Your first Guzzi....?

[j.r.r.]

My first Guzzi and actually first motorcycle is '16 Audace which I bought in May 2016. My second bike is also Guzzi, '09 California Vintage which I bought 'used' in September 2016 with 4,800 km on odometer. Both are great looking bikes but as I gain more experience riding, Audace becomes my favorite ride. The biggest problem with Vintage are floorboards which are located too high for my liking.




If I would be 20 years younger I would buy Stelvio, it is my dream bike but being 64 and about 5'11" the Stelvio is very intimidating proposition. I know I would have big problem handling this bike not to mention getting on and off with my busted hips :( I like to see V85 in dealer showrooms, it is very probable I will trade Vintage then.

[Muzz]

My first Guzzi and actually first motorcycle is '16 Audace which I bought in May 2016. My second bike is also Guzzi, '09 California Vintage which I bought 'used' in September 2016 with 4,800 km on odometer. Both are great looking bikes but as I gain more experience riding, Audace becomes my favorite ride. The biggest problem with Vintage are floorboards which are located too high for my liking.




If I would be 20 years younger I would buy Stelvio, it is my dream bike but being 64 and about 5'11" the Stelvio is very intimidating proposition. I know I would have big problem handling this bike not to mention getting on and off with my busted hips :( I like to see V85 in dealer showrooms, it is very probable I will trade Vintage then.

Shite J.R.R!!! That's a fairly daunting machine for a first bike!

[j.r.r.]

Shite J.R.R!!! That's a fairly daunting machine for a first bike!

Not really, I started a year before on '14 Vespa GTV 300. After riding Vespa for couple months I knew I need bigger/stronger bike. Many people advised me to buy something like 500cc bike first and then 750cc next year and when all is kosher go for 1400cc. At the time I was 62 YO and waiting 3 years to get bike I like was not an option, I could be dead before I get bike I want :) The only scary experience was when I switched to VELOCE mode and having no idea what to expect I almost failed of the bike when I applied throttle the way I did on my Vespa. Audace is not Vespa, it requires a bit more attention/concentration when doing slow maneuvers but totally managable. GREAT BIKE!

[JoeKirby]

Posting for my son.  We are long time Triumph owners, I had a Bonneville for 34 years, a Sprint, and Thruxton. I bought a V7 a few years ago and fell in love with Guzzi.  My son just recently sold the Sprint and went out and bought a V9 from Cadre Cycle, Great bike and great dealer.

[nc43bsa]

Daytona

Very familiar with Lig Birch's Triumph shop.  Spent lotsa hours there during Bike Weeks working on my race bike and helping on others.

[larrys]

Started riding in '73 with a '68 Bonneville chopper. Still have it. Owned, built, bought and sold many a British bike before finding my first Guzzi. In 1982 I bought a '76 silver Convert with a California sidecar from a friend's father's estate. Had only 3K miles on it. My friend and his "buddy" had set up the rig. It almost killed me driving it home 'cause it pulled so hard to the right. Bunch of welding and fabricating later, I had it set up correctly. Rode it for a year and sold it to an old guy. Used the cash to buy to buy the only new bike I have ever bought, an '83 red and white SP.
Larry

[Trogladyte]

In 1982 I bought a T3.

I had been dedicated to BSAs and Triumphs, but was finding them hard work as bikes were my only means of transport. I wanted something similar with heavy duty simple engineering, but more reliable. I went to the Stonehenge free festival in June 82, and half a doze hippy bikers trumbled in on Guzzis. I was transfixed by the glorious sound and the iconic longitudinal V.

A couple of months later I had bought a 1976 850 T3.

Since then I've had a V750 Special, a 750 Breva, an 850 le Mans III with big bore kit, and an 8v Griso 1200.

[jwinwi]

In the summer of 1987 I'd had a Honda CX500 for maybe a year and was looking for a bigger bike with more long distance capability. Looked in the Yellow Pages (remember those?) and found a local dealer selling Ducati, Guzzi and they also serviced Brit bikes. During one of my first visits they were warming up a 750 Paso with BUB mufflers inside the showroom. I knew this was my kind of place. The only bike they had in my price range was a faded brown '75 850T with 40K miles, a white Wixom? fairing and Trunk. It was not love at first site... But they said they would take my Honda plus $500 for it so a deal was struck. It had just been traded in and not 'safety checked' when I looked at it. Dealer said they'd call me after they had a chance to go over it. Turns out the clutch was shot so after they replaced the clutch they called to say 'come and get it'.
They sold it for the agreed-on  price even though they put about $400 worth of parts and labor in it. Took a short test ride and by the time I was deep into second gear I understood what Guzzi was all about. Sooo much more motorcycle than the CX500. Long legged and super stable. Got back to sign the papers and my face hurt from smiling. As we finished up the papers the dealer noticed that the previous owner's last name was the same as mine... So it was like the bike was staying in the family!