It's actually cheaper than the F650. There's no drive maintenance. And... there's something about V-twins that's very yummy. Not to mention that torque is a Handy Thing 'round town. And the sitting position fits me like a glove.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_23_05/32.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_23_05/35.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_23_05/37.jpg)
OK, practical stuff aside, this bike is delicious.
looks hot
WOW...how many bikes do you have??...
nice bike :thumb:
Time to update your signature block again! :thumb:
a lab job is starting to look better and better...
Nice buy! :thumb:
Those looked great at the Cycle World show but I was really drooling over the Griso :kiss:
you are rich in motorcycles.
Nice bike! It's really too bad Orange Peel seems to be standard equipment on bikes and vehicles these days. :?
It's a plastic tank, so I won't dicker too much over the paint surface. And the metallic red glows delightfully in the light. But I know what you mean - I saw a Carerra the other day, and it had significant orange peel. Yeesh.
That's three bikes... ja, they are my weakness. Still, it's a cheap weakness, as they go - all of my bikes together add up to the cost of one nice car (especially if you factor in maintenance, parking, and insurance!).
If you want a lab job, look at biotech - that's where the $ is! Long hours in academe for less money - but the political issues aren't the same. Not to say there aren't any politics, but it's of a different flavor. Anyhoo, it's late and I'm rambling. More pics, then to bed.
Love the GS, but this ain't chopped liver. Very elegant and Italian. Delightful little details - temp gauge and clock in the cluster, ice warning when the temp drops a la BMW auto's OBC, yadda. It does a little torque dance at idle, but is marvelously smooth at 3K and over. And it pulls steadily and strong, without drama. It has a quiet but complex exhaust note. And the cylinder heads act almost like fairing.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_23_05/39.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_23_05/42.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_23_05/44.jpg)
90 degree V-twin, just like the SV. Oriented differently, though. Air-cooled, fuel-injected, dry clutch, shaft drive.
Congrats! :thumb: :thumb:
I just LOVE Guzzis and this is probably the most user-friendly and versatile of the current crop. If my knees weren't on the way out I'd seriously consider one of those for myself.
Or the 1100 version. :cheers:
have you even broke the gs in yet?
Quote from: davipuhave you even broke the gs in yet?
1500 miles... I'm working on it. :)
hrmf... dry clutch... does that meant that it's burnable-out like a car's?
well take a thurs/fri off and ride down here.
SHEESH!!!
Can I borrow one of your bikes for a while? :P
Quote from: crashhrmf... dry clutch... does that meant that it's burnable-out like a car's?
Yes, but it's really hard to do. You are more likely to strip out the splines than burn out the plate.
Eg, mv V65 had the sam clutch plate as a Fiat 500 Bambino. Considering the weight difference between the two, I think it was prolly overkill.
Congrats! I've always liked the looks of those Brevas, especially in red.
OK, it's not perfect. The shifting is absolutely silky-smooth, like ice cream - but if you think the GS has a false-first gear problem, you should try this bike. It's only first, but I'm still getting used to the sensation of what first feels like when you actually hit it. A little embarassing at lights.
Also, the brakes suffer from beginner-biker pads. The calipers and rotors are the same as you find on bigger bikes, though, so as soon as the HH sintered EBCs come in, this puppy is going to stop. :)
Since the tank is plastic, I picked up one of these. I have really come to love tank bags.
http://www.newenough.com/tour_master_cortech_super_mini_strap_tank_bag_page.htm
How would you compare this to the GS? I was thinking about one of these at one point but decided the performance would be pretty much the same.
They have nice accessories for the breva
It is nothing like the GS, IMO. The handling isn't as flickable, although it can make a dandy U-turn; I haven't tried to scrape anything, but I'm willing to bet it won't lean as far before it does. The power is way higher, and much lower down in the rev range. The gearing is taller to offset that a bit. The sound is different. The seating position is much more upright. It's more of a tourer to the GS's sport/street.
