Moto Guzzi owners

[Riderbythebeach]

Im thinking of getting guzzi age from 2000 onwards, wanting to know about build quality, reliability, parts etc for this brand in NZ
Quite like the 750 Brevia any input from M G owners would be Great

[Hitcher]

You'll have better luck looking for a 750 Breva.

Half of the trick of owning a Moto Guzzi is finding somebody who knows how to service them. Properly.

[AllanB]

Man they can't be hard to service. Two cylinders, shaft drive, pushrod engine.

[Voltaire]

Man they can't be hard to service. Two cylinders, shaft drive, pushrod engine.

True if your that way inclined . All the 750 Moto Guzzis are just an updated late 70's Monza with 4 valve heads and PI.

I get my Lemans parts from http://www.stein-dinse.biz/Moto-Guzz...ml?language=en. Good service and they don't screw you for post like the Americans do.

[smmudd83_1999]

You'll have better luck looking for a 750 Breva.

Half of the trick of owning a Moto Guzzi is finding somebody who knows how to service them. Properly.

I hear that. Guzzis are easy to work on - finding a methodical mechanic who will improve things as he goes is ideal.
You can buy parts from MG Cycle, Stein Dinse, Teo Lamers, Gutsi Bits, Harper's, Moto Strada, NLM...there are loads of specialists out there.
Join a guzzi specialist forum.

I had a Cali for 5 years and put 38k miles on it (a little over 60k kms) before selling. The only issue was a replacement starter motor - a known issue with the Valeo motor and replaced with the modern Bosch unit.
I currently have a V11 Sport. No issues and not let me down.

Generally speaking, after 15 years a lot of the foibles are well documented and sorted by enthusiast owners. The older big block, two valve units give a more unique lairy Guzzi feel compared to the Griso-onwards bikes. I think that's a good thing as they are entertaining, some people think it's weird if they've only ever ridden modern jappas.

[GrayWolf]

I hear that. Just thought I'd try out the local Guzzi dealer with checking my wheel bearings, swapping my discs and pads, bleeding the brake & clutch fluids and changing the fork oil. You know, all the "other jobs" aside from changing oils, filters and checking valve clearances ('cos that's dead easy to do yourself). And they were supposed to balance the TPS (needs doing every so often) - so absolutely nothing "above and beyond" for a Guzzi dealer. All common stuff.

But fark me.

The tech didn't know the weight of fork oil to use. Says he didn't get around to bleeding the rear brake ("because it was really awkward to get to" - if it was easy I'd do it myself you d*head), and says the bearings were "slightly notchy, but that's normal" (sigh - if he's charging me for all this labour a set of SKFs from Saeco precision bearings for $30 ain't going to kill me...because they shouldn't be REMOTELY notchy). He spent ages on the removal of a disc bolt, but I wasn't convinced he had thought of the science behind stuck bolts - I suggested the application of localised heat which he thought was a clever solution - but in the end he cut a slot in the bolt head. Said he'd buy in a set of cap head bolts that would torque up better - but they're not in yet. And this service was completed two weeks ago. Those bolts are stock friggin' standard bolts.
And balancing the TPS? Wasn't done. They plugged the ECU diagnostic in and reset a couple of old error codes but not actually done what I had asked them.

Would I trust these guys if something was REALLY wrong with my Guzzi? No.

And the worrying thing is 1100 Cali's and V11s are some of the most common Guzzis around.
When the mechanic complains "Guzzi owners are fussy and know their machines inside out" it tells me that the reason they are fussy is because folks like you aren't.

the bill for this absolutely useless service?
I thought in my head maybe 4 hours - it would take me about 6 and I'm not a Guzzi specialist mechanic. ...Ready? $728.94

When I picked up my V11 there was another red frame in there being serviced/prepped for sale or whatever - it's not like our bikes are super rare. Yet the mechanic who worked on mine approached the job like it had just landed from Alpha Centauri. I really feel for the owner of the other V11.

Dear Scooterazzi,
read your fucking copy of Guzziology or stop calling yourselves Guzzi dealers.
And if you don't already own Guzziology then FFS where the fuck have you been?

Rant over. I find TSS in Lower Hutt pretty good and might have just got on with the job and done as I asked. And they're not Guzzi specialists. Finding a good mechanic is more important than finding a dealer - you can buy parts from MG Cycle, Stein Dinse, Teo Lamers, Gutsi Bits, Harper's, Moto Strada, NLM...there are loads of specialists out there. Join a forum.

I've used TSS since 2006 when I moved up here. Their service dept,for me, has always been excellent. There have been a couple of times there were issues, one was insufficient parts ordered and brakes had been stripped down ready. ANY time there has been, the 'putting right' has been exactly what you'd expect from a shop that values it's customers.

[skid]

Dear Mr Mudd,

If you were so upset, why did you reply to our workshop follow-up text that you were happy? (I still have the txt on my phone.) We stand by our work and would be only too happy to put right anything we did wrong at no cost. It's a little harsh to come on here and bag us without letting us know you are pissed first.

Dave Freeman was your mechanic and he has years of experience and ran his own shop for many years. As your disc bolts were seized in, it took too much time to get them out and being dome top allen screws the hex does tear out of them very easily (we have new bolts on order for you) Ordinary Allen bolts are much better but not original. Dave didn't want to use a flame and risk ruining the paint on your wheel.

In an attempt not run your bill up further, he decided that the fluid in your rear brake looked virtually new, so he didn't change it. He should have called you and let it be your choice so I apologize and will be happy to do this for you at no cost.

