Oi you lot! Yes you! The bunch of people shuffling off because you've seen Moto Guzzi in the thread title. Back here. Now.
I need to qualify this piece before I say anything else.
I'm not a rampant Guzzi-phile, though I do have friends who are.
Now that we have that over I can begin. I'm not one to turn down a free ride. Especially on something that I've wanted to try VERY much, just to see if Leon Moss' (man who made his own Dyno in the '70s and in partnership with John Robinson, technical editor of Performance Bikes magazine, introduced us all to the Dyno Chart.) old maxim, of, "The only reason I could conceive of wanting to own a Moto Guzzi was if I wanted a mooring for a boat", still holds true.
It doesn't. Not by a long chalk. My previous Guzzi riding experience is limited to a recent 750 Breva and a V50 that fell to bits when the front wheel was hoiked off the ground. As amusing as it is to watch the front end falling out of a bike before the rider has reached anything like a balance point, it is NOT BLOODY FUNNY if you're the pilot.
I have been around people who have experienced the joy of Mk5 Le Mans ownership (I followed one around Manfield once and was astounded to see it shaking its head in a straight line, violently enough to make body work fall off), V65 Lario pwnership (sic, and deliberate) which involved a direct line to the Director's desk - in Italy thanks to the V65's propensity for exploding on a regular basis, and Paul in NZ's fantastic Mk2, which hasn't been out much lately. Dangerous has also chased me around the backroads of the Wairarapa on his glorious Nero Corsa, so I am aware of the highs and lows that can be generated by the proud and faintly quirky (kinky?) Moto Guzzi brand.
Looking at a V11 from side-on makes it look long low and fat, and from the rear positively enormous. Oprah in a "robustly healthy" phase should invest in a V11 as an arse shrinking fashion accessory. Sit on it though and all you can see is the front of the tank, which looks mighty narrow, that spine frame where it meets the headstock, and the bars and instruments. Those cylinder heads do not stick out anything like as much as you would expect and an average sized person only bangs their knee on one if they don't stick their knee out a bit when shifting their weight around. Eh Jim. My word, that hurt!
I could tell we were going to get on OK on the way down Maungaraki's brilliant hairpins. It holds a line really well and and steers precisely. The Brembo's up front are amazing, linear in feel and power and Strong.
The blipping the throttle and having it move to the right-a-little-thing. It's not a problem people. Put any thought of the torque reaction from the longitudinal crank meaning you have to adjust your riding style to suit out of your mind. The shaft drive is one of the least problematic it has been my pleasure to experience. Progress can be a bit "lurchy" trying to carry low revs in town, but you can just try another gear to get around that.
The Breva 750 evokes a "Girly Bike" response from most people. Girls from Boudicca to Condolezza Rice have proved that being "Girly" isn't in anyway detrimental when kicking butt. The V11 probably looks and feels more manly and certainly requires a bit of strength to ride, but personally I prefer stable and heavy to twitchy and minuscule. Learning how much shove relates to how much lean angle comes pretty naturally and as my confidence rose what I thought was going to be hard work in the twisties over the Rimutakas and out around Lake Wairarapa to Lake Ferry wasn't. One discovered a bike that liked to flow through corners, little braking required at a sensible measured pace, but overall still quick enough to keep the ancient parts of my brain entertained.
The engine is a work of art. V-Twin vibes aside (which you do get used to) this engine likes to rev and has a "cammy" feel about it. Over 5000rpm (8000rpm redline) and progress is brisk, the air-cooled engine not revving with quite the alacrity of, say, a Buell engine, but this is offset by having quite a few more revs to play with. It does NOT feel like a 50 year old military tractor engine, however that is supposed to feel. The fuel injection is a little abrupt off a closed throttle, but so is a 2004 Yamaha R6.
This bike eats sweepers. Sports bike levels of ground clearance and handling that rewards setting a corner up in a deliberate fashion means that you can do surprising things in the company of "better", "faster" bikes. Firm suspension transmits all the information you could ever need about what is going on underneath you and you can concentrate on picking turn in points, apexes, and winding that engine up on the exit of corners. Fast direction changes require conscious counter steering and sympathetic shifting of body weight, but what a manly feeling to throw that bike from side to side.
The V-11 talks loudly and constantly, communicating like an Italian Mother-in-law demanding grandchildren. Bars shimmy on corner exits, the torque reaction as you blip the throttle going down through the gears reminds you to match revs and road speed perfectly, the brakes reassure you that you can sort just about any problem out, and the whole bike moves better than its mass would suggest.
You read bad press about Moto Guzzi often enough and you'll buy into the line that Moto Guzzis are irrelevant old-tech expressions of Italian tradition. Total rubbish. I haven't enjoyed the challenge of riding a big sporty GT style of bike quite as much as I did the V11, ever. It reminds me of a MUCH more expensive V-Twin GT, the Yamaha MT-01, but without the drawbacks of that price tag, tiny fuel tank, and the need to spend a small fortune to get to V11 levels of sound and go. A good V11 can be had for half the price of an MT-01. My understanding is that the Griso, Norge, Breva 850/1100, 1200 Sport, all improve on the V11. That's big praise. A V11 both meets and exceeds your expectations of a Guzzi. The good ones I mean, not the bad stuff, Ok?
Thank you Mr & Mrs Nudemetalz for the opportunity to play with a proper motorcycle. Distinctive, characterful, and surprisingly sporty.
It is "all good". Except for the flat rear tyre. Good thing you two have gone away to the Mainland in your car and don't need the bike. Gosh darn it!
I hope you had a Merry Christmas everyone, and that Santa delivered as expected. I hope this little Christmas review might open your eyes to possibilities for the New Year, that riding bikes just like the ones your mates ride doesn't have to be the only option.
Edit: Added pictures, and that screen works brilliantly. Sure is a handsome beast.
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yank tank at Glenorchy 2006 rally
Originally Posted by Rashika
out of my budget.
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