They do have nice acce$$ories, but that's why I didn't get 'em. I love the hard saddlebags, but not to an $800 extent!
Quote from: RoadstergalOK, it's not perfect. The shifting is absolutely silky-smooth, like ice cream - but if you think the GS has a false-first gear problem, you should try this bike. It's only first, but I'm still getting used to the sensation of what first feels like when you actually hit it. A little embarassing at lights.
Also, the brakes suffer from beginner-biker pads. The calipers and rotors are the same as you find on bigger bikes, though, so as soon as the HH sintered EBCs come in, this puppy is going to stop. :)
Since the tank is plastic, I picked up one of these. I have really come to love tank bags.
http://www.newenough.com/tour_master_cortech_super_mini_strap_tank_bag_page.htm
a plastic tank? :?
or tank coating?
Nope, it's all plastic. So was the Aprilia's. Dave told me Guzzis all have plastic tanks since the early '90s.
It does make some sense - lighter, and doesn't corrode.
Quote from: RoadstergalNope, it's all plastic. So was the Aprilia's. Dave told me Guzzis all have plastic tanks since the early '90s.
It does make some sense - lighter, and doesn't corrode.
you are right about that, but plastic can be easily damaged =(
what kind of plastic is it? is heat an issue, like sitting in the sun all day?
id be more worried about people carving little drawings into my plastic tank =(
I haven't tested the sitting-in-the-sun-all-day thing, but I imagine the Guzzi engineers - and owners from the past 10 years - have. ;) After all, a lot of car body parts are made of plastic; the front and rear pieces and bumpers on my Miata, e.g. And you can carve in metal as well as plastic. What the heck, a lot of my gear is plastic... can we have a gratuitous Graduate reference? :)
Oh, one more good thing about this bike.
THE HORN IS LOUD.
I gave a honk to someone who was lane-changing without signaling or looking, and my word, it was like the lord almighty put his hand out of the clouds and shook his finger at the cage.
Honda is going to plastic tanks, as is Ducati for the monsters.
Must be a new trend....
Quote from: RoadstergalI haven't tested the sitting-in-the-sun-all-day thing, but I imagine the Guzzi engineers - and owners from the past 10 years - have. ;) After all, a lot of car body parts are made of plastic; the front and rear pieces and bumpers on my Miata, e.g. And you can carve in metal as well as plastic. What the heck, a lot of my gear is plastic... can we have a gratuitous Graduate reference? :)
Oh, one more good thing about this bike.
THE HORN IS LOUD.
I gave a honk to someone who was lane-changing without signaling or looking, and my word, it was like the lord almighty put his hand out of the clouds and shook his finger at the cage.
well anything can be damaged, just that tank paint can be repainted, deep grooves in plastic? i have no idea how one would go about fixing that? some kind of space filler goop (bondo?)and new paint?
well either way i doubt either of us will have some stranger carving things into our tanks...
Ja, I would guess corrosion is more common.
Pics of the tank bag and the Sport bags I got for the GS - the latter swap between the bikes fine. Now I can carry all of the crap I might need to.
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_27_05/59.jpg)
(http://www.roadstergal.info/6_27_05/64.jpg)
The second pic shows how red the bikini fairing is. I like that.
To fill plastic scrapes, use glazing compount, can be found at auto parts stores...
VERY nice bike by the way... something not many people have, I know I've never seen one like it.
A very unique motorcycle. It's good to have something that not everyone and their mother rides.
now you can carry almost as much as me. :P
nice. friend of my dad's recommended against test-riding a moto guzzi. he said that once you do, you'll need to buy it.
What is wrong with the SV as a commuter...
I'd get tickets. :P
I'm spoiled; I want my commuter to be comfy and upright. When you're going over 520, every bit of increased sightline is a bit more of a time buffer between you and the clueless cager doing something stupid and potentially lethal.
That's why I love I-90... WIDE OPEN! Not to mention the carpool lane the whole way... :thumb: