2016 Moto Guzzi V9 Roamer

[nudemetalz]

“What were they think?......have the Moto Guzzi styling department finally lost the plot?” These were my first opinions of the new 2016 V9 Roamer when I first saw pics of it. Mid to late 70s Yamaha is what I thought, XS650 Special or US-spec SR500.


So, when I laid eyes on it when Scooterazzi here in Wellington got one, my opinion of its looks didn’t change either. It was a couple of months ago I tested out the new V7-II Stone which was a lovely bike to ride and looked smart also. Not particularly powerful at 48hp but adequate with only 190kgs to haul around.
With the new V9 Roamer being only 55hp but hauling around 10-15kgs more weight I was also wasn’t expecting much in the performance. I mean to say, my V11 Sport has 91hp and has 220kgs so while not being a ZX-10, is still sprightly enough.

Onto the initial ride. Asked Mark about the bits and pieces to it. He instructed me that MG had told him to keep it under 4500rpm as it only has 300kms on the ODO. Hmm,..going to be tricky without a revcounter.. We had a giggle at that. He just said don’t revlimit it everywhere.
Turn on the key, watch all the LED lights pop on and the speedo needle do a sweep, push the button and she settles into a nice even burble. Not loud, just pleasant. Sit on it and notice the hard seat (the V7 was like that also) wide high bars and quite forward pegs. Yup,..US market, I reckon.


Pull the clutch in and hear the faintest rattle of the well muffled dry clutch, unlike my V11’s death rattle!! Go to put into first gear and my shin hits the cylinder. Damn, it’s a tight fit there.

Alrighties. Off we go. Quite a tall first gear, clunk into second, clunk into third (stilln ew of course) a little shaft drive jack there, not too bad. The gear indicator on the speedo is cool as I notice it has 6 gears. I’m beginning to wonder why as it has a nice spread of torque and pulls from down low. I see it has a two position traction control …errr….with 55hp? ABS is there but I never tested that!!
While riding along I test out the multifunction switch on the left switchblock, with fuel consumption, fuel to go, average speed, clock, traction mode etc. Interesting stuff.

While heading down Aotea Quay I cross over the railway lines outside the CakeTin and notice the rebound in the shocks isn’t that great, a bit of bouncing. Ah well, it isn’t supposed to be a sports bike. Pitch it through the On Ramp onto the motorway, the steering is nice and light with the wide bars, easy to control but a little vague. Onto the motorway and the very upright riding position gets a good wind blast onto the chest which means hanging on harder. I’m just not used to it so just a matter of readjusting. At 100km/h, the V-Twin is cruising along nicely with good overtaking power without needing to downshift. It’s nice and smooth with the mirrors clear and easy to see with elbows in the way.

The low fuel light came on so I stop into the petrol station to fill up. I go to see where I put my key into the cap, then realising it just spins off!! Duh me!! It’s a 15 litre tank but I only manage to get 9.5 litres in so I think the light is a little pessimistic.

The funny thing with this is that I want to not like it but the more I ride it the more I like it. It’s like it’s made to be inoffensive as possible but still with Guzzi quirkiness.

55hp? Don’t care. You don’t need to rev it and it doesn’t make you want to. Whereas my V11 comes onto the cam at around 5000rpm and revs cleanly through to the redline, the V9 does not encourage you to do that. And that is cool. I parked it on the footpath on Oriental Parade on Saturday afternoon and it got so many stares. People like it. It’s not pretty but it’s funky. It’s not muscular like the Eldorado but it’s cute.

Dammit !!
I wish I didn’t like it!!!

Thanks to Mark from Scooterazzi for loaning me the V9 Roamer.

[GrayWolf]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000]“What were they think?......have the Moto Guzzi styling department finally lost theplot?” These were my first opinions of the new 2016 V9 Roamer when I first saw pics of it. Mid to late 70s Yamaha is what I thought, XS650 Special or US-spec SR500.


So,when I laid eyes on it when Scooterazzi here in Wellington got one, my opinion of its looks didn’t change either. It was a couple of months ago I tested out the new V7-II Stone which was a lovely bike to ride and looked smart also. Not particularly powerful at 48hp but adequate with only 190kgs to haul around.


[COLOR=white]With the new V9 Roamer being only 55hp but hauling around 10-15kgs more weight I was also wasn’t expecting much in the performance. I mean to say, my V11 Sport has 91hp and has 220kgs so while not being a ZX-10 is still sprightly enough.
[COLOR=white]On to the initial ride. Asked Mark about the bits and pieces to it. He instructed me that MG had told him to keep it under 4500rpm as it only has 300kms on the ODO. Hmm,..going to be tricky without a revcounter.. We had a giggle at that. He just said don’t revlimit it everywhere.
Turn on the key, watch all the LED lights pop on and the speedo needle do a sweep, push the button and she settles into a nice even burble. Not loud, just pleasant. Sit on it and notice the hard seat (the V7 was like that also) wide high bars and quite forward pegs. Yup,..US market, I reckon.


Pull the clutch in and here the faintest rattle of the well muffled dry clutch, unlike my V11’s death rattle!! Go to put into first gear and my shin hits the cylinder. Damn, it’s a tight fit there.

[COLOR=white]Alrighties. Off we go. Quite a tall first gear, clunk into second, clunk into third (stilln ew of course) a little shaft drive jack there, not too bad. The gear indicator on the speedo is cool as I notice it has 6 gears. I’m beginning to wonder why as it has a nice spread of torque and pulls from down low. I see it has a two position traction control …errr….with 55hp? ABS is there but I never tested that!!
While riding along I test out the multifunction switch on the left switchblock, with fuel consumption, fuel to go, average speed, clock, traction mode etc. Interesting stuff.

[COLOR=white]While heading down Aotea Quay I cross over the railway lines outside the CakeTin and notice the rebound in the shocks isn’t that great, a bit of bouncing. Ah well, it isn’t supposed to be a sports bike. Pitch it through the On Ramp onto the motorway, the steering is nice and light with the wide bars, easy to control but a little vague. Onto the motorway and the very upright riding position gets a good wind blast onto the chest which means hanging on harder. I’m just not used to it so just amatter of readjusting. At 100km/h, the V-Twin is cruising along nicely with good overtaking power without needing to downshift. It’s nice and smooth with themirrors clear and easy to see with elbows in the way.

The low fuel light came on so I stop into the petrol station to fill up. I go to see where I put my key into the cap, then realising it just spins off!! Duh me!! It’s a 15 litre tank but I only manage to get 9.5 litres in so I think the light isa little pessimistic.

The funny thing with this is that I want to not like it but the more I ride it the more I like it. It’s like it’s made to be inoffensive as possible but still with Guzzi quirkiness.

[COLOR=white]55hp? Don’t care. You don’t need to rev it and it doesn’t make you want to. Whereas my V11 comes onto the cam at around 5000rpm and revs cleanly through to the redline, the V9 does not encourage you to do that. And that is cool. I parked it on the footpath on Oriental Parade on Saturday afternoon and it got so many stares. People like it. It’s not pretty but it’s funky. It’s not muscular like the Eldorado but it’s cute.

Dammit !!
I wish I didn’t like it!!!

[COLOR=white]Thanks to Mark from Scooterazzi for loaning me the V9 Roamer.

Glad to read that 'quick fang' love the Guzzi's had a Spada and a Cali over the years...
Funny thing is Jimmy at TSS said exactly the same about the Enfields... he wanted to hate them, but the more he rode them??
You dont need a gazillion bhp to enjoy riding, just decent gobs of torque.

[nudemetalz]

And that the V9 has a lot of. Not 1400cc Cali levels but great for 853cc.
No need to rev it, just cruise along. I reckon it would be a great powerplant for a V7 Racer style.

[The End]

FYI...

Your font being white makes it a little bit hard to read for those of us using different forum themes

[Akzle]

FYI...

Your font being white makes it a little bit hard to read for those of us using different forum themes

css your shit nigga

[nudemetalz]

FYI...

Your font being white makes it a little bit hard to read for those of us using different forum themes

Apologies for that. It was because I typed it in MS Word and then cut and paste but stuffed it up. Have fixed it now.

[dangerous]

Dont get it... why did MG bother, fuck like that styl go get a hardle Dangerous... It s not what the Guzzi people want so why they do it, they have the 1400 cruisers and lots and lots of bloody V7 veraints, and the awesome Griso... but fuck me bring back the daytona, lemans, sport etc, and I dont mean small blocks the 1200 4v engine is a beaut... FFS use that Guzzi, your blood line is GP with a little tour styles added in for a sunday romp...
and CC... you look like a bloody fag on it, go get ya trim larta and pose.

[GrayWolf]

Dont get it... why did MG bother, fuck like that styl go get a hardle Dangerous... It s not what the Guzzi people want so why they do it, they have the 1400 cruisers and lots and lots of bloody V7 veraints, and the awesome Griso... but fuck me bring back the daytona, lemans, sport etc, and I dont mean small blocks the 1200 4v engine is a beaut... FFS use that Guzzi, your blood line is GP with a little tour styles added in for a sunday romp...
and CC... you look like a bloody fag on it, go get ya trim larta and pose.

The bloody 4 valve head had a lot of issues... {again} on the 1200's. Go read the UK/European owners site.
I'm guessing that the V9 is direct competition to the 880/1200 sporty etc. So the style is targeted correctly for that.
HD have set the bar with the 500/750 Indy Davidson's

YOU may not want that style, i've had a Spada and 1100 Cali. the V9's are a 'blank canvas' bike I think they're a good move and hope to see maybe a V9 sport to replace the V7 one.

