Bergman 650 is one hella of bike and a very under valued  one at that! 

Too often it been taken not serious enough!

[stonelover]

Congrats & Merry Christmas---You just bought what may well be my next ride.  Turning 79 in January and know that eventually it will be hard to swing a leg over.  The Burgman should fill the bill.  In the meantime I'll simply Guzzi on!