Also happy to see to the TPS, I have no explanation as to why, but again I'd like to fix this for you at no charge.

Sorry for the inconvenience I'll call you when the bolts arrive and we can see to it all at once.
When your next service is due we will provide it free of charge as an attempt to get back in your good books.

Kind regards
Mark Hodson
Owner Scooterazzi

I hear that. Just thought I'd try out the local Guzzi dealer with checking my wheel bearings, swapping my discs and pads, bleeding the brake & clutch fluids and changing the fork oil. You know, all the "other jobs" aside from changing oils, filters and checking valve clearances ('cos that's dead easy to do yourself). And they were supposed to balance the TPS (needs doing every so often) - so absolutely nothing "above and beyond" for a Guzzi dealer. All common stuff.

But fark me.

The tech didn't know the weight of fork oil to use. Says he didn't get around to bleeding the rear brake ("because it was really awkward to get to" - if it was easy I'd do it myself you d*head), and says the bearings were "slightly notchy, but that's normal" (sigh - if he's charging me for all this labour a set of SKFs from Saeco precision bearings for $30 ain't going to kill me...because they shouldn't be REMOTELY notchy). He spent ages on the removal of a disc bolt, but I wasn't convinced he had thought of the science behind stuck bolts - I suggested the application of localised heat which he thought was a clever solution - but in the end he cut a slot in the bolt head. Said he'd buy in a set of cap head bolts that would torque up better - but they're not in yet. And this service was completed two weeks ago. Those bolts are stock friggin' standard bolts.
And balancing the TPS? Wasn't done. They plugged the ECU diagnostic in and reset a couple of old error codes but not actually done what I had asked them.

Would I trust these guys if something was REALLY wrong with my Guzzi? No.

And the worrying thing is 1100 Cali's and V11s are some of the most common Guzzis around.
When the mechanic complains "Guzzi owners are fussy and know their machines inside out" it tells me that the reason they are fussy is because folks like you aren't.

the bill for this absolutely useless service?
I thought in my head maybe 4 hours - it would take me about 6 and I'm not a Guzzi specialist mechanic. ...Ready? $728.94

When I picked up my V11 there was another red frame in there being serviced/prepped for sale or whatever - it's not like our bikes are super rare. Yet the mechanic who worked on mine approached the job like it had just landed from Alpha Centauri. I really feel for the owner of the other V11.

Dear Scooterazzi,
read your fucking copy of Guzziology or stop calling yourselves Guzzi dealers.
And if you don't already own Guzziology then FFS where the fuck have you been?

Rant over. I find TSS in Lower Hutt pretty good and might have just got on with the job and done as I asked. And they're not Guzzi specialists. Finding a good mechanic is more important than finding a dealer - you can buy parts from MG Cycle, Stein Dinse, Teo Lamers, Gutsi Bits, Harper's, Moto Strada, NLM...there are loads of specialists out there. Join a forum.

[TLDV8]

It just goes to show how important communication is (at the time)

My own experience of Moto Guzzi's is the same as 'Brit bikes, they are only as good as the previous owners who hopefully never layed a tool on them.

I tend to avoid the 'experts and go my own way, that way if it goes pear shaped the reason why will be in the closest mirror.



I have a copy of Guzziology, I had to laugh at all the ramblings on the 'internet about the threads pulling out of the block on generator (mount) engines.
Two 30 mm deep bosses with (only) 15 mm of M8 thread from the factory, don't remember reading anything about that in Guzziology but might have missed it.
There is a lot of good information in that book but some is way behind the times in general automotive thinking and principles and some basics are simply missed for whatever reason.

If you can not do the job yourself and find a good shop stick with them with open communication.
Sadly for me I have had little luck in general in that department but it meant I learned to do more things for myself.

[TLDV8]

I get my Lemans parts from http://www.stein-dinse.biz/Moto-Guzz...ml?language=en. Good service and they don't screw you for post like the Americans do.

I removed my last post due to a change of plan and ended up placing an order with both Stein-Dinse and HBM GUZZI in Germany.
Both companies deducted the payment last night (before 12:00am De time) within a half hour of each other, this morning I find an email to see the Stein-Dinse package is on its way via UPS so processed and shipped the same day of payment.

[Paulo]

I removed my last post due to a change of plan and ended up placing an order with both Stein-Dinse and HBM GUZZI in Germany.
Both companies deducted the payment last night (before 12:00am De time) within a half hour of each other, this morning I find an email to see the Stein-Dinse package is on its way via UPS so processed and shipped the same day of payment.

Bernd at Stein Dinse (Australia) is a good bloke , you can call him up and speak kiwi and he understands you. quick shipping too.

http://dropbears.com/s/sda/ (this is the Aussie 'Stein Dinse' site not as comprehensive as the German version. same parent company I guess)

[dangerous]

Im thinking of getting guzzi age from 2000 onwards, wanting to know about build quality, reliability, parts etc for this brand in NZ
Quite like the 750 Brevia any input from M G owners would be Great

what ya wana know... 750-1400 awesome, service the farkers yaself, parts easy as, get em in NZ, ride the wheels off em

You'll have better luck looking for a 750 Breva.

Half of the trick of owning a Moto Guzzi is finding somebody who knows how to service them. Properly.

OK wise guy... what is the Breva???
and OI "what you talking bout JJ" any dumb arse can service a Guzzi... fuck even I can