[dangerous]

The bloody 4 valve head had a lot of issues... {again} on the 1200's. Go read the UK/European owners site.
I'm guessing that the V9 is direct competition to the 880/1200 sporty etc. So the style is targeted correctly for that.
HD have set the bar with the 500/750 Indy Davidson's

YOU may not want that style, i've had a Spada and 1100 Cali. the V9's are a 'blank canvas' bike I think they're a good move and hope to see maybe a V9 sport to replace the V7 one.

I know a few guys with the 4v 12 and only one has an issue, but is knowen with others and thats the hardening on the cam, typical Guzzi fuck up in quality control, tell me more?
The V9 is yet to do the miles I 1st thought they might be like the small block 4v heads and to much in a small block but time will tell.
Compairing to the Indy Davidsons isent cool but ya right... those things are cheap and nasty I expect beter out of the V9, but those that want the Indy want the name on the tank (which it isent) so are unlikely to want a Guzzi let alone ever heard of one.
However yes they will sell a few V9's it will be to the sunday arvo riders and the white collars that ride to work, it is a good replacment to the 750 Navardas etc.

[GrayWolf]

I know a few guys with the 4v 12 and only one has an issue, but is knowen with others and thats the hardening on the cam, typical Guzzi fuck up in quality control, tell me more?
The V9 is yet to do the miles I 1st thought they might be like the small block 4v heads and to much in a small block but time will tell.
Compairing to the Indy Davidsons isent cool but ya right... those things are cheap and nasty I expect beter out of the V9, but those that want the Indy want the name on the tank (which it isent) so are unlikely to want a Guzzi let alone ever heard of one.
However yes they will sell a few V9's it will be to the sunday arvo riders and the white collars that ride to work, it is a good replacment to the 750 Navardas etc.

The valve train issue is the ONE reason {when I decided to part with the MT-01} I passed by a 1200 sport down in Chch new and bought the CB1300s instead.

I understand that Guzzi have modified the 4v head now so the issue should no longer be 'an issue'. Sadly there are cases in Europe on the GoG of 2 0r 3 times to replace the valve train.
I'm hoping that by the time I decide to replace the CB that there will be some nice Norge 4v or Breva's about with the later/modified valve train.

[AllanB]

Hipster bike for the USA? A option to the Ducati Scrambler of HS Sporty?


I'm slightly inclined to agree with DB here on MG's direction. I don't understand why they are not releasing a MGS01 type of machine with a hot rod engine. There is that USA crowd using NASCAR push-rod V8 technology to produce arse kicking Guzzi engines - hello factory.

Take one engine hang off the minimum needed and make it fly.

[Mr Revhead]

Blame Piaggio, their stragegy is "Want a sports bike? buy an Aprilia, want a crusier/tourer or normal/retro style? Buy a Guzzi."

[GrayWolf]

Blame Piaggio, their stragegy is "Want a sports bike? buy an Aprilia, want a crusier/tourer or normal/retro style? Buy a Guzzi."

Guzzi never have really been sports bikes.... Even the Le'Man's was a GT in truth....
they've never been the sharpest handling, or the fastest.. Even the lemon was a 'loping' motor. I'd rather Guzzi 'not' produce a 'real sports bike' in the 'expected' sense.

[dangerous]

Guzzi never have really been sports bikes.... Even the Le'Man's was a GT in truth....
they've never been the sharpest handling, or the fastest.. Even the lemon was a 'loping' motor. I'd rather Guzzi 'not' produce a 'real sports bike' in the 'expected' sense.

YES... a mean GT and for the average rider... but NO, they have made some awesome sports bikes even race bikes, they have held many records (talking trannsvers V2) even my V11 on the track kicks arse of more worthy bikes, handling is great, heavy takes more effort in slower turns faster perfect... watch this shit yes Brittin is playing with it but were the fucks all the ducatis etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McnjxoBQ6TQ

[Paul in NZ]

Dont get it... why did MG bother, fuck like that styl go get a hardle Dangerous... It s not what the Guzzi people want so why they do it, they have the 1400 cruisers and lots and lots of bloody V7 veraints, and the awesome Griso... but fuck me bring back the daytona, lemans, sport etc, and I dont mean small blocks the 1200 4v engine is a beaut... FFS use that Guzzi, your blood line is GP with a little tour styles added in for a sunday romp...
and CC... you look like a bloody fag on it, go get ya trim larta and pose.

The whole point of it is that it DOES NOT look like a Guzzi. Guzzi needs to sell more bikes to people who do not already own a Guzzi. The V7's great for that - the V9 might do a bit more...