Moto Guzzi to make only Tourers

[BrianK]

Originally Posted by rocker59

Fixt.

Oh, and a few of them were raced...

Yahh, my Eldo is "The Machine Built Exclusively for Unlimited Touring."

It's still a cruiser, though. Cop bike, through and through.

[conchscooter]

This is a tourer but not a cruiser, new for 2011 in the US ( I think it is a cheapo cruiser called the Bellagio in Italy) so perhaps Moto Guzzi is dumping new old stock before sweeping us all away with a whole new range of motorcycles that we will never actually see on US roads anywhere outside San Francisco?
Really this look suspiciously like a 1999 in matt black to me.

[JohninVT]

Originally Posted by conchscooter

This is a tourer but not a cruiser, new for 2011 in the US ( I think it is a cheapo cruiser called the Bellagio in Italy) so perhaps Moto Guzzi is dumping new old stock before sweeping us all away with a whole new range of motorcycles that we will never actually see on US roads anywhere outside San Francisco?
Really this look suspiciously like a 1999 in matt black to me.

That isn't a Bellagio. The Bellagio has a CARC and is a 940. The pic you posted is of the California which has been around in various guises for a long, long time. Tubless tires, dual disc Brembo's with a linked system, fully adjustable suspension, steering damper....it's a cruiser that will haul ass around corners.

[rocker59]

Originally Posted by conchscooter

This is a tourer but not a cruiser, new for 2011 in the US ( I think it is a cheapo cruiser called the Bellagio in Italy)

It's a stripped California Vintage...

[rocker59]

Originally Posted by JohninVT

That isn't a Bellagio. The Bellagio has a CARC and is a 940. The pic you posted is of the California which has been around in various guises for a long, long time. Tubless tires, dual disc Brembo's with a linked system, fully adjustable suspension, steering damper....it's a cruiser that will haul ass around corners.

Yes, just another California variant. This time based on the Cal Vin.

No tubeless. The same chromed steel tube-type rims from the Cal Vin.

[JohninVT]

Originally Posted by rocker59

Yes, just another California variant. This time based on the Cal Vin.

No tubeless. The same chromed steel tube-type rims from the Cal Vin.

I dunno, the UK spec's for the Black Eagle list tubeless Behr's.

[rocker59]

Originally Posted by JohninVT

I dunno, the UK spec's for the Black Eagle list tubeless Behr's.

But the Cal Vintage doesn't have the Behr wheels.

And, neither does the Black Eagle shown in all the photos so far.

I don't think they'll be putting $2k worth of wheels on a flat black base model...

I guess we'll see what we actually get when the bikes hit the floors...

[lousgoose]

Originally Posted by rocker59

But the Cal Vintage doesn't have the Behr wheels.

And, neither does the Black Eagle shown in all the photos so far.

I don't think they'll be putting $2k worth of wheels on a flat black base model...

I guess we'll see what we actually get when the bikes hit the floors...

+1 and just overall, I can't really see where this press release is greatly different from what the company has been doing for years. Nope, it doesn't exactly jive with the Terblanche concept bikes but those were "concept" bikes and "touring" can mean just about anything. Put boxes on a Griso and shazam, you've got what some folks call a tourer. I think what it mostly means is just what we already knew, Guzzi's won't try to compete with outrageously fast and powerful sporting machines.

[Pantah]

I rode a Griso on Saturday for about 100 miles. Nice friendly motor but pretty agricultural. The ergo's were horrific. Really cramped to the footpegs like rearsets, but mounted forward. Then it had a fairly long reach to the handlebars. Strange ride.

I swapped bikes with the owner for the ride back. It was a new KTM 990 SMT. Wow! I have a 2004 KTM Adventure and it is a pretty crude lump, but the new SMT was the sweetest riding motorcycle I ever tried. Super comfy, perfect ergos, and a smooth quiet motor.

I think M-G has a long way to go if they want to compete.

[capriccio]

Originally Posted by Pantah

I rode a Griso on Saturday for about 100 miles. Nice friendly motor but pretty agricultural. The ergo's were horrific. Really cramped to the footpegs like rearsets, but mounted forward. Then it had a fairly long reach to the handlebars. Strange ride.

I swapped bikes with the owner for the ride back. It was a new KTM 990 SMT. Wow! I have a 2004 KTM Adventure and it is a pretty crude lump, but the new SMT was the sweetest riding motorcycle I ever tried. Super comfy, perfect ergos, and a smooth quiet motor.

I think M-G has a long way to go if they want to compete.

Guzzi, Aprilia and now Piaggio refuse to see the value of Moto Guzzi. MG is nothing without that magic 90 deg VTwin. The bulk of the bikes sold here and their other markets have been cruisers, starting with the 1970's police cruisers and finishing up with California Vintage. So if they took customers away, they were mostly from HD. Customers that didn't want Jap bike but wanted the character of an HD and of course exclusivity, you ain't gonna see yourself coming and going on every ride. Not one owner as ever put together a truly American cruiser to compete with HD. First in the American tradition of large is good, largest is best, 1064cc ain't gonna get you much sales, second, Americans love comfort more than largest, third instead of supplying after market luggage than don't match the bike and people can buy for less, supply designed for and matching fucking luggage please. Fourth, since your dealer network is barely and you competing with the best dealer network, make your fucking bikes reliable and ready from the first ride, nothing but oil, tires and brake pads for the first 100K. WTF is this sorting out bullshit. BUT NO, they keep on competing with the BMW R1200RT and the R1200GS which Motociclismo the premier Italian and world wide magazine calls the "La Queen of Touring" and "The Gold Standard for Maxie Enduros" respectively and are the best selling bikes in Italy, the largest consumers of large bikes and passionate about everything on two wheels and a motor. You would think they would take advice from their own people and journalist which are never biased or ass kissers. Ok I'm done.

Let me add that exclusivity and the lowest resale value of any brand that I know of, due to a barely breathing dealer network has kept Guzzi alive here in the States. Who da fuk is gonna buy Guzzi over BMW for a few bucks less if not for the excuse me, exclusivity, look at me differently. Now, I'm really done.

[rocker59]

My latest acquisition, and for 1/4 the price of a new California Vintage...

[Mobiker]

Originally Posted by rocker59

My latest acquisition, and for 1/4 the price of a new California Vintage...

Nice!

[sfarson]

rocker... Major congrats. Beautiful bike.

[lousgoose]

Originally Posted by rocker59

My latest acquisition, and for 1/4 the price of a new California Vintage...

As I stated over on WG, a big congrats. And a +1 on your comment. This is a better bike than the new Eagle even. I loved the '03 touring Stone I used to have, spent many days wishing I had not sold it; however, the 2001 Cali Special I owned later had much better build quality - and I'm of a mind they built all their cruisers (later EVs being the only exception) more to last 2002 and before. With the Stone, plastic pieces broke, stuff rusted quick, rubber parts were shoddy. But with the Special, things just held together and lasted longer. The Jackals and Stones are my favs but if they model the Eagle on those, building it with cheaper bits and leftover parts and pieces from the Vintage, your bike will still be holding together even when the new owners are trying to glue their broken rear tail light arms back on. Don't ask.

[RaY YreKa]

Seen pics of the 2011 Norge GT? Very nice in black